The Forthcoming R.A.C. Road Trials.
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Alphabetic Register of Places to be Visited and Separate Maps for Different Classes'
Those readers of this journal who -reside along or near the trials' routes will, we feel sure, be glad to have a complete ,analysis of the various routes in their possession. Our dissection has been made in sucha. manner Os to convey the necessau information at a glance, whilst any of our supporters whose interests are limited to a Particular class will find that they can BOW follow its daily course wills practically no trouble to themselves.
order to avoid disappointment for intending spectators who may have read in their local press, that " the trials will -visit this district," wedesire to emphasise the fact that only the vehicles in the class or classes indicated in brackets (Vier the Ita.H1C of each town or village will pass the poimt in question, and that only on the date or dates given.
The " rounding-up " stage has now been reached in the preparations for the great demonstration run of the R.A.C., and next Thursday will witness the assemblage at Thornycroft's Chiswick yard. Two days of strenuous work will then confront the officials, in respect of the checking of axle-weights, the character and proper disposition of the loads, the final approval of bodies and advertisement designs in situ, the examining of fuel, water, or other tanks and the nature of the connections between any two tanks, as well as the carrying-out of such of the preliminary observations as may be possible in respect of certain heads of award.
Drivers.
Competitors will require to observe the Club's competition rules in regard to the registration of drivers. No extra money has to be paid, as the liberal entrance fee covers the specific charges which are usually incidental to this proceeding and to the enrolment of the competitor himself. Drivers' names must, in any event, be notified to the Secretary of the Club not later than the 3rd September.
Water.
Entrants of steam wagons should not imperil the cleanness of their running records by overlooking the fact that the Club will only provide water at the depots. These official watering stations are about 30 miles apart, and it will be necessary for most—if not all—of the steam motors to take water once a day on the road. We advise that the drivers he instructed to leave nothing to chance, but to draw up in good time at any suitable pump or supply-tap, and we are able to state that, in the absence of calibrated tanks and visible watergauges, each " steamer " will carry one or more measuring cans, duly stamped by the excise authorities, for measuring purposes, and another vessel into which to drop the suction-hose of the water
• lifter. We hope that, in order to avoid delay at the end of each trip, there will he graduated tanks, or casks, at each dep6t, because the handling of water in 5-gallon cans should not be necessary xcept on the road.
Speeds.
The order of starting is, very rightly, subject to revision by the judges or the .xecutive committee, because, although die general sequence is to follow the :otation of the entries, the exact neces;ities of the case will only be made :tear beyond question when the vehicles Are in the dep6t at Chiswick, and the iudges can note the nature of the tires a conjunction with the recorded ffeights upon the back-axles. It is in :lasses F (mo-cwt. load) and H (trac:ors hauling a too-cwt. total load belind the drawbar) that uncertainties .ixist. Article VII of the Heavy Mo:orcar Order, 1904, subject to the use of :ires made of soft or elastic material, alows vehicles to travel at 12 or 8 miles m hour accordingly as the axle-weight any axle is below or above six tons, / condition which vill vary, in the cases If certain vehicles, in class F, with the nanner in which the load is distributed
in the platforms. In class the only liscrepancy may arise if one of the tracers proves to have composite or wooden reads, as the axle-weight here is suffi:ientlmlow, in that event, to allow a Teed of 12 miles an hour in place of the nore ordinary speed of 5 miles an hour.
The Club will need to exercise a care:Lii discretion, or there may be numern.ts misleading anomalies in the finishng times. Some differences, however, it mould be obviously unfair to vitiate, as he vehicle with a factor in its construe:ion which allowis of greater speed, then at considerable extra tire cost, deen-es to to be permitted to show the com)ensating advantage of earlier arrival it its destination: .
Splendid Body-work.
A feature of the cavalcade will unluestionably be the excellence of the ran-builders' contributions. These efOrts to secure effectiveness should be yell rewarded, and should bring orders 10th to the makers of the bodies and of he chassis which they have adorned. :t is no use scoffing at the idea that radesmen and merchants like smartcoking coach-work about their vans or )ther vehicles, for, with a closer apnroach to uniformity in regard to the mderlying mechanism, it is the wellinished, attractively-lettered, and hand4amie panels or ends of the load-conaining portion of the vehicle which then send home the argument and turn he scale. Education by the eve must tell, and there will be no lack of object lessons on this occasion, whilst the smartness of some of the drivers' uniforms will he in keeping.