OPINIONS and QUERIES The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects
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connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be written on only one side of the paper. The right of abbreviation is reserved and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted. Queries mast be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope.
PRESSURE ON WHITEHALL BROUGHT IMPROVEMENT.
AS a result of pressure Whitehall practically dropped the drastic rationing scheme and allowed almost normal fuel supplies pro tern.
Cannot that pressure be kept up by both haulage and garage industries until something more reasonable be evolved?
Most hauliers carry a fair proportion of return loads, which business experience has built up over a number of years, and any scheme to alter that must result only in chaos.
My suggestion is that all hauliers proving that they carry a reasonable amount of back traffic should be allowed to carry on, whilst those vehicles continually running light should be grouped and either return loads or other work. found for them. Beginning with the worst cases and improving them would entail the least hardship and not hinder the flow of trade.
The Diesel fuel " unit " is another figment of a Whitehall imagination and is causing a lot of work and worry to both operators and garage attendants. At least demand that a real, Diesel unit be issued, instead of compelling people to keep still more records of coupons and " thirds " of gallons owing.
Cannot someone arise and save us from this bureau
cratic mania? J. H. ATKIN. Sandy.
COST OF RUNNING ON PETROL AND PRODUCER GAS.
WILL be grateful if you can supply me with some figures relating to the comparative running costs of vehicles using producer gas and petrol.
London, ALTERNATIVE.
[There is not a great deal of reliable information available as to the cost of operating vehicles on producer gas: in particular there appears to be no information as to what it really costs to maintain the producer-gas equipment, in a satisfactory running condition. The following information, however, may be helpful to you. Taking as the first example a 32-passenger, coach covering about 25,000 miles per annum. The. fuel cost, on
• the basis of a price of 30s. per ton, will approximate to 0.31d. per mile, as compared. with 1.42d. per mile using petrol, showing a saving of 1.11d. per mile on fuel. The Commercial Motor figures for the average running costs, i.e., petrol, oil, tyres, maintenance and depreciation of a. vehicle of this type covering, the mileage stated is 7.16d. per mile, so that, using producer gas and making no provision whatever for any increased cost of maintenance, this total of running costs is reduced to 6.06d. per mile. In the case of the populartype 13-tonner carryng 4-ton kids and running 20,000 miles per annum, the figure for cost of petrol per mile is 1.55d., .as against 0.26d. for producer gas. The total running cost on petrol is 3.96d. and the corresponding figure for producer gas, 2.67d. In the case of a 7-8-ton goods vehicle the petrol cost per mile is 2.52d„ as against a producer-gas cost of 0.42d.. The total running costs per mile are 5.63d. on petrol and 3.53d. on producer gas. In the foregoing figures the price of petrol
is assumed to be Is. 5d. per gallon. You presumably appreciate that there is some loss of power when using producer gas in a petrol engine and that there is some additional inconvenience in starting and in the daily cleaning and weekly overhaul of the producer-gas equipment.—E[.]
A BRAKING PUZZLE FROM A READER.
A MORRIS van (forward-control 2-tonner) was
approaching a cross-roads, the driver braked for 42 ft. before this point and made a skid mark of 13 ft. on a dry tarrnacadam road. On examination of this mark it appeared that only the near-side wheels were braking. The van was equipped with twin rear tyres, tyres were fairly worn, and Lockheed brakes are (as you know) provided.
Could you give an approximate idea of the speed of
vehicle when braked? E. H. LARDNER. London, E.S.
[From the data available it is quite impracticable to esti mate the speed of the vehicle. Efficiencies vary very widely, and the only method would be to estimate the efficiency, and from this to calculate the speed of the vehicle which stopped in the distance of 42 ft.. When only one out of three variable factors is known, it is mathematically impossible to estimate the two unknown. A chart of braking efficiencies for various speeds and stopping distances is published by Ferodo, Ltd., Sovereign Mills, Chapel-ert-le-Frith, Stockport. This might be of interest to you.---En.]
THE CALL FOR USED STEAM WAGONS.
IT is very gratifying to see that you are making some I efforts to bring the steam wagon back to the road. I have been a reader of your journal for many years, and I have noticed how few steam wagons are now advertised for sale. There are certainly some laid up that would give excellent service if properly overhauled by the makers, and would amply repay that trouble.
My son and I are drivers and have been out of jobs for nine months. We were last employed by Willment Bros., who have two Sentinel eight-wheelers, one sixwheeler and one four-wheeler, all of the S.T. type. The latter two were put aside. Should they be taken over by anyone who is thinking of putting them on the road, I can guarantee that, with certain repairs, they would give good service. I drove my wagon for five years, and the boiler was in excellent condition. The firebox was taken down only a few months before I left, for the second time during the period in question, and the engine was not touched for three years.
Hovis, Ltd., owned 11 Garrett steam wagons, and as I drove for this company for four years and taught drivers to handle these wagons, I should say that they Would be in good condition, as the maintenance of this company's vehicles is all that could be desired. These steamers were distributed to the country mills when petrol vehicles were introduced in London.
Hounslow. J. Wn.r.sou.