TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROGRESS.
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rrilE amenities and business conditions of modern life are so bound up with the wonderful advances made in the commercial vehicle employed for goods carrying and the transport of passengers that it is extremely difficult to realize that only 21 years ago the road transport industry was really in its infancy, and that, although sporadic attempts had been made to develop transport fleets on a sound basis, yet barely 4,000 commercial vehicles of all types were at that time existing in this country. This figure has to be compared with the number in service to-day320,000 plus a number of vehicles taxed on horsepower, and motorcycles, together estimated at 70,000—figures which are bound to be augmented In the near future.
As a comparison between the state of affairs then and that existing now, it may be of interest to point out that one company alone, running buses in the Metropolis, own a bigger fleet than was represented by the total of commercial motor vehicles in service throughout Great Britain in the year 1905.
Leading Factors in Development.
What are the leading factors which have so greatly influenced this development? Perhaps most of the progress may be attributed to the greater enlightenment of the public as the result of better educational facilities.
At a time when every other form of transport was being speeded up, that by road was limited by the speed of the horse. For many years the railways had wonderful opportunities, but at this stage it may he considered that they did not, or could not, for a variety of reasons, take full advantage of them. Many of the smaller towns and villages were practically isolated, the only communication between •them and the railway or neighbouring places being by slow horsed vehicles, and, as a consequence of the lack of transport facilities which then prevailed, the migration from country to town was becoming a matter of critical moment. There, therefore, existed an urgent need for these facilities, and it only remained for the commercial vehicle to be rendered capable of meeting the requirements.
One of the keys to success was certainly the more extended use and the improvement in reliability of the rubber tyre. Much '3f the transport work up to 1905 had been effected by vehicles. with steel-shod wheels, the speed of which was necessarily very restricted, and it was only in the lighter types of commercial vehicle that the rubber tyre had proved at all satisfactory. On the heavier models stoppages through tyre trouble were already far too frequent.
Overcoming Prejudice.
• In the sphere of goods transport much prejudice had to be overcome, convincing demonstrations had to be given of the then questionable superiority of the motor vehicle over its horsed prototype, and drivers had to be specially trained for their new work. Reliability was being aimed at but not always achieved, and, to encourage its improvement and to educate the public to the increased use of mechanical road transport, various trials of the utmost importance were inaugurated, and, in fact, one of the milestones in the history of the commercial motor was the RAG. Reliability Trials of 1907, which covered • a route mileage of 1,000 and were participated in by a large variety of motor vehicles.
Advancement steadily continued, but for many years there was little distinction between the chassis for the passenger vehicle and that intended for the transport of goods. The parting of the ways may be said to have resulted mainly from the restriction placed upon the weight of public passenger vehicles operating in the London area, by which the limit was fixed at 3i tons in lieu of 5 tons. At first this was said to be impossible • of achievement, but careful design and the employment of the very best materials obtainable rendered it possible and set an example which exerted a tremendous influence on designers throughout the country.
In the region of heavy transport the Army subsidy scheme began to exercise a great influence,• spreading over the period between 1911 and 1914. B27 Many makers took up the manufacture of this class of vehicle, and fairly lame numbers began to find their way into commercial service Then came, what was perhaps the dominating factor in the huge developments in road -transport which have occurred during recent years. This :was the Great War. During it there was but little • opportunity of making great progress in design, but the huge increase in the employment of motor vehicles of all types rid the manner in .which thousands of men were familiarized with :their use ensured that, at the conclusion of hostilities, there would be a great demand for this class 'of transport. The decision of the Government to unload their huge stocks of new and partly worn 'transport vehicles upon the British market was a cruel blow to our manufacturers—one the effects of which have lasted until now. In one way, however, it did good. in that many users who could • not otherwise have employed motor vehicles in 'their businesses, because of the great expenditure 'of,: capital which would have been necessitated if -'110,0 vehicles had been obtained, were enabled to purchase ex-W.D. models in fairly good condition at most reasonable prices; and. there is this to be "Said, about the cOnirnercial motor vehicle, and that'is, that once it is. employed it is seldom or never displaced by other means of transport.
t, The Chassis Makers' Opportunity.
r It was soon realized that the type of vehicle reforesented by the ex-W.D., whilst meeting the 'tranSport needs of some businesses, was not by any means ideal for all, and particularly in connection with passenger transport, and it was here that the commercial-vehicle manufacturers were 'given an opportunity of showing their capabilities. (Very fortunately for them the need for greatly 'improved passenger facilities quickly madethemselves Apparent, and the popularity of the niOtor ,vehicle showed itself not only in the use of bus facilities, but in the demand of the public for coaching as an, important branch of its holiday programme. Many of the ex-W.D. chassis were pressed into service, but their heavy construction, :limited speed and high build made those running them treat them more as stop-gaps than as ideal chassis for such work. Consequently, a fairly brisk demand arose for improved models. The activities in this direction have bees manifested to a remarkable degree during the past year or two, an tne modern passenger chassis differ radically from their prototypes.
Whilst the latest passenger vehicles have diverged greatly from former types of goods chassis, this divergence may not be quite so apparent in the future, for many of the features which have been found excellent in the new passenger chassis are being incorporated, although to a modified degree, in the more advanced vehicles for goods transport.
Some Important Improvements.
We do not propose to describe at any length the many improvements which have been made, as these are adequately dealt with elsewhere in this issue. Perhaps the most important Wive been the greet increase in the power-weight ratios of the engines, the development of the low load-line chassis, increased accuracy and better design which have enabled the production of sweet-running and extremely quiet vehicles, and the employment of large pneumatic tyres, which have permitted higher speeds and considerable reductions in weight.
The resident in this country is hardly able to appreciate to the full the wonderful advances made in the many passenger transport undertakings because he takes so much for granted, -but to the visitor who returns to our shores after an absence of only a few years, the progress made must appear really remarkable.
Bus services have been opened up in almost every direction, and they are now linked up in such a manner that it is possible to travel from one end of the country to the other if so desired. Similarly, in municipal work the mechanically propelled vehicle, whether it be petrol, steam or electric, has triumphed and has resulted in the adoption of far more hygienic methods and increased economy.
Progress has by no means been limited to the petrol vehicle. There have been great strides in the improving of the steam wagon, particularly during the past two or three years. Whereas this type of vehicle was once considered as only suitable for slow, short-distance work, it has now entered the sphere of long-distance, fast transport. Many improvements have also been effected In the battery-electric vehicle, these chiefly tending towards the reduction in running friction, so that the mileage per charge can be increased. •