200 TANKERS ON WILD GOOSE CHASE
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A F IER a deluge of rain and a reduc
tion in water consumption, it was announced last Friday that Manchester would not require to put into operation an emergency scheme for the supply of water, and tank wagons were returned to their depots.
The corporation had called upon the Army, Navy, R.A.F and the Road Haulage Association to supply water tankers. R.H.A. prepared details of a fleet of 100 platform lorries, upon each of which a 500-gallon tank was to be mounted.
Altogether, 200 of the well-known military-type water tankers, each carrying a 200-gallon container on a 15-cwt. chassis, were concentrated at a special camp in the neighbourhood of Bury. As specialist units of this nature were not mobilized and available for service, it was necessary for the military authorities to draw these machines from vehicle depots in Various parts Of the country, and they arrived at Bury in separate convoys from the Scottish, Northern, Western and
Southern Commands Meanwhile, drivers with experience in operating water tankers were gathered from over 50 different units. 'the available machines were then made up into the usual platoons of 30 for operational purposes.
A large number of Army vehicles which had been allocated to the northern area of the city made a rendezvous at Heaton Park reservoir. Maintenance bays were set up at the military camp in Bury, but although many of the vehicles had been standing for long periods, there were few major troubles.
• DETAILS OF NEW TARIFFS
AWHITE PAPER giving a report on the Geneva tariff negotiations and on the general agreement on tariffs and trade was published on Tuesday. Copies of the schedules containing details of the new tariff rates are available for consultation at the Chambers of Commerce of London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Dabs , Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Luton, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Middlesbrough, Northampton. Norwich, Nottingham, Oldham, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton, Stockport, Stoke-onTrent, Swansea, Walsall, Wolverhampton. Aberdeen. Dundee, Edinburgh and Belfast.
They may also he seen at the regional offices of the Federation of British Industries at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leeds. Bradford, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Cambridge, London, Reading, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, and at the Export Promotion Department of the Board of Trade.
350 CUBIC FT. BODY FOR BRUSH ELECTRIC
A NEW 350 cubic ft. coachbuilt body 1-thas been put into production by Brush Coachwork, Ltd., for the Brush 25-30-cwt. battery-electric vehicle. By raising the internal height of the body to 6 ft. 5/ ins., 110 cubic ft. of space has been added to the normal capacity.
The overall height is 9 ft. 34 ins, and the floor level is 2 ft. 7i ins. The low floor line, coupled with the large opening at the rear (5 ft. t-i ins, wide and 5 ft. 2 ins, high) facilitates loading and unloading. The double doors at the rear swing clear of the body.
Delivery of this new model can be made in six to eight weeks.
MUNICIPAL PURCHASES AND PROPOSALS Bath Corporation is recommended to buy two Chaseside mechanical shovels.
Laneasbfre County Council is to purchase two gully empticts at a cost of 0.492 each.
Walsall Corporation is to accept. the tenderof Reunions. Ltd., for the supply of a MorrisCommercial 15-20-cwt. van.
West Hartlepool Corporation ha s applied to the Ministry of TranspOrt for sanction to borrow £6,344 for the purchase of two buses.
Burton-on-Trent Markets Committee is to pur chase a Bradford 8 hp. Utility vehicle. The corporation is also to buy a Chaseside loader.
Todmorden Corporation is to apply to the Ministry of Transport for • consent to borrow £14,500 for .the purchase of four Leyland buses. Leeds. Corporation is recommended to purchase two Chasesde Hi-lift %-yd, mechanical shovels. four Comener 8-cwt. vans and three Commer OPPing lorries.
Cheshire County Council has approved the purchase of Austin, Redford. Hillman and MorrisCommercial • ambulances; and of two Lotnas ambulance bodies, by various loca1,authorities,
Sheffield Transport Committee recommends the purchase of -10 N.C.0 double-deck bus bodies. The corporation is also to seek sanction to borrow 007.000 for the purchase of 28 doubledeck-buses. Lancashire Highways Committee in to purchase a trailerand -a lorry to facilitate transport of a Sube:r7Greene road-making machine.. The com-' name *Q.:favours the purchase of further road rollers to -reduce hiring -1
NEW PERKINS ENGINE PLANT OFFICIALLY IN OPERATION
A BOTTLE of champagne was L-kbriaken across the first engine officially to leave the production line of the new factory of F. Perkins, Ltd., at Oxncy Road, Peterborough, the ceremony was performed last week by Mrs. Frank Perkins, wife of the chairman and managing director. Directors, other executives and members of the various departments were present
The toast champagne was contained ia a cut-glass bowl that was presented by the U.S.S.R authorities to Mr. Frank Perkins and Capt. A. J M. Richardson, sales director, in 1934. At that time, a Perkins Wolf engine won the first prize—the bowl in question—in a contest for oil engines of various makes from all over the world.
The company has been set by the Government an export target of about 80 per cent., and already a figure of more than 70 per cent. has been achieved, 14,300 LOAD STOLEN BY "CON."' MEN
ACONFIDENCE trick that should serve as a warning to the road transport industry was employed in the recent theft of a lorry load of textile fabrics worth £4,300 from the depot at Milnsbridge, Huddersfield, of Joseph Hanson and Son, Ltd.
Two ineh went with a covered lorry to the depot, told officials that they were from a London transport firm, and suggested that as a return load they should carry goods to Hanson's London depot. They, produced e re den t i al s which appeared to be satisfactory, but after they had failed to deliver the load given to them it was discovered that the documents were forgeries.
BENEVOLENT FUND Dgivg NEX T Thursday, November 77, Edinburgh centre of the Motor-and Cycle Trades' Benevolent Fund will hold its post-war dance at the Palais, FountainbridgeP.Edinburgh. Tickets, price 10s. 6d. each, may be obtained from Mr. R. M. Marr, 126, George Street, Edinburgh, 2.
More than 1,300 people were present at the dance held last week by the London and Home Counties' centre of the Fund.
AUSTIN PRICES RAISED
A LL-ROUND increases in the prices In.of Austin 25-cwt., 2-ton long-wheelbase, 5-ton longand short-wheelbase and 16 h.p. Utility vehicles were made on November 12. The old and new prices are as follow:—
INDIAN PLAN TO CO-ORDINATE ROAD-RAIL TRAFFIC
THE Chief Commissioner of Rail/ ways, India, Mr. K. C. Bakhale, has had a series of meetings with the Provincial Government of the Central Provinces on the problem of road-rail co-ordination.
The Central Provinces will be the first to experiment with the road-rail co-ordination plan: -Of -the two companies in which the Prosfincial Government and the Railway Board together hold 51 per cent. of the.shares one has been acquired as the first step in the policy of nationalization of road transport. Details of the plan to take over the other company are still under discussion.
The Government's policy with regard to nationalization is complicated by the presence of such companies. These and other problems were discussed at meetings held at Nagpur between the Chief Commissioner of Railways and the Provincial Government.
HIGHWAY INQUIRY BY B.R.F.
AN inquiry as to the probable effects upon the national economy of the suggested cuts in highway maintenance, recently announced by the Government, is being conducted by the British Road
Federation. The inquiry has already received a wide response from highway experts throughout the country, and will be the subject of representations to the Government.
It has become apparent that in the national interest it is vital to secure in the future adequate allocations of labout, money and materials for the carrying out of essential road maintenance.
• . GOOD ROADS VITAL TO NATIONAL ECONOMY . H'HWAYS should be of the maxiMum service to-the whole Structure Of the national ;economy, said Mr. Charles M. Upham (American Road Builders'. AssoCiation) to the Canadian Good Roads Association cOnVention. Citing what had been "done y the rail
ways th standardize gauge • and equipMent, ho.drew a parallel with the needs of the road transport industry. .
"Not More than 18 percent; of the
vehicles now in use in America are Of
more than 5-ton capacity," he said. Nevertheless, the needs of heavy transport had to be taken into account, because of the part it played in the commercial life of the country.
Pegging all heavy-vehicle loads at 18,000 lb. per axle until sufficient highways had been brought up to a standard that would justify an increase, was the recommendation Mr. Upham put forward ia discussing the controversial topic, "Shall we build vehicles to suit the highway or highways to suit the vehicle?"
His suggestion. he felt, gave limits under which the engineer could provide roads that would carry a large percentage ot the loads, and, at the same time, allowed generous scope within which vehicle designers could use their ingenuity in distributing loads so as to obtain the greatest possible capacity. TIMBER-METAL BONDING FOR HIGHLY STRESSED STRUCTURES DELIEF that steel-impregnated Corn1-)pressed timber will be used extensively in the motor industry, as an alternative to steel, has been exprcSsed by a leading Scottish timber concern with headquarters in Glasgow. This company has been experimenting for some time with the use of laminated and compressed timbers for industrial purposes, and has found that these materials perform excellently under conditions for which metal is used.
Among the latest materials developed are steel and wood combinations, aluminium and wood bonds, and straight timber laminations, which are claimed to be as tough as metal, and from which gear wheels are being produced.
Steel-impregnated compressed timber is being made in beam and sectional form. Perforated strip steel is bonded with timber laminations under _great pressure. In .samples produced so far, one to eight steel sections have been incorporated in the compressed mass.
1.R.T.E. SETS FULL STEAM AHEAD
TO-NIGHT, the Midlands centre of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers holds its annual general meeting at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, at ,7J0 p.m.
Mr. A. J. Hardman, of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., will speak on "Tyres and Steering Geometry" at a meeting of the Institute at the Royal Society of Arts, John Adam Street, London, W.C.2, at 6.30 p.m., on November 27.
On the following day, the North Western centre will hold its general meeting at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, at 7 p.m.
COACHBUILDING FOREMAN REQUIRED
ACOACHBUILDING concern in the North of England requires a general foreman with expert and practical knowledge of public passengervehicle and goods-vehicle bodywork. He should know setting-out, body assembly and finishing. A council house is to be allocated to the successful applicant. Letters should be addressed to Bodywork." care of the Editor.