Passing Comments
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WHEN discussing the respective merits of roads WV and railways for Colonial development, Mr. J. W. Spitler, M.I.C.E., mentioned that during the past 10 years nearly 2,500 miles of new railway have been built by Colonial governments, and a very large mileage of new roads. Railway extensions in British possessions in tropical Africa have varied in cost from £3,200 to £7,047 per mile. Earth roads can be built for £150 to £300 per mile, and metalled roads from £400 to £800, whilst bituminous-surfaced roads cost at least £1,000 per mile. Where the traffic is light, the average annual cost of maintaining earth roads is not more than £20 to £40 per mile, but their traffic capacity is low. IN a paper read a short time ago by Mr. E. L. Ogleithorpe before the Institute of Consulting Motor Engineers, he referred to a strong alloy which is finding considerable favour in motor body building. It is known as M.G.7, and is an aluminium-magnesium alloy, which, in the hard, rolled state, has mechanical properties almost equal to those of duralumin, whilst its resistance to corrosion is extremely high. It is 6 per cent, lighter than the latter and is not heattreated. Increased strength is obtained by work hardening, and, unlike most alloys, it loses only a small percentage of strength when annealed for working purposes, whilst it can be welded satisfactorily by experts. SOME remarkable fleet mileages have recently been made available for publication by the Metropolitan Omnibus Co., Ltd., Perth, Western Australia, the fleet of which consists of 31 Leyland Lion and Libness single-deckers. Ten of the vehicles were placed in service in 1927, and each has covered an average mileage of 312,000. Ten further buses, added at intervals during 1928, have each averaged approximately 285,000 miles. In all, the fleet has covered more than 81 million miles between May, 1927, and October, 1933, giving an average mileage per vehicle of approximately 266,000.
ANEW patent specification, outlined in a recent issue of this paper, described a carburetter venturi of variable diameter. Many of our readers will remember the old Binks racing carburetters in which this excellent principle was employed. They were popular among motorcyclists, and achieved remarkably good results, although requiring skilful manipu lation. Unlike that described in the patent, the Binks choke, which was horizontal„ had, as it were, a moving roof that could be raised and lowered above the jet, the engine responding with phenomenal rapidity. There is little doubt that if it be possible to overcome the mechanical difficulties involved this form of mixture control would approach the ideal. PE annual motor exhibition held by Rootes, Ltd., al its Maidstone premises, and which closes tomorrow, includes quite a fine selection of commercial vehicles. Amongst these is a Commer 6-8-cwt. light van equipped as a hygienic milk carrier. Vehicles ranging from 15 cwt. upwards can be supplied with oil engines, the smaller having the Perkins high-speed unit and the larger the Dorman-Ricardo. Examples of both types of power unit are on view. A further attraction this year is a cinema, including one film showing the production of a motor vehicle.
AN interesting case occurred recently at Bletchley Police Court, when a driver was fined £2 and £1 ls, special costs for refusing to have his vehicle weighed. The circumstances were that the weighing machines to be used would take only one tyre of each of the twins on the rear wheels. The driver said that he feared the tyre might be damaged if he drove the vehicle on to the platforms. He offered to go five miles to any weighing machine which would not overstress his tyres. It is our definite opinion
that this is a miscarriage of justice. The driver showed no objection to having his vehicle weighed on a machine suitable for it, and we consider that the one-tyre machine was definitely not so in this instance.