THE " ROADLESS VEHICLE" IN BRITAIN.
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Quite Apart from the Application of the Creeper Track Vehicle in Undeveloped Areas Overseas, there is Use to be Found at Home for this Class of Traction.
WE have heard a great deal in the past few months regarding the problem of transport in " roadless " countries abroad. A paper dealing with the subject was read before the British Association at Southampton, which pointed out the economic " gap " in the transport system of such countries between, on the one hand, human or animal transport, capable of dealing with comparatively trivial quantities of produce, and, on the other hand, arterial railways and roads capable of dealing with an enormous volume of traffic, but often impracticable owing to the great capital outlay involved. Figures given in the paper referred to show a transport capacity per unit for human porterage and animaldrawn wagons ranging from less than half a ton-mile -up to 60 ton-miles a day, whereas the capacity of an arterial railway goods train is given as from 15,000 to 112,500 ton-miles a day.
The " gap." is obvious. It is suggested that this gap can be filled only by such vehicles as do not require a special and expensive steel, concrete, or macadamized road to work on, yet have the Capacity for improving or, at least, not destroying the surface passed over, as otherwise traffic would soon become impracticable, owing to the destruction of the route. The solution has, to a limited extent,. been found by the employment of very light mechanical vehicles running on wheels fitttd with large pneumatic tyres, which, by deflection, offer a small amount of surface contact to the ground, thus eliminating to a large extent the destructive effect on the ground of steel or even solid rubber. tyres.
Transport routes over long distances dealing with passengers, mails and small quantities of light goods have demonstrated that such vehicles can do something towards a solution of the difficulty, but Considerations such as cost, adhesion and limited load restrict the capacity of such vehicles and, in the main, reliance must be placed on the so-called " roadless vehicles" which, by means of endless steerable tracks, offer large surface contact to the ground and enable very heavy loads • to be transported without imposing on the surface traversed an insistent pressure greater than that of a man walking. A number of British manufacturers have recently placed vehicles of this description on the market, and we gather that the results experienced have been notably encouraging. Something of the nature of a boom in " roadless vehicles" is freely talked. about.
As a general rule,, manufacturing countries are slow to develop any apparatus for which there is no home demand, and for the " roadless vehicle" it may appear at first sight that, in this country, with, for its size, the finest system of roads and railways in the world, there would be little or no work necessitating their use. A close study of the question, however, reveals the fact that there is considerable scope for " roadless vehicles" in Britain, though there is not, perhaps, the urgent necessity for them which is found overseas.
Where the " Roadless Vehicle" can be Utilised.
In connection with road construction, new buildings, harbour works, quarries, mines, dumps, etc., there is almost invariably found a demand for vehicles capable of travelling economically over unmade ground. A light railway or road is often constructed to cope with a particular transport problem, not because it is the most economic method of dealing with it, but because it is often the only one. The railway or road in question may be taken up or abandoned after a few years of work, because there is no permanent necessity for it, and thus the temporary duty for which it was provided has to bear the entire cost. Similar remarks apply in the case of extraordinary. traffic for temporary purposes over short lengths of existing roadway, where the cost of the damage and repairs must be borne by the work which necessitates the traffic. If " roadless vehicles" are substituted for wheeled vehicles, the road will benefit from such extraordinary traffic instead of being destroyed. It is suggested that immense benefit to the roads generally in this country would result from the carrying of all heavy loads on endless steerable tracks rather than on wheels, and it may well be that this will eventually be brought about. Perhaps the greatest and most immediate scope for the use of " roadless vehicles" in Britain is in connection with the agricultural industry. Anyone familiar with rural conditions knows the appalling state of many country roads and all lanes and cart tracks during the greater part of the year. At entrances to fields, where the destructive effect of the wagon wheels is concentrated in One place, the usual condition is a morass of mud. Occasional alleviation is obtained at intervals, and at a not inconsiderable expense, by dumping a load of stone or gravel between the gate posts. The natural and thoughtless demand resulting from these conditions is for a vehicle which can Cope with them, which, unless they are very bad indeed, the horsedrawn vehicle can do. The thoughtful demand should be for a vehicle which will not create such conditions, though capable of dealing with them where they exist. It would, of course, be unreasonable to suggest that local authorities should strengthen the surfaces of lanes or that farmers should do the smile to feinth roads and entrances to fields. The cost would be prohibitive.
. Apart from the regular routes used by farm carts and wagons, there are many circumstances which call for the use of " roadess vehicles" in the fields them. selves. The removal of root crops from the land is a striking instance of this. Such -work has usually to be done under bad weather • conditions when the ground is soft and wet. The difficulty is aggravated by the fact that root crops demand deep cultivation. Wheeled vehicles compact the soil and form a hard-pan which is detrimental to the growth of the crop and demands extra labour to eradicate by ploughing. The cultivation of sugar beet in this country is being rapidly fostered, and already one of the limiting factors is the question of transport from the fields to the factories.
The Hauling of Crops of Beet.
" Roadless vehicles" will probably provide the most efficient means of dealing with this problem economically, and we understand that a test is being carried out with this year's crop with a view to deciding the best type of vehicle to employ, the best methods of loading, etc. The present practice in sugar beet areas is for the factory to pay the farmer a price for the beets, which includes delivery to the factories, but it is probable that with the " roaciless vehicle," which provides a means of taking the !vets „rapidly from the fields to the factories withoutishipment, .a better result would be obtained if the. onus of providing transport were taken from the farmer and• borne either by a factory organization or some independent transport company. Whatever the organization may be, however, there is clearly an urgent necessity for a vehicle which can carry a heavy load of beets off the fields without damage either to the load, the vehicle itself, or the ground it passes over.
Whilst we have in this country efficient transportation by rail and road, such transport as is required under conditions when neither railways nor roads are possible for economic or other reasons has an efficiency much the same as it was 1,000 years ago. In other words, the improvement during that time in animaldrawn vehicles has been almost negligible. It would now appear that, with the introduction of " roadless vehicles," a new means of movement has been found which will go far towards meeting a want which, owing to its very age and familiarity, has hardly been felt, but the absence of a solution to which is a drain on the community of no small magnitu•le and a bar to commercial development.