Answers to Queries.
Page 16
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Our readers will be informed by the Editor on any points connected with the construction or use of commercial motors. Where a direct reply is desired, a stamped and addressed envelope should be enclosed ; if a request for privacy is not specially made, any query and answer may be published. Some replies, owing to pressure en our space, are held several weeks. Numerous requests leach us for lists of .motorcab and commercial-vehicle owners ; these we never supply. Our advertisement columns are open to those who desire to make announcements to
owners for the purposes of trade.
" N.T." Tires on a Lyons Van.
[2281] (Lipes.).—The people who handle the K.T." solid tires are The Commercial Tyre Co., Ltd., 22 and 23, Albert Embankment, S.E. We have a very good opinion of these tires.
Resilient and Spring Wheels.
[2282] (Harrow).—The article to which you refer was in general terms, but one of the wheels to which reference was made in a favourable sense is that manufactured by Airless Resilient Wheels, Ltd., Milo Road, Lordship Lane, Dulwich, S.E.
Wants a Side-tipping Trailer.
[2283] (Liverpool).—The 'British agents for the N.A.G. Co. arethe British N.A.G. Motor Co., Ltd., 4, Great Marlborough Street, W. You may also care to address British makers, such. as the Mann Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Co., Ltd., of Pepper Road Works, flunslet, Leeds, or Wm. Ta,sker and Sons, Ltd., Andover, Hants.
Anxious to Buy Cheap.
[2284] (Daily Carriers).—No weekly auctions are held in London for purely commercial vehicles, although at one time they were so held by Mr. Stuart A. Curzon, of 98, Victoria Street, S.W. Other weekly auctions, chiefly for private cars, are held by Eriswell's, Ltd., 1, Albany Street, NAV., arid the. Motor House, 318, Euston Road, N.W.
Guarding the Front Wheels.
[2285] (Buffalo).—No " cowcatcher " devices have been successful for road work, within our knowledge. The font wheels have not yet been efficiently guarded by any device that has be-en produced, but that is not the case in respect of the back wheels. Recent issues of this journal have shown the latest device that is adopted by the London motorbus companies.
Want Our Lists.
[2286] (Engineers' Merchants).—We probably have as good .a list of companies, firms and individuals, in connection with the ownership of motorbus services in the United Kingdom, as any that exists, but we are obliged to regard this list, which we have gradually compiled at considerable expense and labour, in exactly the same way that any other trading house regards its list of customers. We venture to think that the proper way to reach these parties is through our advertisement columns, and we regret that we cannot pass on a copy of the list to you, for the abovementioned reason, %ilia we feel sure you will appreciate.
Working Condition of Agrimotor.
[22-87] (Nurseryman).—The make of agrimotor is well known to us. The fuel consumption should, we consider, be something in the neighbourhood of onetenth of a gallon per horse-power hour. We are„ of course, writing without knowing the exact condition of the engine or the type or adjustment of the carburetter in use. The fuel consumption Tier mile or per hour depends largely on the load at which it is wrirlaed. • No 'doubt you can approximate on the horse-power basis we quote.
The platinum points of a modern well-made magneto should not require renewing for four or five years, if then. If kept Dapperly adjusted, they should only need to be touched up, say, once every 12 months.
cld We have considered your complaint, but, without a careful examination of the machine in question, it is impossible for us to give you an authoritative opinion as to the reason for the mishaps. The type of machine is doing well elsewhere, and there is no definite reason in the ordinary way why these mishaps should have occurred.
Subsidized Vehicles.
[2288] (Hayes).—The .issue in which we published full particulars of the War Office subsidy scheme is out of print, but we have asked the secretary of the Mechanical Transport Committee to post details to
• you. The subsidy is given in respect of 30-cwt. and three-ton vehicles, although the designs are such that heavier loads can be carried in commercial service without risk. It is an open question whether there is any advantage to the purchaser for commercial purposes. The so-called purchase subsidy is £50, but this is payable in arrears over three years, and is not paid cash down ; there is also an annual -subsidy of 220, over three years, but this is also paid in arrears, after inspection. There is not enough experience, so far, of the working of the subsidy insnections, to know whether they will be in the nature of a nuisance or reasonably conducted. Furthermore, any purchaser has to pay a higher urine for the machine than he would pay for one of equal load capacity which is not built to the subsidy specification. You will no doubt be able to judge of these matters when you get. the particulars', but we must also point out that the aacwt. model is of such a weight that a. buyer cannot legally run it at more than 12 miles an hour.
Legal Weights for Axles of Lorries Used as Trailers.
[2289] (Manchester).—We observe that the unladen weight of each of the ordinary lorries, belonging to a local firm, which you from time to time have to haul behind your tractor, has an unladen weight in excess of one ton. You are therefore required, under the Heavy Motor Car Order, to cause to be painted, or otherwise plainly marked, upon some conspicuous part-of the right or off side of the trailer, in letters and figures not, less than 1 in. in height, and of such shape and colour as to be clearly legible and clearly distinguishable from the colour of the ground where-on the letters and figures are painted or marked—(a) the weight of the trailer unladen ; and (b) -the axleweight of each axle of the trailer. This painting and lettering must be renewed or repaired as often as may be necessary.
We note the diameters of the wheels for these various trailers, and that all of them have steel tires of 41 ins, in width. Any trailer axle-weight, which means the maximum weight on the axle at any time when loaded, may in no circumstances exceed four tons. As the wheel diameters in question vary from 3 ft. 6 ins, down to 2 ft. 11 ins., you are in no single instance entitled to load the trailers up to this rnax.: mum. The correct maxima are : diameter :3 ft. (1 ins., axle-weight 3 tons 12 cwt. ; diameter 3 fa 5 ins., axle-weight 3 tons 11 cwt. 1 qr. ; diameter 3 ft. 4 ins., axle-weight 3 tons 19 evi-t. 2 qrs. ; diameter 3 ft. • 2 ins.., axle-weight 3 tons 9 ewt. ; diameter 3 ft. 1 in., axle-weight 3 tons 8 cwt. 1 qr. ; diameter 2 ft. 11 ins., axle-weight 3 tons 6 cwt. You will no doubt he able, by deducting the unladen weight of each trailer from thesum of its axle-weights, to determine the safe net load to carry upon each.