The French Commercial-Vehicle Trials.
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Fifty-three Vehicles, Divided Into Eight Classes, Start Upon a 24-Day Test,
Only One Competing Vehicle Bears a Buyer's Name ; no Steam Machine.
Notwithstanding our belief that the day of competitive road trials is over, and that any such trials nowadays are superfluous, the big entry for this year's French tests demands attention at our hands.
The management of the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway Co., in conjunction with the Chemin de fer du Nord, habitually does all in its power to render the trip between the English and French capitals expeditious and comfortable. Britannia, and the railway companies aforesaid, neglected, however, to rule the waves last Friday, and it was amid the discomforts of a fierce gale that a representative of this journal crossed the Channel, en route for Paris and Versailles—the scene of this year's " Concours de Vehicules Industriels." Paris itself seems, so far as its street traffic is concerned, to become, year by year, more chaotic. Our repreaentative, after a year or two's interval, and fresh from a long course of intimate practical experience of London's traffic,,was, more than ever, forced to the conclusion that, notwithstanding the talk of " Henry Howlers," speed limits, specified routes, Noise Committees, and Traffic Boards, our street control is admirable throughout, compared with the entire lack of regulation, and the ever-present confusion, of Paris traffic. Even in respect of taxi-drivers, our men, despite their faults, are immeasurably superior. The Parisian taxi-driver steers miraculously, but he is an abominable driver, and treats his machine mercilessly. The motor horn in London is used as a warnUT; ; in Paris as a threat! Collisions in Paris street traffic, nowadays. are so frequent as to go unnoticed. The crossing of any of the principal thoroughfares in the heart of the city is fraught with imminent risk to life and limb for all.
Versailles, 1909.
This year's French trials of commerc:al-motor vehicles are being conducted from Versailles as a centre, and, during the 24 days of actual running, routes are to be followed, in various stages, which will embrace Pontoise, Gisors, Etampes, Melun, Montargis, Bourges, Montlucon, Clermont-Ferrand, Moulins, Nevers, Cosne, Orleans, Pithiviers, Fontainebleau, Corbeil, and other important
localities. Friday and Saturday last were dedicated to the weighing, stamping and sealing of the competing vehicles, at Versailles. The machines were on exhibition to the public on Sunday, the 17th Inst., and on Monday the "battle with the road " commenced with a run out and home from Versailles, via Enghien. Senlis and Pontoise. The trials will not conclude until Sunday, the 15th of next month. and, during the intervening period, exhibitions of the vehicles are to be organized at Clermont-Ferrand and other large towns on the routes. The
total distances to be traversed by the three groups into which the classes have been combined, are 2,416 kilom., 2,888 kilom. and 3,594 kilom. respectively. On certain days, the loads will be left behind; on other specified dates, the machines, which are entered for the military part of the trials, will proceed "en convoi," strictly maintaining a prescribed distance apart from each other. Consumption tests will, at intervals, be conducted with 705-710 petrol, with carburetted alcohol, and with belizol.
The Military Element.
As on previous occasions, the successful initiation of this contest is largely attributable to the professional interest if the French Ministry of War. Nominally, these testa are carried out in order that successful machines may secure the cachet of the Automobile Club of France ; actually, the most important inducement to manufacturers to participate is the fact that a Military Commission conducts contemporaneously an examination into the qualifications of submitted models, with a view to the subsequent purchase of a number of the most-suitable machines. The Club is responsible for the organization, and it, as hitherto, has acquitted itself most creditably. That the interest of the civilian user is little considered is evidenced by the relative numbers of the entries in those classes which include the military machines and those which embrace vehicles that are intended for purely-industrial employment. Of the 53 actual participants, 30 are entered concurrently for the War Office and the Club Trials; six for the Government tests only ; and the remainder under the Club rules only. In the largest class, No. 4, for vehicles carrying loads of between 2.001 and 3.000 kilos., all the 30 entries, except two, are competing under
the War Office rules. In Class 5, of the II starters, eight are entered for the Government tests. The two 5-ton Lorraine-Dietrichs, and the only two steamers entered for the trials did not start, whilst, the Berna 5-tonner was, as we announced a fortnight ago, withdrawn and entered for the Austrian trials instead. Classes 7 and 8 produced no entries; they were for goods and passenger trains of several vehicles, respectively. There are no steamers, no tractors, and few freaks.
Rides and Regulations.
Very-carefully-drawn regulations con trol both the Club and the Military trials, and it is interesting to note that the military observers are making use of well-devised scale route-maps. Consequent upon the later period of the year during which the present trials are being conducted, authority is given contestants to employ any gripping devices which may be thought advisable "in case of snow." All competing machines have to comply with the specific rules of the French Club, and the military vehicles, in addition, to certain special regulations drawn up by ;he Military Commission. Under these latter rules, each maker must submit two identical machines, which have to tun through the ttials to gether. All the component parts of such machines have to be made in France, and, in this connection, it has to be recorded that considerablediscussion arose, during the stamping and sealing operations on Saturday last, as to the place of origin of certain magnetos of a wellknown brand. Military vehicles in these trials have to be provided with a pair of hooks, both fore mid aft, in order that they may haul, or be hauled, in case of breakdown. The loads are all composed of small boxes, filled with atones, and weighing 50 kilo. each. Rigid rules are imposed for the control of the military wagons when they are proceeding " en convoi." IL is evident that the performance of this evolution is a matter of considerable impertaure in the eyes of the Military Commission.
Weighing and Sealing.
On Friday and Saturday last, the competing machines assembled in the rue de Paris, out at Versailles. Two large sheds had been erected nearly across the main road to the capital : the first one contained the weighbridge, the judges'
offices, and the stamping, sealing and labelling enclosure. Beyond this, there was the pare form6, rigidly guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets. These sheds are well designed, stoutly built, and electrically lighted, but, strange as it may seem, there is no restriction upon
molting. Outside, squads of French linesmen were dividing the hours of a strenuous day between shifting stacks cf 50-kilo. boxes, to and from the vehicles, and saluting innumerable officers. As each machine approached the weighbridge, it was closely inspected by a number of judges. After its weight, laden and unladen, had been most carefully recorded, it was passed on to the care of other officials, under whose direction a number of mechanics set to work to stamp and seal the vehicle all over. All spare parts were sealed ; tires, wheel
felloes and coil boxes were branded, and iaagnetos, hub caps, spring leaves, frame members and many other details, important and unimportant, were stamped. In the case of machines using pneumatic tires, new inner tiibee were here fitted. Subsequently to the fixture of the necessary labels, the machines were then placed in their allotted positions in the pare ferrn—not to be touched again
until the road tests started. No less than eight machines were liable to a fine of 100 francs each, because they were presented late at the weighing-place. The whole team of Berliets went astray for five days on the railway, and was only discovered, after a prolonged search, at Bercy. Throe of the machines remained to be weighed on Sunday morning.
Official Recognition.
On Saturday afternoon, at 3.30 p.m, the Minister of Commerce, M. Jean Dupay, and his staff arrived to inspect the competing vehicles. Immediately following him, the Minister of War, General Brun, and the Minister of Public Works, M. Millerand, arrived to the sound of the "Mar.seillaise"—by the band of the Ecole de l'Artillerie—and the rattle of the military guard's rifles. It was hard to realize that these were not military manceuvres, but a peaceful demonstration of the capabilities of the Feench commercial motor vehicle. Amongst the notable personages assembled to meet these distinguished visitors we noted Baron de Zuylen, the President of the French Club, Marquis de Dion, Georges Longuemare, the President and Commissaire-General of the trials, and a brilliant staff of officers, M. Pierre Souve,stre (" Le Poids Lourds "1, and delegates from interested bodies. The public anxiety of a republican crowd for presentation to the Ministers was amusing. Formal speeches, mutual congratulations, and champagne followed.
Mechanical Characteristics.
Of the individual vehicles themselves, we may have more to say when the " weaklings " have been eliminated, in a month's time. It will suffice our present purpose to set down some few general impressions—as the result of careful inspection—of the structural characteristics of the machines which are under trial.
The most-remarkable tendency evinced, so far as general design is concerned, is the placing of the engine under the driver, a practice which has only a few
exponents in England. The two 3-ton Schneiders provide for the driver on the left-hand side of the machine, and his gear and brake control is situated amidships. In many cases, the bonnet and radiator are built out as much as 12 in. beyond the front wheels: the Berliets are conspicuous in this respect. Twentyeight of the machines have their engines under the driver's platform, whilst 25 are of the usual bonneted design.
Most of the engines are of the highspeed variety ; 44 of these are of the four-cylinder type ; eight of the twocylinder, and there is one singe-cylinder machine—a small de Dion. The largest engine is that on the Malicet and Blin, which is a four-cylinder " 125 by 160." The two-cylinder engines of the Cohendets have both bore and stroke of 145 mm. The 3-ton Delahayes have twocylinder "1100 by 180 " engines. There is an equal number of leather-lined cone and of metal-to-metal clutches. All the machines are fitted with magnetos, without exception. Nothing very remarkable calls for notice, with regard to the gearboxes. The three Kriegers have electric transmission, although a double reduction, by spur gear and t en by chains, appears to be necessary between the electric motors and the driving wheels. No lesson seems to have been learnt by French constructors from British practice, in the matter of radiators; in no single rase was an example of this detail to be seen with cast top and bottom headers. All have worked sheet-metal eases. and many have cellular centres. Where gilled tubes are employed, some makers assemble them vertically, others horizontally. In only a few instances, the designers have attempted to springmount the coolers; a notable instance is the Cohendet, in which this detail is carriedein trunnions. De Dion, de Dietrich, Krieaer and Peugeot are the only types on which an attempt is made to insulate the radiator from road shocks. The M.A.B. and Schneider circular coolers with enclosed fans are of interest. The Berliets have substantial steel-plate guards in front of their coolers. In almost every class, plain screwed radiator
caps are fitted; they are, apparently, made to be lost. The 5-ton Delaugere has one of the few reasonable fittings in this respect, but the radiator upon this machine was already leaking badly on the first day of the trials. Practice does not seem easily to become standardized, with regard to frames; rolled channel, wood with steel flitchplates, pressed steel, and built-up girder (as on the 5-ton Delaugere) are all in evidence. De Dion retains its front laminated spring hanger. The mostremarkable divergencies are evidenced in the design of road springs, with regard to width, thickness and number of leaves. Berliet favours a back transverse spring. The M.A.B. vehicles have their hind springs fixed under the axle. The Saurer " camion-tracteur-porteur," or lorry and trailer, is the most workmanlike design in the trials; the spring draw-bar with two check chains, the gear-driven winding drum, and the arrangement of brakes on the rubber-tired back wheels of the trailer, are all points which are worthy of attention. The Schneider machines are the only vehicles fitted with composite wheels. The steel tires are, in most instances, much narrower for given loads than is legal in England. Wheel spokes are of varying shapes and numbers on different machines. The extensible spoke appears to have gone out of favour, and very few examples are to be seen in the present trials ; in some previous years, the majority of wheels have had these specialities embodied. The Krieger five-tonner presents a remarkable appearance; its driving wheels are 5 ft. in diameter. Small sprockets appear to have no terrors for French designers. The Aries, the Delaugere, the Berliet and the Cohendet are bad offenders in this respect. One maker has fitted a silenttype chain. Five of the small machines are shod with twin pneumatics for the hind wheels. A 13ayard-Clement has six studded pneumatic tires mounted on Michelin detachable rims. In one case, in which twin pneumatic tires are employed, the wheels upon which they are mounted are built up with twin sets of spokes. Bergougnan, Torrilhon and Continental are the most-commonly-fitted rubber tires of the solid variety i • there is a single vehicle with Ducasble tires (the 30-cwt. Bayard-Clement).
Conclusion.
Compared with the English trials of 1907, this French concoura lacks colour ; there is an absence of attempt to interest the public. Nearly all the machines are painted in plain grey and have a comfortable hood for the driver and observer; nothing in the way of picturesque loads is, on account of the regulations, in evidence. One vehicle only, a de Dion, bears the name of a user—lea Grands Magasins de la Samaritaine. The routes and programme of proceedings appear to arouse little interest with the general public, and the trials are but little appreciated by the French Press, although " L'Auto "-publishes a daily account of the day's events from the able pen of M. Souvestre. The excellent military music, and the ingrained French affection for anything in the nature of a fête, drew a considerable crowd of visitors to the exhibition of the machines at Versailles last Sunday. Few, however, appeared to be possible users. On Mondav's run, to the north of Paris, a PanharcPs motor overheated, and one of the Berlieta suffered a mishap with a brake. The huge 5-ton M.A.B. had a leaky tank, but it managed to get through in time. One of the Cohendets is reported to have killed a jockey near Chantilly. According to a telegram from our Paris correspondent, at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday night, the competitors arrived back at the depot within the time limit, with the exception of No. 54, the 5-ton Delaugere, which had met with a mishap to its change-speed gear of so serious a nature that the machine had to be withdrawn. This message also stated that the following machines were then kw.* roncoura : the three Kriegers; the 5-ton Delaugere; and two of the Berliets : also two of the de Dietrich and the two Poids Lourds steamers, which did not start.
It is our intention, a month hence, to review the course and outcome of the tests with the inauguration of which we have now dealt.