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 sae of the t aper only, and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsioiiity for the views expressed is accepted.
A Devonshire Experience: Testimony to the Sentinel Wagon.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
L1,009] Sir,—I now have much pleasure in handing to you two photos. LOne reproduced.—En.] of my six-ton Sentinel steam wagon as she appeared in our great street procession in aid of our local hospital. She was got up as an up-to-date convict establishment, with the treadmill on board, stone cutting, oakum picking, and warders, etc.; it was the greatest hit in the whole event, and, better still, took first prize. They wanted to put me at the tail end of the precession, because they thought the wagon would make a lot of noise, and also frighten the horses, but I assured them that was not the case with this kind of machine, and I was allowed to proceed nearly in front. It was commented by several people afterwards, that they never saw anything of that size going along so smoothly and quietly; it even surprised our own company (the convicts), for they had made up their minds to be jerked off their feet every now and again, but nothing of the sort occurred, so there is another score for the Sentinel.
I may tell you that it is the same Sentinel which we had so much talk about some few months ago ; now that she has been running one year, I will give you a little
account of what she has been doing. It was the 27th July, 1908, that she commenced to work in my hands, and up to the 27th July, 1909, she has been hard at it. There has been very little chance of any " grass growing " under her wheels, for she has covered 8,000 miles, carried 5,900 tons, and burnt 66 tons of fuel (coke), without any trouble or breakdown : all she has had is a new set of firebars, and a few new links in the chain, and she looks ready for another year's " go in." I was asked by a stranger only yesterday if it were a new one : I said, " Yes, 12 months ago." When I told him what she had done, he was astonished, and said he quite thought it was a new one. The largest day's work I did with her was to carry 20 tons and travel 85 miles, between 6.30 a.m. and 10 p.m., stopping half-an-hour for dinner, and I may say that she had to be loaded and unloaded by hand— no coming down a shut° to load her. This was done by two man only, so I think that speaks volumes for the Sentinel. As I told you before, I have never had, in all
my 20 years' experience, a machine to top it; in fact, I call it, a driver's friend. There are a good many who might be under the impression that, with a Sentinel, when they want to lower the boiler to clean it, it would cost a good bit, as they would require a proper fitter to do the job. Nothing of the sort! It is the simplest thing out to drop the inside: I go so far to say that if a driver cannot do it himself he should never be allowed to take charge of any machine. It is one of the grandest boilers ever put on a road machine. It's a matter of a day's work to lower the inside shell, and then you can clean and scrape out everything. I have had mine down, and I am proud of it in comparison with all the locomotive types. Some time back, I remember, a driver wanted to know how the Sentinels got on with their ordinary water glasses. I can tell him that the same glass is in mine now that came with her from the works; it has never been taken out. That, again, speaks well for the trueness with which the mountings are put on. The engine itself is splendid: she requires very little attention, and I consider she is running better now than when I first received her. There are no link-motion pins rattling ; no second-motion shaft grinding, with their change-speed gears and clutches, after a 12 months' run. I call her the champion of all, and if there are any intending purchasers who hardly know what make to go in for, my advice, if they want a wagon without a repair bill, but, of course, put into a proper driver's hands (not drivers at 18s. a week, for there are no "drivers " about at that price), I think the owner will never regret that he chose a Sentinel.—Yours, etc., FREDE. G. WREYVORD. Newton Abbott.
Flexible Hubs and Other Multiple-member Resilient Wheels.
The Editor, Tim COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,010] Sir,—In reply to letter No. 1,004, signed Chas. Price, I quite agree with Mr. Price that any wheel which depends entirely on the construction of the hub for its resiliency is doomed to failure, and that there should be no break between the rim and hub. I am afraid, however, that Mr. Price's information is not quite up-to-date, and I am sure that, if he is an engineer, and if he had taken the trouble to study the construction of the Lynton wheel and tire, he would have decided that this wheel and tire has all the necessary qualifications, as stated by Mr. Price. The whole of the shock is absorbed in the rim of the wheel, whilst the hub is perfectly rigid.
If Mr. Price will write to the Lynton Company, at Warrington, he will have the matter clearly explained. There was a very good sketch of this wheel in your issue of the 28th January last, and this should interest Mr. Price, if he really is seeking information, and has an open mind.—Yours
faithfully, J. Wm. BARKER. Goldenhill, Staffs.
Flexible Hubs and Other Multi-member Resilient Wheels.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,011] Sir,—We have read with interest the letter (No. 1,004) signed by Chas. Price in your issue of .5th August. This gentleman is quite right in what be says about the unsuitability of any wheel for motor work which embodies any flexibility or break between the resilient medium and the hub, and that all experiments in the construction of resilient wheels have conclusively proved that shocks must be absorbed at the point of contact with the road.
Any wheel in which the hub is allowed to deflect from the centre violates the beet principles of wheel construction, as it destroys the balance and creates a cam-like action continually; this is the reason why flexible hubs absorb so much more power. We should like all who are interested in this vital question of resilient wheels and tires—Mr. Price in particular—to write for a booklet describing the principles of Lynton wheels and tires, and, after careful perusal, to write their opinions as to what extent these are in accordance with their ideas of correct mechanical resilient wheels. Although there is an action in the Lynton resilient, wheel, it is taken to the point where it is reduced to the greatest possible extent. It. is remarkably simple in construction, as the spokes, felloe and rim are all pressed from one piece of steel ; it is not affected by climatic changes ; and the tire repair is reduced to a very simple operation, at the same time dividing up the cost through the tire's being built up in sections.— We are. yours faithfully,
LYNTON WHEEL AND TYRE SYNDICATE, LTD.
rry D. Sillito, Director.
Longford Bridge, Warrington.
Rubber-tired Steam Wagons.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,012] Sir,-1 am a regular student of your pages, as you know. The work done by the Foden wagon for Messrs. Truman, of which you gave some particulars last week, might easily he exceeded. It seems to me that a little more organization should get rid of much delay at the publie-houses. Why, for example, might not the empty barrels be got up out of the cellars before the arrival of the wagon? That simple course, which need not call for any new labour, would mean that the full barrels could be more expeditiously lowered, rolled to the gantries and put in place. Again, why not discard the old-fashioned method of roping in favour of a crane on the wagon ? I recollect your illustrating such a useful fitting, and its more-general use should be encouraged. These remarks, however, are,rather by the way, although they have a bearing on the use of rubber tires.
It has often struck me with amazement, that more rubber tires are not fitted to steam wagons. Just at the moment, and for the next six months maybe, the price of raw rubber is against the proposition, but consider what one gets in return for, say, a maximum normal outgo of 3d. a mile for a five-tanner, and 2a. a mile for a three-tonner. First, there is quietness— no had feeling is stirred up against the owner, as peoples' nerves are not racked by the noise which iron tires cause, and houses are not shaken; second, there is lessened wear and tear on the machine, which cannot he worth less; than £20 or £25 a year ; third, there is the greater speed which, legally or otherwise, a rubber-tired steamer can safely make: fourth, there is the greater freshness of the men who go on the wagon ; fifth, there is absence of skidding wheels and side-slip; sixth, there is no fear of being "hung up" when snow conies; seventh, there is the annihilation of nearly all risk of claims for road damage. I might go on, but it is evident that some of these points are overlooked by many buyers of steam wagons.—Yours, etc.,
R. J. WILLIAMS.
American Lorries Condemned.
The Editor, Tiss COMMERCIAL MOTOR,
[1,013] have read with interest the criticism in
your issue of 12th August. Two years ago, I received letters from America-1 am a native of Buffalo, U.S.A.asking for particulars of British petrol vehicles. I proposed, then, to several makers, that they should exploit the American market, and I am willing to give any information I have at hand to anyone interested.—Yours, etc.. ED. PHILIP LEETS.
Bomber Bridge.
Users Experiences (No. XXVI).
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,014] Sir,—This past week has been one of exceptionally hard work, the excitement of which unfortunately proved too 'much for one of the boys, in consequence of which he managed to " drop " his fusible p]ug; a faulty valve in the geared pump was the initial cause of the trouble. There is, however, no excuse for a driver, under any circumstance, to " drop " his fusible plug, and I am pleased to say the driver was the first to acknowledge this fact. The drivers " fines " fund, to which I made reference some month or five weeks ago, has so far proved most successful, and the stream of summonses for petty offences which steadily flowed in upon me, previous to its inception, has altogether ceased.
The principle of keeping a driver to his own wagon is also bearing good fruit, and I am continually being confidentially informed by a driver that his particular machine can do better than any other in our shed. It has also enabled me to observe the varying capacity of the men to keep their wagons at work at the least expense ; this difference is very marked, and varies as much as 100 per cent., one wagon having cost £56 for a year's repairs whilst another cost over £100. Another good result that is obtained by the allocation of a wagon to a driver, is procured by the natural desire of the man to see that his vehicle receives fair play in the division of work, and is an automatic check against working one vehicle at a higher pressure than another, the result of which is that records of working costs per wagon become more comparable than would otherwise be the case. The effect of part payment by results is proving very beneficial during our busy times, and acts as a healing salve to the stricken conscience of a driver who feels he may be guilty of enjoying the blessings of work to a fuller extent than his fellow-workmen.
During next week we hope to take advantage of a few days' holiday and intend to do some painting and overhauling. I am still firmly convinced that the paint pot is not sufficiently revered amongst motor-wagon owners, either as a means for the preservation of the machines or as a medium for attractive advertising. Our log sheet for the week is as follows: earnings, £82; tonnage, 212; mileage, 914; percentage of work done, 100; coke used, 12 tons; oil used (gear), 8i gallons ; oil (cylinder), 6 gallons.--Yours, etc.,
"MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER."