Answers to Queries.
Page 19
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Joining the C.M,U.A.
[4041] (Notts.).-21 is. entrance, and 21 us. 6d. annually.
Repairs to Ball Bearings.
[4042] (Bournemouth).—The firm you have in mind, we think, is Messrs. Laurence Norris and Co., Imperial Buildings, 66, Kingsway, London, W.C. They are equipped for repairs to all types of ball bearings.
Materials for Flexible Gas-holders.
[4043] (Experimenter).—It may interest you to know that the Plicenix Supply Co. of 15, Hosier Lane, RC, can supply material for balloons or bags at the undermentioned prices :—
Light material, lie. 3d. per yard, 42 ins. wide ;
dark material, 5s. 9d, per yard, 40 ins. wide.
To Drive in Sydney. • [4044] (Emigrating).—You should, on landing in Sydney, have no difficulty in obtaining a berth on applying to any of the known motor agencies there. You might perhaps begin, as you have had heavyvehicle experience, by seeing the agents for Leyland Motors, Ltd., who are Messrs. McNeil and Co., 73, Market Street, Sydney.
Wants to Use a Martin Trailer.
[4045] (Mancunian).—It is almost impossible for you to obtain a Martin trailer at present, owing to import restrictions. The maker, the Martin Rocking Fifth Wheel Co., 244, Main Street, Springfield, Mass., U.S.A., has not at present an agency in this country. With regard to the use of this device, you are probably unaware that the legal speed limit for a vehicle with trailer of a. size useful to use behind a 2i-ton Halley is five miles an hour. This fact will probably affect your interest in it.
A Student of Rubber.
[4046] (Traveller).—We should think that as a traveller you are more concerned with the durability of the tires under working , conditions than with special points concerning their manufaCture.We are not aware of the publication of any book giving technical information of great value, although there is no doubt that the right mixings to stand presentday conditions show that a high percentage of pure rubber is not the best method of manufacture. The paper to which we referred in our issue of the 28th September (page 93) gives particulars, and you might be able to obtain a copy by writing to the author, Dr. Henry P. Stevens, Ph.D., F.I.C., 15, Borough Road, London Bridge, S.E.
The "Even Better" British Magneto.
[4047] (Vehicle Builder).—The reason for which you have been unable to get satisfactory magnetos so far will, we are afraid, continue to operate so that it may be some time still before it is possible for the makers to deliver to you. Both the British ThomsonHouston Co. and the Thomson-Bennett Co. are now supplying magnetos to the Aircraft Department, as well as for other special Government requirements, which magnetos are admittedly superior to the Bosch in one or two particular aspects, and second to this German-made machine in no others. This statement is only made after careful investigations and as a result of numerous inquiries amongst disinterested and influential people. You may rely on its accuracy. That these and several other firms are so tied at present as not to be able to make deliveries to British consumers' and so to establish their claims to superiority, is a distinct disadvantage to which we drew attention last week. We also then made suggestions for counteracting the effects of this unfortunate situation.
The Tramway's Decay.
[4048] (City Engineer).—We have had pleasure in sending to you direct copies of our issues of the 21st and 28th September' containing the first two ingalments of the article by Sir John Macdonald, G.C.B. It was concluded in our issue of the 12th ult., and we gather that you also have that of the ath idem.
Reading Up His Subject.
[4049] (31.T.' A.S.C.).—We suggest that you should send is. 6d. to the Secretary of the Commercial Motor Users Association, 83, Pall Mall, SW., .W. for a copy of the " Commercial Motor Drivers Handbook," by Mr. G. W. Watson, as you already have "The Motor Manual" (price is. 6d.), published by Temple Press Ltd.
Extra Wear and Tear of Water-bound Macadamized Roads Under Motorbus Traffic.
[4050] (Contested).—The most-historic fight about road maintenance was between the Sheffield Corporation and the Derbyshire County Council. The Committee of the House of Commons which went into the facts decided to allow fcl. per motorbus-mile, on_waterbound macadamized roads. The Middlesex people got the same allowance in respect of modern wood paving, which was a scandal; we reported the evidence fairly fully in our issues of the 16th and 23rd July, 1914. It is the second of these issues which contains the evidence by Mr. J. W. Bradley, the City Engineer of Westminster, Mr. Francis Wood, the Borough Engineer of Fulham, and Mr. J. P. Waddington, the Borough Engineer of St. Marylebone. The issues are out of print here, but you may have them by you in your bound volumes. We expect,if you write to Mr. A. It. Fearnleyt the Tramways Manager of the Sheffield Corporation, he will either give you a copy, or lend you a copy, of the evidence in the Sheffield case which probably has more application to yours, see ing that waterbound macadamized roads are con cerned.
Working Costs for Battery Vehicles.
[4051] (Relative).—We have not written at length of late in regard to battery-propelled vehicles. We are not yet in possession of data which enable us to put our name behind estimates of working costs. We did not so put our name behind costs for steam and petrol until the necessary experience was avail-, able and we have decided to hold our hand in the matter of battery vehicles for some further time. We are none the less able to state, for your guidance, that you should find battery vehicles quite suitable for local haulage, provided you have not to encounter exceptional gradients, or to run on roads which take you away from storage stations at critical points in the discharge of the battery.So far as we can gather, the consumption of current per mile with a nickel-iron battery is nearly double that of a pasted-lead battery, although the nickel-iron batteries are not liable to damage on over-discharge, and will take a quick boosting charge, which is in their favour. There appears to be no saving in weight for the same output. As to cost per mile, owing to the high price of battery vehicles, the necessary incidence of sinking-fund and interest charges per mile must come out high, unless it is possible, by a boosting charge during the dinner-hour, or by selection of work,to ensure that the vehicle will do 60 or more miles a day. We do not endorse general claims that battery vehicles are materially cheaper than petrol-driven vehicles, as regards their inclusive working costs, when all the factors are taken into account, but subject to the necessary expert supervision of the batteries, we see no reason'tto seek to deter you from purchasing such a vehicle.