WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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" The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier, The Committee on Goods Transport.
We refer, in a leader, to the corn,mittee which has been appointed by the Minister of Transport to report on road and rail transport. The following are the members :—As representative of the railways. Sir Herbert Walker, K.C.B., Sir Josiah Stamp, G.R.E., Sir James Milne, C.S.I., Sir Ralph Wedgwood, C.D., C.M.G. As representative of goods transport by road, Mr. W. H. Gaunt, 0.B.E., distribution manager of J. Lyons and Co., Ltd.; -Mr. C. le M. Gossenu, director of H. Viney and Co., Ltd., and past-president of the C.M.T.I.A. ; Mr. E. Graham Guest, of Macvitties. Guest and Co., Edinburgh, and president of the Scottish C.M.E.A.; Mr. P. H. Turner, president of the London Haulage Contractors Association, and a director of Thomas Allen, Ltd.
The question 4 the appointment of an independent chairman is reserved.
The joint secretaries are Messrs. G. Cole Deacon (secretary of the Railway Companies Association) and Mr. P. G. Bristow (general secretary of the C.M.T.J.A.). All communications should be addressed to the joint Secretaries of the Committee, Ministry of Transport, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W.1.
Chorltort's Concluding Lecture.
In his third and last lecture on oilengine traction, at the Royal Society of Arts, London, on March 21st, Mr. Chorlton confined himself almost entirely to railway practice. Some opinions are of interest to all engineers associated with oil-engine transport.
He repeated with emphasis his previous statement that first cost was the
greatest handicap, adding that originally it had been thought that economy of fuel 'would outweigh all other considerations, but this had been found not to be so.
With regard to transmission systems be laid stress upon the break of torque with "stepped" gears, the bulk and complexity of electrical sets, the low effe cieney of compressed air and the need for development of hydraulic systems.
A serious drawback attached to eketric transmission is the fact that its 1120 use involves the employment of two separate maintenance staffs.
If the system of electrical transmission were to gain favour on the road,
he surmised, engine control would have to be absolutely automatic, and the operation of a switch the driver's sole responsibility.
The pamphlet in which the three papers are published can be obtained from the secretary of the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, Adelpbi, London, W.C.2, price 2s. Eid.
In thanking Mr. Choriton for his " illuminating and comprehensive series of lectures," the chairman aired the view that "something in the nature of an earthquake " is demanded to direct attention to finding some more economical method of running our railways.
Napier's Re-entering the Motor Industry.
Sir Harty Brittain, K.B.E., C.M.-G., presiding at the general meeting of D. Napier and Son, Ltd., which Was held a few days ago, after referring to the important research, experimental and development work being carried out by the company on several new types of aero engine, said that, in accordance with the broader policy adopted by the board, arrangements are being made for the re-entry of the company into the motor industry. It is hoped, in the course of the present year, to commence the manufacture of a new typo of engineering product.
London Bilges With. Fluid flywheels.
The Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., draws our attention to the fact that all current-type A.E.C. passenger chassis' can be equipped with the Fluid Flywheel, and that prices and details are available upon application to the head office of the company at Southall, or at any of its branch depots or distributors.
The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., bas given a lead in the adoption of the Fluid Flywheel by specifying this unit for embodying in 50 of the A.E.C. Renown and Regent chassis now being built for service in the metropolitan area.
Restricted Streets for Buses.
The Minister of Transport proposes to make an Order and regulations under Section 7 of the London Traffic Act, 1024, declaring a large number of streets in London and the outer districts, which are specified in a schedule recently prepared, to be restricted streets, i.e., streets in which the plying for hire by buses ought to be prohibited or restricted, either generally or during particular hours. The proposed regulations will not involve any reduction in existing services. Any person affected who desires to make representations in -connection with the proposed Order and regulations should write to the secretary of the Minister of Transport, 7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W.1, not later than April 4th.