The Mechanical Horse Fill
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be Bill for Specialized Spheres
Telling of the Excellent Work Performed by a Scammell Mechanical Horse in a NorthEast Coastal Town
THE war of 1914-1918 practically put an end to Scarborough's main and, almost, only industry, that of pickling and kippering herrings, of which a considerable quantity was exported to Russia. There arose from that industry a considerable demand for road transport, which demand has so shrunk that to-day it can be met by one small lorry working for
hours per week.
It was on that note that my interview with Mr. Dawson began but five days prior to the commencement of the
present war, and whether this conflict will interfere with the only business left to Scarborough remains to be seen. That business is catering for pleasure.
What, it might be asked, does catering for pleasure do in the way of finding work for haulage contractors and the like? Indeed, that is the question I put to Mr. Dawson, who is the managing director of W. P. Newharns, Ltd., a concern which has been haulage contracting in Scarborough for a hundred years. Its present fleet of A.28 vehicles comprises 13 lorries and 19 trailers.
" During the season," said Mr. Dawson, " the whole fleet of vehicles, not excepting the Scammell mechanical horse, is fully engaged on the collection and delivery of passengers' luggage. This covers, of course, collection from the station for delivery to boarding houses and collection from boarding houses for return to the station."
I subsequently gathered from Mr. Dudley, who is the official of the London and North Eastern Railway in Scarborough responsible for this work, that this may mean the collection and delivery of as many as 2,000 consignments per day. Newhams, Ltd., and the railway company have effected thorough co-ordination of road and rail in this matter.
Whilst I use all kinds of vehicles for the work," said Mr. Dawson, " even tipping wagons, you may be interested to know that I have come to the conclusion that the best type is a 2-tonner of long wheelbase, fitted with a platform body of a maximum area, so that the luggage can be spread out over it and is thus easily loaded and, what is, perhaps, more important, easily accessible for delivery," Mr. Dawson is most pleased with the Scaminell mechanical horse, and appears to get a prodigious amount of work out of it. He tells me that it has replaced six horses and, amongst the many jobs which are carried out during the off-season, special reference must be made to one in particular in the performance of which its utility is outstanding. This is the haulage of two ship-loads of timber which arrive at the harbour each year,
Prior to the introduction of this vehicle, the work involved the use of six strong and proportionately expensive horses. Each horse-drawn vehicle conveys two-fifths of a standard of timber per load. The mechanical horse carries two standards per load. By the use of three trailers, in conjunction with the one motive unit, it is possible to deliver JO loads, a total of 50 tons, in one day, which is considerably in excess of the quantity which could be moved by the six horses.
The mechanical horse has been in the company's possession for four years. Besides the luggage and timber haul age already mentioned, it is largely used for furniture removals, in which this haulage concern specializes. It often happens, Mr. Dawson says, that there are no fewer than 10 furniture vans standing at various houses in or about the town, being loaded or unloaded, the mechanical horse running from one to the other, as required. This is, of course, on local removals only, and it is no uncommon thing for the motive unit to cover 50 miles per day on this class of work.
Asked about costs of operation, Mr. Dawson said that they were low.
One special feature of the use of this machine is of particular interest. Whilst for some of his work, Mr. Dawson uses the orthodox quick-detachable
carrier units usually seen in operation with the mechanical horse, he has to use a number of ordinary trailers, especially for furniture removals. A difficulty arises here in providing for turning the outfit to the same extent as is possible with the usual carrier unit, so as to derive the same degree of benefit from the notable manceuvrability of the mechanical horse. The difficulty has been surmounted by the use of a special drawbar of Mr. Dawson's own design. By its use, the outfit can be made to turn in precisely the same narrow street as_the usual. equipment.
Reference to one of the accompanying illustrations will enable the following description of the drawbar to be understood. A substantial saddle
is fastened to the mechanicalhorse frame, about 1 ft. behind the driver's cab. It is clipped to the frame, which is thus not drilled at all, and supported by two radius rods leading back from near the middle of the saddle to points, one on each frame member, ahotit 2 ft. behind the saddle.
The centre of the saddle, is prepared to receive the usual trailer pin and cotter. The height of the saddle is an important point; it must be as high as possible, consistent with its clearing the underside of the orthodox carrier unit, The drawbar is long enough to reach the trailer and bring it as near as possible to the rear end of tbe mechanical horse. It is cranked to miss the upper part of the turntable. With this drawbar, any of the usual-type furniture vans, not excepting those which have been converted from horsed use, can be attached to the mechanical horse, and, in addition, are still available for use with other lorries, or horses.
This operator's activities serve to illustrate well the notable versatility of the mechanical horse, and its convenience, due, to a marked extent, to its manceuvrability and its economy. Moreover, his being able to judge it, to some extent, in terms of real horses is enlightening. S.T.R