Passing Comments
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An Offer in ConnecnUR entry into the field of tion with Road Trans•-• philately was made some port Stamps . . . . Years ago with some doubt as
to the interest which would be aroused. Of course, we restricted our references and illustrations to stamps with a commercial-motor interest, i.e., those bearing engraved pictures of vehicles for the transport of goods or passengers. However, this little enterprise appeared to promote attention amongst some enthusiasts, and the author of the short articles, who also supplies the stamps from which our blocks are made, is willing to draw up a list of all commercial road transport specimens to date and send this to any of our readers who would find it useful A26
Device to Ease Fitting A N interesting device which of Tarpaulin by One 1-1. permits one man to fit a Man heavy tarpaulin over the load on a large vehicle in a few minutes has been introduced by the Pittsburg Steel Products Company. A rack is mounted along the top edge of the body of the vehicle, and hand manipulation of a crank at the rear unfolds bows that stretch the tarpaulin tightly over the load, the action resembling that of an accordian. The crank drives a chain travelling along the length of the body, and the bows are linked into this, so that the covering cannot be blown away. A draw spring permits tying to be effected at the rear of the vehicle, although the tarpaulin may also be secured to side bars if desired.
THE author of a new book I published by the Mercury Press, Ltd., Chelmsford, at 7s. 6d., is Mr. Edgar N. Duffield, who was Editor of "The Ford Times" from 1931 to 1947, and founder of The Circle of XIX-Century Motorists. It is entitled "Ford Through European Eyeglasses, 1907-1947" Mr. Duffield is, of course, in a pbsition to give much inside information about the Ford family and the Ford concern which has not hitherto been published. He is a man of many parts, and not long ago he wrote to us to draw attention to the huge quantities of oil-bearing shale comprised by the cliffs of Kilve, Somerset. It has been estimated that these contain J0,0,00,000 tons of shale' capable of yielding 1,000,000 tons of oil fuel. An effort was made in 1923 by Mr. Duffield and others, including Mr. H. Carver of the Bridgwater Motor Co., to form a syndicate for the exploitation of this source, but the Admiralty, which was approached on the matter, was not particularly interested, and the s-,:lieme fizzled out. A Million Tons 01 Shale Oil in Kilve Cliffs
Luxury Tendencies in Connection Wit-1
MANY experiments towards
• 11". the improvement of roads,
either individually or generally,
American Roads . .
are being carried out in America. Some time ago we referred to the " singing " highway, on which small corrugations in the concrete set up a hum under tyre contact, which warns drivers when they are not in their traffic lanes. A heated road is, however, something new so far as we are concerned. It is planned to provide this for a steep grade in Oregon where there is considerable danger in the presence of ice and snow. The road will be surfaced with heating panels, consisting of slabs in which are buried pipes through which hot water will be circulated when dangerous climate conditions occur. It so happens that there are hot springs nearby; consequently, there will be no expenditure on fuel. We are familiar also with the use of mirrors at blind intersections which warn drivers of other vehicles approaching. These are usually of glass, but Ohio is to use highly polished steel plates heated electrically to prevent misting.