OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of eonatnereial,motors. Letters shguld be on OM side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for . views expressed is accepted.
The Official Full Tests on a Yorkshire Wagon.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11035] Sir,—Wjth regard to the article in 'Inn COMMERCIAL MoTon ciealing with the fuel tests by the Coal Controller, with a Yorkshire steam wagon, most people are aware that the Yorkshire vehicle is specially designed to burn coke, and the steaming capacity of this type of boiler is so well-known that it will maintain steam even with indifferent coke or coal. • It is news to us to read that the Yorkshire wagon cannot be run on coal, when we believe the point under discussion was with reference to the smoke prosecutions, which, until quite recently, have been taking place, -particularly in Lancashire. Almost without exception, the Yorkshire vehicle has not committed an offence, the chief offenders being wagons of the locomotive type.
• May we respectfully refer you to the 1907 R.A.C. vehicle tests where the Yorkshire vehicle was the only one to run the whole time with one man in charge, and upon coke. Hundreds of our wagons are working all over this country upon this class of fuel. Should anyone desire to have confirmation of the above no doubt Yorkshire customers will be only too pleased to oblige in the matter. Coal can be used--no matter how inferior the quality—if, when the order is placed, the fuel to be , used is stated, as we find that, in order to obtain • good results, certain slight structural alterations are • necessary.--Yours faithfully,
FOR THE YORKSHIRE COMMERCIAL MOTOR CO.
W. J. LEWIN, General Manager.
Suction Gas as a Motor Fuel.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1636] Sir,—The letter in your issue of 10th October from Major D. J. Smith begins with a slight eorreetion of a statement made in my article of 26th September. I thought I had conveyed his meaning, although I did not quote his exact wording. There is little difference between "I stated thatbituminous coal was difficult to deal with in a stationary suction gas plant" and my statement 'that bituminous coal cannot be successfully gasified in suction gas plants because of the presence of and the difficulty in dealing with the tarry matter produced." I merely extend the idea by stating the cause of the difficulty.
The second part of Major Smith's statement "and almost impossible to use on a plant designed for motor vehicle work" is endorsed with the reservation that the " almost impossible" may be removed by invention. There is so much on which we seem agreed that the deviation from fact, if any, is small.
In direct reply to Major Smith's question I said in my article that " it is necessary to state however, that because of the small size of generator required for commercial lorries, it has been decided to confine its use to antha,cite or gas works coke for the present because of the cleaner gas producable from such fuels." Looking to future possibilities, I would add that, should extra complications be neceagary to permit the use of bituminous coal for this well, I am at once with him in thinking that the difference in fuel costs is so small that it is not desirable to introduce them. By that I mean that it is possible to pay too high a price for the extra accomplishment, for I 'take it that complications;" however simple in themselves, mean added weight which, in turn, increases
fuel costs due to added load of the plant and, thereby, tends to nullify the commercial advantage of the cheaper coal. The assurance given of past success with suction gas in its application to this work is encouraging, but there is a doubt left in one's mind as to the direction of Major Smith's development. One cannot, in the circumstances, ask for details, but it seems from his letter that the success claimed is due to a method of treating the volatiles after they leave the generator, whereas my own effort as explained in my article is directed towards their conversion into fixed before they leave the generator, I would ask Major Smith whether my interpretation of his letter on this point is right ? One readily accepts the assurance given that there is, in his ease, no encroachment on any part of the vehicle which is already in use. There remains, however, the question of dimensions of the generator for the power requirements and, in a. former article, I endeavoured to show that these lie within defined limits. My difficulty is to conceive of a plant which is not an " encroachment."
I trust that Major Smith will meet with continued success and development in that direction, as the field
is large enough for several successes. Apart from the question of lowest fuel costs and the advice efl the Coal Controller to extend the use of anthracite, the system of suction gas has the great 'prospective merit of removing the smoke nuisance which is prevalent where steam vehicles are in use.
The fuels ordinarily available for use in gas producers are anthracite coal, semi-anthracite coal, bituminous coal and semi-bituminous coal. There is no sharp line of demaseation between the fuels mentioned, and it is sometimes hard to tell where one
grade stops and another begins. The purer Welsh
anthracite eontitin ,less volatiles and the semi anthracite contains more volatiles. Anthracite of Welsh quality is, as.indicated by your Swansea correspondent, of higher class than others, such as Scotesh anthracite, and will, doubtless, be preferredwhere obtainable even if its price is higher, because it contains the minimum of tarry inatter.--Yours faithfully,
JOHN STEWART.
De Dion-Bouton Not Absorbed.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. [1637] Sir,—With reference to the article in your issue of the ‘Oth inst. I am authorized by the Marquis de Dion to inform you that it is quite untrue that an agreement has been signed, whereby the present stockholders of the French de Dion-Bouton Co. have sold their holdings.
Marqu's de Dion and Monsieur Georges Bouton, who hold the majority of the shares, have not sold one single share nor any portion of their holdings, and consequently there is no possibility of the Establishments de Dion-Bouton changing hands.
At present the gigantic works are busily engaged in making munitions, war malerial and motor vehicles of various kinds. Nevertheless, ,eonsiderable attention has been given to the after-war programme, when the celebrated de Dion-Bouton newly-designed pleasure and commercial vehicles will be exceedingly attra,ctive and lose none of their high-class indivinnality.—Yours faithfully, ETABLISSEMENTS DE DION-BOITTON, H. 0. OtINCAN, General Manager for the
British Empire. •