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Private Bus Companies 11DR_IVATE bus enterprise has Performing a Vital I got a good champion in the War Job British Omnibus Companies' Public Relations Committee, which is doing excellent work in bringing to the notice of the public the vital war service being performed by company-owned buses. For example, passenger travel on such vehicles showed a 25 per cent. advance last year on the pre-war figure, despite the fact that "luxury " services have gone by the board. Nearly 90 out of every 100 of the men previously employed as conductors on such vehicles have been replaced by women, who now represent over onethird of the total personnel of the companies, con trasted with less than a tenth in 1939. The big increase in passenger-miles run is also fine testimony to the quality of British bus products, especially when it is remembered that many of the 36,000 companyowned buses in service before the war have been requisitioned for other duties, thus throwing added stress on those left to tackle the job of transporting the Nation's war workers.
Suggestion for National DEFORE the Institute of Fuel, Power and Export, Mr. W. Wakefield Transport Programme Adam, M.I.Mech.E., recently gave an address on a national fuel, power and transport programme. He pointed out that in 1938, with an output of 227,000,000 tons of coal, 187,000,000 were burned raw, the pit-head price being 21 per ton. Processed coal is worth two-and-a-half tirnestthis, and the net value of the derivatives destroyed in 1938 would have been some 2280,000,000; in addition, complete processing would have eliminated soot, which damages buildings and results in a bill of repairs amounting to £50,000,000 a year. Therefore, a total saving should be about 2330,000,000, whilst -a further 250,000,000
would be provided in wages throughout the industries concerned. Factories should not be allowed to use raw coal, except in large power plants where it can be processed; others should obtain power from the grid or use oil engines. He also advocated the uniting of the four main railway companies and the electrification of their rolling stock. Another suggestion— with which we disagree—was the formation of a *national transport board to supervise all forms of carriage
One of the Pioneers AN "In Memoriam-" notice
of the Vehicle Gas referring to the death of
Producer Major T. G. TuIloch, on
June 7, 1938, in Palestine, reminded us that he was one of the pioneers of producer gas as applied to road-transport vehicles. It was he who purchased, from Lieut.-Colonel D. J. Smith, the manufacturing rights of the Smith producer, a feature of which was its mechanically rocked fire bars, Later, he linked up with a Mr. Reading, the producer then becoming the Tullach-Reading. We had several trips on a vehicle equipped with this plant, which sometimes functioned perfectly, and at others gave a lot of trouble, particularly in starting, for which a hand-operated blower was employed, and this often meant bard work for something like half an hour, Major Tulloch afterwards lived at a health resort, which he helped to develop, on the Dead Sea, but retained his interest in transport. One of the problems he put to us was how to overcome the difficulty of operating vehicles which had to climb from hundreds of feet below sea level to a similar height above it; the main trouble being that of carburation, owing to the differences in air pressure. It was always a pleasure and a source of inspiration to chat or correspond with him, Operators' Action 'IT was a happy gesture on the brings Tribute from A part of Sir 1, George Leading Tyre Maker . Beharrell, D.S.O., chairman of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., when speaking at the recent general meeting of the company, to pay tribute to the assistance received from those operators of large fleets who have co-operated with the concern's service staff in the care and maintenance of the tyres supplied to them. Their action has contributed substantially towards the conservation of the-country's stocks of rubber. Too often one finds the manufacturer ready to criticize the operator's use of his products, so that such evidence of good will is a refreshing change.
Nimol Insert Pistons Give Good Service in
ARATHER interesting point concerning the Specialloid Nimol Iron Ring Carrier piston has come to light. It had been thought that these pistons would be used only in connection with oil engines.. Now, it has been found that they are also proving/most successful in certain types of petrol engine subject to particularly arduous conditions. As an example, the Crusader Tank, which utilizes the Liberty petrol engine, has these pistons, which help in giving the power units longer life. Pistons removed from Tanks used in the Battle of Egypt have been found to be in excellent condition.
Tanks