Answers to Queries.
Page 20
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OUY readers will be informed by the Editor on any poias connected a :th the construction or use of commercial motors. Where a direct reply is desired, a stamped and addreAsed envelope should be enclosed : if a request for privacy is not specially made, any query and answer mAy be pu!frlished. Some replies. owing to pres,ure on our space, are held several weeks. Numerous requests reAch us/or lists of motorcab and commercial-vehicle owners ; these we never supply. Our adverti _ement columns are open to those who desire to make announcements to owhers for their Own ben lit.
Agricultural Motors Wanted.
[1,883] " BUENOS AIRES "' writes :—" I shall be much obliged if you will put me in communication with firms who manufacture agricultural motorS, such as those which arc illustrated on page 489 of THE COMMERCIAl. MOTOR of the 10th August last. I send letters of inquiry herewith for the purpost of your completing the addresses, but I should also like to know of represen tative British makers."
ANSWER.--We are forwarding the letters to the firms whose names are upon the envelopes. In two cases, we are having to send them per our correspondent in Winnipeg. You should also consider the engines which are manufactured by : Marshall, Sons and CO., Ltd., Gainsborough ; Saunderson and Gifkins, Elstow -Works, Bedford ; Ivel Agricultural Motors, Ltd., 46. Poland Street, London, W. ; Ideal Agricultural Motor Co., Ltd., Coombe Lane. Kingston-on-Thames ; and the Daimler Motor Co., Ltd., Coventry.
Motor Ambulances.
[1, S60] "GARAGE OWNER" writes : I am fitting up an ambulance body on a 26 h.p. — --chassis to send out to Australia. As I want to make the thing a perfect success, I wonder whether you would be good enough to give me your advice on the following points : (1) What do you consider the best type of extra suspension to ensure the most easy running ? (2.) Who are the best people to get in touch with respecting the general inside fittings, which must be first-class ?"
ANswEe.—We are happy to give you some general information with regard, to the latest practice in the matter of the fitting up of motor-ambulance bodies, etc. We are unable to advise you specifically with regard to the machine which you propose sending to Australia, as we have not the necessary constructional
details of the 26 h.p. by us for reference. We presume, however, that this machine is a high-powered touring-car chassis, and that you intend to adapt it so far as is possible for use as a motor ambulance ? We have consulted one of the foremost authorities on this particular branch. of commercial-vehicle employment., in order to obtain for you the very latest information that is available, and he strongly counsels us that motor ambulances of all kinds should be designed to proceed at a comparatively-slow rate, and that high speed is in no way essential to the successful operation of such a vehicle.
On the latest models, additional suspension over and above that provided on a modern first-class corrornereial-vehicle chassis is unnecessary, he states ; but, if you are contemplating the employment of a pleasurecar chassis, you will undoubtedly have to give special attention to the springing, and you will probably have to use shock-absorbers of some sort or other. We presume that you intend to use pneumatic tires of suitable size, as your ambulance body will probably only be of a light pattern ? You will, on the se-Ore of economy, too, be well advised to fit pneumatics of ample size.
The informant to which we have already referred further advises us that for non-infectious patients the best form of support is a gcod hair mattress. In his experience, it is not necessary to make arsy special provision for carrying the invalid on a spring-mounted frame or stretcher. The best guarantee against discomfort is, he asserts, the avoidance of high speed. With regard to the body itself, he has found that it is
best to omit all kinds of ventilators, as these are most difficult, as a rule, to keep clean. The regulation of a sufficient supply of fresh air can be effectively secured by the provision of suitable windows. Messrs. Wilson and Stockall, of Bury, Messrs. Chambers of Redhill, and Messrs. Carter's, of 2, 4, and 6, New Cavendish Street, W., are the three principal firms to whom you should apply for particulars with regard to the latest forms of fittings for ambulance bodies. Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, and several other prominent commercial-vehicle makers have constructed bodies to fit on to their own chassis, but it is improbable that they will be inclined to assist you in the matter of the equipment of a machine of any other make.
Electric Truck Costs.
(1,887] " SCOTSMAN" writes :—" As I am not very well up in the costs of electric traction on commercial motor vehicles I shall be very much obliged if you can let me have any such particulars of costs you may have lying about, or which your stall may be able to get hold of. The sizes of the vehicles concerned are such as can carry two, three and five tons of paying loads. The majority of the machines would be fivetonners. My opinion is that petrol is very much superior in every-day use to electric traction on common roads, firstly on the score of weight, and secondly on the score of deterioration and depreciation of the batteries, but I need comparative figures."
ANSWER.—We presume you have back numbers of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR on file, and we therefore refer you, in regard to your query of the 10th inst., to the issues of the Rith May, 1907, and the 1st April, 1909. In anticipation of your not having the older issue by you, we may say that our New York correspondent then summarized the costs per vehicle-mile thus : half-ton to one-ton vans, 8d. to 10d. ; three-ton vans, in id. to is. 4d.; five-ton lorries, is. 10d. to 2s. More-recent costs were given by us two weeks ago.
An Inquiry about Motorbuses for South America.
[1,888] " B.A. AND R." write :—" Friends of ours abroad have asked us to procure, if possible, for them the working regulations, tariff, and balance-sheet of some motor-carrying companies at home, and also of one or other of the motorbus companies in London, On making inquiry of some friends of ours in the motor trade here, they suggested that we should procure a file consisting of your publication for a period of three or six months. On looking through a single copy a. few days ago we did not find information such as that described above, and we would esteem it a favour if you could inform us where it would be possible to get the information."
Astsweas-Our "Motor Hiring" Special Number, dated the 15th October, 1908, is out of print. It contains information re motor-carrying, The last published accounts of the London General Omnibus Co. were reviewed by us in our issue of the 1st December, 1910, and we expect the secretary would furnish you with a copy on application. We also suggest that you send is. to the Borough Accountant, Town Hall, Eastbourne, and ask for a copy of the full accounts and report of that corporation's motorbus undertaking. in which connection we can inform you additionally that the mileage for the year ended the 31st March last, which figure is not given in the report and accounts, was 234,942 bus-miles.