Answers to Queries.
Page 20
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The "Liverpool Journal of Commerce."
[044] (Detail).—The correct address is 17, James Street, Liverpool. The offices have been moved from Victoria Street. The weekly page on commercial motors is being continued. It was, more than 12 years ago, written by the Editor of PIE COMIAERciAL MOTOR.
How to Find a Good Second-hand Chassis.
[3045] (Channel Islands).—We have no knowledge of a particular 30-cwt. or 2-ton eha.ssis available secondhand, for the c,oncliticia of which we can vouch. You will find that various machines are advertised in our pages from week to week. If you wish us to undertake an inspection and trial of any advertised machine, we shall be happy to inspect and report for a fee of three guineas.
Women Drivers for Motor Ambulances.
[304] (Enquirer).—We understand that the military authorities were accepting the services of women drivers, in certain areas, for motor-ambulance driving. A particular case which has been brought to our notice concerns :Sunderland, where the district officer for .transport, Mr. Q. A. Nicol, of 4, Ashleigh, Sunderland, was considerifig applications. The men who have previously been doing this work have been called up for service. See last week's issue.
New IViotorbus Routes. • [3a47] (DeveIopment).—We 'cordially agree with your view, that there is very considerable scope for both the establishment and exteesion of new motorbus services, but we Cannot agree that the present is in any sense a propitious time for such developments. You will not be able to get the vehicles, or the men for your staff. Furthermore, you may get no petrol, quite 'apart from the legal points which reinain unsettled as to the exact effect of Section 20 of the Local Government (Emergency Provisions) Act, of this year. It is true that traffic follows facilities, but it is no use setting out to provide facilities when you are a priori coudemned to failure by adverse conditions which-must prove too strong for you.
Leave for A.S.C., KT., Men.
[3048] (In Egypt).—We appreciate the strain and stress to which reference is made, but feel that under war conditions, the question of leave Must be handled according to the practice of those Conditions. Once leave was granted to the 'men on any considerable scale, other than for exceptional reasons, the Whole Army would ask to be transported to and from Eng: land once in twelve months, for which purpose no ships would be available' apart from the coat. You wilrno doubt recognize the impossibility of picking and choosing, between the men. There are fewer officers, which render the difficulties of transport very much smaller, and this is no doubt the; principal factor which counts in the allowance of leave, not more than once a year in the case of Egypt, which so far has been the experience, to the officers, and that never on compassionate .grounds. We gather that the letter sent is not for the purpose of being passed on to the Military authorities, and we are therefore retaining it. We sympathize with the men in the circumstances which have arisen, due to the prolongation of the war, and we hope they willerealize that their apparent inactivity, and the apparent disregard of-their personal wishes, in keeping them on the spot in Egypt, is undoubtedly due to possibilities ahead which they are in no position to determine or assess. The case may seem a bard one, but the only alternative, that of letting all the rank and file have leave, seems to us to be an impossible one now, . whatever may be reckoned
admissible hereafter. War is war.-, . is58 Wants "The Horseless Age."
[3040] (British Maker).—" The Horseless Age is published by the Horseless Age Co., 440, Fourth Avenue, New York City. It is a semi-monthly journal. It is stated that the annual subscription for England Seeking Australian Agency for a Pareelcar.
[3050] (London Branch).—The only assistance which we can give you, is to suggest that you write to the F.I.A..T. Co., Ltd., Wembley, and ask if the Girling three-wheeler is available. You mention in your letter all the makers but that one.
Licences for Steersmen.
[3051] (Norfolk).—We note your views re the case at the Bolton Courts, as reported in our issue of the 8th June. The question of a licence for the secand man on a steam lorry has several times been before the C.M.U.A. The Committee of that body has taken the view, where the second man does in fact steer the vehicle, that he is as much in control of its direction as the driver who looks after the main regulating valve is in control of movement due to propulsion; The case is not a good one to fight, ,so we are legally advised. We think it is better that any owner of a steam. lorry, where the second man does in fact steer, should reqeire a second annual licence, costing 5s., as a matter of precaution.
Audible Warning of Approach.
[3052] (Historical).—You are quite wrong in imagining that the method of giving audible warning of approach on our railways was settled ab initio The -earliest railway engines were not fitted with any means of giving warning, although some were at a very early date fittedwith hand-bells. It was not until the year 133 that, as a-consequence of an, accident on the old Leicester and Swannington railway, now an integral part of the Midland system, the directors called upon Stephenson to introduce some recognized method of giving such warning. We have the authority of "The Railway News.' for stating that a special meeting of directors was called, when Stephenson-suggested a whistle to be blown by steam. The first of these "steam trumpets" was ordered from a musical-instrument maker in Leicester; and formally tested in the presence of the whole Board 9f Directors. It is stated to have been like a huntallean's horn, 18 ins, long and C ins across the top. We think that finality has not yet been reached in the matter of methods of 'giving audible warning of the approach of -road vehiclea Electric ,Energy for a 2-tonner.
[3053] (Comparative).—Gradients affect the average consumption of energy per vehicle-mile, with any battery-equipped vehicle, aed so does the frequency of stoppages. Whilst the driving of a batteryequipped motor is a, simple Matter, a comparison between the input of units to different vehicles, in any, fleet of similar battery-equipped vehicles, dieolosea the incontrovertible fact that the personal attention of the driver does make a remarkable difference "to; economy under this head. If a driver does not step chmn on his controller, after slackening in traffic, and if he therefore tries to pick up speed again with a. wrong groupie of his dYnarno-windings, the; extra. consumption or current is appreciable. eVery careful records were kept, over a period of years, by the Berlin Motorcab 0o.; in this regard, and they showed differences so high as nearly 100 per cent. between the best and the worst.. We shouldsay: that a fair average, in actual practice, for a two-ton vehicle, in commercial haulage in a city, might be placed at. anything between 1.75 and 2 units per mile run, for battery input, and that is the current for which the user pays.