OPINIONS and O UERIES
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USING OIL FUEL AS AN ANTI-FREEZE
THE letter from H. J. Saunders concerning the use of oil fuel as an anti-freeze, in your issue dated December 15, interested me, and I think my experience should be of some help.
Oil fuel is more searching than paraffin or T.V.O., but I have used the latter two liquids as anti-freeze during the winters of 1940 to 1943.
In the severe winter of 1940, when we had over 30 degrees of frost on more than one night, my car (a 1935 Vauxhall) even stood out in the open for some nights, but the cooling system was filled with paraffin and I had no trouble; in fact, it was much more convenient, as I used only two pints of paraffin for toppingup purposes in three months, against two to three pints of water per week when the cooling system was filled with water. This result was mainly through the paraffin swelling the gland of the water pump and curing a leak.
Where an engine is not running on Sustained throttle I can thoroughly recommend the paraffin mixtures for cooling, and, in fact, I much prefer it, as, due to the liquid being free flowing, the car seems to warm up much quicker on the road. I believe the boiling point of paraffin is, roughly, two-thirds that of water, but in cold weather the water in the average cooling system gets nowhere near boiling point.
At first I thought that tare might be danger of fire, and on later test used a Calormeter in the radiator, which, however, never indicated above " normal."
In 19-41 I used T.S,T.O. in the cooling systems of a sleeve-valve Daimler and a Rover Ten without any illeffects. In 1942 I used this in an Austin Ten without any ill-effects, although there was one slight accident which should have caused a fire if there had been such a danger; this was when the car was driven hard for 12 miles on a hilly road with the radiator completely blanketed by a muff. Pinking was noticed on the last hill, but the engine was allowed to cool down, when it needed only half a gallon of paraffin to refill.
In 1943 the Austin was again filled with T.V.O., also a Fordson tractor (a very old model of last-war vintage). The tractor was equipped with a winch for hauling timber, which meant the engine being revved up when winding. Both these machines were not drained until very late in the spring.
I personally prefer this means for cooling to that of using water and draining, as one is never sure of all the water being out of the cooling system. I always drain the water when the engines are warm (sheeting-up if necessary), and then let them stand overnight before filling up with T.v.o. If one tests the system by chaining the radiator after a day or two, a blob, or at most two, of water, about the size of a shilling, will be found in the tray or bucket, which makes sure that there is no water in the system.
Durham. R. S. WOOD.
AS regards Mr. H. J. Saunders's letter on using oil as an anti-freeze, we would state that a driver of ours has used it for over a year for cooling the oil engine of a Ruston excavator.
It has had no adverse effect whatsoever ; the hoses are not damaged and the resulting increase of temperature serves to improve the winter running of the engine. In summer he reverts to water.
This engine was taken down quite recently by the maker and new sleeves fitted, and the concern in question remarked on the absence of rust and the ease with which the engine came apart. E.G.H.B.
London, N.17 (For Geo. Bell and Sons, Ltd.), A NICHE FOR THE SMALL REMOVER
A' a regular reader of the articles by S.T.R. over a period of more than 20 years, I have found them most helpful, but I consider that his remarks with regard to the removal of furniture are rather sweeping.
I own a lift van of 700-800-cubic-ft. capacity, and have used it for quite a lot of general removals work, so far, without any serious complaints. Before the restric
tion on mileage was put into force I moved furniture for distances up to 200 miles My vehicle is g. Bedford longwheelbase 2-3-tonner. which originally cost £300, whilst the lift van was bought for £35. There is no elaborate equipment—only wrappers, rollers and a piano bogie.
I would imagine that the people who move around the most are the working classes, who do not possess much in the way of*antiques and elaborate furniture, and, other than the best tea service, the crockery and glassware are usually negligible. Does S.T.R. really consider that these people are in a position, or that it is necessary for them, to pay for the use of equipment to the probable value of £900, with, perhaps, a terminal run of 15 miles (this is the nearest concern to me which owns such a furniture van), just to move them 10 miles?
Now, as to the question of extras ; if the customer has just received a 5-cwt. ration of coal, is one justified in leaving it, to say nothing about the children's rabbits and the bit of stuff out of the garden?
• Incidentally, on this matter of cost and charges, why are the railways immune from any inquiry as to how they arrive at their cost for removals, now that they have a monopoly on most long-distance jobs?
I think that S.T.R. must admit that the small removal contractor has his niche, in the Same way as has the
small haulier. OWNER-DRIVER. Mablethorpe.
[You will find, if you go sufficiently carefully into the figures, that the fact that you are using a less-expensive vehicle does not, in reality, enable you to make any substantial reduction in your figures of cost, provided that you be careful to make provision, in your estimate, for every item of cost. It is permissible to make such modifications as you have found applicable in practice, but I warn you to be careful that you are not overlooking the need to make provision for future expenditure on such things as the purchase of a new vehicle, tyre cost, major repairs and overhauls, and so on. As regards the removal of coal, etc., I stated quite plainly in the article that the provision about removing coal was to a certain extent a safeguard, but at the same time would advise you that it is preferable to arrange for the customer to sell his coal to the incoming tenant, rather than to load yourself with the responsibility of moving a commodity which is by no means easy to include with a load of decent furniture.—S.T.R.] . REHOUSING WILL NEED MUCH . ROAD TRANSPORT QNE hears and reads a lot in these days-about housing and of the millions of homes to be built. Do the powers that be, who publish the figures, realize and take into consideration the transport which will be invoived? Almost every class of material required to construct houses, even those that are pre-fabricated, will have to be carried by road.
Who is to be given this business, and does enough transport exist? Will it be handed over to the large concerns, which will mean as many lorries as they care to operate? Why not, for a change, give the small man a chance? The latter gives service, satisfaction and personal attention at all times, and most of them operate quite as efficiently and economically—in some cases, probably more so.
I have had 18 years' experience as a road-transport engineer, with large and small operators, and for public service and the good of the country, the small man is the one who shines. Unfortunately, he is being tempted to sell out, or is being forced out of operation in one way or another.
The subject of building is now to the fore, but without road transport there will be no building. Every town and village has its plans, but they will have to be supplied with the materials, and I am sure that there is not _ in existence the number of vehicles which will eventually be required to meet this demand.
If the transport be given to the larger concerns, they will probably hand over to the smaller hauliers only the work they do not want or cannot cope with.
A great many questions want answering in respect of the programme for road transport. It seems that the matter will rest with the Regional Transport Commissioners. They appear to be dictators as to what can be done and who is to do it.
If a haulier has a big enough business and can make enough noise, he can get almost anything, whilst the small voice is not heard. Perhaps someone has a plan to overcome this difficulty. If so, let us have it.
Bushey. H .W.H.F.
TROUBLE WITH A HAULAGE CONTRACT WAVING been readers of your valuable paper for the "past 20 years, we would like some advice in connection with a contract made during this war.
On November 25, 1939, we were asked by a builder to quote for the haulage of some used bricks for a distance of approximately eight miles. These bricks were from an old chimney which had been felled. The result was that we hauled these bricks for five consecutive days, in December, 1939; then the builder told our men that he had no more sites at the moment, but. would inform us when more bricks could be hauled.
We had no other orders for the delivery of bricks from December 27, 1939; until April 10, 1940, when we were asked to deliver one load in the same district as before.
In the meantime, this builder asked us to quote for the haulage of bricks about 16 miles away, for which we sent in a quotation, but never received any further word about the matter, and never did any more work for this man.
We may say that there was a contract signed in the first instance for the delivery of bricks to three sites in the neighbourhood of the eight-mile radius.
We are now being sued for breach of contract in connection with this work, the owner of the land on which these bricks were lying foreclosing after about six months.
In view of the priority work which took place shortly after we made this contract, we were instructed by the sub-district manager in our district that we must put our vehicles on to priority work, as this was essential for the completion of Government contracts.
The writer has' some faint recollection of hearing on the radio, during the early months of this war, that all private contracts made were null and void during the war period.
Can you kindly give us your opinion at an early date about these matters, and inform us, if you can, if there was an order issued cancelling contracts made during
war-time? WELL WISHER. Cockermouth.
[We are not aware of a general order cancelling all contracts, and we do not imagine that any such order would have been made, as it is much too sweeping and far reaching in its possible effects In your particular case, it appears that your answer to the charge of breach of contract is that you moved the bricks in accordance with instructions and ceased to do so only when you received no further instructions. Obviously you could not move them without orders There is this further point: If you can produce evidence that the local sub-district manager definitely instructed you to put your vehicles on to Government work, that also, we think, would be au answer to any such charge.—S.T.R.]