OPINIONS and QUERIES GIVE DRIVERS GOOD FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION gANY
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drivers will, no doubt, appreciate the good inwishes expressed by Mrs. Borrowdale concerning the formation of an association for drivers, included in her letter published by you on January-16.
I notice, however, that no other operators have come forward to give their opinions on this subject, which is of such great importance to thousands of men in the industry.
Now, another point. The matter of the food provided in cafés for drivers on long-distance work still needs attention. In many instances it is a disgrace. Often there is only toast for a mid-day meal, and no cigarettes. A few days ago I went into such a café at Wolverhampton and asked for dinner. I was told, however, that there was none to be had. A few minutes afterwards, factory workers entered rand they all had full dinners.
These workers get home every night and frequently have another dinner then, whereas a driver is quite often away from his residence for a week or so. Quite frequently, also, it is almost impossible to find a bed. Why should drivers who have, if anything, a more trying time than factory workers he treated in such an unfavourable manner?
There is alsO the question of profiteering. At many of these cafés a charge of 3d. is made or a cup of tea,
and ls. for a sausage sandwich. , Surely the Ministry of Food can work in conjunction with the Ministry of War transport to effect improveMonts, especially as these would be for key men, who are carrying goods and materials of vital importance, and, what is more to the point as regards the remarks in this letter, food. FAIRPLAY. Lichfield.
REMOVE PAVEMENTS IN • THE THAMES TUNNELS VOUR correspondent " Aclolad" puts forward an idea for changing the Blackwall and Rotherhithe Tunnels under the Thames to a uni-dire&ional traffic system.
As a driver. I consider that the best idea for these tunnels would be to improve them, as in the case of the Mersey Tunnel, by doing away with the pavements, which would provide much more space for vehicles. I have occasionally walked through both the tunnels to which your correspondent refers, but very few now do this; most people prefer to wait for a bus.
Dukinfield. W. ANDREW.
OPERATORS AGAIN DISCOURAGING THE GIVING OF LIFTS • ONCE again a notice has been put on to the board at our garage to the effect that drivers must not carry passengers, the only exception being members of the Forces. Similar notices have appeared many times, but drivers still persist in giving lifts more or less indiscriminately. What is the reason?
One can cite many. The lon4 and short of it are, however, that from the earliest days of mad transport there have always been people wanting lifts. Some are drivers who may be in trouble with their vehicles and wish to go to the nearest telephone box or garage; others' are men proceeding to take new jobs: Occasionally, AO.
there are urgent cases, and now, surely, when means for travel are scarce, a friendly driver can hardly refuse to give assistance.
Surely, as the patron saint of transport is St. Christopher, we all ought to do something for our fellow men, despite the snobbish orders of employers and their piffle as to the inconveniences incurred with insurance. Some time ago, a previous Minister of Transport said that the insurance difficulty could be overcome by warning any would-be " " that he would ride on his own responsibility. Employers might also place a little notice in each cab referring to the fact that passengers are carried only at their own risk.
Beaconsfield. DRIVER.
ARE WE BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED? • A RECENT issue of your paper contained a reference
to a patent form offlame heater to facilitate the starting of oil engines. It must have come as something of a shock to some of your readers who have followed the gradual evolution and highly, satisfactory progress of this type of engine in road transport to learn of the need for such a device. Surely, this is a sign of retrogression rather than of advance!
As your readers will .probably know, the first practicable oil-enginedvehicle to be placed. on the British market was the Mercedes-Benz, with its pre-chamber engine, fitted with electric heater plugs and a heavy 24-volt .battery to supply these. There were attendant heat losses and other drawbacks, which, of course, in those days, were unavoidable.
Then, in 1930, certain clever British engineers made a start with the direct-injection type of engine. This proved to be an immediate success, and, indeed, so advanced that a big change-over to direct injection was gradually effected during the next few. years. To-day, amongst British oil engines for vehicles, the majority operates on the direct-injection principle. Such engines do not need or require heater plugs, cartridges, or other
gadgets to facilitate starting up. . .
The suggestion of a paraffin tank, mist sprayer and hot-wire plug seems to me to be a "Heath Robinson" idea and strangely out of place in these days of efficient engines, which, normally, start immediately from "all cold" in any weather. NORTHERN ENGINEER. Leeds, U..
[We thought it only fair to submit a copy of the above letter to the patentees of the device to which " Northern Engineer " obviously refers. They describe it as a very crude form of propaganda, and do not feel the need to make any further comment, except to say that if " Northern Engineer" were in a somewhat more Northern clime be might be glad of some " Heath Robinson " ideas, To these remarks we can add a few of our own. Operators have assured us that the difficulty of starting oil engines is not entirely confined to those of the type..w,hich our correspondent criticizes. In fact, in a few instances, More elementary methods of facilitating starting have been employed, such as the use of paraffinor petrol-soaked waste inserted into the air intake and lighted to warm the air, supply. It must also be remembered that, especially in these days, oil engines may be required to run successfully under particularly arduous conditions, such as extremes' of frost and heat. We never know., nowadays where vehicles may have to operate, and the engineers responsible must be-prepared for all exigencies. It is only by getting away from the parochial mind, even sometimes at the risk of acid comment, that we can place ourselves in a position•to meet all eventualities.—