Bird's eye view
Page 36
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* Chicanery
Talk about knocking 'em in the Old Kent Road. This southern exit from London, numbered A2 (A20), is ill-lit enough for most of its length to be a hazard for drivers, especially on a wet night, but now an excess of one-way-streetery has brought a new hazard.
Bang under the railway bridge at New Cross, where there is gloomy shadow, the road is suddenly reduced from one-way southbound for its full width to a single lane—and on the right-hand side, at that. And with little advance warning, this reduction from about four lanes to one is achieved by slapping a great wooden barrier across, almost at right angles to the road. This is lit at night with a few dim red lanterns.
Some enterprising local garage has put a big notice board on the barrier, facing the onrushing traffic, to advertise its special offers and at first I thought that this was not only a bit of a nerve (if enterprising) but was also a further hazard because one's eyes are drawn to reading the notice instead of scanning the mirror to see if it is safe to veer right in order to negotiate the barrier. But now I've decided that it's only the big white notice that gives drivers any acceptable warning of the hazard_
* Sundry tales
Did you, like me, think that Roadrailers were dead? You will remember that the railways played about with them for a few years just before Freightliners became the vogue. They were semi-trailers which linked together to form coupled trains of about 50 van wagons but when separated could be converted to road semi-trailers and hauled about for collection and delivery as small, if rather heavy, artics. Two trains were made up, and technical snags such as inadvertent uncoupling at speed on the rails, seemed just about overcome when Dr. (now Lord) Beaching came along and plumped for Freightliners.
But it seems that they are not dead; well, not quite. The trains are, I believe, parked up in a siding near Peterborough, but somebody in the new BR Sundries division had the idea that they could be useful for c. and d. of parcels and smalls, for subsequent trunking to the North East, and vice versa. Ironically it is not a rail problem that threatens to scotch this plan; it is, I hear, simply that the convertibility of running gear enforced the use of undersize brakes on the road wheels, and now they just won't meet the current braking requirements without costly modification.
Still, it was a good try.
*Malawi LDo17
The Lorry Driver of the Year competition is spreading. I have just had a report of the first competition in Malawi. This event was run in accordance with the national regulations governing the competition here.
There were two eliminating heats with the final taking place on June 23. The competition was held (in brilliant sunshine) at Blantyre, and was won by Sgt. T. Alufeyo of the Malawi Police Force. He lost only 80 penalty points. Ray Osborn the organizer, tells me that this is to be an annual event. With rounds in Scotland, Ireland, Wales England and Malawi we're on the road to a Commonwealth competition.
* Convoyage I
How far is it safe to send lorries by the convoy system. without each driver knowing his precise destination? These days. not even around the block, I would have thought, for if a driver misses his lane in many spots one-way street planning can lose anyone other than a "local".
So I was surprised to hear about a lorry from Marseilles stopped by Sheffield police the other day, for the driver, Andre Martinelli, did not know where he was going apart from following three other 16-tonners to pick up coal (coal?) somewhere in the Sheffield district....
Sheffield police brought in their Frenchborn telephonist, Mrs. Christianne Bedford, to interview Andre more fully and it later turned out his story was substantially true. In fact his load was to be coal pitch tar. The other three lorries were found at the United Coke and Chemical Company's plant at Orgreave, and the police helped Andre to join them. After their apologies for the delay.
*Worm's eye view
What lies beneath the surface in the City of Manchester? Before anyone comes up with any of those funny answers let me report that mobile drilling rigs are working in the main thoroughfares. So far they have not struck oil hut that isn't the object just at the moment. What they are after is information on the suitability of the good earth for part of Manchester's future Rapid Transit System.
Meanwhile Mr. R. F. Bennett, the City transport manager, apologizes to his present-day passengers and to the public at large for any inconvenience they may suffer as a result of these operations. The investigations will enable him to bequeath invaluable data to his successor when he departs for his new duties at London Transport in mid-September.
*Double top
Among the company of 560 at the Football Commemoration Lunch run by the Variety Club of Great Britain at Manchester's Piccadilly Hotel last week I noted Peter Foden, chairman and managing director of ERF Ltd. Manchester United's players autographed one football and Manchester City's players a second, which must make them some of the most valuable bits of leather-work in the world. Raffling the pair of them at the luncheon produced hundreds of pounds for charity, The winner: Mrs Peter Foden.
* Traction attraction
The vintage-vehicle world seems to be in good heart at the moment, to judge from the amount of information I receive. I don't want to turn this column into a spot for vintage notes, but you might care to know that on the weekend of August 31 to September 2 the Leeds and District Traction Engine Club is holding a rally at Harewood House, near Leeds, and that as well as the steaming monsters there will be historic commercial vehicles and other oldies on show; Sunday is the day on which these will be featured.