Opinions from Others.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on 'one side of the paper only, and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for the views expressed is accepted. In the case of experiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
Early Lectures on Heavy Motors.
The Editor, Tem COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,102] Sir,—I was pleased to note in your issue of the 10th inst. mention of the lecture you gave at Glasgow University Engineering Society in 1899. Amongst the large number of lectures which I must have listened to at that time, your lecture stands out very prominently, and I distinctly remember a number of the points you raised. You showed what was then a novelty to us—a large skeleton diagram of the Ackermann steering gear ; also, the results of the Liverpool Trials were very fully gone into. By the way, was not the date of this lecture some time in 1900, as I have a recollection that the first Glasgow or Scottish Trials, in which I had the good fortune to be an observer, followed some months after your lecture? Since that time, the engineering building at Glasgow University has made rapid strides in the science of automobilism, and I believe there are several engines installed in the laboratory for testing purposes. A large amount of research work has also been carried out.—Yours
Joule Yousreen, B.Sc. (Glasgow). Dennis Works, Guildford.
[Tee exact date, for wide!' we are indebted to Professor Arelid.Barr, was the 13th December, 1900.—ED.] Should Motor Manufacturers Also Conduct a Business as Carrying or Hauling Contractors ?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,103] Sir,—I have read with considerable interest your valuable leading article on the above subject. This opens up a big commercial question, in the interests of the engineering and carrying trades, and attention to this matter should be the subject of an investigation of the present situation in many directions. AS you rightly put it at the end of the above article: " The two occupations are distinct." If manufacturing firms wish to enter the field of business, in direct opposition to their clients, how can those firms expect that carrying firms are not going to support their opponents, in buying their vehicles and spare parts, etc. P
On the other hand, it is evident in certain directions that road-carrying companies are inclined to construct their own vehicles, and how can they expect that firms of repute and experience will place at their disposal the large practical experience that they have in the design and construction of such vehicles? It is very evident that, if road-carrying companies wish to spend their money in putting down large plant for manufacturing road vehicles, such is not consonant with their business as carriers, and is certainly risky, as regards the shareholders' interests, bearing in mind the ever-changing conditions.
Railway companies have had some costly experience in so doing, to the detriment not only of their own dividends, but also, at the same time, of the trade of the wellorganized workshops that exist for the construction of locomotives and rolling-stock. How many of the railway companies would now be glad of the cash that has been spent on the plant, buildings, and ground, which exist on many of their properties, for the manufacture of these pieces of railway-stock ? It is, of course, necessary that a certain amount of machinery be bought to keep the rolling-stock in good order, and to carry out minor repairs under the superintendence of the engineer, but, when it comes to the construction of actual machinery, my views are that the work should be entrusted to private manufacturing firms, under competitive conditions, By such means, the advance in the design of modern vehicles would he evident, and fair prices obtained, as it is impossible for carriers to compete with organized manufacturing firms in this matter, and it behoves shareholders to
see that their money is not spent in such speculative embarkations. Their money should be put to the use that was intended, i.e., that of catering for and the carrying of passengers and freight, and their engineers should be men who are competent to superintend the running and maintenance of the vehicles that are placed at their disposal. The engineers will then have more time. to see that the companies' vehicles are kept in good order, and will not have the extra duty of designing and constructing road vehicles, which is outside the province of the superintending engineer, and this would be to the real advantage of his shareholders in the way of dividends.—Yours faithfully, WILLIAM P. DITRTNALL.
11, Bush Lane, E.C.
The Editor, TILE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,104] Sir,—The subject of commercial-vehicle hiring, dealt with in the Editorial of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR of the 3rd February, lends itself in my mind to further discussion. The whole question has been of peculiar interest to me, since sonic eighteen months back : I had occasion to get out a more-or-less detailed scheme on the general possibilities and advantages, or the reverse, from the manufacturer's point of view. The result of this effort subsequently led to the formation of a company, and its scope embraced the whole range of hiring which I advocated. In a way, it was a sub-company to another which manufactured commercial-motor vehicles, obtaining its capital, I believe, from outside sources, and I am satisfied that such an arrangement should be advantageous both to the manufacturers and hiring companies.
Dealing with the benefits, firstly from the manufacturer's point of view, over and above actual orders, which are a consideration of no mean value, since such orders can be invariably made to fit in with a company's output plans, the bugbear of lengthy demonstrations can be turned over to the hiring company, and future customers, who require convincing, can be conveniently handled through this channel. The manufacturing company's sales department can always supply details of cost of running, and help to make hirers keen on saving this necessarily-large weekly outlay on running expenses, out of what the hiring company must make its profit. Further, the purchaser secures the live advertisement obtained by the appearance of his own firm's name on his own vehicles. Here, it might be mentioned, the hiring company stands, through its connection with the manufacturing company, to lose over business of this sort, but, on the other hand, fresh customers are continually being placed in its way, and with these, without the manufacturer's Resistance, it would never come in contact.
I notice your article suggests that the repair department of a manufacturer benefits, but I must immediately insist that manufacturers who build good vehicles invariably do themselves a lot of harm with their customers by tackling this kind of work. If they charge a fair price, in nine cases out of ten the customer resents the charge, threatens to place his repeat orders elsewhere when again in the market, and nsually insists on a large credit when placing repeat orders. Hence, a. manufacturer's repair department is. under such circumstances, generally run at a loss. In my opinion, a manufacturer should build new vehicles, and sell spare parts to motor-repair garages ; this would stop endless trouble. The repair garages would benefit and be keener on the trade than they are—it would foster the sales largely; the manufacturer would practically be sitting on velvet, and be able to condole with the extortionate (sic) charges made by the repairers, but the oondolence would not he an expensive operation! The manufacturer might, at the utmost, suggest two or three garages as likely to do good work, and that should be all. In all probability, the customers would have smaller bills to pay for their repairs or overhauls, since a garage's charges must be necessarily lower than those of a manufacturer. Finally, the manufacturer's shops are invariably upset when repair work in largo quantities is foisted on to them, the very nature of the work being of itself unstable and uncertain.
I am quite satisfied, in any case, that a hiring company, which is closely allied to a manufaeturing company, has advantages to both concerns. Up-to-date secondhand Id chides are often taken in exchange by the manufacturer for makes of larger or different construction, and although it may be possible to resell the former, it is invariably better for the manufacturer to have these in some degree under his eye. The hiring company can easily acquire such vehicles, in order to increase the size of its fleet at low cost, and both companies benefit by the transaction.
The remarks appearing in regard to steam wagons do not appeal to me greatly. Such wagons are at the best a poor substitute for a good petrol vehicle, and they only, to my mind, exist through the exigencies of the law as it stands to-day. Their earning capacity is nowhere as great as that of a petrol vehicle, and only prejudiced and old-fashioned ideas tolerate their existence. The subject is a controversial one and a somewhat-lengthy one, and, to get at the root of it, let me say that, if tractors with trailers were permitted by law to travel at a higher speed than 5 m.p.h., the petrol tractor would sweep the board, as it has outstripped the steam wagon. There is no reason why a petrol vehicle should not carry 10-ton loads, as it does.' six or seven; only the law forbids that its speed shall be greater than the speed of its steam competitor with such loads.
The question of rubber and steel tires is settled, if users only knew it and cared to risk the extra outlay upon rubber tires for such heavily-laden vehicles. What is the good? One is certainly not allowed to travel at 12 m.p.h. with loads of this description, whether the vehicle has steel or rubber tires, yet, with the latter, 15 m.p.h. would, with properly-designed vehicles, be quite safe and more pleasant than the rumble created with steel tires at 5 m.p.h.—Yours faithfully, " Tiostoc."
Users' Experiences.
The Editor, Tug COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[I,105] Sir,—It is undoubtedly the duty of a motorwagon carrier to adapt his methods to suit all kinds of weather, for it would be clearly impossible for the weather to adjust itself to suit all kinds of human interests ; at the same time, I think I am justified in remarking that for the past fortnight the weather has shown a strong partiality for the professional unemployed gentleman who only seems capable of blossoming under the most-adverse meteorological conditions. The motor-wagon carrier has been equally at a discount. Two feet of snow presented difficulties which could only be surmounted by rubber tires, and the fate of even these machines was effectually sealed in many cases by the various Corporation tramways: paths had been carefully cleared for the cars, by piling the snow up on either side of the rails, forming a barrier on the road through which no other traffic could hope to force a passage. ]cannot help thinking that this is an illegal proceeding on the part of the tramway; whose managements are creating an obstruction on the roadways which effectually blocks all other forms of traffic but their own, and I think the subject is worth the attention of the C.M.U.A. It is well to remember that Corporation tramways are -no longer limited in their operations to their own townships. but extend in many counties over vast stretches of main roads, and it seems hardly equitable that they should be allowed to dislocate the road traffic over such big areas in order to overcome their own difficulties. I know of several steamers, fitted with rubber tires, which got through their work without any trouble during the
past heavy falls of snow, negotiating depths of from two to four feet.
We have for some time been troubled by the uneven running of one of our machines; on inspection, we found that there was a blow-hole, about 4 in. in diameter, passing steam from the low-pressure casing to one end a the low-pressure cylinder, which bad caused excessive cushioning at one end of the stroke. The difficulty was overcome by tapping out the hole to about in. in diameter and inserting a set screw. The head of the set screw was then cut off, and both ends riveted up, the machine once again running with perfect smoothness.
I recently dropped across a nine-ton load, which was " hung up" during the snow. The owner of the wagon was a gentleman who holds a very good position in the nu5tor-wagon-earrying world, and I am surprised his experience has not taught him better manners than to be hauling nine tons about at this time of the year! The machines are not built for such work, and to insist upon their doing so is only courting trouble: this brings not only loss to the owner, but discredit to the industry. My own experience is that customers appreciate fully the loss which reduced loads mean to the carrier, and have more confidence when they see that we are prepared to stand the loss rather than to dislocate the service, and I am convinced that it is to the best interests of any owner of motor wagons not to overload his machines at such times, as the damage done to the machines is incalculable. There are few wagons in the market which are intended jointly to carry and draw more than eight tons in the best, of weather, and there are fewer roads which are capable of withstanding bigger loads for any length of time, and, as the roads are at present, five tons is as much as any wagon can deal with. The road problem, which is betpming more acute every year, will become either a blessing or a curse to motor-wagon carriers, in proportion to the consideration they show in the matter themselves: if we abuse the roads, we shall eventually be found out, and be made to pay for it; but, if we show a reasonable spirit, there is little doubt that the same will receive due recognition.
A great deal of harm has been done in the past, and it appears is still being done, to the motor-carrying industry, by the failure of carriers to report delays to their customers: it is not good enough to promise a wagon for, say, 4 p.m. and to send it at p.m. without giving the customer warning of the delay. I have recently been asked to undertake work, which has been taken from another carrier, for the simple reason that be neglected to report delays. I have no reason to believe that I can perform the work better than he did ; in fact, my startoff was in the nature of a, fiasco. I completely lost a machine for half a day, but, instead of leaving my customer in. a state of anxious expectation. I rang him up, apologized for the breakdown of my arrangements with him, made fresh arrangements for another wagon to reach him at a later time, and was careful to insist that all extra expense must be borne by me, further instructing the customer not to use the lost wagon if it turned up, but to send it home. My object in so doing was that I knew the customer would regard the lost machine with disfavour, through its having failed to keep an appointment, whereas the second machine would fulfil the second arrangement to time, and would remind him (the customer) that in cases of delay we were still able to make other arrangements to meet his requirements. I am glad to say that this little manceuvre has amply justified itself, and I have since received assurances of their confidence in me. The public knows that occasional delays are inevitable, but it insists on being told when they occur, and in time to make other arrangements if possible— either with the carrier, or the railway. Failure to do this
causes keen resentment.—Yours faithfully, " MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER."
fThe removal of snow from the tramway track has been held to be obligatory upon a tramway undertaking. The piling-up of such silos, near the rails, so as to cause an obstruction which gives rise to peenliar damage, is good ground for civil recovery by the party who suffers any such daratig,e.—En.]