Opinions from Others.
Page 16
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Future Three..tonner.
The Editor, TH is COMMERCIAL ?derma.
1.1,263j hesitate to make a further demand on your valuable space. especially as what I have to say may seem too much like an attempt to obtain an advertisement for a particular system, but at the same time it appears to me that there arc certain questions, in Mr. Avoling's letter [No. 1,258], which is published in this week's issue of your esteemed journal, to which I might be able to suggest answers.
In my last letter, 1 ventured to inquire whether Mr. Aveling was conversant with the very great progress which had been nuole of late in the application of‘' 8Leam gas to road locomotion. Apparently, judging by his questions, Mr. Aveling is unaware of the recent. developments which have taken place in that particular system of power generation for fast-runninseorninercial vehicles.
Mr. Arching states that " . . . the future threetonnes must of necessity. . . have the following rpm lineations " (1) High road speed and. therefore, rubber tires; (2) Low total running load, i.e.. low tare weight. fee ness of intet,:, ImilPr, etc.:
k3) Cleanliness:
4.1) Large rnnning area without fuel or water stops;
(5) No need for attention when standing: (hi Single-man control: 171 Immediate readiness; for muse: (8) Freedom on the road and in goods sheds from live fire, sparks and ashes; (9) Low first cost; (10) Reliability; (11) Large area of platform, with shortest. efficient wl ba se ; (12) Low total running and up-keep charges; (13) Instantaneous answer to call for full power. Yetis correspondent then asks, " Ca-n all these requirements be obtained by the use of steam, as simply and as easily as they can from the internal-combustion engine?"
'rho answer is Yes, certainly—by the use of " steam
Mr. Aveling may not know that there are now in existence " steam gas " eommercial vehicles, which are very much superior in the majority of the above-mentioned respects to their " petrol " contemporaries. But these lorries are at present built to take two tons only ; at the same time, a three-tonner could, 1 have no doubt, easily be made. 1 may say that jest revently the manof:icutrers imposed a very severe test on one of these lorries, anil it came through withoat the slightest hitch. Although it was only built for the purpose of carrying two tons, three tons were loaded on its platform, and it was then driven at full speed, for long distances over the difficult and hilly roads of the Yorkshire \Voids. The lorry passed this very severe test with flying colours. Now, if a two-ten vehicle is capable of doing this, it is 11!■vion5 that a. three-tanner. built to carry the weight, ecu II he made to accomplish the same result. As regards Mr. Acelieg's points:
(1) The speed of these vehicles is 20 miles an hour fully leaded, and rubber tires (solids) are usedtwin tires nif the hack and single on the front. wheels.
i21 No boiler, no coal, no ashes, no smell, no smoke. :So gears, no clutch. no electricity. An extremely simple and very light. eugine. A special form of " steam gas " generator, which is e itha l?Ped by oibt or hard water. Farther, should repairs he neeessary, they are extremely cheap :end easy to do; in fact, the generator van be repaired while " on the road."
(3) Cleo ni i itrss. Quite as clean as the ordinary " petrol" lorry, with the advantage of using a safe and cheaper fuel—common paraffin. All working parts enclosed in dust-proof casings, and special fuel feed lubricators for the crankshaft bearings end other parts.
(4) Arra tor-red On one charge of fuel loud water. Speeial forms of condensers and feed-water heaters are fitted (the generator being unaffected by oil in the water), and thus a good distance can he covered without having to fill tip with water_ The actual length of ritil on one charge depends on the loa,c1, the roads, and general eondithers. Under ordinary circumstances, with a full load, about 40 to 60 miles could be travelled on one. tankful of water, while one to of fuel would be sufficieut for SO to 100 miles.
() and (6) There is no need of attention while standing, and the vehicle is easily looked after anti driven bone man.
(7) Eewliness for the road. Here I admit the " petrol " lorry may have a slight advantage, but the " steam gas " vehicle can lv got going, not merely " ready " but actually under way, in 15 minutes from "all cold." without undue haste, when starting in the morning, and thereafter is ready ata moment's notice so lung as the burner is kept alight. (8) No mac, sparks or ashes, and no " live fire " exposed. A completely enclosed burner which dees not require an upright chimney. I:91 Lou' first cost. The two-ton lorries produced com pare very favourably in cost with their " petrol contemporaries. I have no doubt that a three-temeor could be made at an equally reasonable price. The wakens have the advantage that no expensive gears are refiaired. Beliobility. Here there is not the slightest doubt that the " steam gas " lorry is far superior to the internalcombustion vehicle. There are no violent shocks and explosimis to cause vibration or '' fatigue " the--e is no gear (-Imaging, and the running of the engine is perfectly silent. Further, the number rof revolutions at elect: itproduces an equal power to the " petrol " engine are very much fewer.
(11) I have not the figures for this item by inue but here again the " steam gas " lieTy compares very Ins ourably with its " petrol " rival.
(12) Lour ranni a!) and a play)) charh,$. The "steam gas " lorry uses cheap fuel, needs very few repairs, and possesses greater &inability. It has no " boiler " in the true sense of the word, so it is exempt from the usual " boiler troubles." and it has no gear to wear tout. aml no electricity to cause brenkdowns.
(13) .1 tette ate rocooes (rawer to ma for in no flu fah' power. Well, all I can say is, let Mr. Aveling take a trip on one of these lorries with a full load on. over some steep hill (say. Garrowhy, or Whiteell Hill, in Yerkshire) and tell the driver to step suddenly on the steepest part. And then see if the lorry will move oil quickly, and easily, as soon as the throttle is opened again, I will emarantee that this type of lorry will respond to the sudden demauil for full power. in manner that no petrol lerry can even approach Lastly. I would just like to say that in respect of tire ecar, with the greatest submission. MrAs-elm'' is quite
mistaken when he says that petrol lorries are lighter on tires than steam vehicles. Whatever may be the fact with regard to the ordinary steamer, it is certainly not true of the " steam gas " lorry. On the contrary, one of the great points whieh the makers urge in favour of the "steam gas " system is its extreme easiness on tires.
The application of power to the road is heels can be so nicely regulated by the special form of throttle used, that at no time need there be any sudden stress on tho tires. Further, while the startieg and stopping stresses are thus very much less than on a petrol vehicle Where a. chitch has to be manipulated, and gears changed, the wear oe the tires; during the time when the vehicle is fully under way, is also very much less with "steam gas " than with petrol. The great flexibility and smoothness of romning (what the French call " la souplesse ") of the engine reduce tire wear to a minimum, If Mr. Aveling or any of your correspondents should wish to hear more of " steam gas," I cannot do better titan to recommend them to read THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. 1 heel sure they will thereby gain a good deal of valuable information.
With apologies for the length of this letter.---Yours
Faithfully, 4 , F.w.s.00 II itlimotici, 25th November, 1910.
Second-hand Commercial Vehicles.
Editor, TuF. CommEncem. Moton.
11,2641 Sir,—We 1leg to advise you that we have decided, after very-caret:11 consideretion. to continue our second. hand department whieh some time. ago we considered dropping in lateen' of an agency for new chassis. We find, however, ThRT, on writing to mar DITMerODS clients, they are very desirous that we should continue the secondhand department. in order that they may have a medium through which to purchase and to sell their se-cond-hand maehinee.
We have at the moment a large purchasing programme nnd have, duriue the past few days, considerably increased our stink of seeond-hand machines. We shall add considerably to these doming the eourse i the next week or so; we shall therefore hold very slot ti a representative stoelc of the different mak-es aml elas:ses of industrial motor vehicles. Weare making a point of overhauling,' every maclune we offer, at our works at linehtley before turning it over to the purehaser.
We shall esteem it a favour' if you will give publicity to the above facts, and beg to rentain.—Yours faithfully, ;MARTIN'S Motoas, L. J. MARTIN, Alanagina Director.
Miniature Motorvans.
The :Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
,265 j WC' note with interest under the heading if " Miniature Motorvaus." a letter No. 1,259] relating to a 1906 type of 7 lip. two-cylinder Star. We were very pleased to note the suceesses of this car fitted up as a van: it is in reality only a pleasure chassis, and zit that was onlv designed to earry two or' three people, therefore, its having run 58.000 utiles during the five years at au average list.. if3d. per mile including the driver, tires, repairs, and everything is a much more satisfactory record than had it been speeially designed by us as a commercial vehicle. Mr. ('Ilappell. in his letter, loowever. makes a mistake is hen he states that in spite of the fact that these little vehicles were going well the makers [-eased to manulauture them : this is -not. eorreei. AVe did not vease to manufacture them, but they el-whinny grew, with the netreh of times an :1 the improvements made ia them, from 7 lep. to the 10 It. p. temeylinder Star cfir whieh we now supply in the form of a commercial vehicle: it is capable of carryire a -matter of 10 to 12 cwt., and is still sold at a price very Dear that of the Little Star of live .V Oft rs ago.
We enclose you a. photograph of this particular van which might loe of interest to your many readers. Vows
faithfully, THE STAR ENGINEERING CO., LTD., .T. LISLE. General Manager. Wolverhampton, 25th November, 1910.