Do You Want a Steamer ?
Page 13
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. Some Heart-to-heart POinters.
Owing. to -the difficulty in securing adequate petrol supplies to meet commercialdemands, interest is naturally being focussed upon the possibility of -utilizing the steam wagon as a form of transport. Anumber of prospective users are dubious as to the merits of this class of vehicle for their particular service. With a view to assisting them we publish the following pointers :--•
If the chassis is bought direct from the manufac• turera all reasonable facilities will be given to enable the purchaSer to master its control arid mechanism.
There is no annual licence,, fee to pay in respect of a commercial vehicle-: only the registration fee of If atrailer is hauled the speed is limited to a. maximum of five miles per hour. There no need for a second man on the trailer, provided the trailer is. fitted with an efficient brake operated from the driving seat of the engine. .
It is advisable to have rubber tyres fitted. An average of 6d. per ton-mile should be earned. The life of good engine is from eight to ten years, if given every .attention. Depreciation should be allowed at the rate of 12-i per cent, per annum offa newvehicle, and more if the machine is second-hand. .
If run without a trailer, the following are the items of running cost:—
Wages (for second man) Coal ... Lubricants Tyres ... Maintenance ...
Rent and rates Insurance ... Depreciation ... Interest on capital outlay ...
, ct -per Mile.
1.5 ... 1.0 .
... .27 ... 2:0 ... 1.0 .
... .56 ... 1.05 ... .42 Total ... ... ... ... 8,40d.
If a trailer is habitually hauled. the costs will be:— Wages (for second man) ... 1.5 Coal ... ... , — ... 2.0 Lubricants ... ... .34 Tyres ... ... 3.0 Maintenance .., 1.6
Rent and rates .8
Insurance ... . ... . — ... 1.2 Depreciation ... ... ... 2.0 Interest on capital outlay .. ... .7 Total
The above costs are worked out on a basis of '300 miles per week on the rubber-tyred wagon without trailer, and 200 miles per week if a trailer is used.. In the °latter ease rubber tyres are assumed for the . engine but not for the trailer.