Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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Ten Shillings Weekly for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for anything else published.
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send short contrIbuttons on
any subject wh,ch is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Long and successful runs ; services with no " lost journeys" ; workshop tips and smart repairs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" before publication. When writing you must mention your employer's name as a guarantee of born, fides (not for Publication), and you should state whether you wish your own name, or initials only, to be published. Payment will be made immediately after publwation. Address your letters to 1 he Editor, " THE CO NI m ERCIAL
MOTOR," 7 15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
If the correspondent who signs his letter " K. Macfarlane," will send his address to us, we are prepared to consider his contribution.
We Acknowledge Receipt.
Selected from a number of communications which are intended for these columns, and which we are unable to acknowledge individually, we have letters from the following correspondents under consideration with a view to publication :—" OF." (Cardiff), " ANT." (Bath), "ES," (Plaistow), " F.S." (Manningham), " J.R." (Preston), "
AL." (Westhourne Grove), " W.M.W." (Montrose), " H.N." (Cardiff), " Swaffham," " L_P.M." (Northampton), " L.MacS." (Come Valley) and " J.K." (Bermondsey).
An Articulated Spanner.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the cos. Prize this week.
[525] " Josins "(Cardiff) submits to us a description of a special form of spanner which he has found very useful on certain occasions. The sketch which we reproduce reveals the form of this appliance_ It is made from a short length of weldless steel tube, one end of which is shaped to fit over a hexagon nut. A long shank is loosely attached to this short piece by means of a stout pin, which passes through a slot in the end of the shank, and is riveted through both sides of the tube portion. The pin is a good fit in the slot, so that there is no unnecessary backlash, and our correspondent insists that a certain
amount of endwise movement is necessary, in order to allow the shank to be moved quite freely into any position that is found to be the most convenient for the operation of the spanner. The tubular portion should be about I;; inch in length, and the shank may very well be made about 12 inches long. The eye in the free end of -the shank should be adapted to take the end of a suitable form of tommy bar. Metallic Packing.
[526] " DRIVER " (Wakefield) writes:—" I notice that MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER,' in a recent issue of 'Tug COMMERCIAL, MOTOR,' is asking for information as to whether metallic packing is suitable for steam wagons. Our wagon is a Foden, and it is fitted with metallic packing throughout. The results have been splendid, and the machine has now been running for four years. I have driven it three years, during which time I have had to do practically nothing to it. We have to carry some very big loads, and many of them are almost exceptional. As in addition to this circumstance the roads are very rough, the engine has all its work cut out to tackle the job. The packing, however, has always stood up and has given no trouble. The rods are in splendid condition, and are as round as the day they came out of the shop. There is not the slightest sign of fluting. We sometimes get had water, of course, but not very often. I am not of opinion that that would make much difference."
Motorbuses and Tramway Obstruction.
[527] " WOLSELEY DRIVER " (Canning Town) asks us to publish the following note.—" Statements are frequently being made in certain quarters that motorbuses deliberately obstruct the London United tramcars. From my practical experience as a nrotorbus driver on one of the lines, on which we are in competition with the trams, I can honestly say that the boot is on the other leg. The trains more often than not stop, one on each line, opposite to each other. As the road is very narrow in places, we, and all other traffic of any importance, are brought to a standstill until it pleases the drivers of the tramcars to give us permission and opportunity to get ahead. If by chance we stop on a line in front of an approaching tram, it more often than not happens that the tramcar knocks us off. Their brakes seem to be very ineffective, as it is no infrequent thing for the drivers to complain that their brakes will not act. Such a state of affairs would not be allowed on motorbuses, and I am very surprised to find that it is permissible on tramcars. Perhaps the Carriage Office inspectors are too busy jumping our machines to get on to those of our rivals."
Water Supplies.
F528] " T.D." (Canning Town) sends us an account of some difficulties which he has encountered while attempting to obtain water for his steam wagon.—" I read a letter in a recent issue of your journal from a driver who had experienced considerable trouble in obtaining water. This reminds me of an attempt that I made to get water for a steam wagon in a district which was notorious amongst drivers for its lack of that commodity. The district in question was not far from London, and I had found that the Incal farmers, for some reason or other, showed considerable opposition to steam wagons. When was lucky enough to obtain water, it was usually only to be had by pumping from a well and by carrying the precious liquid for a considerable distance. I very often found that the pumps gave out after I had secured only a few gallons. Once I had a go at a pump on the highway; it had a massive chain and padlock attached to it. I luckily found a flaw in one of the links, and after considerable trouble, I prised this open with the tang of a file. After all this, I found that the bucket belonging to the pump had been removed. On that occasion, I decided to stop the next pedestrian, and he happened to be a postman (I have always found these are splendid fellows for information). I had a chat with him, and in a very short time I knew where all the water in the neighbourhood was, and how it was situated for reaching with a 40-foot suction pipe. The most valuable piece of information he could give me was that he knew where plenty of water was stored, viz., in a high tank which belonged to a railway company, and which was quite close at hand. This sounded very encouraging, and I found that the tank was quite close to the boundary rails of a nice quiet road. All view was shut out from the goods yard across the metals, so I pulled my wagon into the railings as much as possible, and uncoupled the suction pipe from the tank and coiled it neatly against the railings. Putting a small tin can into my pocket, I got a leg up over the railings, and, leaning forward, found I could just reach the inspection ladder, I then had the end of the suction pipe passed up to me, and putting it over my shoulder I soon climbed up to the top of the tank. My mate was paying out the pipe as I went up and helping with the weight as much as possible. When I reached the top of the ladder asd put the end of the pipe under water, the other end was three feet from the opening in the tank of my wagon. My mate, however, said he would guide the water into the tank all right. I then told him to put some cotton waste over the perforated fitting at the end and to hold it there. I then filled the pipe from the top with water, using the small can I had taken up with me. When I had filled it, I placed my hand over the end of the pipe and plunged it under the water level in the big reservoir. I then sang out to my mate to take away the cotton waste, and the result was that our suction pipe acted perfectly as a syphon. When the first rush of water came, my mate thought he was going to be drowned, but he soon recovered himself, and managed to control the stream which flowed from the overhead -reservoir sufficiently to fill our tank in a few minutes. No one was any the wiser so far as the railway authorities were concerned, but I think it onlyfair to admit that if this attempt had been a failure, I was prepared to go and ask permission to take the water. I could easily have taken the water from the pipe at which the locomotives filled up if I had had the necessary permission, but this pipe was at the side of the tank facing the goods yard. I have had many refusals when I have asked for water, and I am afraid that I frequently get it first and ask afterwards. What do you consider is a fair price to pay for one hundred gallons of water ?"
[If the water be taken from a service supply a tip of Bd. should suffice ill most cases. If, however, O. well, pump or other private supply be used, a charge of tid. would not ho unreasonable. In times of drought, of coarse, local conditions may necessitate famine prince. WO do not commend helping oneself to water except in emergeney.—En.].