The Motor Drivers News.
Page 23
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An Exciting Trip.
" G.W." (Sunderland) writes us as follows on the 27th instant :—" A short time ago I was driving a steam wagon on a trial trip, and the load we had on board was four tons of provisions. All went well until I came to a very steep hill, which I had to go down; the hili in question has a gradient of one in seven. I had the brake hard on, but found it too weak to check the wagon, so I put over the reversing lever, but I found to my dismay that one of the connecting rods had fractured. One of me mates then tried io screw the brake up tighter and, in doing so, broke the wooden brake beam which carries the brake blocks. I immediately told my mates to jump off, which they did, and I stuck to the steering wheel. At the bottom of the hill was a bridge, and then a very sharp turn, which I knew it would be hopeless to try and negotiate at the pace we were travelling. The only thing to be done %'as to make for the grass bank, so I steered for this, and the wagon ran right to the top, and then turned over on its side. One of my feet was caught under the ashpan, and I was helpless; fortunately, just at this moment my two males rushed up, thinking that I was killed. I asked them to draw the lire as soon as possible, as the safety valve was close to my face, and I knew if the boiler started to blow off I should be scalded to death. At last the fire was drawn, and my foot released, after which no inspection was made to ascertain the extent of the damage done. I was glad to find that only one or two packages were spoilt, owing to the water rimming out of the tank, and that nothing very serious had happened to the wagon. I wired off for a wagon to come and take my load to its destination, and then set to work to get it on its wheels again. We were busy rigging a block and tackle over a tree on the opposite side of the road, when another steam wagon happened to come along, and the driver offered 10 pull my lorry over. Ailast, after a great deal of work, we managed to get it righted, and my friend then puled me up into a farmyard. Next morning we put the machinery into working order and got steam up, then started for home and did work all the afternoon."
Coupling Rods, " H. Abell." (Gateshead) writes us on the 25th instant : —" A steam tractor came to our works with two trailers, each to be loaded with five tons. With but little difficulty the trailers were backed into the cart-loading shed and received their respective loads of bags, after which they were hauled out on to the roadway. The first trailer was easily coupled up, but the coupling-up of the second one was a 1:latter of some time and trouble, notwithstanding the efforts of the three men in attendance. The trouble arose mainly through the paving on the roadway being worn unevenly, the trailer not being in line, and, also, by the fact of the coupling arrangement of a pin and a rod being most ineffective. It seems a pity that a coupling cannot be devised which wouid be suitable for rough work, having a rod with a certain amount of play in its length, to avoid the necessity fur the deliCate manceuvring of the heavy trailers before they can be coupled up. Here is an idea : Suppose the rod end, instead of being :a simple eye, was constructed to carry a disc having several holes in it to suit the coupling pin?
"A Mann's steam wagon, with a tare of under three tons, toak four ions along a narrow unpaved passage way, and turned sharply into the main sweet and went quickly up a rough unevenly-paved incline with an average gradient of
in JO. A similar wagon came along at a later date, but the driver, not having placed his load properly on the table, could not get to the top."
Licenses.
" H.W." (London) writes us as follows :—" This experience may be of interest to my fellow drivers. I am a steam wagon driver, and have unfortunately been out of work for sonic weeks. I recently answered an advertisement in one of the daily papers, and received an answer to my application, in which it said that the firm would like an interview. I saw the people on September 30th, and was engaged. I went to work on October and, and was told to go to the Surrey Commercial Dock, and wait there for a tractor and take it over from another man. My license had run out a few days previously, and I had not the needful 5s. for the renewal of it ; my intention had been to ask my employer to advance me the necessary money, but when I arrived at the office I found him out, so was obiiged to go without it and trust to luck. Upon arriving, at the dock I found the tractor and made myself known to the driver, who thereupon gave me possession of it. The load of timber was not quite ready. I went and had some dinner and then came back. The run was from the dock to the Trafalgar Hotel, Greenwich, and soon after starting I found that it was impossible to keep up steam, so I drew up to one side of the road and started the blower. After a few minutes' time a policeman came up and asked me how much longer I intended to stand there; I explained matters to him and gave him my reason for stopping. I had been on the spot not more than ten minutes at the longest, but the policeman said that he would report me, which he did, and when the summons came in I found that I had been causing an obstruction by being on that spot for as minutes. The trouble did not end here. I was asked for my license, and showed it, at the same time giving a full explanation as to why it had not been renewed. I had to appear at Greenwich, and had to answer to two charges. The first was for driving without a license --5s. fine with afi. costs; the second was for obstruction—los.
line with as, costs. I asked lottime to pay this, and was refused, so I made the acquaintanceship of the inside of Wandsworth Prison for twelve days. I have sent this letter to your pages in the hope that it will put your readers on the alert, so that they Nal not let the renewal of their license he put off. I have felt this whole episode very much, as it is the first time I have ever been on the wrung side of a prison door, to say nothing of losing the chance of work."