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THERE is much evidence to prove that the recent Commercial Motor Show at Olympia was the best yet held, not only in respect of the actual exhibits displayed, but as regards the business done. For instance, Richard Garrett and Sons. Ltd., was visited on its stand by over 1,200 really interested people, apart from casual sightseers, nearly 200 actual inquiries for its sixwheeled steam wagons were received, and the sales exceeded those receive-I at all previous Commercial
Vehicle Exhibitions taken together. In fact, the encouragement has been so great that the company has decided to double its production programme. It considers that the results are, in a large measure, due to the excellent manner in which the Show was staged and advertised.
THE extraordinary reliability and efficiency of
the engines of modern commercial vehicles are exemplified by what may be termed the surprise trials carried out frequently in the engine-test department at the Thornycroft works.'
Any standard-production engine, after its ordinary period of being motored in and run under load, is picked out for a 24-hour non-stop run, on full throttle at 2,000 r.P.m., and at the conclusion of such a test it is found that the average loss in power is only .2 b.h.p.
Mr. H. L. Hill, who is responsible for this work, is also in charge of the road tests.
THE fuel technologist of the General Motors Corporation, Mr. T. A. Boyd, speaking recently at a meeting of the Canadian section of the Society TOR
of Automotive Engineers, expressed himself as most optimistic regarding the supply of fuel for internal-combustion engines. Be said that he considered there would be sufficient to last many thousand of years,on account of the possibility of converting coal into liquid fuel. He referred also to the relative amount of power contained in petrol and other materials. The former contains 19,000 British Thermal Units per pound, T.N.T. has 6,500, nitro-glycerine 3,200, dynamite 2,500 and gunpowder 1,250.
MOST practical inventions are of a simple nature and they can often be arranged to fulfil inure than one function. A case in point is the rubber ;Mint embodied in the latest type of track made by Roadless Traction, Ltd., of Hounslow. Not only does this joint obviate the need for lubrication and help to silence the working of the track, but it gives a degree of longitudinal and lateral elasticity to it. If the clutch of a Roadless-equipped tractor be handled roughly the machine does not " buck " nearly so much as would one having an all-metal track. This, of course, is not only beneficial to the machine, but to the surface upon which it operates.
WHEN Mr. Greenwood, the Minister of Health,
visited the recent Public Works, Roads and Transport Exhibition he was much interested in the new Eagle dustless refuse collector. After being introduced to Mr. R. 0. Palmer, the managing director of the Eagle concern, by Mr. Pattison, the exhibition manager, he witnessed a demonstration of how the bins are emptied dustlessly and the hied trimmed without the refuse being exposed to sight. He showed an intimate acquaintance with the problem of dealing with refuse and, on being told 'that refuse-collection vehicles had been produced for over half a century in the Eagle works, at Warwick, humorously said, "Oil, so you're one of the culprits we're 'looking for !" From which remark it may be gathered that the Minister does not view with favour the many antiquated typos of vehicle at present used for refuse collection.
WE deal with some quite amusing inquiries at times, both by letter and by telephone. The other day a high Government official sent a telephone. message of inquiry as to the maker of the "Judea" pneumatic tyre. The name was carefully spelt out to us. After a little we were able to put him on the right track. The " Junior " tyre is made by the North British Rubber Co., Ltd.
A LARGE number of modern commercial vehicles is supplied with electric starting. In some cases, however, the load imposed upon a battery, when a start from cold has to be made and the engine is of large size, is often more than it can stand, particularly if this be repeated every day throughout the winter. In the case of fleets of vehicles it might be worth while devising some scheme whereby current from the garage mains could be altered in voltage so that the starter could be switched over to.the mains supply, cutting out the battery for the time being. This would save the battery and leave to it only the work of starting a warm engine.
MUCH use is now made of electric welding, as, for instance, in the securing of brake levers to cross-shafts.
We recently noted an interesting point in this connection. One particular make of welding rod has, running through the material that covers it, a thin aluminium wire. This assists in giving what may be called self-welding on the thermit principle, as is often employed for joining tramlines, with the result that less expenditure of current is required for effecting any particular weld.
IT was announced a few days ago that the Minister of Transport has called a conference on the question of street accidents in London. It will commence on January 14th and probably last two days, and will include representatives of all the interested departments and authorities, the Safety First Association and bus and taxicab undertakings. The discussion will be on the two Reports issued by the London Traffic Advisory Committee.
It is to be hoped that some practicable suggestions will result from this combined effort.