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Goods Transport by VAN, WAGON and TRACTOR.

2nd May 1912, Page 10
2nd May 1912
Page 10
Page 11
Page 10, 2nd May 1912 — Goods Transport by VAN, WAGON and TRACTOR.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

We illustrate below one of a remarkable type of three-wheeler which is attracting considerable attention at the hands of users.

We understand that three-ton Belsize vans are used by the postal authorities in the extended motormail services in the Midlands.

We learn that the South Metropolitan Gas Co., Ltd., which company has been a user of commercial motors for a. considerable period, has placed an order for six additional three-ton Albion vehicles, each with a 32 h.p. engine.

An Early Horse-transport Van. S. F. Edge, Ltd., informs us that it designed a motor-transport van, for the transport of racehorses and so forth, in the year 1901. The vehicle in question was one of the early Napier 9 h.p. two-cylinder engines, which did so much to establish the fame of Napier.

The "Evening Times" and Lack of Motor Delivery.

The failure of the " Evening Times " is ascribed very largely to the difficulty experienced in distributing the paper. Other London evening journals are possessed of a well-equipped and up-to-date system of motorvans for distributing their papers, maintained at a cost of many hundreds of pounds per week. In this work all other forms of transit are useless. The Evening Times" was only able to employ motorvan distribution on a comparatively-small scale.

All About Argyll Commercials.

A catalogue of Argyll commercial vehicles is to hand. It concerns the Argyll 15 h.p., four-cylinder cab ; the Argyll 15 li.p, delivery van, large numbers of which have been sold for newspaper delivery ; the Argyll 15 h.p., one-ton chassis ; the Argyll 20-25 h.p., two-ton chassis ; and the Argyll 75 h.p. fire-engine with turbine pump. The terms of the company's guarantee are included, as well as concise specificationst whilst lists of the company's showrooms and repair works are added by way of additional information.

Dennis Deliveries.

The most-recent deliveries from the Dennis factories include the following :—A three-ton, 35 h.p. chassis to W. P. Hartley, Ltd., of jammaking fame a 30-cwt., 18 h.p. chassis to Carter, Paterson and Co., Ltd. (bringing this company's fleet of Dennis vehicles to a total in excess of 20) ; a two-ton, 28 h.p. chassis to Mr. Bertol O. Steen, of Christiana (third repeat order); two 30-cwt., 18 h.p. and two two-ton. 28 h.p. chassis to Crawford and Co., Ltd., increasing this biscuit manufacturer's Dennis fleet to a total of 10 ;a two-ton, 23 h.p. van to Messrs. S. Courtauld and Son, of Coventry (repeat order); a 30-cwt.. 18 h.p. van to Messrs. Adcock and Co.. of Chichester, for laundry purposes; and a range of export machines for Johannesburg. Adelaide and Sydney.

Membership of the C.M.U.A. provides legal advice and defence, free of charge. Particulars may be had from the secretary.

Seventeen Lorries at Abattoirs.

The Adelaide Metropolitan Board is engaged with the construction of huge abattoirs at Gepps Cross, some few miles north of Adelaide. Seventeen motor-lorries have been purchased for the delivery of meat from the abattoirs to the docks and district.

From a Berkshire Owner.

Mr. litid Witherington, of Sonfling Mills, near Reading, who contributed particulars about the costs of his Foden wagon to our " Millers' Issue " of 1905, writes to say that the same wagon is still giving him great satisfaction. It appears that he had the machine reconstructed in the year 1909, at a cost of something like 2200, but he considers that the money was well

s

The total cost during 1910 was 2483, and the total cost during 1911 was 2494, the mean cost per work

ing day being 34s. For this expenditure, Mr. Witherington obtained a total mileage of 12,356 miles, and conveyed no less than 12,450 tons of flour, etc.

We may give fuller details in our issue of next week.

Straker-Squires Overseas.

Straker-Squire commercial-type motors are in use all over the world, and we this week publish, on page 171, a selection from photographs taken in Buenos Aires. The first photograph (left-hand, top view) is of a delivery wagon used by a large firm of confectionery manufacturers ; the one below it is of a vehicle used for the transport of urgent merchandise to passenger trains, and three vehicles of the kind are in constant use ; the top right-hand photograph is of a vehicle employed in parcel-delivery service, and also for the advertisement of the Straker-Squire agents —Agar, Cross and Co., Ltd. ; and the bottom photograph is of a wagon which is doing extremely well in milk transportation, from the railway stations to a milk-treating establishment, where the milk is pasteurized before delivery to retailers. We are informed that this last-named vehicle works practically the whole of the 24 hours, and that it is owned by a combination of milk retailers.

The Outcast in the Antipodes.

We give the following extract from an Australian paper :— " One of the outcasts of the London General Omnibus Co. was noted in the role of a motor goods wagon on Friday last proceeding up Flinders Street with a load of six tons of grain aboard. Although consiidered unsuitable for London streets, its silence was most noticeable. and its high speed was another feature. If this type of chassis is not satisfactory for London passenger work, then the more modern type must indeed be a fine production."

Fairrie's Commer-car.

Fairrie and Co., Ltd., sugar refiners, of Vauxhall Road. Liverpool, finds its three-ton Commer-car vehicle of excellent use, fitted in with a fleet of steam lorries. The petrol vehicle is given numerous local deliveries, and is not used for heavy dock work. Its speed and independence of roadside supplies enable it to take on all kinds of special trips, according to demand.

Following the information that was given to us earlier in the year, we are interested to quote from a letter recently to hand, and we are also indebted to this well-known sugar-refining house for the photograph which is reproduced herewith :

" The platform and cab were built by a local firm to our design, and either can be removed from the chassis in about five minutes. There are rear mudguards fitted, but. owing to a slight accident, one had In be removed just before the photo was taken. The cab itself is about 30 in. less in width than the platform, which has a front about 18 in. high. This. we think, looks much neater than when the cab is the full width of the platform, and it also enables side shields to be fitted much more easily. The wagon is -flown with 30 two-cwt. bags on it,

and it has done about 9G0 miles, never having given us a moment's trouble of any description, except two worn ball-races in the back wheels, which we understand is usual with heavy vehicles." Liverpool master-carters are, we know, much concerned.

Roads in Aberdeenshire.

Some members of the Aberdeen County Council have recently been pursuing an active policy of objection to the heaviest forms of motor transport, qua the question of supposed damage to highways. We are accordingly much interested to notice, in the issue of " The Aberdeen Free Press " of the 21st ult., a letter of protest in which attention is drawn to the widespread use of heavy motors and traction engines by the farmers of the county. Strangely enough, this writer-advocate of farmers rights thinks he is on safe ground when he seeks to attack motorbuses—on the score that they do damage to certain roads in the county. The Correct solution, of course, is to use tarry or bituminous bindings.

Tractor Supersedes Camels.

At the Mount Gunson copper mine, which is situated in the midst of a huge desert, 200 miles to the north of Spencer Gulf, in South Australia, camels have until quite recently been responsible for the transport of stores and ore to and from the mine. These animals have now been. superseded by what is claimed to be the largest tractor yet built. The gross weight of the tractor is just under 30 tons, and a special trailer has been designed which weighs several tons for use in combination with it. Ped rails are fitted on all wheels, and double pedrails on the driving wheels of the tractor. These wheels are 6 ft. in diameter, and a. ladder is required to reach the driver's seat, which is just over 12 ft. from the ground. A 40 it p. twin-cylinder vertical engine of Australian make is fitted. Steel tanks holding about eight tons of fuel and water are placed under the tractor and trailer. liVhile the engine rating is apparently low for such a huge machine, its designed speed is easily attained owing to the low gearing which is fitted, the top speed of the tractor being about three miles per hour. A local humorist has rather ironically christened the machine "The Mount Gunson Express." The tractor was designed and built in Victoria, and was shipped to a point about 50 miles south of Port Augusta and re-assembled there.

Taking a useful load of 38 tons, and a further ten tons of equipment, making a gross weight of over 80 tons, it maintains a 250mile service to the mine. The fuel consumption equals 30-ton miles per gallon. The shade temperature is frequently over 310 degrees, yet no overheating troubles have so far been encountered, and the engine works in a most satisfactory manner. A low speed is compulsory in this district ; if high speed were attempted on sand, the heavy load would become unmanageable.


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