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One Day's Work (New Series) No. 13.

4th November 1909
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Page 4, 4th November 1909 — One Day's Work (New Series) No. 13.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

With One of the Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society's Five-ton Mann Steam Wagons.

Recounted by a Member of the Editorial Staff.

Co-operative societies throughout the, country are making increased use of motor vehicles, both for the direct delivery of goods to their members, and for the conveyance of supplies from one depot to another. Wherever the bulk to be transported is considerable, a standard steam wagon, by one of the well-known makers, is generally preferred to a machine propelled by a petrol engine. I have not been able to ascertain the reason for this preference, but it is more than likely due to the early experiences of one or two pioneer societies. However, the Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society, Ltd., strongly favours steamers, and its fleet includes two five-ton Mann machines each of which rims an average distance of 35 miles a day, for five days a week, with an occasional run on Saturdays; but, as a rule, that day is reserved for the eleaning of the boilers, the making of all necessary adjustments, etc. On occasional Saturdays the oil is drained from the engine casing, and, after all the parts are thoroughly cleaned, a fresh supply of unused oil is introduced. This complete renewal of the nil, I am sorry to say, by many users, is only done when an engine is in the repair shop for its annual overhaul ; it is a matter for regret that owners do not realize that by the occasional expenditure of a few shillings on a fresh supply of clean oil for thecrankcase they are effecting, indirectly, a monetary saving. One result of the removal of all the solid matter, which in course of time settles in the bearings, and on the cross-head slides and link motion, is a reduction in the fuel bill due to the increased efficiency of transmission at all affected points. When I arrived, at the Leeds Cooperative Society's corn-milling department, at 7 a.m. an the morning of my day's run with wagon no " U810," I found the vehicle already loaded and under steam, apparently ready for the road; the driver and his mate, however, were having breakfast, so, as the start was not expected before 7.30, I sought out Mr. Brambles, the engineer-in-charge of the mill and the wagons, in order to learn from him how his society found the motors

compare with its previously-acquired records of work with horse-drawn lorries. Mr. Brambles is a typical West-Riding man, and, during his long connection with earn and flour mills, he has had a very wide experience with all forms of road transport; he is a great lover of horses, but, notwithstanding that fact, he is now a staunch advocate of the use of motors, and particularly of steam wagons, for heavy work, over long distances. He informed me that the working costsfor each of the Mann wagons was less than 14s. per working day, for fuel, oils, waste and sundries, and the wages of two men. Comparing this amount with the cost for horse-drawn eagons of equal load capacity (seven tons), for daily journeys of the same mileage as is von by each steamer, he stated' that mechanical transport was very much the cheaper. At the accepted rate of 86. per horse, per day, per ton, the cartage of seven tons would cost 56s. exclusive of any expenditure for the baiting of the animals on the road; but, as the start would have to be made not later than 3 a.m., in order that the return journey might be completed on the same day, the horses would have to be baited at least twice. The total cokst for the cartage of seven tons, for a distance of 35 miles, by horsed vehicles, could not be less than 628., and the animals would not be able to do many such " day's " work in one week. These figures, given by a man of M.r. Brambles' experience, afford food for thought by all concerned in the transportation of goods by road, over long distances, without breaking bulk.

The start, from the mill yard, was made at 7_40 a.m., our destination being Ilkley, to which town we travelled via the historic and picturesque ruins of Kirke...ill Abbey, Horseforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Menston, Burley, and Ben Rhydding. During the outward journey, we made two stops for water; the first one between Kirkstall and Torseforth, and the second near I41enston. On our arrival at Ilkley, the trailer was uncoupled, and left in front of the provision department of the Ilkley branch of the Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society, Ltd., and its load of groceries was subsequently removed by the men of that department; the wagon was then driven to the warehouse, at the back of the premises, and its load, consisting of sacks of flour, was diseharged. Each sack, weighing 20 stone, was hoisted up to the first floor by the aid of a capstan, or bollard; this may he fixed on either side of the vehicle, and it is nicely driven by the wagon engine. One of the illustrations shows this extremely useful attachment being used for the hoisting of a. sack of flour.

This occasion was, for me, an " easy " day, and, although the early part of the run from Leeds had been made unpleasant by a, drizzling rain, the weather conditions had changed to brilliant sunshine by the time we reached Ilkley. There was to be a fairly long stop here, for the purpose of unloading, taking up such empties as were to be returned to Leeds, and for the men to " refill their bunkers," soI took advantage of the interval to re-visit one of my old haunts, and sauntered up the zig-zag path to Heber's Gill. The summit of this hill is many hundreds of feet high, and, from it, a charming view of the surrounding country may be obtained, the line of hills along the boundaries of Lancashire and Westmoreland forming the background, with the valley of the Wharf° and Beanisley Beacon nearer at hand. The keen air, and the exertion due to the climbing, put me in fine trim for my luncheon, to which meal I did full justice, after a hurried return, down the hill, to the town. Many of my friends and acquaintances have a superstitious dislike to the number " 13," but, as 1 tucked away my lunch, I felt that on this day at least, my " luck was in although the occasion was my thirteenth "day's work."

Shortly after two o'clock, we commenced the 16i miles of return journey to Leeds, via Burley, Otley, Otley Chevin, Adel and Headingley. When we reached Otley-, we found that it was market day in that little Yorkshire town, and we had to proceed very slowly along Kirkgate because of the presence, along each side of the roadway, of temporary open market stalls, and a crowd of farmers, who, with their wivos, sons, and daughters, had gone into the town from the surrounding country. After proceeding a few miles farther, we stopped to take up water, at the top of Pool Bank, at a point almost immediately over the Bramhope tunnel, during the boring

of which so many navvies lost their lives. I have noticed that near most suitable " watering " places on the roadside, more or less tempting inns have grown up, or, perhaps, the watering places have developed subsequent to the building of the inns : anyway, the " Dyneley Arms" is near the top of Pool Bank, and I was soon listening to a tale of woe, told by the landlord—a man from Otley, or Othelai as it was known in the days of old. Be mournfully informed me that " Othla's nowt like it wer' afor 't trams and 't railways took 'trade to Leeds (Leeds)." Curiously enough, he made no complaint against motor vehicles, probably because, whilst much of Otley's trade has gone to Leeds, it is undoubtedly true that many Leeds business men now reside in Otley, Ilkley, and the neighbouring districts.

The /lest of the journey to Leeds was most uninteresting, and I felt inclined to ask the question "Why are steam wagons so absolutely reliable nowadays?" There is nothing of the excitement of past years, with the sporting chances of one's never reaching his destination without having to re-build the wagon by the wayside. The modern steam wagon has been evolved as the result of much costly experiment, and the elimination of weak and troublesome details. One might truly state that with a good make of steam wagon trouble is now only experienced when the ground is covered with snow, and the steel-shod wheels fail to get a grip on the road surface; even this source of trouble may be avoided by the provision, for use when tha weather conditions demand them, of a pair of rubber-tired driving wheels. Of course, there are a number of different types of non-skid devices now obtainable, but the sparewheel cure is to be preferred to any arrangement which is intended to be attached to the steel-tired wheels.

Leeds was reached at 5.15 p.m., after travelling some 32!,i miles, in exactly six hours of running time, and at no time during the day did driver Hornsby force the vehicle along at a speed that was likely to damage either the road or the machine. This was a comparatively-short day's work for the wagon, and further, on its return journey, practically no load was carried, but, I am informed, on one or two days a week, starting from Leeds, the vehicle makes a round which includes Wetherhy, Tadcaster, and Selby, a distance exceeding 50 miles, and it takes a full load practically all the way, but, of course, on those days, the driver does not arrive hack in Leeds at 5.15 p.m.

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Locations: Leeds

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