AIR-RAID PRECAUTIONS DEMONSTRATION.
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A demonstration was scheduled to be given yesterday at Kensington, London, of the capabilities of Scammell vehicles in connection with air-raid precautions, particularly in respect of gas decontamination and fire fighting. It was arranged in co-operation with Kensington Borough Council. In addition to members of the council, officials from the War Office, Home Office and Royal Air Force were expected to be present together with other municipal officers and air-raidprecautions officers.
Scammelli machines taking part were to include a mechanical-horse, a decontamination tender and a street washer adapted as a defence and auxiliary firefighting unit. The first-named carries 12 men, stores of lime and sand and 100 gallons of water—the ingredients of the bleaching material used for spreading in the gas-affected areas.
The equipment includes all necessary apparatus, a pumping plant being installed on the street washer.
The programme of the demonstration is practical and realistic. It includes the dropping of a harmless gas bomb and the methodical execution of defensive measures, also the extinguishing of a fire.
British Power Units in New Zealand. built Buses.
A fleet of eight, full-fronted sin gledeck buses has now been built in New Zealand by the Passenger Transport Co., Ltd., of Auckland, for use on its own services. A further three buses are contemplated for its1938 programme, the oil engine, clutch and gearbox units for these having recently been shipped by Leyland Motors, Ltd.
It was only after disappointing experiences, covering nearly five years with foreign chassis, that the company changed to British-manufactured units, and it has now standardized on Leyland oil engines and a chassis of its own design. The first two buses which were built incorporate Leyland 8.6-litre oil engines and torque converters, and seat 40 persons, with accommodation for 13 standing passengers.
With the introduction of the Leyland Cub light-six oiler, however, the company decided to use this power unit in its chassis, and six machines of this type are now in service. Each accommodates 98 seated passengers and 12 standing. The three new buses scheduled for 1938 are of this type.
Annual mileages of between 70,000 and 80,000 are covered by the oile.ngined buses.
The head office of South Midland Motor Services, Ltd., is now located at 118, High Street, Oxford.
New Temple Press Publication.
Next Tuesday, January 25, Temple Press Limited will publish, at 1.s., a new independent, high-class monthly journal with the title Light Metals, This will cover the activities of the whole light-metal industry and the employment of these materials, such as aluminium, magnesium, beryllium and their alloys, in every sphere in which they can be utilized.
The project is already receiving the support of all the important interests in this department of metallurgy, and the issue will be replete with authentic articles from the pens of notable technicians. Printed on art paper and excellently illustrated, it will constitute a worthy addition to the growing list of Temple Press publications. The Editor is Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, F.R.S.A., M.LA.E.. whilst Mr. A. A. Appleby, B.Sc., is Technical Editor. RAILWAY C. AND D. SERVICES PROGRESSING.
The Great Western Railway Co., in a review of its operations during the past year, reports that at the end of November last, there were 184 country lorry services operating, seven new services having been introduced during the year.
Railhead delivery services, which give a daily road delivery from selected points (e.g., Cardiff, Birmingham, Exeter, Swansea and Bristol), to places within an area of about 30 miles, were in use by 208 concerns, an increase of four on the 1936 figure.
An innovation during the year was the provision of road-rail tankers for the conveyance of liquids in bulk. Regular consignments now passing include glucose from London to Newport, Mon., liquid sugar to Paignton, and vinegar from Itu11 to Bristol.
Uruguay Suspends Commercial-motor Imports.
According to a report from Montevideo, a Government decree has recently been issued which suspends until further notice the importation of buses, lorries, chassis, bodywork and engines into Uruguay. It is stated that the measure has been adopted because of the recent exceptional increase in the imports of such goods, which are held to be out of proportion to the current needs of the country.
Shipping Guide for Hauliers.
The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from January 21-29 , inclusive :—Docxs : King George V. 5 Royal Albert, 4; Royal Victoria, 2; Surrey Commercial, 8; East India, 1; West India, 3.; South West India, 2; Tilbury, 8; Tilbury Stage, 3; Millwall, 7; Royal, 1; London, 1. WHARVES: Hay's, 6. Tilbury Jetty, 1. Regent's Canal, 1.
Audiometer Evidence Wins Case.
The police were confronted with an unusually concrete defence to a defective-silencer prosecution at the Doncaster West Riding Court, on Saturday. The case was that in which
Jack Clifford a Sheffield motor driver, as accused of driving a van which had a defective silencer, whilst ,the, owner, Newbould and Sons, _Ltd., Bradford, was charged with , ".permitting."
After two police constables had given the usual ear-test evidence about loud reports and cracking noises being .emitted from the silencer, the defending solicitor, Mr. Wilberforce Bridge, called evidence, which included that of Mr. Reginald Melhuish, a consulting automobile engineer, of Bradford, who spoke of tests with an audiometer made on the silencer concerned.
Mr. Melhuish stated that the silencer was taken off the van in question (which was four years old) and fixed to a much older vehicle, and at no time could the amount of noise produced be made to exceed 11 decibels, which was less than 81 phons.
B22 He pointed out that it had been recommended by a committee reporting to the Ministry of Transport that the maximum amount of noise permissible from exhausts should be 90 phons at a distance of 25 ft. from the vehicle and at a height of S ft. from the ground. In this case, the tests were carried out at a distance of only 16 ft.
The Bench dismissed both summonses, but refused to allow costs against the police.
Railway Oppose Smart Grant.
The railways are appealing against the Western Licensing Authority's grant of two extra vehicles to the Smart Transport Co., Bristol, " CRIPPLING " CHARGES FOR FREIGHTS.
Definite recommendations have been prepared by the Scottish Developmeht Council to help to overcome the problem of transport charges, which is said to be crippling industry in Aberdeen and the North of Scotland.
This latest step to assist Aberdeen and the north was intimated by Sir William Goodchild, general secretary of the Scottish Economic Committee in an address to Aberdeen Rotary Club.
Sir William said that at a conference with business men in Aberdeen, the problems raised included the vexed question of transport charges. Some firm action ,on the part of higher authority might be required to end the great difficulties which producing centres such as Aberdeen, suffer in comparison with those nearer to the great consuming markets.
34) More Ransomes Trolleybuses for Rangoon.
Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., Ipswich, has received an order from the Rangoon Electric Tramway and Supply Co., Ltd., for 20 trolleybus chassis at an approximate cost of £25,000, to be completed within the next seven or eight months. It is quite recently that the concern carried out an order for 18 similar chassis foethe same destination.
The chassis are for single-deckers adapted for use in the Far East, and will be shipped abroad complete. The bodies are to be constructed in Burma.
Maudslay to Push Vehicle Sales.
Following the firm establishment of the aircraft section of the Maudslay Motor Co., Ltd., Coventry, Mr. C. A. Compton, sales manager, has been instructed by the directors to develop the vehicle sales. The company has been producing goods and passenger models for nearly 40 years.
Now a new chassis-production programme has been laid down and will be proceeded with immediately. The vehicles will embody the results of certain interesting experiments which will make for even better performance.
Scottish Transport Controllers Die.
The death has occurred of Mr. James B. Tannahill, aged 44, transport supervisor of Kilmarnock Equitable Cooperative Society.
Mr. John Robert Gray, who died on Monday, was chairman of many companies and a director of 13 other concerns, including the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., and associated companies.' He was 68 years of age.
Big Contracts for Bus Bodies.
Eastern Coach Works, Ltd„ Laundry Lane, Lowestoft, has recently received several big contracts for bus bodies from important passenger-vehicle operators. The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., has ordered 40 double-deckers; the 'Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., 12 of a similar type, and the British Electrical Federation, 10 single-deck bodies for vehicles for• the Thames Valk.? Traction Co., Ltd., and two singledeckers for the Western Welsh Omnibu, Co., Ltd.
PARCELS CARRIERS MEET IN MIDLANDS.
A meeting was held in Leicester a few days ago to form a local area committee in connection with the National Conference of Parcels Carriers. Mr. W, j, A. Peck, of P.X., Ltd., was in the chair, and the following were nominated to an acting committee:— Messrs. Whitwell (Blands, Leicester), Pepper (Nottingham), Allsop (Derby Express, Derby), Bagshaw (Northampton), Donett (Wellingborough), Franklin (Rushden), Owen (Northampton), Hills (Wellingborough), Branford (Leicester), Donaldson Wright (Donaldson Wright, Ltd., Nottingham ) .
Committee meetings are to be held in the principal towns in the area to explain the objects of the Conference.
Dodge C.I. Distributors.
Dodge Brothers (Britain), Ltd., announces the appointment of A. F. Gallichan and Co., 26-27, Commercial Buildings, Jersey, Channel Islands, as the distributor for Dodge commercial vehicles for the Island of Jersey.