Correspondence.
Page 15
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Superheated Steam.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I have followed Mr. D. J. Smith's articles on " Superheated Steam "with great interest, because I believe the principal makers of steam wagons hold to the use of saturated steam through lack of experience. I see no reason why a 5-ton wagon should not be made and sold for less than L5oo, if a flash generator is employed, and I believe that the use of superheated steam will considerably increase the life of a machine.
I shall be glad if Mr. Smithwill answer the following questions, in relation to the equipment for a 5-ton wagon, which should also be capable uf hauling a trailer : (a) What would be the price of the tubes, and of the different coupling unions, for the generator?
(b) Is it necessary to employ any special metal for the cylinders or valves, and how long should the valves last ?
(c) Will not the deposits, which he states do not form in the boiler, go through to the engine and affect the working parts adversely?
(d) What size of engine is necessary for the work named above, and to take the full load up a gradient of i in 15,on a heavy road?
(e) What would be the weight of the boiler and engine complete for the foregoing load?
(f) Would there be any danger if a tube burst on the road, either for the attendants or the public?
(g) How long would it take to replace such a burst tube if a spare one were carried?—Yours faithfully,
A Motor Drivers' Association.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR." Belfast. fl.1.11
Sir :—Seeing that you have published two letters in your columns, on the 1st instant, in regard to a Motor Drivers' Association, will you kindly allow me to reply through the same channel. Our association wants motor drivers to enrol themselves in it, but only men who are not afraid of work. There are several trade unions and societies which are now prepared to admit motor drivers, but our intention is only to admit qualified drivers. This association has been started by motor drivers only, and is conducted by motor drivers exclusively : if a motor driver is ill, he goes to a doctor, and not to a greengrocer, so I think drivers should • join their own set, and not get mixed up with all kinds of other men, whose interests are different.
This is a young association, and it was only started last September. The rules are very simple, and must be regarded as merely a foundation upon which we can build <,something more extensive and presentable. We have got along, so far, with the support of a comparatively few drivers, but we want more men to join us. Various drivers have written to you, agreeing that a motor drivers' society is wanted, and I wish them to know that we are trying to meet their needs, and that they are not doing their duty if they only stand by and watch others doing the work. They should come along now and give us a helping hand. The entrance fee is only is. 6d,, and the regular contribution beyond that is only is. per month. The association meets the first and third Saturday in each month, between the hours of 8 and to p.m., at the Essex Head Hotel, Essex Street, Strand, W.C., and I shall be pleased to see or hear from any driver. The future work of the society will include : (a) Helping members to pay any fines ; (b) legal aid and advice where men are hurt in the course of their occupation; (c) keeping a register of men seeking employment or change of work ; and (d) the provision of a meeting room, library and Papers. No driver who has had less than 12 months' experience on the road will be admitted.
We intend to hold a meeting next month, in order to elect officers and committeemen, because all our existing arrangements are purely tentative, and everything will be submitte-d to the general body of members for their approval and revision, within the next few weeks.—Yours faithfully,
For TEE AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION OF MOTOR DRIVERS,
T. J. BLINYARD, President.
39, Coteford Street, Tooting, S.W.
British v. Foreign Motorbuses.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—In your issue of Nov t, Mr. Lound asks how one can be led to believe that Beaufort cars are British made? If he would turn to the Beaufort advertisement in the same issue,' and read the cutting from the ". Standard," with the heading " Why an order went abroad," he may see how this is possible. The cutting runs : "An English firm—the Beaufort Motorcar Company—themselves were quite unable to carry out such an order within the period allowed in the contract.s, and they, therefore, gave out the order to five other firms." Now' would not most people, in reading this, be led to suppose that the English firm (the Beaufort Company is, I believe, registered in England), being unable to fulfil the contract within the prescribed time, were forced to give out the contract to five foreign firms? Or would one gather from this cutting that the buses would have been made abroad in any case, and that the Beaufort Company is virtually in the position of an agent?
My authority for stating that I have noticed that the British-made buses are more reliable is that I have watched carefully every motorbus that I have passed whilst travelling, on an average, about five or six miles per day, for the last two years, mostly on omnibus routes in the west of London. As a proof that the English-made buses are as good as, if not better than, their foreign rivals, I may quote the orders given by the three leading bus companies during this year.
Since Mr. Lound has not yet divulged the names of the Englizli firms, which were invited to tender for the contracts, are we to understand that no English firms were invited to tender?—Yours faithfully, " Cambridge, November 4th, 19°6.
Drivers and Road Engineers.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—Having, with great interest, read Mr. Mackenzie's paper on " Public Service Vehicles in the Metropolis," there is a suggestion which I should like to make re that portion entitled Drivers and Road Engineers."
As regards the railway system of training drivers, I consider it impossible, for some time to come, as far as motor omnibuses are concerned, but I think the following would be a better plan and far cheaper to the companies in the long run. Let them take one or two men at a time into the works for, say, a month, and let those men have a chance of learning something that will be of use to them when they go out driving again ; let them assist in the different departments, principally the engine shop, where they may gain a knowledge of the internal parts of the engine, gear-boxes, etc., etc. Then the best of these men could be selected for positions of "leading driver" at an increased salary, and so gradually do away with road engineers. This, I venture to think, would be .far more profitable than the way some firms have of dealing with their drivers. Take the firm I am working for -as an instance (I don't think I need mention names, it is not a hundred miles from the Zoological Gardens). Their plan is that, while a car is in dock, the driver is allowed to assist the fitters at work on that car. But what does he learn? Practically nothing, because, as soon as the engine of that car is lifted off the chassis it is taken into the engine shop, and the driver is never allowed there ! At present all the driver does is to walk about with a spanner and a bit of waste, undo a nut, for the purpose of doing it up again, and otherwise dodge the foreman when he sees him coming. For this laborious work he gets sevenpence per hour. This may be profitable for the driver, but I doubt if the shareholders would think so.— Yours faithfully, " NEMO." London, November 4th, 1906.