ANSWERS TO QUERIES.
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Can I Convert White Steam Car to Coal-gas?
[4408] (Owner).—A White steam car could not be converted to run on coal-gas. In a motorcar, gas from petrol mixes with air and is exploded, giving a drivingforce • coal-gas simply takes the place of the petrol gas. With a White steam car you have to burn paraffin or petrol in what is the equivalent of a furnace to raise steam, but with that boiler we doubt whether gas would do as well..
Can I Purchase Coal ?
[4409] (Bow).—You need permission to purchase coal for use on a steam wagon, and should apply to the Controller of Coal Mines, Board of Trade, 8, Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, S.W. 1. The rate of wages for drivers in the London area must not be less than 50s. per week, and for mates not less than 35s. per week. Overtime pay—for drivers 9d. per hour, and for mates 7d. per hour. Washout— drivers 58., mates 3s. 6d. Double time to be paid for Sundays and holidays. All extra payments other than war bonuses not to be interfered with.
Injector Trouble on a Foster Tractor.
[4410] (Derbyshire).—The failure of the injector to work may be due to the pipe arrangement being 'wrong or to the wrong type of •injector being used. The best type for tractors is the Penberthy Auto Positive," or the Penberthy Automatic. The type used is not stated as there are various types of Penberthy injectors. If either of these types is being used, the trouble is probably due to obstruction between the injector and the boiler. A steam gauge fitted on the feed pipe near the injector would prove this. If it indicates a pressure several pounds over the boiler pressure, it shows an obstruction ; it will force part of the water into the boiler until the obstruction is sufficient to create a back pressure equal to this pressure, when it will break. As the feed pipe and clack box have already been cleaned out, it must be that the clack box valve has not sufficient lift. Sometimes the valve itself istoo small, or the wings may be too thick and blocking up the passage. An B4e injector should work easily with a 2-ft. lift; placing it below the water level only enables it to deal with hotter-water. The steam chest is certainly the best place from which to take ths steam feed ; it is probably too wet from above the firebox. It is impossible to give a correct diagnosis without seeing the actual arrangement of the injector.
Number of Men Required on Steam Wagon.
[4411] (Blackpool).—Legally, only one man is required for the driving and control of a steam vehicle, but, in actual practice, on some makes two are required, because whilst one man steers the other one has to look after the staking. It is difficult to convince a magistrate in the case of trouble, or in a charge against the second man for not having a licence, that one was a driver and the other was merely an assistant, so our general advice is that both men should have licences.
In the event of a trailer being employed, there must be an attendant on the trailer who is able to apply the brakes of the trailer, unless these brakes can be applied from the hauling vehicle.
Converting a Daimler Chassis into a Tractor.
[4412] (Tewkesbury).—We would recommend you to try Chas. Binks, Ltd., Eccles, Manchester, for the paraffin vaporizer which you wish to 'fit to the 2s36, h.p. Daimler chassis you contemplate turning into a farm tractor.
You will not be able to take a tractor of this type on to the road, not even from farm to farm, without registering it first as a commercial vehicle. The Smith-King carburetter for utilizing paraffin was described in our issue for the 20th July, 1916. This number is out of print, but we suggest that you apply to a local library which may file back numbers.
You will not damage the bearings if you drive carefully and utilize a good heavygrade of lubricating oil .and. change the oil .frequently.
We should think that the most economical speed at Which to run the engine would be about 800 to 900 revolutions per minute.