Opinions and Queries
Page 63
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Meeting Urgent Need for Spares
TOUR leading article on the spares situation, pu Wished
in the issue dated April 27, is timely. One wonders if some of the leading heavy-vehicle manufacturers really attend to this matter as a very necessary after-sales service and a comparatively easy way of retaining the goodwill of the customer In a recent issue of your journal, an important company making units included an advertisement in which it was stated that they could supply almost any variety of drive. But just try to obtain a replacement pinion, say for a gearbox, and there may be a wait of several weeks before the required item comes to hand. One of their current production jobs, which has been made for many years, is bevel gears for a well-known vehicle. If the makers of this vehicle have a demand for a set it may be months before they become available, yet they are supplying still another maker with complete rear axies. In my view, users operating their vehicles should have first call on the parts available.
As regards certain engines and gearboxes. which admittedly are not now in standard production, but only a few years old, many important parts are practically unobtainable. Surely one could expect the manufacturers to see that spares are made available for a considerable time after a unit has been superseded by a later design.
It is appreciated that if a design is constantly being modified, it may be diffictlt to supply replacements to cover the full range, but even with one famous oil engine, which has been little altered since it became available as a transport unit, operators are being let down when new crankshafts become necessary.
Criticism is easy, but it might do the managing directors of the vehicle builders some good if they could listen to the remarks of their customers when urgently required .spares are not obtainable. It may be that there is a shortage of the quality of alloy steel required, but could not something be done, admittedly as a long-term project. to arrange for scrap parts in scarce steel to be returned to them. This would no doubt require the co-operation of the steel manufacturers.
The vehicle builders might well appoint production officers with fairly wide powers, to give priority to spares as against original equipment. .Designers might also avoid many of those rather unnecessary changes in detail design, some of which would appear to have little practical value except to extend the range of replacements required.
J. L. G. 13nEwsTER, Managing Director, J. Brewster and Co. (Transport Engineers). Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne, 4.
A " Light-heavy " B.M.C. Enthusiast
THE recent publication of an illustration of a 13.M.C. I 7-tormer and of the owner's remarks regarding the effectiveness of its power-steering, were most interesting to me.
I would like to confirm the general enthusiasm concerning this refinement which, of course, is standard on this particular model. I am a maintenance fitter for Messrs. Hancock Bros., haulage contractors, of Ilfracombe. but I occasionally have to take to the road and I recently spent some weeks driving our B.M.C. 7-tonner.
My experience with " commercials" covers over 20 years and is fairly comprehensive, and in my opinion this vehicle is the best " light-heavy " I have ever handled. Our regular driver is also enthusiastic concerning it, he is ex-B.R.S. and has had much experience.
I have now fitted an additional fuel tank on the near side of the chassis. so that a journey from North Devon to the Midlands and back can be undertaken without the necessity of refuelling en route.• On continuous long-distance running with full loads, the fuel return is just under 16 m.p.g. and the mileage to date, covering three months, Is 10,000. There have been no troubles and the brakes have been adjusted only once.
Ilfracombe. R. M. ROGERS, A.I.R.T.E.
[This correspondent kindly sent a photograph of the vehicle concerned, showing it loaded with 7 tons 10 cwt. of powdered milk. Unfortunately this was not sufficiently sharp for reproduction. It did indicate, however, how carefully the load was sheeted and roped.—Eal
Police Book Criticized
HOW much I agree with your comments of April 13 on that quite admirable book, "Road Craft."
At the same time, there are two points on which I think this official publication is capable of conveying impressions which are not correct.
On page 60, the end of paragraph 43 is capable of giving the idea that there can be occasions during the hours of darkness when the speedometer is better not to be illuminated. I think this would he illegal.
On page 63, the conclusion of paragraph 48 might be taken to imply that it is legal to use a pass lamp even when there is no fog or falling snow, no matter what height the pass lamp is from the ground. This is not the case.
Gerrards Cross, Bucks. A. RALPH WILSON.
Prior Claim to Trailer Warning
WITH regard to the letter published by you on VT April 20 under the title "Safer Trailers," the type of warning plate, illumination and method of fitting have been standard on vehicles run by Jarvis Robinson Transport, Ltd., since 1930.
This device, for warning those on the near side of a vehicle towing a trailer, was designed by the writer and was first fitted to a Leyland Buffalo. The plate used is the standard square number plate and it is fitted to a cross-member of the load platform at the near-side front end. One stay goes to the front, the other to the rear. and this tilts the plate outwards at 30 degrees to the near side. A standard Rubbolite rear lamp is bolted to the top edge of the plate at the centre and wired to an independent switch on the dashboard.
No doubt some of these J.R.T. vehicles have been seen in the Nottingham area, and I am pleased to observe that the idea is considered of some benefit to other operators, to whom I would he glad to give further details if they are required, Liverpool, I1 T. H. BOARD, M.T.R.T.E.