Answers to Queries.
Page 19
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wants Steel Bodies.
[2727] (Liverpool).—We regret that we have no information in regard to any makers of steel bodies for commercial vehicles.
Is the Ford Tractor on the Market Yet [2728] (Farm House).—In reply to your recent inquiry, the Ford tractor which was illustrated in this journal recently is not yet on the market. We believe it has passed the experimental stage and that it will be very shortly manufactured in quantity.
Cr n He Hire Experimentally?
[2729] (London).—You might be able to hire a motor lorry, to convey your furniture-removal vans, from one or other of the undermentioned owners :— Thomas Tilling, Ltd., Bull Yard, Peckham, SE.
Yorke, Stoneham and Jones, Ltd., Shore Road, Deptford, S.E.
Eastern Motor Wagon Co., Ltd., 66, Buttesland Street, City Road, N.
French's Garage and Motor Works, Ltd., 314, Balham High Road, S.W.
Buying a Parcelcar.
[2730] (West).—The Auto-Carrier which we Milstrated is built by Auto-Carriers, Ltd., Ferry Works, Thames Ditton, Surrey, and is a satisfactory parcelcar. We also recommend you to get in communication with the undermentioned makers of parcelcars : John Warrick and Co., Reading. A. W. Wall, Ltd., Roc Motor Works, Hay Mills, Birmingham.
F.I.A.T. Motors, Ltd. parcelcar), 37, Long Acre, W.C.
Alldays and Onions Pneumatic Engineering Works, Ltd., Matchless Works, Birmingham.
Ignition and Lubrication of Second-hand Chassis.
[2731] (F.I.A.T.).—The fitting of a high-tension magneto to the engine of your bus would materially improve its running. As to whether it is worth while depends on the actual value of the machine to you and of the work you are getting from it. The cost, as you may be aware, will be in the neighbourhood of £10 or .E12, and against this must be set the time saved owing to the better and more consistent running of the machine.
With regard to the lubrication, the cessation of all oil to the cylinder walls is perhaps drastic. We suggest that you find some means of partially blocking the pipes and experimenting before trusting altogpther to splash.
Avoiding Bad Roads.
[2732] (Owner).—fl the highway is out of repair, to aitch an extent a.s to be dangerous or incommodious, a user of the highway is entitled to go to-day, even as in the old days, into a field at the side of the road, or on to the footpath. This right extends to drivers of vehicles. A decision to this effect was actually given at the Turton (Lancs.) County Court, on the 25th November, 1913, and we reported the case, which was unsuccessfully brought against Lobers, Ltd., of
Darwen, by the Turton in our issue of the 4th December of that year. The defendant owner's lorry had a, high load of skips, which had been tilted to one side because of the -unevenness of the roadway ; the driver thereupon crossed the kerb and ran with two wheels on the footpath, in order to keep the load balanced. The County Court judge agreed that the action was reasonable, because of the state of the road, partly due to deep excavations, and partly due to heaps of stones.
!Horse v. Motor.
[2733] (FIalifax).—We have had pleasure in mailing direct one of our sheets of average working costs. it may be of some service to you. You will recognize 'the importance of keeping up a high mileage, so that the incidence of the fixed charges may be low per /rile. With regard to your horse costs, we observe that they do not include anything under the following headings : driver's wages ; painting, varnishing and repairs to van ; stable labour (if any); proportion of rates and taxes ; insurance ; interest and depreciation. We think, if you will add the proper figures from your books, and check the total mileage run per week, that you will find that you have really been spending an inclusive figure of not less than 10d. per mile run. The point is this : can you usefully get the mileage very much higher than you now experience with horses? We shall be happy to answer further specific questions.
For an Irish Mail Route.
[2734] (Co. ). You may not find it easy to buy a one-ton van on the easy-payment.systern just now. We have mailed one of our free sheets of working costs; this may be of some guidance to you. As a contractor, you should receive a revenue double as high as the cost per mile run, in order to have a satisfactory margin. Further, if you cannot average. 409 miles of running weekly, you will find that certain of the charges, such as those for wages, proportion of rent and ratcs, insurance and interest, will be touch higher in relation to the smaller mileage by which the weekly costs have to be divided. The charges for fuel, lubricants, tires, maintenance and depreciation, are almost in the ratio of the actual mileage. The two makes which you mention are typically satisfactory—one English, and the other American. So far as information is available, Rubberine appears to be a satisfactory tire-filling.