Stiff Trial for MI Organization
Page 39
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EVE RE frost and heavy, if brief, snowfalls last Saturday provided the stiffest test so far for the organization • set up. by the Ministry of Transport to keep the M1 clear for traffic under all weather conditi obs (The Commercial Motor, January 8, 1960).
Contrary to some reports, ice fornriation on the motorway was kept well under control by.salt, whilst snow which Jid settle was cleared successfully by the special ploughs now going into service. These have rubber squeegees at their lower edges.
After talking on Monday to the men responsible for clearing the Buckinghamshire section of the motorway, a representative of The Commercial Motor was Ltonvinced that the accidents which occurred last Saturday morning were, in the main, caused by the thin layer of slush left on the road as the salt, which had -been spread during the previous night and that morning, melted the snow as it fell. The slush was shifted rapidly from the middle and 'near-Side lanes by the passing traffic but lingered in the lessused fast lanes until cleared by ploughing.
Slush can be very slippery. Although sand or gravel could be distributed by he local authorities to overcome this, it is not desirable to spread these materials an a fast road, where they could be thrown up to damage windscreens and paintwork. It is thought better to let passing traffic carry out the clearance ,ilthough, as more squeegee-type ploughs become available, it may be possible to remove slush.
Last week-end was Mso a good test for the first examples of the-special sixand :ight-wheeIed gritter-snowploughs (The Commercial Motor, November 13, 1959) which are now going into service.
The Commercial Motor accompanied t precautionary salt-spreading run ast Monday. It took place at about 6 p.m. and the vehicle used was one of the new Douglas 6 x 6 gritters powered by a Rolls-Royce petrol engine driving through a fully automatic transmission of the same manufacture.
The vehicle was fitted with a singleangle snowplough blade giving an effective sweeping width of 9 ft. 6 in.
This made an impressive foreground looking forward from the cab of the vehicle as it travelled down the centre lane of the carriageway at nearly 40 m.p.h., spreading salt at oz. to the sq. yd. The spreading vehicle covered 16 miles in 33 minutes.
Bad conditions did not prevent the London-service coaches of the Birmingham. and Midland Motor Omnibus -Co., Ltd., from reaching their terminals ahead of time.
DAIMLERS FOR KOWLOON
ACONTRACT for the purchase of a ,further 40 Daimler double-deck buses has been signed by the Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933), Ltd., Hong Kong. They will be powered by Gardner 5LW oil engines.