The Motor Drivers News.
Page 27
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Why Ashes are Dropped on the Road.
" G.G." (Bradford) writes :—" I wish to thank A.G.' for his kindness in answering my query regarding my water gauge. As ray wagon is not quite eight months' old,
I never thought of the glass being worn out. After very careful examination, I found that, as A.G.' says, the glass was eaten away slightly on the sharp edges. I know of a wagon, on which a similar gloss is fitted, which has run over two years and is still in perfect order, so perhaps the water used has something to do with it. Lately, I have heard a lot of complaints about ashes being dropped on the streets by steam wagons. This is caused by two things : bad fire bars, and neglect in not cleaning out the ash pan every morning. If ashes are left in the pan until they reach up to the fire bars, the draught is stopped and bad steaming ensues. In addition to this the fire bars are burnt away by overheating and they are caused to twist and bend into all sorts of shapes. " Fire bars, usually, collapse in the middle first, and it is a great mistake to take these few out and replace them by new ones. The correct method is to replace the old ones by an entirely new set, although, in some cases, the best of the old ones may be used again. Great care should always be taken to allow room for expansion, as, if one becomes bent, it will soon bend the whole set. I have seen scores of fire bars scrapped, with hardly the newness burnt off ; they were, however, badly bent and this was caused by nothing else than the mixing of new and old and the want of room for expansion."
Obstructing a Tramway Car.
" D.G." (Glasgow) sends us the following letter :— " The driver of a steam wagon was, at the Coatbridge Police Court, a week or two ago, charged with wilfully obstructing a tramway car in that town. As there seems great doubt to me of the fairness of the magistrate's finding, should like to give the facts of the case. One part of the street is too narrow to allow a tramway car to pass a steam wagon and, as there were other vehicles standing at intervals along the street, the driver of the wagon had to
zig-zag ' from the near side of the street on to the tram rails. The tramway car was proceeding at a slow pace and was making frequent stops; to allow it to pass, the driver of the steam wagon would have been obliged to draw in to the side of the street when he had a chance, and stand
there until the car passed. The case was tried before Bailie Davies and was defended by Mr. W. G. Leechman, writer, of Glasgow. After a hearing lasting about two hours, the Magistrate said (the following is not reported in the local newspaper, a copy of which I am sending) he was convinced that there was no wilful obstruction, but, as a warning to drivers of other vehicles, and to let them understand that the rails were laid down for the tramways only and no driver of any other vehicle had any right to that part of the street, although reminded by the agent for the defence that they had no by-law in Coatbridge like that in force at Glasgow to regulate the street 'traffic, he would line accused 55. or 3 days' imprisonment.
" As the driver of a 6-ton steam wagon, I have to pass through Coatbridge at least once a week and, as for the past two years I have been a subscriber to ' THE COMMERCIAT, MOTOR,' I would like to have the opinion of the Editor on the case in general, and on one or two points in particular. Although I know that, at the present time, your space is severely taxed owing to the R.A.C. Trials for Commercial Vehicles, I will be very glad if you can answer my queries.
" It should be noted, first, that the accused was not asked to plead, probably the Bench got confused owing to the defending agent's objections to the relevancy of the charge.
" (a) When the magistrate was convinced that the accused was not guilty of the offence with which he was charged (that of wilful obstruction), was he justified in convicting for another offence, i.e., that of being on the tramway rails?
" (b) When there are obstructions on the side of the street, has not the driver of a steam wagon the right to go on the rails until such time as he can allow a tramway car to pass without getting in to the side, and standing till it passes?
"The driver of the car, in his evidence, said he was going at the rate of from ten to twelve miles per hour. It must have been in his dreams, for I have often kept up with a tramway car from the terminus at one end to the terminus at the other, a distance of some 3 or 4 miles and a good part of it a single line of rails. When doing this I have not exceeded the 5rn.p.h. limit; 4 to 6rn.p.h. is nearer the speed of a Coatbridge and Airdrie Tramway Company's car."
BO ; (b) yes. No tramcar has an exclusive-right to that part of the high way which lies between its rails. At the same time, it is not reasonable for a lorry driver to hold a tramcar back for any great distance. We hope our correspondent will ask the owner iyf the wagon in question to send a report to Lice Hon. Sec. of the Scottish A.C., Mr. Robert J. Smith, C.A., le.3, West George 'Street, Glasgow.—ED.]