Planning a Small Steam-Wagon Garage.
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The question of suitable housing for steam wagons is one of more importance than is generally considered. The creditable appearance of the machines, and their consequent advertising value, and the proper execution of repairs and adjustments are all directly dependent upon the provision of efficient accommodation.
The garage, which we will consider, should be a brick building with the interior of the walls limewashed, whilst the floor must be of well-founded concrete with the necessary provision for drainage. Foundations must be very .carefully considered, as they will have considerable intensity of pressure to sustain on occasion.
The window area should be as large as possible— natural light is a cheap and indispensable asset. Light is preferably admitted from roof windows, but suitably placed side-windows aloe a useful addition ; these latter should be so constructed as to be available for extra ventilation when required. The factor deciding the floor area of the running shed is, of course, solely the number of vehicles which has to be accommodated. It is wise to exercise forethought in this respect to allow for possible and probable future additions to the existing fleet.
An up-to-date garage designed for a fleet of, say, six wagons should consist of a four-division building, the departments being: the central portion or garage proper where the vehicles are stored ; a small combined machine and fitting, or as it may be called a repair shop, with a smith's hearth directly adjoining; an office and general stores ; and a, coal-stores. The garage portion should be provided with an inspection pit built in the floor at a point where a wagon may easily be run on to it without upsetting the other occupants, this pit should be of about 8 ft. long and something over 3 ft in width ; concrete steps should lead down into it at each end. It is suggested that the pit should be paved inside with white tiles, which will act as good reflectors of light upwards on to the underside of the wagon which is being attended to. An obvious disadvantage to such a course is the risk of breakage if heavy metal parts have to be handled in the pit. A substantial covering must be provided for the pit in the form of a number of hardwood planks which should fit neatly in position when the pit is not in service. Many owners, of course, disapprove of the use of a pit, as they claim, rightly perhaps, that it is an inevitable receptacle for dirt and rubbish. The advantages which are claimed by others for such a pit include: the increased facility for examination of all under
neath mechanism; and, for certain types of steamers, the closer attention which can be given to boiler tubes and the firebox.
The garage should contain a washing trough or pit, which should be located in a position near the main entrance, so as to allow a lorry to be run into place and washed down, directly it comes off the road, without. flooding the remainder of the garage floor. Such position, of course, must not block the entrance. ,A wash is easily arranged by bevelling the concrete floor over a suitable area and fitting a grid centrally in the sunken portion, the fall of such a pit should be about 5 in. for big wagons, i.e., the grid should be 5 in. below the floor surface. This may also be used as the drainage receptacle for the remainder of the building a series of shallow channels may be moulded in building; floor, so as to lead to the trough ; they may be given a. gradual slope of say 1 in 40 towards the trough.
The machine and fitting shop, or general repair shop should be of sufficient size to accommodate a small stiff lathe, a drilling machine, a bench and a \ ice, with the usual tool chest and lockers. Further tools may, according to individual choice, be installed, if deemed advisable. But those we suggest should be enough. A useful acquisition to the resources of a steam-wagon garage is a portable valve and valve-seat facing machine which works on the principle of a milling machine and is capable of refacing the slide valves and steam-chest faces of a steam wagon in a quarter of the time that would be i
expended n doing the work by hand. Such a machine is sold by W. H. Wilcox and Co., Ltd. Southwark Street, S.E., and by Hodges Bros., Lid., .City Basin Works, Exeter.
The smithy, which should really be a part of the fitting shop but may be partitioned off, should be of sufficient area to hold a smith's forge with a comfortable working allowance-12 ft. by 7 ft affords ample space. A smith's hearth is a, most valuable asset, especially if the wagons are fitted with road wheels of the steel built-up type with striated tires, for when replating these wheels, the only satisfactory procedure is to have each strake heated and bedded into its respective position before finally riveting or bolting. If the wagons are to he engaged on town work on setts they will undoubtedly have wheels of the wooden of artillery type. Should this be the case, it may be advisable to install a wheel press, but an installation of this description is not warranted if a wheel works is available in the vicinity.
The office and stores alluded to should be a room of say 22 ft. by 10 ft., with a dividing partition to form an office of about 10 ft. by 9 ft., which latter should also be used as a place of deposit for the logbooks, driver's time-sheets, etc., etc. The stores must suitably and systematically accgmmodate lubricating oils, cleaning waste and paraffin, gland packing and the stock of spare parts. The writer advises the adoption of steel oil cabinets fur the various kinds of oil ; they make both for economy and for safety.
It is advisable for the stores and fitting shop to be directly connected. The remaining room, viz, the coal store must be disposed in the most convenient position relative to the main garage, and should be capable of containing about 20 tons of coal for a sixwagon establishment. A suitable scale or weighing machine is a necessary addition in the coal store, as it enables the keeping of a record of the coal consumption of individual wagons and also cheeks the total distribution. Provision must be made for unloading the coal into the store, this is satisfactorily arranged by having a suitable wall door fitted.
A number of special extension chimneys may usefully be fitted, as in a loco running shed. One may well be provided for each vehicle. These chimneys are best arranged on the principle of having a sliding portion, this necessitates their each being constructed two parts. The upper or fixed portion is taken through the roof, having a flashed lead joint where
it penetrates the roof. The lower portion is arranged to slide inside the fixed chimney, this allows of lowering the chimney into position over the wagon funnel when steaming and of raising it out of the way when it is not required, so as not to restrict the head room for loaded wagons. This arrangement is illustrated. The sliding is controlled by a length of
in. wire cable running on two grooved pulleys and fitted with a balance weight at its lower extremity. In addition to being conducive to keeping the garage free fromsmoke and fumes, such chimneys are of further service when raising steam as they increase
the draught to an appreciable extent and so curtail the time in steaming, without harmful .effect. With regard to the heating of the garage, this in the -writer's opinion is best arranged on the hotwater system, the firing should be done from outside and the stove and apparatus may be covered in by a small " lean-to " shed. It is essential that a good supply of water. be laid down for cleaning and filling purposes, of course the best situation for the water supply is where it will be handiest in relation to the cleaning trough already mentioned. The necessary complement of hose and nozzles is required for cleaning and washing down. If a water supply be thus installed from a main it will most probably have sufficient pressure to be available for boiler washing out, thereby obviating the expense of procuring a foree pump for the purpose. It is useful to keep a dipping tank full, by a ball cock, to save washers going to taps for their supplies. The supply of artificial light is the final consideration ; this will, of course, best be settled to suit each particular locality. Where electric lighting is available, it is wise to adopt it on account of its safety, cheapness, and especially its portability, for a length of flexible wire with a protected lamp is most useful when looking round the vehicles and lighting more or less inacoessible corners. In conclusion the writer would urge that much depends, for the utility of such a garage, upon the drivers' attention to duty ; they should work in a co-operative manner and endeavour to keep the garage in a high state of efficiently by aiming at cleanliness, tidiness, etc. Oil and grease should not be allowed to accumulate on the floor, especially if the vehicles are rubber tired. For the above reason, a sheet-metal tray should be provided for each vehicle, such trays should be about 3 in. deep and should be placed in position under the vehicles while standing overnight to catch the oil and so ensurecleanliness—a most desirable feature in order to obtain properly-maintained and economically
operated machines. 11.13.