How the I.R.T.E. Can Help the Maker
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Sir Miles Thomas, D.F.C., M.1.A.E., Vice-chairman of the Nuffield Organization, Addresses the First Lecture Meeting of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers AN enthusiastic gathering of some 200 .members of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers met, on October IS, at the Royal Society of Arts, to hear a lecture from Sir Miles Thomas, D.F.C., M.I.A.E., vice-chairman of the Nuffield Organization.
Sir Miles, after thanking his old friend, Mr. Mackenzie Junner, the chairman, for inviting him to inaugurate the series of talks, said that he had been requested to be frank.
When Mr. junner, some months.ago, asked for his views on the formation of the Institute, he had his doubts as to the wisdom of adding yet another body to the multitude with which our industry is already afflicted; but then he thought of all the accumulated wisdom and experience of the versatile membership, and his doubts were dissolved.
In. fulfilment, he saw that the expressed chief object of the Institute is to increase the efficiency of road transport by improving its operating conditions. This self-imposed task is no light one. He noted, also that the Institute wishes to confer with manufacturers as to improvements in the design and construction of vehicles.
He took it that the intention is to cover the subject generically. If so, the liaison with the manufacturing side should he through the Motor Industry Research Association operating under them,ris of the S.M.M.T Any. suggestions that the Institute might have for the betterment of road transport could be studied by that body, which:in turn, would pass on the information to all interested parties By this means there would be set up a user-research link, which, if it functions as it should, would be of great benefit to the industry.
He regarded the formation of a good technical library as an excellent move, and he had no doubt that all the members would assist. by making contributions. To the younger members this should prove of great value, and even some of the older might benefit, He emphasized however, that it is important to keep the library fully up to date, for there is a constant influx of new ideas. Possibily, publishers of new books in the automobile, field might send presentation copies, and he was sure that the Institute would appreciate the receipt of all technical journals in this sphere.. It would also be-of value if all makers in the commerc-ial road transportfield would keep the Institute up-to date in respect of catalogues, service manuals and spare-parts lists, whilst information as to changes made in current vehicles, if made available to the Institute, could be sent out with its communications to members. .
Designing for National Conditions
There must obviously be close relationship betvveen the geographical and physical characteristics of the roads of any country and the -overall design of the vehicles that use them. To achieve Maximum economy and safety, vehicles must be ,designed to fit precisely into the operating conditions under which they will serve.
In the United States, there are long stretches of straight roads, either extremely good or very bad as regards surface, and where corners are definite right angles, ordinary curves being the exception. Here will be found vehicles geared and sprung to .give high maximum speed with a " boulevard " ride. They have good shock absorption, with wide. amplitude springing for soft dirt roads, whilst low steeringgear ratios give easy control on definite corners, but would be unnecessarily tiring on roads of average British curvature.
In Europe there are the straight Routes Nationale, of moderately bad surface, calling for a high degree of suspension damping, whilst the hillier portions call for a standard of cooling unnecessary on level roads. Constant curvatures call for a quick responsive steering.
Britain constitutes the halfway stage between these extremes. It has goodsurfaces with moderate bends almost constantly to be negotiated, but with few really flat, straight stretches. The result is the need for a vehicle with marked absence of rolling on corners, low top gear to give good acceleration and rapid speed variations, and a steering sensitive yet light to handle. These factors spell not only convenience, but greatly influence road safety, because they are integral with the fatigue factor of driving and nervous reaction responses.
It is in our approach to problems such as these that the Institute can do good work. In this country we seem to lack an appreciation of the dynamics of transportation. He did not lay this charge at the door of engineers or road-development officials, but he challenged the general run of our legislators with the criticism that they have not taken the trouble to appreciate the essential problems.
Our idea of traffic control is the defeatist principle of bringing it to a stop.The solution for dangerous cross.1-clads is to. use short-radius roundabouts so that they become still more dangerous. Road planners in the past have not realized that each road is, ineffect, a pipeline, and the way to get more traffic through it is to enable it to move, with a constancy of speed and with as few changes in direction as possible.
Hints to Road Planners We ought to follow the example of those countries which have established such benefits as fly-over cross-roads, cloverleaf intersections and two-storey thoroughfares. Our road engineers must think on three-dimensional, lines and envisage different crossing levels. The proper way to reduce accidents is not to restrict vehicles to a tangled crawl, but togive a clear-sighted and uniform direction. This can be done only by a proper campaign of education. It cannot be enforced by the punishment of uneducated road users.
The need for voicing unanimous -opinions when discussions occur with Governinent Departments may be obvious,., but, unfortunately, our industry is not famed for collectivebargaining powers, and we can learn a lot from the trade unions in this respect Too often we go as a deputation, with a minority canker in our make-up, and this is rapidly detected by experienced negotiators.
He emphasized that the N,R.T.F-._ or the B.R.F. offers an umbrella coverage for all phases of trade politics, and advised joining forces with them, in the preparation or presentation of any case of more than sectional interest.
It is not the case that the engineering staffs Of vehicle producers are isolated, or that they do not take notice of practical suggestions. The engineer formulates his desiga on well-applied principles and relates it to his experience of the product undet actual operating conditions, Here the service contacts with users, such as the members of the I.R.T.E., is of vital importance. A designer's life is not always happy. To paraphrase a famous saying: Never in the realms of engineering design have so many tried to tell so much to so few!
The kernel. of design is to satisfy with a particular typa the widest variety of users;. only thus can we obtain that large-volume prodtiction which means keeping costs within bounds
Performance under operating conditions is the real barometer of achievement, and this can be supplemented by operator criticism During the war, experience has been gained on the joint operation of road and rail transport by the M.O.W.T., and it has been demonstrated that co-ordination is easier in theoryythan in practice. Co-ordination of transport with the object of eradicating wasteful competition is laudable. but it is -quite another matter -to go to violent extremes and emasculate the ancillary user because, on occasion, his transport runs light.
At heart and by conviction, he was all for private enterprise. He could see no other way of keeping prices to the public within reasonable limits. The reputation enjoyed by State-controlled undertakings does not encourage the belief that either costs or service will be improved by nationalization. If the nationalization experiment does go amiss, we shall be faced with conditions that do not easily bear contemplation, .