Support for Pre-selective Gearbox
Page 53
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REGARDING Mr. E. J. Cooke's letter, published in "
"The Commercial Motor" for July 6, I entirely disagree with his remarks concerning pre-selective transmission. When he says that the passengers are subjected to neck-breaking jerks through this type of transmission, I would remind him that this can be caused only by a driver who, apparently like himself, has little knowledge of the vehicle he is driving.
Is he aware that all the Daimler cars as used by Royalty have this type of transmission and are presumably driven without causing "frequent convulsions" to the passengers? These convulsions, as he calls them, come about as a result of a driver trying to hurry the process of gear changing. Woe to the poor passengers who have to put themselves at the mercy of such a driver.
I would be pleased to demonstrate to Mr. Cooke how to drive a vehicle with fluid coupling and pre-selective gears without jerking it. and to prove to him that this type of vehicle is one of the few that can be held on a hill in the event of brake failure. This, of course, presumes that the driver is skilful.
If Mr. Cooke should be visiting the city of Leeds, where this type of transmission is exclusively used in doubledecker buses, he will note that these buses run very smoothly and do not cause discomfort to the passengers either when or stopping.
Southall, Middlesex. W. H. P. BURFORD.
starting
go Mr. Cooke does not like the pre-selective type of gearbox. Does he know how to drive a bus or coach so equipped? If not, perhaps I could be of assistance to him.
I quite agree that you can produce neck-breaking jerks, and a great number of London bus drivers succeed in doing this. I have often wondered whether they receive the proper tuition, or whether it is just ignorance.
1 have been driving an A.E.C. 9.6-litre vehicle with pre-selector gearbox for two years, during which I have travelled through Devon and Cornwall, passing up and down Porlock, Lynton and other nasty hills. After my experience I have nothing but praise to offer for the pre-selective gearbox. The only fault I have to find in the vehicle is the hand brake.
Mr. Cooke says that passengers get frequent convulsions as a result of drivers trying to hurry the process of gear changing. Does he have to hurry with a crashtype gearbox?
I have had over 29 years' experience in driving coaches, buses, lorries and cars, and I think I know a little about what I am writing. Let Mr. Cooke go to Messrs. Pat Hearn, of Grays Inn Road, London,
I am sure any one of their drivers wouldgive him a comfortable ride.
London, N.1 C. G. SMITH.
I WAS very interested and surprised at Mr.E.J.Cooke's I letter, regarding his dislike for the pre-selector gearbox I am sure that he must be one of a small minority who prefer to drive vehicles with the old-style clutch and crash box.
I have driven buses, coaches and heavy lorries on city services and long-distance work and I would prefer a fluid coupling and pre-selector box every time. Regarding the neck-breaking jerks, Mr. Cooke must agree that this is purely bad driving, and as for "creeping," either the idling speed of the engine is too high, or the brakes are not efficient.
My own experience is that at the end of a long day on city service, I was much less fatigued with a preselector than I would have been with an old-type gear change. On long-distance work with heavy furniture vans I found the pre-selector almost indispensable. When climbing long hills one can try a higher gear without losing road speed, and the cushioned pull of the fluid coupling is a great asset on icy roads where a bad change would cause wheel-spin.
The concern I was with on the long-distance runs advocated coasting, commonsense prevailing, and in my opinion the only safe vehicle to attempt this with is one having a preselector type of gear change.
T. L. SYMING1 Edinburgh, 11.
SUCCESS OF EIGHT. WHEELERS IN RIO I N your issued dated May 4 you show an illustration of an eight-wheeled ACLO chassis being loaded on the "Brash Star" with the caption "Believed to be the first eight-wheeled goods vehicle ever shipped to Brazil " This statement is true and the populace of Rio greeted the first convoy as it travelled from the Cais do Porto to our workshops for assembly, with open-mouthed wonder and disbelief that the four wheels atthe front of the Mammoth Major could be steered. • The first 15 have been in service since May 14, and are running with approximately 17-ton loads between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, a distance of 500 kiloms.
The highway for the first 100 kiloms. is a fine dualcarriageway of concrete, each way being roughly 30 ft. wide, after which it becomes a single-carriageway 40 ft. wide. From here On the road windsup the mountainside of the Sierras, with inclines up to one in six and many hairpin bends.
The top is reached after 10 miles of climbing, when you find yourself 2,500 ft. above sea-level and shivering with the cold after the heat of the lowlands.
Thereafter the road descends gradually for about 60 .miles, following which the road climbs and drops with gentle undulations until you start climbing again to reach Sao Paulo, which is 1,500 ft. above sea level.
My job out here has been the starting and organizing of a stores and workshop for Wilson, Sons and Co., Ltd., which is the ACLO agent here in Brazil (except the State of Sao Paulo). We have at present in Rio de Janiero roughly 300 ACLO buses and, of course, the 15 eight-wheelers. We are awaiting the delivery of 25 more eight-wheelers, complete with Dekalloy dropside bodies, the first two of, eventually, 100 ACLO tractors and semi-trailers, and 30 of the new Mk. IV underfloor-engined chassis.
There are here about 30 different bus companies, but of the largest three, two are completely ACLO, one having a fleet of 83 and the other 65. There are, incidentally, more ACLOs in Rio than any other make.
LEO A. W. Cuans, A.M.I.R T.E.,
ACLO Service Depot Manager. (For Wilson, Sons and Co., Ltd.) Rio de Janeiro.