Passing Comments
Page 30
Page 31
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Little Opposition to Recorders
THE managing director of Servis Recorders, Ltd., Mr.
R. V. Redston, is a little peeved at the suggestion that there is any general feeling amongst the road transport unions of opposition to the employment of travel recorders. He points out that it is true that there is such opposition in some areas, but in the experience of his company this is in no way general.
Certainty, as has been pointed out by The Commercial Motor on many occasions, there are many advantages to both employers and employees in the use of these devices, and these are recognized by many drivers. Some of them have, indeed, benefited materially as a result of the records obtained being used as evidence on their. behalf in courts of law.
Why Not More Honesty Boxes?
tr still puzzles many passengers on London's buses why I these vehicles are not equipped with honesty boxes in which passengers who have not paid their fares could deposit the appropriate cash.
Such boxes are used on many buses outside London and probably pay well, for when prominently fitted and labelled, they act as a reminder to the honest and may cause pangs of conscience to the others.
It is understood that the feeling amongst operators who do not employ these boxes is that their presence might tend to promote lack of assiduity in the collection of fares on the part of some conductors. Personal observation by members of the staff of this journal does not, however, corroborate this view. Instead, it has been noted that, particularly during the crush hours, short-distance passengers frequently escape payment while the conductors are on the upper decks. Some will look wildly around for an honest-looking person to whom they can entrust money for the conductors, but this can be embarrassing to all parties concerned and should not be necessary.
A28
Two Interesting Films
DIRECT shipment of meat from Smithfield market to
Les Halles in Paris by Wolsey. Bros. (Wholesale), Ltd., using Thames Traders with insulated bodywork, was reported in The Commercial Motor on May 2. The inaugural run of this service, using the Townsend DoverCalais vehicle ferry, was filmed by the Ford Motor Co. and the resultant newsreel has been shown recently to the Press. This interesting film, entitled "Trader to Paris," has a running time of 7 min.
Also shown was a 15-mM. film, entitled "Your Automatic Choice," on the Borg Warner Automatic transmission, which is an optional item of equipment on Ford Zephyr and Zodiac cars. The basic details of the mechanism were explained and its advantages humorously enumerated. Curiously, the left foot was depicted in the film as being redundant when driving a two-pedal-controlled car, whereas one would normally use it to apply the brakes.
Both films are in 16mm. black and white form with a spoken commentary. They are available on free loan from the Ford Film Library, 88 Regent Street, London W.I.
A Live Body
SOME idea of the great activity of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers can be gained by referring to their meetings and other functions for November. On the 3rd will be the London annual dinner and dance whilst for the Scottish Centre, Mr. D. W. 13ravey, of Shell, will present "From the Laboratory to the Road." The next day the Eastern Centre will have " SIF Bronze and its Action."
Before the South Wales Centre on the 7th, Dr. F. Wallace, Associated British Engineering, will give "The Free Piston Gasifyer, With Special Reference to Vehicle Applications," which will go to the Scottish and North Eastern Centres on the 17th and 18th respectively. "Chassis and Engine Manufacture" will be given on the 10th to the East Regional Centre by Mr. R. P. Chilton, A.C.V., and on the 11th the Midland Centre will hear " Research on. the Testing and Performance of Commercial Vehicle Brakes" by Dr. H. I. H. Starks, Road Research Laboratory.
There will be three papers on the 12th, "Management and Personnel Control" by Mr. A. J. Briscoe, Runcorn Transport Services and Western Tippers, to the East Midland Centre; " Some Problems and Responsibilities of an Industrial Fleet Operator," by Mr. R. A. Patman M.I.R.T.E., South Eastern Electricity Board, to the Southern Centre; and "Rolls-Royce Diesel Power" to the Western Centre.
South Western Centre members will hear" Battery Manufacture and Maintenance" the next day, whilst the Yorkshire and Scottish annual dinners will be held on the 14th. The North Regional Centre will have "Is Lubrication Necessary?" by R. C. Nicholls, of Gulf OH, on the 18th; also that day the West Regional Centre will hear "Unusual Types of Trailer and Air Suspension."
There will be two papers on the 20th, "Taking Stock on Maintenance" by Mr. P. H. Wyke Smith, A.M.I.R.T.E. Trent Motor Traction, to the Metropolitan Area, and the "Design of Radial-flow Turbochargers and their Application to Road Transport and Public Service Vehicles" by Mr. E. Kellett, B.S.A., before the Yorkshire Centre: With an autumn programme so. full of meat, one cannot doubt that the Institute serves a useful purpose.
Economy by Co-operation
DEPARTMENTS concerned with production pla-rming, tool design, works engineering, electronic design and development have been co-ordinated by the British Motor Corporation in a new engineering centre.
The new £350,000 building has a floor area of nearly 70,000 sq. ft., and accommodates some 370 executives, The advantages Which the centre will make apparent include closer co-operation hetween the various engineering interests, as well as economies in the production of drawings and documents. The chief production engineer and his stall at Longbridge are responsible for liaison with other factOries of the group; centralization r will ease the task.
How Tetra-ethyl Lead Works
NJEw information as to how a comparatively high content i of tetra-ethyl lead prevents knock in engines ha!, recently been reported. It seems that this anti-knock compound, used in more than 90 per cent. of modern fuels known generically as petrol, becomes active only after it breaks down while in the cylinders into miniature particles of lead oxide. Now, findings resulting from much research suggest that the real anti-knock action may result from the removal of active oxygen products of fuel oxidation in an engine, which slows down or arrests thechemical reactions leading to knock.