On and Off the Road to Chubut.
Page 12
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The photographs which we are enabled to reproduce herewith have been specially taken for us by one of our correspondents in South America, who has on previous occasions, written of his experiences in that country. The pictures show a batch of six-ton Commer ears, which carry on a goods service, of some 40 miles in length, from the Andes mountains to Chubut, Patagonia.
The procedure when getting the wagons across a stream is interesting. The three vehicles are joined together by means of a push-pole and a tow rope. The first car dashes into the stream, and gets as far across as is possible until the carburetter is submerged. The second vehicle then takes up the running, and pushes No. 1 until it is itself stopped by water. No 3 then comes into action, and pushes the train a little further across the river. By this time the engine of No. 1 van is above water again, and after a, little attention it is started up, and tugs the remaining vehicles out of the stream.
One of the photographs shows a loaded wagon that endeavoured to depart somewhat from the usual route and which sank to the axle caps in the soft shifting sand. The circular photograph No. 3 shows a repair that was effected to the steering-head of one of the wagons when 150 miles from the garage. This component snapped in two, as a result of exceptional strain on one occasion, and the only iron obtainable was the "Azadur," which is, we are informed, the spear commonly used in this district for cooking meat and other provisions. This " Azador " was cut up and a satisfactory repair was effected with its help.