Keeping the Lead in Commercial. vehicle Progress.
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HE British motor engineer is at the moment being twitted about his lack of faith in new ideas, his hesitancy to depart from the conventional and his indifference to research. It is not a new charge, and, as of old, it is combined with the admission that the British engineer and scientist possess the imagination and ability to produce the new ideas, which, however, are invariably exploited first • of all by foreign rivals. An early example of this was the British discovery of the value of lead in the composition of optical glass, that discovery being recorded in Herscliell's writings and ignored by everybody until the Germans took up the manufacture otglass for lenses directly after the Franco-Prussian War—thus capturing the bulk of the world's trade with Jena glass.
The British motor engineer was first, many years ago, with front-wheel brakes, but did not Pursue the study Of them in order to overcome the small difficulties that remained. Foreign competitors haVe developed the idea because of the need for greater braking power, now that the traffic on the roads has so vastly developed in volume and increased in speed.
The commercial vehicle of British origin has a distinct lead. With a few outstanding exceptions the exhibits of foreign manufacturers or their concessionnaires at the recent Show did not equal in their evidence of development those of their British rivals, and we are anxious that the criticism with which this note opened shall be taken thoroughly to heart and the decision be made to maintain the lead now held. In this , branch of the industry there are no vast outputs which involve arrangements for production that are difficult to change. It must be almost impossible to make a complete change of design when the output reaches four figures per week or per day, and extremely difficult even to introduce anything more than a minor improvement, and that only after extraordinary delay. For this. reason we were surprised at Olympia to find, on the part of British exhibitors, a readiness to push the goodscarrying vehicle out of the-limelight which such a show casts upon all methods of transport. They had been all too willing to become reconciled to the fact that this was to be a bus show and to
show buses accordingly, and we really believe that much good business was lost which could have been gained by impressing on many users the fact that their goods transport plant or methods were out of date. Exhibitors sought to create this impression upon bus-operating concerns and materially succeeded : those who pinned their faith, mainly or wholly, on the goods carrier also fared satisfactorily. We should have liked to have seen this type of vehicle so obviously advanced in design, rich in new ideas and redolent of efficiency and economy in running and maintenance that wholesale fleet revision became the order of the day.
Let the British manufacturer determine to keep the lead which he possesses in commercial motor vehicles. He has many foreign rivals keen to wrest his position from him, and he can only retain it by being on the qui vine to improve his products and to try out every promising idea and, if found suitable, to adopt it.
Axle Weights, Speeds and Wheel Diameters.
AN important deputation waits upon Sir Henry Maybury to-morrow (Wednesday) in order to urge upon him the urgency of the need for action, on the recommendations of the Departmental Committee which were made in April, 1922, dealing with speeds, axle weights, wheel diameters and the approval of higher total axle weights when a vehicle is mounted upon more than four wheels.
On the assumption that the speed limit would by now have been altered to 20 miles per hour for heavy motorcars mounted on pneumatic tyres and weighing unladen not more than 3i tons, many manufacturers have prepared designs for vehicles conforming to those requirements, and some have actually produced the models ; users, for their part, have placed orders, and many more are awaiting the issue of the expected regulations before taking the same step. In the meantime, however, passenger transport is checked in its development, because opinions diverge as to the wisdom of accepting a weight limit of n tons, many makers and users holding the idea that the limit should be set at a higher figure—say, 4 tons or 4i tons— in order to allow for greater strength of chassis details and more rigid bodywork.
It seems, however, that in the realm of the private car the feeling prevails that it is better to suffer the present law, which is practically a dead letter, to remain than to seek for a new Act which would impose much more severe penalties for any breach. The objection to that course, naturally, comes from the heavy-vehicle side, where the limit of speed is oppressively low arid the effects of the restrictions on axle weights are arduous. It would, therefore, seem to be desirable to aim at the further amendments of the regulations under the Heavy Motor Car Order of 1904 (and subsequent amendments), and not to worry about an entirely new Act covering the whole of the field of motoring.
The alteration in the regulations which calls for immediate attention is that which would give authority for the six-wheeled vehicle, with the wheels of its driving bogie close together and driving on all four wheels, to carry a 10-ton load.
We hope to find an attitude of sympathy towards the delegation and to listen to a promise of immediate action on the part of the Minister.
More Covered Top-deck Buses Asked For.
'THE four covered top-deck buses running in London during the past few weeks have, as was expected by everybody who has seen similarly equipped vehicles running in provincial cities and over country routes; proved a great success. Not a single bus has been capsized or blown over, or' has shown the slightest trace of top-heaviness, which statement will probably surprise the Licensing Authority. They have proved successful to this extent, that the average takings on the covered top-deck buses are considerably greater than the average takings on the open top-deck buses running under precisely similar -conditions. This fact may be due to a rush of patronage brought about by the novelty of top-deck cover, or it may be evidence of a distinct preference for shelter from the inclement weather or from cold winds, or even to the willingness of the passenger with a cold to take a seat in the upper saloon, where he is no more exposed to chill than in the lower saloon.
Which, actually, is the reason? There is only one way in which the question can be answered, and that is by an extension of the experiment. We understand that the directors of the London. General Omnibus Co., Ltd., have applied for permission to place another fifty covered top-deck buses into service in place of (let'us suggest) fifty of the old B-type buses. If the authorities are at all disinclined to trust their own judgment upon the subject, we might help to secure an expression of public opinion by inviting the daily and evening Press circulating in London to republish the drawing which appeared in our issue of October 20th last (page 281) with its appended caption. We feel sure, however, that the travelling public strongly resents the delay in the provision of topdeck shelter, and, now that the top cover is proved practicable and safe, it will soon be demanding the head of somebody on a charger.