COMMERCIAL MOTOR
Page 1
Page 2
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Officially Recognized by The Commercial Motor Users Association.
The Authority on all forms of Motor Transport. Largest Circulation.
Conducted by EDMUND DANGERFIELD.
Editor: EDWARD S. SHRAPNELL-SMITH.
Vol. XVIII. No. 443. 4th September, 1913.
Converting the Country Carrier.
'ft is the first sale and the first example of successful operation in a new sphere which is the difficult one for the industry as a whole to secure. However convinced the more advanced men in a particular branch of business may be as to the ultimate issue of the struggle between horse and horse-power, they will again and again put off the day when they must change their methods so radically. Once, however, some individual has attempted to steal a march on his immediate competitors, they will, many of them, hurry to be in the front rank.
This history of the conversion of the haulier, of the bus and cab owner, the char-it-bancs proprietor, the
tradesman—even of the undertaker, each is an ex triple of this hesitancy to be the first to venture and of the subsequent hastening not to he the last. We recall, of course, such outstanding examples as the Road Car Co. and the L.G.O.C. and Tillieg's who were the early venturers. Of late we have witnessed the hurried purchase by Carter Paterson's and Pickford's of one-tonners for the collection and delivery from and to City warehouses., following the incursion of the "W. and G." concern into the parcel-carrying world.
Just over a year ago we wrote somewhat fully of the corning conversion of the country carrier, that archaic relic of rural-transport methods. We then drew attention to the manner in which. the increased cost of horse keep, amongst other things. was forcing the hands of the carrier. It was in Wiltshire that the first really practical effort was made to improve on the old-time uncomfortable horsed van of wondrous capacity and negligible speed. It, is tenni; kable how that one example has had far-reaching effects locally. In Salisbury public square, on market clays. no fewer than eight carriers' motorvans may now he regularly numbered, arrived from distant villages with their curious medley load of humanity and household supplies and wants.
This development so far is only trking place in this part of Wiltshire on any scale, but that it will occur before very long all over the country is in-
evitable. News travels apace amongst tea yellers, even such leisurely ones as the passengers in car hers' wagons, and these driver-owners in the Salisbury trict are making increased profits ; their ieerease in number tells its own tale. Moreover, the steadily growing number of regular interurban and rural motorbus services is educating the country trader.
It is unavoidable that the passing of the old carrier's wagon should involve hardship for some other section of the community, and in this ease it is the village shopkeeper, who is losing custom, and the wayside innkeeper, who no longer has an oecasional horse to put up. who are the grumblers. But it is inevitable, the ultimate issue of the contest between oats and petrol is a foregone conclusion in nine cases out of ten. We have even, some little while ago now, seen the plough-horse successfully challenged, so that this commencing displacement of the carrier's animal transport is cause for little surprise. The importance of this impending development to many a sleepy market town, which depends so much on its weekly influx of visitors from village and hamlet, can hardly, at the moment, be estimated.
The Army Exercises to be a Test of Transport.
Since the publication of our last issue, there has come to hand an official communique outlining the scope of the annual Army Exercises for 1913. We wrote last week that we should look forward with particular interest to this year's operations in the field, and now that the official plans are public property, we are led to believe that the lessons available for our own industry will be of exceptional moment.
There are to be no Grand Maimeuvres in the strict sense of the term this year, in their place the troops will be engaged in an Army Exercise. There is to be no pitting against each other of two forces of approximately equal strength, the two bodies of men will consist of a Brown Force of four Foot Divisions and a Cavalry Division under the command of Field-Marshal Sir John French, and a White Force in skeleton. In the words of the communiqué " The Exercise is . designed to give commanders, staffs and administrative services practice in the movement and supply of two armies, each moving on one road only." The object, therefore, of the commanders of the White Force is not to defeat Brown but to bring about situations in which the latter may be taught certain prearranged lessons.
One of the most important phases of this Exercise then, if not the principal one, is to be the testing of the ability of the new mechanie.al-transport trains to supply marching troops with food and supplies of all kinds under circumstances of particular difficulty. During the final stages of the Army Training, which immediately precede the combined Exercise, practice is to be obtained in the utilization of mechanical transport foe the carriage of supplies from railheads up to the comparatively small amount of hersed transport which is nowadays still required for distribution purposes into bivouacs, etc. As a rule Transport and Supply columns have available for them, at any rate in this country, a network of usable roads, arterial to the main line of advance, but in the corning tests the transport efficers are to be told off to revictual troops marching an a narrow front with the number of roads avail able to them strictly limited. The problem, in short, is the successful and continuous supply of two or more divisions of troops moving in depth on one road
as lien the bulk of supplies has to be brought up from railhead in the rear, with no lateral roads available. When it is recalled that the combatant troops of a single division at war strength. occupy some P2 miirs
of road space, and that the mechanical transport has to bring up supplies to revictualling points immediately.to the rear of such columns for transferewe to the distributing horsed units, it will he seen that the capacity Of the mechanical units will be tested to the utmost. The travelling repair shops will be stationed at the railheads in the rear, and disabled lorries will be taken in hand at those points.
The Army Exercises for 191;3 should provide the most remarkable demonstrations of traffic regulation on the ordinary highway that have ever been witnessed. The plans are indeed well laid for a thorough trying-out of the mechanical-transport equipment.
The Problem of the Busguard.
To our knowledge there is a considerable section of the London public which is of opinion that the motorbus owners should long before now have fitted all its vehicles with some practicable form of front lifeguard or busguard, as, perhaps, we may venture to dub it. "Some sort of cow-catcher, you know ; it ought to be quite a simple job1"—that is the kind of comment which is frequently heard from the man who does not know the acute constructional difficulties of this front-guard question. The hind wheels have presented a far easier problem, and one which is now practically solved. It were well, however, for the j•ublic to realize that a practicable front busguard, concerning suggestions for which, we learn, the
Co. alone has already received over 4200 letters, is not at all easily evolved. The majority of the submitted designs would be effective for people standing at the time of the collision, but. would crush thern if they were lying in the roadway. The effective guard must be wide enough almost to cover both wheels on both locks, and yet must not exceed the maximum width of 7 ft. 2 ins, allowed by the police. The otai length of a complete London motorbus must not exceed 23 ft. It is not easy to construct a light out-. rigger of the kind required which shall be stiff enough not to crumple under a heavy blow. Nothing must be employed which can, in anycirc.,Instances, derange the steering gear of the vehicle, and, lastly, the busguard which is finally adopted must be free of dustraising proclivities—a fault of many of the submitted designs. Three new schemes are now under test, and much is hoped of them. Dummies innumerable have been torn to shreds in previous experiments.
Postponement of the Paris Commercial-vehicle Show
(From Our Special Correspondent in Paris.) In all probability there will be no commercial vehicles at the Paris Salon to be held during the month of October. Owing to the great demand for space on the part of touring-car and accessory firms, the portion of the ground floor of the Grand Palais, which, it will be recalled, was last. year given up to commercial vehicles, has had to be incorporated in the pleasure-car section. it was hoped to be able to get permission to build an annexe by the riverside, but, on the ground that this -would interfere with the normal flow of traffic, the city authorities do not appear inclined to grant the concession. In all the circumstances there appears to be no alternative but to include the commercial-motor section of the Salon in the aeronautical exhibition, which will also be held in the Grand Palais, during the month of December.
Berlin Tramways to Secure Control of that City's Motorbuses.
(From Our Special Correspondent in Berlin.) With the view of acquiring a permanent control over the development of the omnibus traffic in Berlin, the Grosse Berliner Strassenbahn-Gesellsehaft has bought 4i million shares of the Berlin General Omnibus Co. The " Grosse," by the way, is the dominating tramcar company, which has cast a jealous and apprehensive eye on the opposition from the Omnibus Co.'s motorbuses. Managing Director Wussow stated, at a meeting of the tramear company's shareholders, that he had long desired to purchase the shares, but the realization of that wish wag not practicable sooner, as Berlin's motorbus traffic had not paid until quite recently. When the omnibus company first started working petrol-driven motorbuses, it nearly ruined itself by the enterprise. At that time the wagon-kilometre absorbed more than 75 pfennigs (9d.) in working expenses ; nowadays the expenses come out at 45 pfennig (gd.) and they will probably sink still lower.