Answers to Queries.
Page 18
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Wants a Suitable Body for Baker's Work.
[2130] (Yorkshire).—You cannot do better than refer to our special article on van bodies in our issue dated 6th March. We have sent you a copy under separate cover.
The Plant for Making Benzol. Where to Buy It.
[2,131] (North Wales).—We are much interested to learn that you have persuaded some colliery proprietors in your district to take an interest in this matter of benzol production. You might, with advantage, address the following firm on the subject of plant supply for high-temperature distillation : Carl Still,. Recklinghausen, Westphalia, Germany. The English agents are : Messrs. Bagley, Mills and Co., 92, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.
A Reader asks " How Can I Become a Motor Fireman?"
[2132] (Nottingham).—You ask us how you can obtain employment as a motor fire-engine driver. We think you will find that, as a rule, the men who are employed to drive the modern motor appliances of fire brigades are firemen who have been trained specially in regard to motor-vehicle control. If you have no fire-brigade experience, it is likely that you would have considerable difficulty in securing employment in this way.
What is the Best Practical Mixture of Petrol and Paraffin?
[2133] (Tottenham Court Road).—The answer to your inquiry in regard to the best mixture of petrol and paraffin is that the practicable range of mixtures is strictly limited. As a maximum, it will be well to take a proportion of one of paraffin to two of petrol, but for regular service this is too high. For such conditions we should not advise you to use more than one-fourth or perhaps even one-fifth the proportion by volume of paraffin to the whole mixture. You will find that such mixtures as a rule result in hotter running engines. Considerable information has been given in our columns on this subject recently, and our contemporary, "The Motor," has dealt very fully with the whole question of alternative fuels. You should read our editorial on this subject on the first page of the present issue.
A Reply to a Coal Merchant Who Wants to Adopt Motor Haulage.
[2134] (Pimlico).—There was a short article making reference to the handling of coal in the issue of this journal for 20th March. Special methods were then described.
The trouble in coal delivery is the considerable proportion of delays, and sometimes the use of a motor lorry is found to damage drives and paths at private houses. If you can arrange to give a. five-ton lorry a mileage of 50 per day, the cost is about 11d. per mile run, but that cost goes up, owing to the incidence of the driver's wages and other fixed charges, when expressed per mile, if the mileage drops.
We think that a steam wagon and trailer would probably suit the coal trade better than a rubbertired petrol lorry, but it is difficult to give other than a general opinion in the absence of specific questions.
On the points which you raise, a three-ton petrol lorry would cost about is. per mile, inclusive of driver's wages, maintenance, depreciation and all stores, on so low a mileage as 20 per day, so the delivery cost for 12 tons in all would come out ner ton at is. 8d. That figure could only be achieved if you bought a well-selected vehicle second-hand, at a cost not in excess of £250, inclusive of rubber tires.
An Unintelligent Replacement. A Repairer (7) Fits a Larger Sprocket to Lower the Gear!
[2135] (Cromer).—The garage in question could have had little mechanical knowledge. If a larger chain sprocket be fitted as you suggest, this has the effect of raising the gear, and not of lowering it.
Police Order a Steam Wagon Away from Main Street.
[2136] (Norfolk).—We recommend you to see the Town Clerk's office, or to write to the Town Clerk, drawing his attention to the facts, and asking will he give you the authority under which the police ordered the steam lorry to keep out of the main street.
Unless the Council has some special local powers, the police are exceeding their rights. If the wagon and its load comply with the Motor Car Acts, the police have no ordinary authority to forbid the use of special thoroughfares.
May we suggest that you should join the C.M.U.A., which Association would certainly protect your interests in such matters.
A Letter to a Correspondent who has made Many Attempts to get Improved Consumption Results.
[2137] (Somerset).—We see no reason why your
standard carburetter should not give you good consumption, as we know of many instances where satisfaction is being secured. If, however, the — Co. is unable to solve the difficulty in respect of the particular machine you are operating, we think perhaps it might be worth your while to try the fitting of a Soles carburetter. If you write to S. Wolf and Co., Ltd., 115, Southwark Street, London, SE., putting your case carefully before them, we feel sure they will advise you to the best of their ability. We know the Solex is a first-class accessory, and in many cases of obstinate consumption results we have been enabled to secure an improvement by advising the fitting of one.
Per Vehicle-mile or Per Ton-mile? How to Compute Actual Ton-mileage on Broken Journeys.
[2138] (Waltham Abbey).—We note you ask us for advice as to the computing of costs for petrol and steam wagons on a ton-mile basis, We generally find it best to recommend users to work out their costs per vehicle-mile, and not per ton-mile. If, however, you work regular loads between fixed points, there is no difficulty, from the point of view of multiplicity of records and calculations, to prevent your working on the ton-mile basis.
The fundamental data which you require to have are these: the average load for the loaded portion of the trip, which average load must be multiplied by the total length of the loaded trip, and which data must be available for each and every separate trip. When you multiply the loaded mileage by the average load, you get the net ton-miles. You have separately to calculate and then to add the running costs for loaded and light running, and then you should divide that figure by the net ton-miles.
You will see that it is not an easy matter to get the correct ton-mileage when a vehicle is engaged on a number of deliveries at various points during the course of a variety of journeys over different routes. Should you desire to have a representative table of working costs for various vehicles, if you write to Leyland Motors, Ltd., Leyland, Lancs., and mention this journal, they will no doubt be happy to send to you a copy of their catalogue, with examples of such costs. We mention Leylands because of the trouble which we know they took to make out their tables. We have ourselves published notes of the kind for some time, but the issues which contain them are out of print.