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HINTS FOR STEAM-WAGON DRIVERS.

26th February 1924
Page 29
Page 29, 26th February 1924 — HINTS FOR STEAM-WAGON DRIVERS.
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Useful Tips for those Concerned with the Driving or Maintenance of Steamers.

MHE LETTER which we hafve. re

ceived from "G.P.H.," of Deptford, to whom we award the 15s. prize this week, will be of considerable interest to those drivers who have to use heavy traction engines in country districts, and who may, +therefore, very easily find themselves in the same sort of predicament as that to which he refers. It frequently happens particularly in connection with agricultural engines, that the gateway through which it is expected to pass is much too narrow, and; in order to be ableto peoceed, it is first of all necessary to remove a gatepost. In such circumstances " G.P.H." drives his traction engine so far as the gateway will permit. If the front wheels will not enter between the pests, he makes preparations to remove that post in the manner indicated in the left-. band portion of his sketch. He. takes a stout baulk of hardwood, about 4 ins. by 8 ins., or 12-in. section and 5 ft. long. Re digs a. shallow hole for this, 2 ft. away from the bottom of the post, and then takes his towing •chain, which is a fairly strong cite, having links of 1-in. section, and provided with a large book at one end and a 6-in. ring at the other. The chain is passed round the post as near to the ground as possible, the hook being attached to the chain, which is pulled so that it grips the bottom of the post tightly. Then the chain is led over the top of the baulk, which should be protected by an iron plate to prevent it from being split; it is secured at the ring end to the engine drawbar. Steam is then admitted to the cylinders, and the engine moved gently in reverse until the post pulls out. So" soon as it is up the baulk is removed, and the post can be hauled out of the war by means of the engine.

In case the front wheels have passed through the gate, as sometimes happens, the post may conveniently be drawn by a rear wheel without recourse being had to a baulk. In this event draw the end of the chain through the ring and pull it as tightly as possible round the base of the post as before. Drive the engine up until the wheel touches the post, and then take the chain and loop it two. or three times round the rim of the wheel, placing thick bags, if necessary, under the chain to obviate marking the paint. Be careful to pull each loop tight by hand. Drive the engine slowly backwards as before, and the post will leave the ground.

It is frequently the case, according to ''H.A.B.,' of Rotherham, that valve clatter develops in an old steam wagon. The chief cause is excessive wear on the fare of the slide valve, which allows it to fall away from its seat in the valve chest and to be pushed off that seat., and on again, as the pressure within the cylinder rises and falls. This trouble may easily be cured. All that is required is a simple spring, something like that shown in the sketch. It can be made from an old clock spring, or from a piece

of spring steel in. wide, al-, in. aids and 6 ins, long.

The same correspondent remarks that it happens fairly frequently that when a steam wagon is. meeting the wind considerable back-draught is set up by blowing down the chimney. This trouble is particularly noticeable when the damper., is closed, and, in order to prevent it,' " H.A.B." has fitted the wagons it his charge with a baffle plate similar to that shown in the sketch. It will be noted that it is a small, almost semicircular, sheet of steel r'veted into the top of the and shaped so that any current of air coming owards the wagon ,from the front is deflected upwards. As objections may be raised by those who have not. tried this device on the score that it will have a tendency to block the chimney, " H.A.B." reassures us by stating that apparently it acts in some way as an injector, the reverse current of air passing over the chimney top, thus increasing the draught up the chimney instead of diminishing it.

One or two useful hints concerning a Sentinel wagon are embodied in a letter from "D.H.C.," of Nottingham. He recommends that worn engine bearings should not be scrapped, but set on one side, as they are still good for 10,000 miles of wear when used as bushes for the front. stub axle. The only alteration needed in order to render them quite suitable for this purpose is the drilling of oil holes on the opposite side to those already existing in the bearing. Whenever new tyres are about to be fitted to front wheels, do not, he recommends, remove the wheel from the axle, as, if so, the result may be that when it is replaced it will revolve on that axle .instead of the latter revolving in its 'bearing. The better way is to remove the four bolts which secure the bronze cliist covers in place (incidentally, it may be remarked,lbis has to be done in any 'case), then take off the nut and cotter -which tire at the opposite end of the stub axle to that on which the wheel is mounted. Both stub axle and wheel can then be removed quite easily, and it will be found that the axle is not the least in the way when refitting the tyre. There is another point to note about this method of working, and that is that, having removed the axle in this way, it is possible to proceed at once to "washer up," an operation which is nearly always necessary about the time that new tyres are fitted.

If by any chance the reader of these notes happens to have a front stub axle of a Sentinel wagon break off at the taper end which fits in the wheel, he should not discard it, for, according to " D.H.C.," it is very useful when removing worn stub-axle bushes. It is just the right size to serve as a punch for driving the worn bushes out or for pushing, new ones in. It will be found that the swell on this axle is just capable ,oassinz through the housing.

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Locations: Nottingham

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