News and Comment.
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This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches.
We originate: others imitate.
The patronage of the Scottish Automobile Club has been accorded to the Edinburgh Motor Show, which exhibition has been approved by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
R.A.C. Trials.
Owing to indisposition, Mr. Basil H. Joy has been unable to fulfil his promise to contribute further articles on the trials. We are glad to learn that he is now in better health.
The five weeks Of road tests were concluded on Saturday, and we publish the complete, official scoring-sheets in this issue. Fifty vehicles reached London, only six having been eliminated.
The Smoking Concert.
This was voted a unique success by everybody, and a brief report of the proceedings is embodied with our closing account of the road tests (page 158). The " Daily Telegraph," on Monday last, in its report of the function, says : "The Town Hall, Baldock, was crowded to the fullest extent. A most excellent musical and dramatic programme • was carried out, to the evident enjoyment of the large company." We desire to take this opportunity of expressing our indebtedness to the large number of gentlemen who contributed to the success of the evening. '
The concert was made the occasion for two presentations to Mr. Orde : a magnificent, fitted, travelling case was given by the competitors and others, whilst a handsome, silver and gold cigar-case came from the observers. Mr. Burford and Mr. Alfanson were the respective spokesmen, and Mr. Orde acknowledged the tokens of appreciation in happy terms.
Non-stop Runs.
The competitors who have 22 nonstop runs to their credit have already reaped the first reward which was held out by the organisers. The four whose vehicles are marked with an asterisk have also, unless further scrutiny of the records discloses any occasion for revision, been untroubled by either road or depot deductions of any kind whatsoever. Mann and Overton's, Ltd. (" Unic " van, No. A6, with tocwt. load); Lacre Motor Car Co., Ltd. (Box van, No. Bt2*,with 2o-cwt. load); Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd. (van, No. C13*, with 3o-cwt. load); John 1. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd. (two lorries, with 3o-cwt. and 6o-cwt. loads, Nos. C19* and 645*, respectively); J. and E. Hall, Ltd. (" Halford "lorry, No. E3o, with 6o-cwt, load); the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co., Ltd. (Wolseley-Siddeley, canvas-tilt wagon, No. E325, with 6o-cwt. load); Sidney Straker and Squire, Ltd. (6o-cwt. lorry, No. E33); Commercial Cars, Ltd. (6o-cwt. lorry, No. E43); St. Pancras Ironwork Co., Ltd. (5-ton, steam lorry, No. F52); and Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co. (5-ton, steam lorry, No. F53).
H.M. the King and H.R,H. the Prince of Wales have again given their patronage to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' -annual show of private cars. This exhibition will be opened on the Toth November, and will remain open for a fortnight.
Brewers' Exhibition.
The exhibits at the forthcoming Brewers' Exhibition, which will be opened on Saturday next, the igth instant, will include several splendid examples of self-propelled lorries. The Alley and MacLellan new model, designed for a 3-ton load, will be shown, as well as standard 5-ton vehicles from the works of Allchin, Foden, Mann, and other manufacturers, whilst W. Tasker and Son, Limited, will show a compound tractor.
The 3-ton, "Sentinel " wagon has been built by Alley and Maclellan, Ltd., on the lines of the company's 6-ton model, which was described in "THE COMMERCEAl. MOTOR " of the 22nd of March, 1906, and the 7th of March, 1907. The transmission gear is practically the same as in thelarger model, but the steering gear on the threetonner is of the Ackermann type. The boiler is of the semi-flash type, and is intended for working at 230 lb. per square inch. It is centrally fired, and has 36i square feet of heating surface,. and a grate-area, of 2.6 square feet. A superheater, in the form of a solid, drawn steel tube; is placed in the uptake, and its surface is sufficient to raise the steam to about 150 deg. Fah. of superheat. The engine is the company's patent, slow-speed, twin-cylinder, simple, horizontal type; the two cylinders are eacit 6i inches in diameter, and have a piston-stroke of 5 inches. There are no slide valves, or eccentrics, as the steam is distributed by nickel-steel mushroom valves, which are operated by a camshaft. Alteration
of the point of cut-off, or reversing of the engine, is effected by sliding the camshaft longitudinally, and thus causing the valves to remain open for a long or short peiod as required.
All the working parts are completely enclosed, and work in , oil, and the wagon is capable of taking its full load of three tons up a gradient of i in 7. The area of the platform is 65 square feet, the measurements being T T* feet long by 6 feet wide. This vehicle is externally similar to the 6-ton model. The Sirdar Rubber Company, Limited, of 34, Baker Street, W., reports a growing demand for grooved covers, in preference to steel-studded covers, for vehicles which use pneumatic tires.
To Peru.
We illustrate herewith a 4-ton " Comer Car "lorry, which is suitable
for a load of from to 4 tons, and which has recently been shipped to Peru, for the conveyance of flour. The chassis is constructed in accordance with the description which appears elsewhere in this issue.
Travellers' Brougham.
We illustrated one of the Albion Motor Car Company's, t6h.p., travellers' broughams in 'our issue of the 26th ultimo (page 6o), and we are able to assure our readers that this type of vehicle is meeting with a considerable
amount of attention. The confidence which the general public now has in this company's manufactures has resulted in the placing of a large number of orders solely on the basis of its reputation, and without demand for a trial of any kind. For example, one large wholesale firm has just placed an order for six of these broughams.
Aberdeen County Council.
The Road Board of the Aberdeen County Council, at its last meeting, considered a motion " That for the better management of the highways within the County, district committees require more powers than at present for the regulation of heavy traffic in times of thaw after severe frosts, when the road surface is most liable to great damage." In support of his motion, Mr. John Michie pointed out that the Council wanted to be in the position of calling a spade a spade, and not to be compelled to shut up a bridge for the sake of closing a road. He reminded the committee that an enormous amount of damage might be done during a period of 24 hours.
The discussion chiefly turned upon whether there should be a close titre during the winter, when traction engines and heavy motor wagons should only be allowed to travel if granted a certificate by the road _surveyor, or
whether the right of temporary veto should be granted to the surveyor only in the event of a combination of specified weather conditions. These points,
however, were not elucidated to the satisfaction of those present, but the motion was unanimously adopted.
A Showman's Choice.
William Foster and Company, Limited, of Wellington Foundry, Lincoln, has recently delivered a compound, showman's, steam tractor for use by Mr. Haydn's Grand Variety Show. A large number of showmen use heavy
traction-engines, but this departure by Mr. Haydn provides one of the earliest examples of the adoption of the more modern form of road locomotive for such purposes.
Noise and Dust.
The Torquay Chamber of Commerce has under consideration the possibility of action in respect of excessive noise and dust which are alleged to proceed from the electric tramcars in the town.
The Glasgow Meet.
There were, on Saturday last, more than 40 vehicles entered for the parade and local demonstration at Glasgow which is to take place to-day (Thursday), and ir of the entries were steam vehicles. The assembly will be at Blythswood Square, at 1.45 p.m., and it is intended that an itinerary of some live miles throughout the city shall be followed, after which the dispersal will take place at the starting point.
Ambulance Body Work.
Under the auspices of the Prefecture of Police, a competition has been or.. ganised for bodywork in motor ambulance wagons in Paris. The controlling committee consists of M. Armand Bernard, general secretary of the Prefecture, president; MM. Navarra and Oudin, municipal councillors; Dr. Henri de Rothschild; M. Max Richard, delegate of the A.C.F.; M. Mauclair, of the Paris Omnibus Co. ; Commander Cordier, of the Fire Brigade etc. Hailing a Taxicab.
We have had occasion to refer to the difficulty of finding a taxicab, but London hotel and club porters are now discussing the best means of calling one. Two whistles for a four-wheeler, and one for a hansom, bring the desired result, but how many blasts should be blown, asks the " Pelican," for a taxicab? This difficulty, we venture to assert, will only be a temporary one, as we cannot conceive the continuance of the horse-drawn hackney-carriage, whether with two or four wheels, for many years.
Audible Warning.
The United Motor Industries, Limited, of 45 and 46, Poland Street, W., announces that it has some new and good lines in motor horns for cabs and commercial vehicles generally. The " Castle " horn, No, 1,376, is recommended as being of particularly substantial construction, and as possessing a good, penetrating note.
Driving Licences.
Of 169 men who applied, during the year 1906, for licenses to drive motorcabs in London, 136 passed, and the remainder were unsuccessful. Final rejection followed a third failure in any case, with very few exceptions.