Textile Maker's Efforts to Sav( Liquid Fuel
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THE vital importance of road transport to the textile industry is emphasized in a study recently undertaken by a " C.M." staff representative. In this instance the operator concerned is Carrington and Dewhurst, Ltd., of Eceleston (two mills) and -Rochdale, which business was established in 1885 and turned over
to artificial silk in 1928. Since the latter year both the number of employees and the amount of plant have increased, although recently there has been some reduction as a result of concentration of the industry. Substantially, the business has been built up in close connection with an efficient road-transport system. •
The nearest railway station, on a country branch line, is four miles from the company's headquarters, so that, apart from economic factors, it is difficult -to make any considerable use of
rail transport. Formerly, all inward and outward traffic was carried by the company's own road vehicles, but lately various steps• have been taken with the ultimate object of saving fuel.
Ways in Willer" Fuel Has been Saved First, all purely local work has been performed by horses. Secondly, large quantities of cloth have been sent by road to Manchester for transport by express rail services to Scotland, Lorick:a and Devonshire. Thirdly, two producer-gas vehicles have been placed in commission, . with the result that considerable quantities of liquid fuel have been directly saved. One way or another the consumption of petrol has been considerably reduced ; in fact, at the end of the first. year of war a saving of almost 25 per cent, was being recorded.
-The best possible use is made of the fleet in every direction. On an average, 90 per cent, of all journeys arc loaded both ways, 90 Or cent, of them being effected with at least a three-quarters A28 return load, whilst every journey is 100 per cent, loaded one way.
Particularly in war circumstances, the prompt return of empties is absolutely essential for the textile industry. The reader can gauge the importance of such returns from the fact that loads of empty bobbins represent a value of over £600 per van. Owing to the timber control, a cycle of 500,000 bobbins has been agreed between the spinner and Carrington and Dewhurst, Ltd. This represents empties in transit, full bobbins in transit, and bobbins in process, the cycle providing a working stock of 12 days, which is stated to be the absolute minimum.
Where the spinner does not receive his empty bobbins his expensive continuous process. is stopped, and it should be noted that a single stoppage costs thousands of pounds. The finished cloth is wrapped on cardboard rollers, the supply of which is also controlled. Failure ic receive empty rollers also results in serious stoppages. In this instance, road transport is particularly important, because many customers will not return empties unless they be called for. Returns by rail are often the subject of delay and damage, the latter sometimes being irreparable.
War Brings About Fleet Reduction
Prior to the war Carrington and Dewhurst, Ltd., operated 12 vehicles, employing three fitters, 13 full-time drivers and six part-time drivers. All loading and unloading operations were done at night by part-time drivers, who worked in shifts. Owing to war-time restrictions, to men joining the Forces
andto the efforts aiming at the conservation already mentioned, the fleet has been reduced to seien vehicles (one having been impressed and four being laid up). with one foreman mechanic and seven• full-time drivers.
The governing factor in maintaining the efficiency of the service has been the introduction of producer gas, the vehicles equipped for this fuel being two Morris-Commercial Leader vans. Other vehicles in the fleet include three Fordson 2-ton platform lorries, an Albion van, and a Morris 10-cwt. van.
All members of the current driving staff have been with the company for eight years or more, some of them all their working life. This trend obtains right through the works, there being a high percentage of employees with long service. All the seven drivers have qualified for three years running for the award of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. During the past three years. the fleet has had only one minor accident, although the mileage covered in this period was 564,437, including a considerable amount of black-out driving.
Drivers Aided to Observe the Law Each driver carries, in addition to his log sheets, a loose-leaf booklet containing a summary of road-transport regulations and timed 'schedules for all regular journeys. Before the war these time-tables were observed in all respects, but adherence to them has had to be relaxed because of the black
out and other causes. The booklet also includes instructions on procedure in the event of a breakdown, accident, or expiration of legal hours of working. In addition, drivers carry a first-aid outfit and a properly drawn up pad on which to record accident particulars.
The main routes on which the vehicles are operated are as follow:— The Midlands' (to Derby and Leek, also occasionally to Coventry and Wolverhampton); Flint (now only occasionally); Preston and district; the cotton area—Mapchester, Rochdale, Oldham, Middleton, Bolton, Farnworth, Burnley, Blackburn and
district; West Yorkshire — Ellarni Cleckheaton, Bradford, Keighley and district; Devonshire (occasionally).
The Midlands, Flint and Preston journeys are carried out-by vehicles which are fully loaded in both directions, with empties or cloth on the outward trip and yarn• on the inward run. • In respect of the cotton area, cloth is the outward load with empty cloth tubes, whilst sizing materials (such as starch, oil and gelatine), reed 'wires, oxy-acetylene cylinders, iron and steel for works use, comprise the Inward loads.
Composition of the
• Two-way Loads
For Yorkshire, cloth forms the outward load and empty cloth tubes, beanis, yarn, loom castings and similar supplies are carried on the return journey. To Devonshire the fleet takes cloth and, by arrangement with the Ministry of War Transport, brings back whatever is available—usually, empty cloth tubes, yarn, beams and machinery. On occasion, delicate electrical components have been carried on this route and 50 journeys have been run without a single complaint or claim.
The fleet also services the company's Rochdale works with yarn and sue plies, taking away' its cloth. This service is dovetailed with the main work and seldom is a special journey necessitated; it is normal for 100 per cent. inward and outward loading to be effected.
As recorded earlier, the use of producer-gas plant has been an important factor in maintaining the company's road services and it has been possible to cdncentrate two Morris-Commercial Leader 4-5-ton vans equipped with such outfits on• long-distance work. An extract from their records in connection with their 49 Devonshire journeys, during a particular period, shows that they covered a total mileage of 25,639, consumed 30,552 lb, of fuel and carried 264/ tons. On an average they ran a mile on a gas-fuel consumption of 1.19 lb., plus petrol equal to 32.5 M.p.g. The average speed was 17.2 For general running the figure was 1.23/1.27 lb. per mile with a petrol return equal to 28,7 m.p.g. The normal petrol consumption of these vehicles under pre-war conditions was in the ratio of 9.7 rn.p.g., and for the 68,616 _miles shown on the record the consumption would then have been 7,073 gallons. Actually, it was 2,526 gallons, representing a• saving of 4,547 gallons. On petrol the cost would have been 2.11d. per mile, as compared with a cost of 1.37d. per mile with prices based on the present-day scale. This would give 0.63d, per mile for solid fuel and 0.74d. for petrol.
Servicing the Gas-producer Units
Gas-producer vehicles are serviced whenever they' are in for a few hours —usually twice a week, the drivers in this case being. paid a slightly higher rate for cleaning and daily attention. In order to maintain the efficiency of the gas-producer machines a small quantity of upper cylinder lubricant is fed into the engine all the while it is being operated on producer gas. Experiments have been conducted with 'various outfits, those at present in use being a C. and W. updraught plant, and a special central-draught producer supplied by the British Coal. Utilization Research Association. Careful tests have been carried out by Mr. J. E. Birchall, director and secretary of Carrington and Dewhurst, Ltd., and records have been prepared showing exact performances under all kinds of practical conditions.
On one day with the B.C.U.R.A. plant a distance of 145 miles was recorded, with numerous climbs above the 800-ft. line. Excluding local deliveries the distance was 139 miles and a general average of 20.1 m.p.h. was maintained for this distance. Similar trials have been undertaken on most of the principal routes. Full costs records are also maintained iii respect of the various petrol-engined machines.
Garage Well Equipped for Upkeep
The garage is equipped with, or there are available at the works, inspection pits, electric petrol pump, high-pressure washer' and greaser, jacks, overhead cranes, breakdown equipment, a wide variety of tools, both oxy-acetylene and, electric welding plant, lathes, drills alid slotting machines. All garages, or loading ways, are equipped with automatically controlled steam heating and the loading berths are nearly all supplied with conveyors, cranes or hoists. Each vehicle is serviced at least once a fortnight— usually weekly, although it is not now possible to lay aside one machine each day as was done in pre-war times. In addition to regular servicing and overhaul, all vans are painted or varnished annually.
Those responsible for the fleet have certainly done their share in both conserving fuel by every, ,possibIe method and making the fullest use of the equipment retained in service.