ANSWERS TO QUERIES.
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Our readers will be informed by The Editor on any points connected with The construction or use of commercial motors.
privacy is not specially made, any query and answer may be published.
Preventing Gas-bag Leakage.
[4447] (Preston).—A rubber paint for preventing leakage from gas-bags is being marketed by the Motor Sales Co., 8 and 9, Sherwood Street, Piccadilly Circus, London, W. L, under the name of " Gaztite."
Cleaning Inside of Superheater Coil.
[4448] (Peterborough).—Your letter is rather vague, as it does not state what type of superheater is fitted on your five-ton steam wagon, or what is the amount of corrosion. If it is badly corroded, that is, eaten away, it should be renewed; but if it is coated inside with scale (a rather unusual state for a superheater coil) it can be cleaned by soaking it in a solution of one part spirits of salt to eight parts of water, and then blowing the loose sediment out by steam.
Trailer Requirements.
L4449] (Suffolk.).—The most important requirement. that you have to fulfil is that the vehicle drawing the trailer must be able to reverse. If it is pivoted to the back of the tractor, it is quite obvious that youcould not back properly, as the wheels of the trailer would not track with those of the tractor. On the other 'hand, it is rare indeed that one wants to reverse, and hundreds of vehicles are running about, particularly in the aircraft service, with trailers such. as you outline. Such a vehicle as you outline would certainly be a trailer, and not a. six-wheeled vehicle.,
Chars-a-bancs Journeys.
[44a] (Sunbury-on-Thames).---You will have to register your chars--banes by licences for the drivers. As regards the need to obtain permission from town councils, it all depends upon the method of working which you propose to adopt. If you intend to use your ehare-iabanes after the style of buses, that is to say, to pick up passengers as you go along, and to run regular, timed journeys, you will need to take out a hackney-carriage licence, and the council or local authorities will in that case be entitled to refuse you permission—for good reasons. If you only intend to use your vehicles for pleasure tours, for which all the seats would be booked beforehand, and the start for which would be made from your own premises or from an hotel yard, then no hackney-carriage licence or other special permission is necessary.
Selling Up as a Haulage Contractor.
[4451] (Lineoln).—Generally there is very considerable scope and good prospeets for such a business as that which you are considering, and you would probably snake a reasonable living with one lorry provided that the Scottish city which you have 'in your mind is an industrial one, in which case there will be a considerable demand for haulage facilities, which are, at the moment, comparatively scarce. A little later on you will, no doubt, h'ave to face keener competition, but if you establish yourself quickly, so that you have the business on a sound footing before this competition comes along, you should be able to face it witt every prospect of success. By that time no doubt you will have entered into a number of contracts, and if you have shown yourself to be capable these will help you. You realize, we expect, that in the beginning, and probably for some tiThe, you will have to devote long hours to your business and give most assiduous attention to it. You also, no doubt, understand that immediate benefits may not occur, and you may be two or three months before you begin to find your feet.
044 As regards suitable firms from whom to purchase second-hand lorries, we suggest you refer to the adver tisement columns of this journal, wherein you will find the names of several reliable concerns which specialize in the sale of vehicles of this class.
We do not anticipate that ybu will now have much difficulty in obtaining a petrol licence providing you can show good cause, and on the understanding that you intend to use it for commercial purposes only. It may probably be necessary for you to get some responsible person in the district in which you intend to operate to recommend the granting of your application,
The following is a, schedule of charges for a 3-ton lorry; 'which, from your fifth question, we anticipate
you propose to work With hired by the mile, ss. Eicl, per Mile ; if by time, 10s. per hour, £4 lOs.
per day, £24 15s... per week. The mileage charge covers empty running as well as loaded. If your consignments are less than three tons you will have so to ;calculate your earnings that the return is on the basis we have suggested.
The actual running expenses are as follow :— Petrol, 4.8d. per mile ; oil, 0.35d. per mile ; tres, 2.25d. per mile ; maintenance, 2.35d. per mile ; total, 9.75d. per mile. These, of course, are the pure running costs only, and to them must be added an allowance for your own wage, equal to your wage per week divided by the number of miles which you anticipate you will run per week. Similar amounts must be added for the rents which you will pay for the garage, insurance, a figure for depreciation, and interest on first cost which will differ largely, of course, with the amount of money you are prepared to spend. There are no special laws of the nature which you appear to have in mind. Occasionally there are special by-laws passed by local authorities.Yon could get information as regards these by applying to the authorities of the district in which you propose to work.
Steam Wagon Charges.
[4452] (Yeadon).—The proper charges in connection with rubber-tyred steam wagons for loads up to-and including five tons are 2s. 9d. per mile, 13s. per hour, £5 10a. per day, and 230 5s. per week. The charge, therefore, for carting the load you suggest, namely, 1200 bricks (about four tons), a distance offive miles loaded and five miles return would be 27s. 6d. for a steam wagon as compared with 22s. 6d. -which you state is the cost of horse haulage. You will, of course, realize that your additional return would be from the fact that you would be able to do two, or possibly three, journeys by steamer while you were doing one with horses. The dead time of loading, however, w uld probably not alter. The charges specified above cover a working day of 10 hours, and this, therefore, answers your next question. We should not recommend anything but rubber tyres in the circumstances you name. The general charges per mile for .a 5-ton steam wagon on rubber tyres are approximately as follow :—Driver's wages, 3.2d. ; mate (if required), 2.9d. ; coal, 2.5d.; lubricants, 0.4d. ; rubber .tyres, 4.0d. ; maintenance, 1.8d; rent and rates, 1.0d. ; insurance, 1.4d. ; depreciation, 2.0d. ; interest, 0.7d. ;
is. 7d.
If your work from time to time covers the conveyance of-loads made up of a number of parcels or consignments each of which is less than the total capacity of the wagon, then you will require to calculate for yourself such a charge as will give you a return such as we have specified above, and you must, as we have indicated, reckon the 2s. 9d. per mile to cover the total mileage run whether empty or loaded.