Remarkable Results from Oilers in U.S.A.
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THERE are over 800 oil-engined i lorries in regular service on American roads. Of this total, ro t are employed by Californian operators. the other 300 coming from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and the eastern bidustrial centres.
So far, few reliable small oilers have been built in the United States, and the majority of the existing 800 is engaged in long-distance transport of the severest kind. With the advent of the Waukesha, Comet, Hercules and smaller Cummins engines, a change is due, but, in the meantime, the principal call is for 150 b.h.p. engines capable of propelling a 22-ton articulated eight-wheeler over winding mountainous roads, with the engine developing maximum power all the time, These giant vehicles are expected to cover 80,000 to 90,000 miles per year, often in stretches of 2,500 miles at a time, and, to be considered successful, they must have given uninterrupted service for the whole of their running schedules. That they fulfil these requirements is proved by the steadily increasing number on the roads, as well as by the enthusiastic reports of fleet owners.
Below we give some facts and figures taken from the experiences of the prin cipal Californian operators. Purity Grocery, Inc., of San Francisco, sup plies foodstuffs to a chain of 120 shops scattered over the whole of the State of California. The transport department has charge of .30 lorries, 16 of which are powered by six-cylindered oil engines.
For the two years during which these machines have been in service, they have averaged 7-8i m.p.g. of oil fuel, their loads seldom being less than 21 tons. The • same vehicles equipped with petrol engines have difficulty in improving upon an average of 4 m.p.g. of fuel.
Maintenance Reduced.
As regards maintenance work, running adjustments and dock overhauls have been reduced by 60 per cent., one particular engine having covered 70,000 miles without the removal of the cylinder heads.
Consolidated Freight Lines, Inc., owns 52 oil-engined lorries for transcontinental delivery. The company's first six-wheeler has now 200,000 miles to its credit without an overhaul, this mileage representing three years Of faultless service among the Mountain passes and on the arid plains.
Another, prominent haulage company is Conta.nt Truck lines. which operates five Cumin ins-enginedeight-wheelers between San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Tyre wear is much less than with petrol vehicles, one set of tyres having now completed 50,000 miles. On the Salt Lake City route, the road climbs to a height of 7,000 ft. above sea level and the easy-starting properties of the oil-engines are particularly notable at these high altitudes.
Finally, some remarkable figures are forthcoming from the United Motor Transport Co., of Sacramento. This concern purchased, in May of this year, a Hercules oil-engined 10-wheeler to cart 'gold concentrates from a Californian gold mine to a sea port some 90 miles away. The machine covered 75,000 miles up to October 1 without adjustment of any kind having been made to the engine.
Of the six months between May and October, every day, including Sundays and holidays, was spent on the road and out of every 24 hours the only periods when the vehicle was stationary were those spent in loading or unload ing. These figures, incidentally, are guaranteed free from American magnification !