The Motor Drivers News.
Page 29
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A Choked Exhaust Pipe.
" C.B.P." (Levenshultne) asks us to insert the following letter :—"A singular experience befel me a few days ago while I was driving a steam wagon from Manchester, to Liverpool. I had a load of 5 tons on the platform, and the vehicle was travelling along at a good six miles per hour, when, suddenly, the engine began to pull very badly. I steered the wagon to the side of the road, and stopped the engine. My mate and myself got down off the footboard, and had a general look round to ascertain the cause. The bearings and all moving parts, were, apparently, in good order. The next thing I did was to run the engine out of gear, and with the cylinder drain cocks open. Still nothing appeared to be Out of order. We made another start, but had not travelled far when the same trouble began again, and I felt sure that there was something radically wrong with the machinery somewhere. Rather than struggle along in the present state, I decided to make a proper examination of the engine, and transmission gear. I made a start by disconnecting the exhaust pipe, and it was here that the trouble was found. Within the exhaust pipe, and forced intothe nozzle by the escaping steam, was a* inch nut, thus constricting the available outlet to such an extent that a serious amount of back pressure was put upon the engine. The presence of the nut can be easily explained by the fact that the wagon had recently come back from the makers who had thoroughly overhauled it. The nut had, no doubt, dropped into the pipe by accident without anybody being aware of it."
Inefficient Drivers.
" J.D." (Keighley) sends the following general remarks upon matters to do with heavy vehicles :—" During the recent severe frosts, and snowy weather, I had a somewhat curious experience as a steam motor driver. While many horsed wagons have been ' laid up,' drivers of motors have been 'able to keep their vehicles running upon the roads. It has meant, of course, determination on their parts, and bags of grit were carried also ashes; but the most successful ruse that I tried was to bind the road wheels with a long wire rope. The results surprised us. After running a mile, or two, the ropes, which were round in section before covering the wheels, were now rolled to a flat surface, and gripped very firmly on a road covered with sheet ice. No damage was done to the roads whatever, and no complaints were made by the authorities. I should advise the drivers who read our page to make a special note of the above plan, for coming winters. " I cannot help taking notice of the number of inefficient drivers that there are at present in charge of wagons. I remember, not so long ago, being asked to give an opinion upon a certain steam vehicle which would not work successfully, the engine having no power. I asked the driver what he thought to be the trouble, and he candidly acknowledged that he had not the slightest idea, but, at the same time, he was glad to be helped so that he might add to his small store of knowledge of this particular subject. I found after inspection that the valves wanted adjusting, and this I did in a very short space of time. After remedying all defects, we got up steam, and ran for a trial round the yard. The driver was surprised at the result, and, also, to find how much nicer his engine started ; he now tells me his greatest difficulty is to keep steam down, when before he could not keep the pressure up. His employer was profuse in his thanks, and he feels confident of his motor becoming a success. Seeing there have been many very good articles published in your valuable paper, 1 do not think it requires any further remarks on slide-valve setting. All those who read the article about a month ago would realise the necessity of having valves set true to obtain a consequent economy
in fuel, water, and steam. If any driver is troubled from the same causes as the one that this incident refers to, let him overhaul the parts mentioned, and I am convinced he will find the true cause. If he has not confidence to do this himself, it would pay him to call in an expert."
A Cornish Experience.
W.S." (Cornwall) writes :—" Being a reader of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR,' and being, also, a steam wagon driver, I much appreciate the columns which you devote to the Drivers News.' I append, herewith, an experience which recently befell me, trusting you will find space for its insertion.
I left Redruth one morning at 9 a.m., for a ao-mile journey. Everything went smoothly for the first three miles, until I came to the bottom of a very steep hill ; there, I saw z-ton steam wagon in difficulties, the roads being so slip. pery it could not get up the hill. I towed the wagon to one side of the road, so that I might steer my vehicle past it, and 1 ascertained that her back wheels being plain she was unable to get sufficient grip upon the road.
"I put in my differential locking pin, and locked up my compensating gear, I then got in front of the stranded wagon and attached a chain to its front axle, and helped it over the top of the hill. I unhooked the chain, and the wagon ran down the hill and passed me for about a n-file and half, where we had to climb another hill hardly so steep as the first one. I found the wagon again in the same difficulty, being unable to get along, and I again attached the chain to its front axle. The next thing I did was to take in water, and all went well for the next three miles, when we came to a little rising ground. I overtook the same wagon —it had left me behind on the flat, as it was a lighter vehicle than the one I drove—with her water used up and, there being no water within a mile anywhere, I advised the driver to bank down his fire, and let me pull him to the top of the rising ground, where he would have falling ground for half a mile, which would enable him to save his steam, until the water station was reached. I left him and went on my journey without further mishap. I reached my destination and delivered my load and then I started for home.
"I had not gone more than two miles before my injector failed to act ; I examined the injector and found that the suction pipe had got a small hole chafed through it. I happened to have a bit of rubber with me, so I patched it with that, covering the rubber with a bit of canvas, and binding the lot together with twine. I started again and got within three miles of home ; I found that my reversing handle began to jump backwards and forwards badly, and also that the exhaust steam was making a peculiar noise up the chimney. I tried the valves, singly, and I found that the low-pressure valve had shifted a little. I took off the cover and set the valve, then made another start and arrived home three hours late without further mishap."
Improperly Meshing Wheels.
" W.W," (Walworth) sends an experience for inclusion on this page :—" While driving my motorbus, recently, I heard a grating noise, proceeding, apparently, from the engine. A new magneto machine had, a few days previously, been fitted to my engine so I thought this might have got out of order in some manner. First of all, I thought I would try some oil on the bearings of the armature, and called my mate round to the front of the vehicle to open the bonnet and apply the oil. After going a short distance I found that the noise re-asserted itself and became worse than before. I stopped the vehicle, and jumped down to have a look round. I, then, found the cause of the trouble, which was the result of the screws that held down the plate on one end of the magneto, having come out. I found, at the same time, that the gear wheel upon the water pump spindle was not meshing properly with its fellow wheel upon the magneto. This was a mystery to me, because the wheels were both quite tight upon the spindles. I took the magneto down to fasten the plate on again, and, when doing this operation, found that the new machine was smaller than the one which it had replaced, so, in bolting it in position, I placed
the machine nearer the pump in order to bring the wheels into mesh. The result was excellent."