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BRIGHTON BUILDS ROADS

29th March 1935, Page 104
29th March 1935
Page 104
Page 105
Page 104, 29th March 1935 — BRIGHTON BUILDS ROADS
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FROM REFUSE BRIGHTON, which has won the title of "The Queen of Watering Places," uses a large variety ot municipal motors in its various localgovernment activities. The borough is, of course, extensive ; it now covers 12,565 acres containing a population of 146,700, and the number of houses from which refuse is collected is 33,390. •

In the works department, and under the control of the borough engineer, are 26 Vulcan 2-ton refuse collectors of somewhat ancient vintage, and three Dennis 2t-tormers equipped with Transport hand-operated metal moving floors with compressor plates. On the haulage side, there are nine Vulcan . and six Dennis lorries, two Fordson tractors, and a Morris 10-cwt. van.

Road rollers include a Marshall oilengined 10-tonner, a Robey 10-tonner of the latest pattern with oil engine and power steering, two Aveling and Porter 7-II-ton oilers, a steam 8-tonner of the

same make, and a Barford and Perkins oil-engined 2i-tonner.

The tramways department has one Morris-Commercial and one Dennis ton lorry, three Mlllars Tructractors with trailers and a Dennis tower wagon.

The ambulances are distributed over three departments. . The Police have two Austin Twenties (and an additional ambulance is being bought), as well as a prison van of Austin make, and a Morris light van. The public health department possesses an Austin Twenty and a Ford ambulance, and the public assistance department two Morris ambulances and a Morris van.

The electrical department employs an S.D. Freighter tower wagon for dealing with electric lights on standards in cases where the winding gear becomes defective, a 3-4-ton Leyland, a Vulcan 21-tonner, five Morris-Commercial 2tonners, and four Morris light vans.

The parks department has a converted Ford 1-ton road roller, a B.D.V. 27-c-Wt. roller, two Ford 30-cwt. lorries and a Fordson tractor, whilst the water

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works employs a Morris-Commercial 1tonner and a Dennis lorry.

Last, but not least, is the fire brigade. The biggest machine is a Dennis 100 h.p. combination fire pump and escape of the low-loading type and 700800 gallons capacity. Next comes a

Dennis 500-600-gallon pump and 60-ft. escape, and another of the. same make with a 35-ft. escape. Then there are a Dennis rescue tender fully equipped with dynamo, searchlights, cluster lights, oxygen-breathing apparatus, etc., a Morris-Magirus 85-ft. turntable fire escape, a Morris-rescue tender with firstaid appliances, and a Dennis-Tamini portable pump of 80 g.p.m. capacity.

Dealing first with the refuse-collection side of the work, the town is divided into five districts, in which collection work is started on Monday and finished on Saturday. All the municipal vehicles discharge at the destructor situated near Preston Park, but refuse in the outlying district of Rottingdean is collected by contract, the loads going to a special experimental destructor situated near Whitehawk. Each of the old Vulcans has a driver and two loaders, the driver also loading and receiving extra pay. Four men go out with each of the three Dennis vehicles. The character of the • refuse varies greatly with the type of district served and the season ; for instance, an 11cubic-yd. vehicle can carry 25-30 cwt. in summer and 38-40 cwt. in winter. The lighter material is usually in the shopping districts ; also an extraordinary quantity of newspapers is taken from boarding-houses. In the case of the shops, the municipality charges (Xi. per sack *,fOr collecting papers and light refuse. The Vulcans carry four loads per day, and the Dennis machines three loads on ordinary days and two on Saturdays. The scheme adopted is for the vehicles to start duty at the longer distances and gradually work inwards. It is also arranged that when operating on hills they should commence empty at the top ; this saves fuel and wear. All the men are on piecework, being paid by the load, and bonuses are al.16wed for loads over a certain weight, this figure being adjusted for the winter and summer. The scheme eems to work well because, whilst the cost of collection in Brighton is very low, the men employed are amongst the best paid on this class of work.

. In 1934, the cost of collection per ton was 10s. 7.42d. gross. Receipts, in the forms of money paid by tradesmen for collection, were 5.96d. per ton, leaving the net cost at 10s. 1.46d. The disposal costs, taking loan Charges into consideration, were 5s. 7.62d. per ton, which were reduced to 3s. 921d. after allowing for the sale of clinkers, steam, ashes, etc. Without the loan charges, the gross figure was 5s. 0.9d., and the net figure 3s. 2.49d. The total amount collected in 1934 was 37,988 tons.

• The whole of the refuse collected is weighed, only the tins being officially separated for sale and compacted in an hydraulic press. The men, however, are permitted to sell anything else. The maximum amount of refuse dealt with is approximately 180 tons per day, and the clinker obtained is crushed, screened, graded and mixed with a bituminous material in a special Millars' plant ; it then makes an excellent hard

road material which is used throughout the borough and makes thoroughfares which can be guaranteed for seven years. As the engineer put it, "We obtain first-class roads from the dustbins of the people.'' The furnaces in which the refuse is burned are utilized to supply steam by which the garages and workshops are heated, a 20,000-gallon tar tank is maintained at the proper ternikrature, the asphalt plant, just referred to, and a mortar mill driven, and steam provided for cleansing the abattoir.

We were interested to test out the unloading of one of the Dennis collectors with the Transport moving floor. This was completely loaded with three tons of refuse, and two men working at the normal pace discharged this refuse in one minute and a half.

Brighton has a central fire station in Preston Circus, which is shortly to be considerably enlarged to cope with the growing population. It will then face on to two different streets and have ten run-outs. Last year there were 264 calls ; this year, up to the 80th day, there have been exactly 80 calls. The average turn-out time during the day is 15 seconds, and at light 30 seconds. To permit quick starting of the engines the water in every radiator is kept warm by an electric heater.

Several of the older types of machine formerly on solid tyres were converted to pneumatics by the department, which, incidentally, carries out all its overhauls and makes hook ladders.

The site of the station is at a"point where many roads converge and where traffic signals are numerous, but by a special switch all the signals can be put to " danger " while the appliances are leaving. The chief officer prides himself on having the most up-to-date map in the town, as upon it is drawn every new housing estate as it is developed.

Soon the old polished-brass helmet will be discarded and black mouldedleather insulated helmets employed.

The brigade has existed for only 14 years. Formerly, fire protection was carried out by the police. Now there is a permanent staff of 26, whilst 25 other men are retained.

The latest Dennis appliance employed has the pump amidships. This permits a large escape to be carried, and the pump used without removing this.

The inspection department of the brigade carries out Itauch useful work, for not, only does it organize fire drills at cinemas, etc., but not a piece of theatrical scenery is permitted to be used without being tested, and where this is found to be unsatisfactory it has to be sprayed or dipped.

We noted an effective street directory, consisting of a large number of vertical boards pivoted on brass rods and carrying overlapping cards hinged by gummed tape. These cards give the exact location of every street.

In the electricity department we found much of interest. Here the problems and troubles of the housewife are meticulously studied. For instance, a Morris Minor van is equipped with every conceivable part for cookers and radiators, so that if, say, a complaint be telephoned that an oven at Saltdean in which a rice pudding is awaiting cooking has ceased functioning, the van can be quickly on the spot, A Morris-Commercial 1-ton van is used for delivering cookers and other heavy hire apparatus; another is used for conveying meters and gangs of men to Outlying districts, whilst the Leyland 3-4-tonner carries cable drums and other heavy material. , In the' maintenance line, everything is carried out except crankshaft grinding and the boring of cylinders. The department has even made its own tyre inflator with a I. h.p. electric motor coupled to an old two-stroke petrol engine which was bought for 5s.


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