The War Department's Competition.
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Official Details of Arrangements and Routes.
Assembly to-day (Thursday) ; Road Tests begin, 1st March; Trials conclude, 11th March.
Captain R. K. Bagnall-Wild, R.E., is having a busy time, but arrangements are well in hand for the forthcoming tests. The fact that each tractor has to carry all its stores, including fuel and water, for a minimum of too miles, obviates the necessity for much roadside organisation, as the longest trip is to be 37i miles, but it makes but little difference, of course, that there has been one more withdrawal—the Acer Company, and that only six competitors remain in the lists at the moment of going to press : the necessity for complete and exact preparation is not reduced one iota. 'there now are left to participate, subject to their arrival at the Aldershot depdt not later than 9 a.m. tomorrow* (Friday), machines by the following makers, the official numbers iie:ng those in parentheses : Marshall (2); Stewart (3); Thornycroft (4); Lowca (7); Allen and Simmonds (9); Brown and Wade (to). No. 4 is fully described (pages 304-506).
The Army Council has invited four importaat national bodies to be represented by delegates at the trials. These, ‘vith the names of the gentlemen nominated, are : The Ro) at Automobile Club, Messrs. Mervyn Miorman, W. Worby Beaumont, and J. Lyons Sampson ; the Commercial Motor Users' Association, Messrs. F. (2. A. Coventry and H. W. Wigan ; the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Messrs. H. G. Burford and Sidney Straker ; and the National Traction Engine Owners' and Users' Association, Messrs. John Allen, E. B. Chittenden, and H. Howard Humphreys.
We append a table, in whith the names of the trials officials and. other particulars are given :— The Farnborough Queens Hotel, South Farnborough, Hants., is the full postal address of the best place to put up, and Farnborough (L. and S.W. Railway, from Waterloo) is the nearest station. The chief depot is about 31 miles from the station, and about two from the hotel. There will be no public tests on Saturday, the oth March, and the last day on the road will be Wednesday, the loth March, which will see the completion of the eighth run. The manceuvring and other tests in the Long Valley, on the nth proximo, are likely to prove very severe, and
the closing days of the second week (Friday and Saturill Lie occupied in dismantling and in boiler inspections by the chief engineer of the ;Manchester Steam Users' Association,
We now give the full text of an official document which has not hitherto been available for publication.
Regulations and Instructions for Drivers and Competitors. All orders will be issued by Captain Bagnall-Wild, R.E., Secretary Mechanical Transport Committee.
DRIVERS.
i. A vehicle shall be driven by the same person throughout a day's run unless that person be incapacitated, when his place may be taken uy a substitute, On notice being given to the Observer.
NOTICE OF REPAIRS.
2. The Driver must not, under penalty of disqualification of the vehicle, make any repairs, replacements or adjustment without first notifying the Observer.
The Driver must give full information as to the nature of any repair, replacement or adjustment. Minor repairs may be carried out with the consent of the Observer. Larger repairs must be reported to the Secretary, and if approved by the Mechanical Transport Committee may be carried out under observation.
FAILURE TO START.
3. Vehicles that are not ready to start on any day's trial within one hour of the official starting time may be disqualified. STARTING TIME.
4. The starting time daily will be 8 a.m. Vehicles will be started at two minutes interval.
OVERTAKING.
5. The rules of the road must be strictly observed. ROAD REGULATIONS.
6. Any competitor who on the road crosses in front of another, shuts in, or obstructs another by any means, so that the latter is prevented from advancing may be disqualified unless the obstruction was unavoidable, or the competitor who was obstructed was himself at fault.
SPEED.
7. In no case shall a vehicle be driven to the danger or inconvenience of other users of the highway. Infringement of this Regulation may involve disqualification.
8. The time spent in the DepOt and on the road in replenishing, lubricating, adjusting, repairing, getting up steam, traffic stops, stops for convenience and refreshments, etc., will be recorded. The Driver and Assistant only will be allowed to carry out repairs, etc., except in the ease of large repairs, when the consent of the M.T.C. must he obtained for any additional assistance required. 9. Drivers and Assistants will be admitted to the Depot at 7 flan. and must leave the Depot daily one hour after the return of their vehicles, except in the case of large repairs. In no case will the Driver or Assistant be adtnitted to the Depot unless accompanied by their Observer.
PROTESTS.
io. Protests must be made in writing to the Secretary before the Driver leaves his vehicle for the day.
DISQUALIFICATION.
TI. A Competitor on being served with a notice of disqual'fication will withdraw the disqualified vehicle front
the Trials, and immediately remove the official number there from, 12. All competing vehicles shall be within the Competition Dep6t at the A.S.C. Mechanical Transport Depot, Aldershot, by 9 a.m., on Friday the 26th February, 1909. The DepOt will be even to competitors from Thursday the 25th February, 1909.
13. Weighing, measurement, filling, and sealing of tanks, In,zpection by the Mechanical Transport Committee, etc., will take place on Friday and Saturday, the 26th and 27th of February, 1909. Drivers and Assistants will be required at 8 a.m. on these two days. The Road Trials will commence on Monday, 1st March, 1909.
ROUTES AND TIMES.
14. Drivers will he responsible that the routes and time tables arc correctly adhered to. Any vehicle leaving the route must return to the point where the route was quitted. The extra mileage will be recorded, but no allowance will be made for the same.
PUNCTUALITY, 15. Punctuality in starting will be ins:sted upon. Want of punctuality on the part of the Driver or Assistant may render the tractor liable to disqualification.
FUEL AND WATER.
16. The fuel and water tanks will be sealed and coal rr similar solid fuel issued in sealed sacks. In the event of a vehicle running short of fuel on the road, a further supply will be forwarded as soon as possible; the time so lost will not be taken into account in making the awards. No fuel is to be used under any circumstances other than that obtained from the official fuel store at the Depot.
The fuel and water will be replenished on return to the DepOt after each day's run. The fuel tanks or coal bunkers and water tanks will be filled before the first day's run and will daily be replenished to this amount. 17. Competitors are invited to meet the members of the M.T.C., at 12 noon on Saturday the 27th February, at the Committee Room at the DepOt, to give them an opportunity of asking any questions concerning the Trials.
ADMISSION TO THE DEPOT.
38. Drivers and Assistants will be supplied with passes which will admit them to the DepOt when accompanied by their Observer. Special passes available for one night only will however be required when admission to the DepOt is necessary in order to carry out large repairs (ride paragraph 9). 19. Competitors will be supplied, on application to the Secretary M.T.C., with a limited number of passes which will admit them to the Competition DepOt by day. Special night passes will only be issued under exceptional circumstances. Passes for additional assistants will under exceptional circumstances be issued with the consent of the Mechanical Transport Committee.
None of these passes will he available when the Depot is closed for members of the Mechanical Transport Comrnittee only. 20. Competitors, Drivers and Assistants, are requested to carefully study the Rules, Regulations, Instructions for Drivers and Competitors, and Instructions to Observers.
The amount of fuel supplied by the W.D. will be that asked for before the Competition by the Competitor. The competitor will undertake, should the W.D. so require, to take over the remainder of fuel at the price paid by the NV.D.