OPINIONS and QUERIES
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• SERVICE MUST KEEP PACE WITH EXPORT
HAVING just been talking to someone from abroad, his remarks on transport prompt the following observations :—
If British manufacturers hope to export vehicles, and to keep bn doing so, their spares and -service facilities need the most drastic revision.
No difficulty with spares is experienced with American vehicles, partly due to their being available on the spot, and further there is a greater degree of interchangeability of units between various makes. Also their tool kits are fully adequate. As against this, the vehicles are not particularly reliable, their life is short, and accessibility is not very good in many cases.
British vehicles cannot he beaten for sheer reliability and hard work, but a very minor breakage or failure is sufficient to put a vehicle out of action for a considerable time, due to a complete lack of replacements. On the whole, they are more accessible and easier to work on, also they will take much rough treatment in their stride.
The good features of the vehicles themselves, however, are not sufficient to outweigh the almost total lack of spares and service facilities abroad. It is up to British manufacturers, therefore, to provide excellent facilities of this nature before they can hope to make much
headway with exports. J. F. -FARTHING. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 3.
A ROAD EXPERT'S VIEWS ON HIGHWAY CASUALTIES WE are charged with becoming callous because there " is no indignant outcry about the yearly 250,000 road casualties, of which over 6,000 are fatal. There is indeed cause for regret, but not for indignation against the drivers, of whom there are some 3,000,000.
This is so great a number that it is rare for each individual to be involved in a casualty. On the average this happens once in 12 years, or in 96,000 miles of driving. To be responsible for a casualty is rarer still. It is once in 36 years, or 288,000 miles of driving under conditions made difficult by inadequate roads and by not very orderly mixed traffic, which is not even legally compelled to keep to the left of its own part of the road, The average driver is involved in a fatal accident only once in 500 years, or during 4,000,000 miles of driving—or 12,000,000 miles for a fatal accident of which he is the responsible, although not necessarily the culpable, cause. "The majority of accidents are not the results of grave faults of behaviour nor are they due to recklessness.' —(Alness Report,
para. 19.) MERVYN O'GORMAN. London/ ,S.W.3.
ARE USEFUL VEHICLES BEING SCRAPPED?
THIS is an appeal on behalf of little traders, smallholders and hauliers with few vehicles.
Many of them are urgently in need of vans and the lighter types of lorry. It seems, however, that the M.O.W.T. and the M.O.S. are continuing with their " break-up" policy, which means that, in most instances, a new vehicle cannot be supplied unless the old one be scrapped.
It appears to me that often these older vehicles could be repaired and do quite useful work for the above
people. The policy has caused a tremendous rise in the cost of used vehicles, placing them, in many cases, far above the means of the small men : yet their means for transport are just as important to them as to the larger operators—in fact, a van often means a man's bread and butter-. The difficulty of obtaining a vehicle frequlintly stops an ex-Serviceman from setting up a business. It has come to the point where we may have to recondition 1918 motors just in order to carry on, whilst far more modern models are being broken up. J. CHAPMAN,
Hartfield.
"LOCAL" GROUPS COVER LONG-DISTANCE WORK
REFERENCE has recently been made in your columns N. to what are described as "local groups," and a distinction has been drawn between these and what is termed a "long-distance" group.
The Executive of the N.A.R.T.G., therefore, wishes to remove a possible cause of misunderstanding which may arise. The existing groups affiliated to the N.A.R.T.G., whilst based on local membership, are interested in a long-distance traffic to the maximum extent possible under present restrictions, and will increasingly handle long-distance work as circumstances permit. Those groups in existence before the M.O.W.T. scheme deprived them of their main business were principally engaged in long-distance work, which they expect to resume in due course.
Nothing could be more misleading than to suggest that the groups are primarily interested in local work. In fact, the N.A.R.T.G. is most actively engaged in developing a nation-wide organization which is intended to deal with long-distance traffic; indeed, this is one of its principal objectives.
The NA.R.T.G. thus actually constitutes an existing long-distance group organization on. a very wide basis, which, when fully developed, will completely satisfy the requirements of the industry.
J. L. WATCHURST, Secretary.
(For National Association of Road Warrington. Transport Groups.) A SERVICEMAN'S VIEWS ON BRITISH VEHICLES
I AM amazed that the Government does not look to I Italy as one of our important post-war overseas markets. Already one sees there many new American lorries and articulated vehicles. I have .many Italian friends in the haulage industry, and they are always asking for information concerning such British vehicles.
Our manufacturers must get cracking and improve their products if they are not to be left hopelessly behind. From what I have seen of the Fiat, Lancia and O.M. vehicles, we have a lot to learn in the way of springing, steering lock, etc. The Italian vehicles can turn in an amazingly small space, and it is a treat to watch them take bends.
I have spoken also to many Dominion men out here, and they all agree that British designers must make advancements, particularly in suspension, for South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc. The spares situation in respect of English vehicles is also not to be compared with the American, and, much as they mayprefer to buy British, they are almost forced to purchase vehicles for which spares can easily be obtained. Having had my grouse, I would like to convey my regards to S.T.R., E. B. Howes, "Tantalus,' and all the staff of the old journal. What we want now are bigger and better, haulage articles. I would also like to see an improvement in the reproduCtiou of photographs when the war is over.
I hope to be reading "The Commercial Motor" in England in the near future. W. BATEMAN. C.M.F.
[We are always pleased to receive views from overseas, particularly from our friends in the Forces, and we are sure our makers and designers will appreciate your help: ful criticism. The great difficulty is now, of course, that our people are still nearly 100 per cent, for the war effort, whereas America has been able considerably to reduce its war production, and appears to have been able to build some vehicles for export, even for civilian use. although that country's home market is by no means satisfied. In Britain, thousands of operators are crying out for new vehicles and can obtain only a small nnmber. We are sure that in future our makers• will, pay more attention to the vital factor of providing an adequate supply of spares w'h'erever their vehicles are being used. If they do not, it will not be our fault, because we have so often _emphasized the importance of this point. We thank you for your kind thought regarding our contributors and 'staff. and would-add that immediately the paper position improves' we shall do our best tO use a better quality, so that the photographs will reproduce more• clearly.—En.
SERVICE DRIVER'S APPRECIATION OF DENNIS VEHICLES
THE article by Mr. D. B. Tubbs entitled, k' Up Above the Sky So High," published in your issue dated April 6, proved most interesting reading, particularly as I have been for over four years in an Army unit which has been using Dennis six-tonners.
I would like to say a few words of praise for this make. We had these vehicles .first in England, then right through the African campaign and on to Italy, and if any lorries did their job for the old country, they were these Dennis products. Whether it was on the smooth roads of England or the rough roads of Africa and Italy, they gave what any contractor would want—a good, allround performance. Up hills, with a total load of 10-12 tons, the gear changing proved simple e.nd the steering easy, whilst the cab afforded a fine view of the road from the drive4's seat. They were great pullers, and the brakes were excellent. Some of the American vehicles may have been a bit faster, but the Dennis certainly got there, and all our drivers preferred them'. Few had to " decoke " before 30,000 to 40,000 miles.
• Like every other type of vehicle, they were not without their small fault—in this ease, oil seals. Otherwise everything was good. J. W. MORGAN. , C.M.F.
A TWO-STROKE WHICH DOES NOT SMOKE
WE have noted the letter by "Northern Engineer" in the issue of your journal dated April 13, also your editorial comment regarding the elimination of smoke on two-stroke-cycle oil engines.
The modern two-stroke unillow-scavenge engine operating on the Kadenacy system of scavenging and supercharging• will run perfectly smokelessly at a b.m.e.p. of 100 lb. per sq. in. for long periods. In the case of the large engines of 8i-in. bore manufactured by this company, smokeless running is obtained at all loads and speeds. The engines have the remarkably low consumption of 0.371 lb. per b.h.p. hour at a B.S.S. 12-hour rating of 80.5 lb. per sq. in. b.m.e.p.
Very satisfactory and sinoke-free running has been obtained on similar type engines down to 2f in. bore, and speeds exceeding 2,000 r.p.m.
The statement by " Northern 'Engineer" that "the evacuation of gases and the recharging of the cylinders with fresh air cannot be carried out to produce completely efficient combustion when every down stroke is a power one" is entirely without foundation, at least as regards Kadenacy engines.
My company is prepared to demonstrate this to your correspondent if he will communicate with the undersigned, such demonstration being on engines in current production and not experimental models.
C. B. M. DALE, Chief Engineer, Engine Division. (For Petters, Ltd.) Loughborough.
KEEPING THE IDLE ENGINE WARM
THERE was a reference in your issue dated April 13 I to the methods of engine warming before starting. In this connection, some years ago, I was in charge of a garage in Sussex, about 20 miles from the nearest hospital, and there were many accidents near the former, as the area included the famous—or, perhaps,
I should say, infamous—Bury Hill. Often, injured people had to wait an hour or more f Or an ambulance, so we decided to run and maintain a first-class ambulance and breakdown vehicle, to be at call night and . day. This idea was received most enthusiastically by the local doctors.
My partner_ in those days had been in a fire brigade for many years, and realized the difficulty of turning out avehicle quickly, particularly in winter.
To overcome this, we installed Bray heaters. These are made by George Bray and Co.; Ltd., Leeds, 2, which used to manufacture burners for lamps on cycles. Almost any size of this heater could be obtained, and a suitable one was fitted into the bottom of the radiator hose and arranged for plugging into the electric mains. This was found to keep the water in the cooling system always at normal running heat.
I was at this garage for 12 years, and during that _time was never let down by the device.
Colchester. A. P. GLOVER (Streamline Taxis).
REPLACEMENT OF C-LICENSED VEHICLE REFUSED
I AM most interested in your warnings to C-licence holders concerning the present trend of official thought, and I enclose a copy of a letter recently received from the North Western Transport Commis' sioner's office.
This letter is in reply to a plea of Mine for a new vehicle to replace an old one operating under a C licence. I think that the obvious implication in the letter is that C licences are being reviewed by A-licence standards.
Pre-war I operated three C and one B vehicles, this fleet being increased later to seven C and one B, and still, more recently, further increased by six A vehicles purchased from a local firm.
Possibly an accumulation of evidence such as this, placed in the right hands, may stop the " rot " before
it is too late. W. BLAMTRE. I,ongton.
The letter from the Regional Transport Commissioner's office is to the effect that after _further consideration of our correspondent's application to acquire a new Bedford vehicle, the Commissioner is not prepared, at present, to depart from his refusal, as the vehicles run by this operator are still four in excess of his pre-war fleet, even leaving out the six recently acquired.—En.]