Lorries Double in 12 Years
Page 37
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THERE were 1,325,616 goods vehicles licensed during the quarter ended September 30, 1959; of these 1,272,712 were in the "general" category (as distinct from farmers' vehicles)—a figure more than twice that for 1947.
The number of hackney vehicles licensed during the third quarter of last year was 93,323, including 1,069 trams. This compares with 120,295 hackneys, including 5,745 trams, in 1947, Of the total " general " goods vehicles, 1,069,952 were under 3 tons unladen weight and 202,760 above. The larger of these two figures was made up of 954,859 petrol vehicles, 90.928 diesel and 24,165 battery-electric; whilst the smaller comprised 151,311 diesel, 51,099 petrol and 350 battery-electric.
Of the 92,254 hackneys, other than This A.E.C. Mandator tractor has been supplied to Messrs. Hope Transport, London. The cab has an all-plastics superstructure and was built by Park Royal Vehicles, Ltd. It is mounter' on the standard A.E.C. all-steel cab base, a feature of which is the forward-step layout. Similar cabs are being built fOr Mammoth Major sixand eight-wheelers.
trams, with current licences at September 30, 77,097 had more than eight seats. Of these, 62,159 were oilers, 11,728 petrol models and 3,210 electrics.
Excise tax from goods vehicles of all classes totalled £33,480,000 in the year ended November 30, and from hackneys 15,354,000.
These figures are contained in `` Road Motor Vehicles, 1959," published at 5s. by the StationeryOffice this week.
TEETHING TROUBLE
SFIEFF1ELD transport department have had difficulty with the electrically controlled gear switch of the new Atlantean 78-seater buses and, in common with Leyland, the manufacturers, are working on modifications.
This was revealed by Aid, Sidney Dyson, chairman of the committee, last week. However, Ald. Dyson said his committee were satisfied with the performance of the buses and more were on order.
DODGE DRIVERS' CLUB
ADRIVERS' club has been formed by Dodge Bros. (Britain), Ltd. The president is Mr. Wendell S. Clough, managing director. Mr. K. W. Underwood, advertising and sales-promotion manager, is national organizer.
Benefits of membership include free personal-accident insurance, and a regular 'news service. Membership is free to all Dodge drivers and mates.
12 MOBILE SHOP
A MOBILE shop based on the Morris r't 12 van has been produced by Martin Walter, Ltd., Folkestone. It costs £771 15s. and has a raised roof. A Workobus 12-seat version priced at £622 17s. 6d. is also available. Look at Tyres for 11,11 Operation THE tyres of any vehicle to be driven on the M1 should be thoroughly inspected beforehand. This advice was given to members of the West Midland Division of the Traders' Road Transport Association on Monday by Mr. L. C. Jacobs, chief vehicle examiner of the West Midland Traffic Area, at their annual general fleeting.
Many tyre faults could not be seen, he admitted, but those and others that were visible might result in a failure at high speed.
There had been a spate of failures of trailer towing eyes, he went on, and subsequent tests had revealed that a combination could break even when the parts were apparently in good condition.
Mr. Jacobs warned of the danger of overloading, An excess of 2 tons over rated payload could produce a 40-percent. loss of braking efficiency.
Mr. S. C. Bond. T.R.T.A. president, said that restrictions upon the loading and unloading of vehicles could involve penalties in the form of shortages, of commodities.
INVENTION TO SPEED VEHICLE EXPORTS
A N invention of Fisher and Ludlow, Ltd., Birmingham, will aid the export of vehicles. It takes the form of collapsible deck structures which may quickly be erected and dismantled in a ship's hold. It furthermore enables a load of vehicles in a given space to be increased by about 20 per cent.
Known as the Carflow system, the invention has attracted interest in Germany. Panels measuring 16 ft. by 14 ft. were taken by road from the company's factory at CoseIey, Staffs, to Hull for export to Hamburg, where Deutsche Werft are refitting a Norwegian vessel. This ship will be used to carry cars to America and return to Europe with grain.
The system may also be applied to the transport of general cargo.
Hand Signals Hard to Interpret
THE difficulty of interpreting hand
signals made from the window of a lorry, sometimes by a driver with dirty hands, was mentioned by Mr: I. N. Ware, York City Coroner, on Monday.
He was holding an inquest on Mr. Norman Keating, a 55-year-old company director of Chilwell, Notts, who died after the 5-cwt, van he was driving was in collision with a lorry on the TadcasterYork road on March 24.
The Coroner read a statement made to the police by Roderick Clifft, Lynwood Crescent, Fitzwilliam, Pontefract, the driver of the lorry, who elected not to give evidence.
in it he stated that he decided to pull off the road for a snack. He put his right arm out to give a slowing-down signal. He again glanced in his mirror and gave a signal that he intended to turn left into a park.
He had just turned into the entrance when he heard a van at the rear. He braked and saw that the small van had hit his lorry.
• Mr. Ware said that the driver of the van might have seen the last part of the signal to slow down, and seeing the lorry veering over the white line thought that it was going to turn right at an intersection.
NEW CAB FOR commEgs
AN improved cab has been introduced for Cornmer Superpoise models. It provides more leg room with an extra 21 in. of seat adjustment to the rear. The steering-column rake has been increased to give a more comfortable driving position, and the seat squab has a thicker tipper contour and a heavier gauge of spring.
Because of these alterations, adjustments have had to be made to certain body lengths. In future, 3-4-ton 13-ft. 1-in.-wheelbase drop-siders Will have body lengths of 13 ft. 9 in, Other models affected include the 5-ton and 6-ton 14-ft, 1-in.-wheelbase types, which will now have 15-ft. 3,in. long drop-sided bodies.
Other Superpoise bodies remain unaltered.
£360,000 ORDERS IN WEEK
HOME orders for buses and lorries to the value of £360,000 were placed with Guy Motors, Ltd.. during a week. The whole range of the company's vehicles was covered by the orders, which amounted to 100 vehicles.
The largest single order was for 10 Arab Mark IV buses for Wolverhampton Transport Department. Lancashire United Transport, Ltd., ordered 20 similar vehicles in addition to three Wulfrunians—the latest Guy double-deck bus.