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Transport for Road Maintenance

28th July 1933, Page 63
28th July 1933
Page 63
Page 64
Page 63, 28th July 1933 — Transport for Road Maintenance
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

COMPARATIVELY light transport units are desirable in connection with the maintenance of rural district roads. That being the experience of Mr. H. Hall, superintendent of plant and transport, under Mr. R. Sawtell, A.M.I.C.E., county surveyor to North Riding County Council, it is natural to find that the fleet of this authority is being strengthened in that direction.

Recently, four IWNS, Karrier 3-ton lorries have been acquired, making a total of seven of that make. Other members of the fleet include six Morris-Commercial 30-cwt. vehicles and six 1-tonners of the same make, as well as a 10-cwt. van. There are also nine Clayton steam wagons, two Paden tractors, with two trailers each, 10 Foden wagons, five Mann patching vehicles and a Mann tractor with three trailers.

In addition, there are five Barford and Perkins 10-ton rollers, two 1-ton footpath rollers of the same make, and two Wallis and Stevens rollers, all petrol driven, as well as 16 steam rollers, mostly Avelings. The department also maintains a considerable quantity of miscellaneous plant, such as mixers, pile drivers, tar boilers, etc.

In general, it is the experience in the North Riding, as elsewhere, that the steamers should be used, so far as possible, for long hauls and the petrol lorries for short journeys. This is but another way of saying that petrol lorries ara better suited to most of the work of the council; because an analysis of the. records shows that the bulk of the total load is carried over short distances.

For example, in 1932-3, roughly 126,000 tons were carried over journeys which averaged less than three miles, and a further 15,888 tons for a distance of less than 41 miles per loaded journey, The latter figure stands to the credit of three Karriers, the other four having been acquired since that period, Above -that distance, there is only a 'matter of 11,267 tons, for which the average loaded journey was 8.269 miles, This work was performed by two steam tractors and it is an interesting commentary on the improved operating methods of the department that, in the preceding year, these vehicles averaged only 3,847 miles per loaded journey.

Regarding the maintenance of the vehicles, each driver makes -a daily report on his vehicle and any defect which he indicates is classified either as requiring immediate attention, or for rectification during the bimonthly overhaul to which every petrol vehicle is subjected.

Such work is carried out at the Northallerton headquarters of the department and, however small the job may be, it carries its own card and job number. Thus the maintenance costs of each vehicle are accurately known and can, therefore, be charged against the particular road or area which that vehicle serves.

In that connection there are two or three features of the vehicle-maintenance system which deserve mention. For example, a spare MorrisCommercial engine is kept in stock, so that, in the event of repairs being necessary to the power unit of one of

the dozen Morris-Commercial lorries, there is little standing time for the vehicle, and Mr. Ball reckons that 11011C of these needs to be off the road for a longer period than a working day at a time, in the ordinary course of events.

Another interesting point is that, as the older steam wagons become unfit for further use, they are dismantled. Worn

out parts are, of course, discarded, but such components as can be used again are put into what is known as the "resurrected spares" stores, and are employed, from time to lime, in the maintenance of the other steamers, as in quite a number of eases they are utilizable for the replacement of worn parts in these.

Besides the mechanical workshops, the department has a useful woodworking shop, in which repairs to lorry bodies are effected. In certain cases, complete replacement bodies have been built in this shop. Like other workshops, it has the great advantage that there is a good deal of equipment which can be made "for stores," when there is little or no maintenance work to be done.

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People: Ball, H. Hall

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