Passing Comments
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Tree-shearing Tractors MEWS from the U.S.A. conWhich Will Expedite "cerns still another use for Felling tractors. Experiments a r e
being made with special treeshearing attachments for these machines. The cutting jaws can exert 1...essures up to 60 tons and can deal with trees ranging from saplings to those of 30-in. diameter. The rate of cutting is stated to be five per minute, but this seems to us to be rather rapid for the larger varieties.
Southdown Services DROPPING into the
Increased and in ConBrighton offices of the templation . . Southdown Motor Services,
Ltd.. we unfortunately missed seeing Mr. A. E. Cannon, the managing director, but found Mr. A. D. Mackenzie, whom we had not seen for many years, but who seemed as energetic and enthusiastic as ever. He mentioned that the staff was just beginning to work out the long-distance tours for the 1947 season, which opens about Easter. The main difficulty is, of course, hotel accommodation, but it is hoped to run the equivalent of the pre-war programme, the last of which comprised 176 tours on 18 routes. An interesting point raised was that many coaches requisitioned from the company have been offered to other operators, and not to the Southdown concern. Some of these machines are actually running in Brighton: others, of course, had originally gone overseas, and some are working between Cairo and Benghazi. The company is running appreciably more bus miles now than in the corresponding period in 1939, and the arrival of the first post-war Leyland double-deckers, with PD1 oil-engined chassis and Park Royal bodies, have enabled three coastwise services to be increased—two by 100 pe: cent and one by 50 per cent. The change came into effect on July 14 on services 15, 91 and 99, and apply, respectively, as follows:—Eastbourne-Hastings via Hailsham and Bexhill; Eastbourne-Uckfield via Hailsharn and Heathfield: Eastbourne-Hastings via PeVensey Bay and Bexhill.
Two Useful Functions A CORRESPONDENT, ex Carried Out by prnssing his appreciation
of the "valuable articles contributed to "The Commercial Motor" by S.T.R., our costs expert, says "We shall probably never know just how much money these have saved the small man." This is. of course, one of the two purposes served by S.T.R He aims at showing both the small and large haulier how he should conduct his costing and thereby save himself, by economic operation, from possible failure, whilst, at the same time, he helps to prevent uneconomic competition, which is liable to cause losses not only to the rate-cutter, but to the operator who endeavours to carry out his work on a proper basis.
Schoolboys Can Win THE S.M.M T., in connec P r zes for Motortion with the jubilee cele vehicle Design . . brations of the motor industry, has organized a national contest on car designing, divided into two classes— for schoolboys under 16 and for those over that age. Suggestions should be submitted in the form of models or drawings, and the closing date is Octobel 19, Full details and entry forms may be obtained from any motoi dealer Competitors are advised to visit the industry's Jubilee Exhibition at 148, Piccadilly, London, W.1, where they can see models representing advances in design. Prizes amounting to f1,000 will be distributed. We would have liked to see a section for commercial vehicles, because many designers are as interested in these as they are in cars, and there is often greater scope for ingenuity. Gas Turbines Which THE gas turbine presents Can Operate at Red I many interesting possi Heat . bilities, and whilst it will
probably be a considerable time before any such power units are employed in commercial vehicles, tests made with them elsewhere are informative. A marine type of 3,500 h.p., made by the Allis-Chalmers concern, U.S.A., is designed for a maximum operating temperature of 1,500 degrees F It has actually been operated at 1,350 degrees F, at a speed of 5,200 r.p.m. • Last year it made a continuous run of 50 hours, and it is stated that, having given a successful power performance, the parts were shown to be in excellent condition on inspection It appears that such gas turbines can give considerably higher thermal efficiencies than are now obtained with steam turbine equipment. Steam temperatures are always under 1,000 degrees F. ,