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FIEATING
EP TRAINING OMITTED • May I compliment you on your Commercial Motor Leyland Daf handbooks, which are a useful reference for Haulage Operators.
With reference to the booklet on Training Centres it appears that you have omitted E P Training Services Ltd from the Surrey area.
E P Training Services is the only Training Centre that provides both HGV, FLT, CPC, and Dangerous Substances courses in the Surrey area.
1 would be obliged if you could bring this information to attention of your readers. Eddie Pargeter EP Training Services 6a High Street Esher, Surrey KT10 9RT DRAWBAR DRAWBACK • I was interested in the drawbar survey reported in Commercial Motor having had many years experience driving demountable drawbars.
I agree with most of the report's findings particularly with regard to payload potential. The unladen weight of a drawbar combination in 99% of cases is higher than that of an articulated outfit. It is this aspect which contributes more than any other to the restrictive body types used. Most of the British drawbars to be seen on our highways are either curtain siders or boxvans for the carriage of low weight, high volume products. The potential is there in most cases for 15 metres (48ft) of load space as opposed to 12.2 metres (40ft) trailer but of course this relies on the availability of loads to ensure viability. Here is the crunch. These days no one can guarantee a full load. I have to disagree with the report's view that drawbars generally require less road width to manoeuvre. All the drawbars I have driven needed far greater road width than an artic to turn round. A drawbar by virtue of the length of its prime mover will take the same turning circle as a normal four-wheel goods vehicle. An artic will always have a smaller turning circle because of its shorter wheelbase.
There is a distinct tax advantage for drawbars over artics though how long this will continue will be in the hands of the Government. If there were a swift increase in drawbars the tax loss would be all the more noticeable and no doubt taxation would be increased to remove any advantage.
L Robson Blaydtm Tyne & Wear
PAINT YOUR WAGON • I am a weekly reader of Commercial Motor and I write to tell you that I have been harassed by the police in the last three months for no reason at all.
First of all I was pulled up on the M6 at Stafford for a weigh in, tacho check and vehicle check, on 20 September this year. Secondly, [was on the M62 at Manchester when pulled up for a tacho check, HGV and car licence check as well. This was a month later. Thirdly, 1 was pulled in at Crewe by the police on 5 November. This time the two policemen went looking around my wagon and seized 22 of my tachos. They said I would be booked for not having the unladen weight painted on the chassis. Of the 22 tachos they took, 12 had been checked on the second pull-in on the M62 and were clean.
I have been on the road for 25 years driving my own wagon which is always in tip top condition. It is a 1977 Ford 10-10, 1711 (5.1m) flatbed.
If I am pulled up again, I am going to complain to the Chief Constable, and paint my wagon a different colour.
J R Mawdsley Mawdsley nr Ormskirk Lancashire
ROLL OUT THE. . .
• I would like to support Mr B B Moore's suggestion (Letters Commercial Motor 5 November 1987) asking you to consider publishing pre-war copies of Commercial Motor particularly Motor Show numbers. I am sure the success of the sale of these would encourage you to extend the scope to early post-war editions of a magazine which was packed with interest.
You don't need us to tell you that industrial archaeology, particularly all aspects of transport, has a growing appeal to every age group. Unfortunately modern text books are very sketchy in their coverage, frequently wrong in detail of information and extortionately priced. I know from personal experience what a wealth of unique information is in your archives. Apart from the editorial matter the advertisements make fascinating reading (and never a mention of a foreign vehicle) so please give us the lot. Mr Moore's idea would be an undoubted winner for you, a boon to readers and should you take up the project I hope you will not stop at interesting road tests of the past.
Incidentally I can just beat Mr Moore in that I changed from a comic (a shattering decision) to Commercial Motor in the late twenties when your marvellous magazine was only 3d.
Gordon Reed Ship ham
Somerset
. . . GOLDIN OLDIES • As a regular reader since the summer of 1949, I was extremely interested to read a letter from B B Moore and I wholeheartedly agree that it would be a great idea to obtain copies of Commercial Motor of Yesteryear„ though I realise that this would no doubt cause tremendous difficulties. However it is very pleasing to learn that you intend of compile some interesting road tests from the past.
May I suggest that you include, if possible, the following PSVs: the Karrier three-axle model, the Leyland Titanic, and Titan TDI type as well as the AEC Regent 661 design. Keith Beeden Sheffield South Yorks