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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

of the roads over which it rans."--John Beattie Cr. all diealties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness

osier. •

An A.E.C. Business Tour.

Mr. Norman A. Hardie, whose Portrait appears on this page and who is responsible for the commercial interests of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., will embark, on September 11th, on an extensive tour lasting six moatbs in connection with the development of A.E.C. business overseas. The itinerary of the tour will include Egypt. India. Federated Malay States, Dutch East Indies, Australia, New Zealand and, possibly, South Africa.

Visits to present and potential overseas operators of A.E.C. vehicles are being arranged and, the opportunity will be taken of defining the company's future policy to those interested in passenger and goods transport by motor vehicle. At the same time negotiations will be completed -with regard to the appointment of distributors in territories. where the company is not yet represented. •

A Tribute to Albions.

Striking testimony of the merits of the commercial vehicle products of the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., and in particular of a inotorhus which was built by the company in 1925, is contained in a letter recently received by the company from Messrs. Tames Penman and Co., motor hirers, of Bannockburn. This bus, a 24 h.p. model, was delivered in July, 1925, and it has just been overhauled. It was found that very little was needed in the way of replacement, in spite of the fact that the mileage covered to the data of the overhaul was 150,000. The only spares needed were a big-end bearing, timing wheels, a governor rod and tine or two minor items, in addition to the cylinders requiring reboring—these items involving a cost of about £25.

The services of the users were started originally with several Albion 32 h.p. chain-driven War Department vehicles. and these, after giving satisfactory service, were replaced by more modern typos. Nine Albion 30-60 h.p. buses

have been purchased in all during the past two years and• the firstof these, delivered in April, 1926, has now covered.100,000 miles ,without having been overhauled. It should, of course, be pointed out thar the vehicles are maintained in first-class mechanicalcOndition, and' the thoroughness with which periodic • inspections are undertaken undoubtedlY acconnts for the mileages which the vehicles• have done -without requiring comprehensive mechanical overhauls..

Belfast's Bus Bylaws.

During last Week an inquiry was opened in the City. Hall, Belfast, into the proposed by-laws of the Belfast Corporation. for the regulation of traffic in the city, anent which we' have recently dealt with the attitude of bus and coach owners. • A New Direction Sign.

A new type of direction sign has recently been standardized by the Royal Automobile Club for use at any junction where difficulty might be experienced by road, risers in following the correct route. The sign takes the form of an enamelled plate with a white background carrying an easily distinguishable arrow in blue, Provision being made for the affixing of detachable cardS bearing appropriate lettering.

In a Line or Two.

According to a recent United States , Consular report from Moscow, the Amo works manufactured approximately 450 lorries of 11-ton capacity and the Yaroslav plant 60 vehicles of 31-ton capacity during last year.

The Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., has just placed a contract With C, Groves, Ltd., of Chester-le-Street, I for the erection of a new motorblis station in the city of Durham.

East Suffolk County Council is :to make further representations to the Ministry of Transport for a grant towards its scheme for the construction of an underbridge at • Sproughton Road level-crossing.

Chester Corporation Inn; decided to erect a weighbrid0 of 30 tons capacityon a site in George Street for weighing vehicles under the Heavy Motor Car Orders.

In the first six months-of 1928, 800 . motor lorries were imported into Singapore, Penang and Port Swettenham, the countries of origin and the number from each being as follow :—America, 512; Great Britain, 226, Canada, 59;

Prance, 2 ; Germany, -1..

Statistics recently circulated by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that up to the end of May 31st last there were 832,000 private cars, 286,000 motor lorries and 86,000 hackney vehicles 'registered in Great Britain. '

Marueuvres Congest Roads.

The Aldershot Command Manceuvres, which are now in progress, will continue until September 21st. Many areas in East and West Sussex will suffer certain congestion during the period of the manceuvres and many commercial users will accordingly be interested to learn that the A.A. patrols on the roads will keep in direct contact with the military authorities so as to pass on information to road users as to the best routes to follow. • The area affected stretches from Newhaven to Selsey along the coast, to Hazelmere in the north-west, East Grinstead in the north and Uckfield and Lewes in the east.

Lancashire Railway Bridge Schemes.

Lancashire County Council reports that the Joint Select Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons dealing with the Railway (Road Transport) Bills has inserted a clause which will enable the council to con-sertict the necessary bridges under or over railways in connection with the new Liverpool:East Lancashire road. It is hoped that the Minister of Transport will shortly confirm -the compulsory Order for the acquisition of the necessary lands and thus enable the work on the road to be proceeded with.

A New Roof Ventilator.

A new ventilator specially designed for the roofs of public-service vehicles has _just been added to the range of Sidno fittings produced by Messrs. -Cooper, Webb-Jones and Co., Stockwell Works, Walsall. The device is symmetrical in design, is only 21 ins, deep and has a streamlined body. The inside grid , is of neat appearance and the arrangement of the ventilating fins, enclosed within the body of the deviee is responsible for its efficien. working.

The A.E.C. Model 418 Colonial Chassis.

The lorry owned and operated by the South Australian Farmers", Cooperative Union, which was illustrated on the front-cover advertisement of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., in the issue of The Commercial Motor dated July 3rd last, was erroneously described as a 70-cwt Model 418, whereas the capacity of this particular Model is 95 cwt. British Lorries Preferred.

During last May 445 commercial vehicles were registered in Victoria, all being North American products with the exception of 46 British and three Cemtinental makes. It is interesting to note that a higher proportion of

r...-. -..., This Morris-Commercial six-wheeler 1 I, seen crossing the I River Severn at 1 Hampton Loade,was supplied to the FoundationCo.,Ltd., 1 of London, by the Tenbury Baths Co., of Kidderminster.

British vehicles was sold up-country than of any foreign make, indicating that our products are better suited to arduous conditions of operation. The leading North American makes registered were Chevrolet, 176; Ford, 70; Dodge, 35; International, 25; Rugby, 10; and Reo, 15. The British units were composed of Morris-Cowley, 11; Bean, 10; Mcirris-Commercial, 0; , Austin, 5; Leyland and Singer, 3 each; and Albion, Crossley, Daimler, Dennis and Thornycroft, 1 each.

Railway Stations as Petrol-filling Stations.

It is reported from Bente that the Swiss Federal railway authorities are considering 'a scheme which is stated to have been submitted to them by a big English motor-spirit distributing concern for .a concession to establish petrol-filling stations in the vicinity of all the -large and medium-size railway stations throughout Switzerland. About 200 petrol stations are said to be contemplated and, according to the project, these are to be looked after by railway employees.

New Middlesex Roads.

The Middlesex County Council Highways Committee draws attention to the decision of the county council approving of those sections of the Great Chertsey Road, which form connecting roads to the bridges to be built over the River Thames at Chiswick and Richmond, being constructed at a cost not exceeding £307,000. This is provided that theMinistry of Transport contributes not less than half of the expenditure involved.

A Big Guy Contract.

Guy Motors, Ltd., 'Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, has just received an order from the India Office for 69 of its

six-wheeled, commercial-vehicle chassis. The company continues to receive many orders for vehicles Of this type and, amongst recent: municipal purchases may be cited the Wolverhampton Corporation, which is buying six bus chassis., This authority is also purchasing two 35-seaters and two 25seaters, whilst the Reading Corporation has ordered a number of Guy 26-seater buses. In all three instances these orders are in the nature of repeats and we understand that the total monetary value of the contracts is approximately £104,000.

The 47th "General" Garage.

Work has just been started on a new garage at Elmer's End for housing the buses of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., operating in the district. It will provide accommodation for 120 vehicles, the total floor area being 43,000 sq. ft. Underground tanks to hold 12,000 gallons of petrol will be installed and buses will be fed from these tanks by up-to-date pressure pumps with recording meters. It is interesting to learn that all the company's garages are now being equipped with this special type of pump.

There will be three entrances to the new garage and the doors will he of the Esavian fold ing, sliding 'type. The usual automatic-sprinkler apparatus will be fitted as a protection against fire. The latest type of washing equipment now in use in several other L.G.O.C. garages will he installed. This consists of what might be termed water rifles, which project powerful jots of water on to the vehicle during the time that a brush, attached to the nozzle ef the rifle, is removing the dirt.

An A.G.E. Appointment.

In order to co-ordinate the Australian " interests of its 14 associated companies, • Agricultural and General Engineers, Ltd., has just appointed Mr. A. Simpson, formerly MM. Trade Commissioner in Sydney, to-act as its resident chief representative in Austra

lia. Mr. Simpson's appointment will not interfere with existing agency arrangements. A Jowett Fleet for Scotland Yard.

Fourteen vehicles of Jowett make, comprising 13 four-seater cars and a light van, were recently supplied for the service of the Metropolitan Police at Scotland Yard. We made brief reference to this in our iSSue for last week, when we mentioned that they had been equipped with the Humfrey-Sandberg free-wheel device, which is shown in one of the decompanying illustrations, the other being of the van.

It has been demonstrated beyond doubt that this form of free wheel enables

gear changing up or down to be effected without the slightest difficulty; in fact it is possible to change from top to bottom gear at a fair speed without increasing the speed of revolution of the engine, and this without a sign of gear clashing. A further advantage of the device is that it effects a saving in petrol consumption. Brief tests by the maker of the vans, Jowett Cars, Ltd, Bradford Road, Idle, Bradford, have shown that the gain is something like 15 to 20 per cent.

The ideal_method of fitting is to incorporate the clutch in the gearbox itself, but as this would necessitate redesigning the unit for the Jowett, it was supplied as a separate fitting to go immediately behind the gearbox at the front of the forward, end of the cardan shaft. A small control lever convenient to the driver's left hand enables thefree-wheel device to be locked when desired, so that the engine can he used as a brake.

Fell information regarding the free B22 wheel can be obtained from the Humfrey-Sandberg Co., Ltd., 40, Grosvenor Gardens, London, S.W.1.

Municipal Officials' Car Allowances. Barks County Council has reviewed the scale of motorcar allowance to county officials and decided that the following scale be substituted for that at present in operation :—Grads 1. First 4,000 miles, 5d. per mile ; next 2,000 miles, 40. per mile, and above Result of a Sunderland Bus • Inquiry:

The finding of the Ministry of Transport in connection with the recent dispute between the Economic Motor

• Omnibus Co. and the Sunderland Corporation, which resulted in a public inquiry being held on July 10th, is in favour of the private firm. At the inquiry the bus concern alleged that their licences were refused because ef a working arrangement between the

Sunderland Corporation • and the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd. The Minister states that he cannGt support the licensing authority and is of the opinion that the application of the Economic Motor Omnibus Co. should be granted, with the qualifications that the terminal point of their services within the borough shall be in Park Lane or some other • convenient point to be fixed by mutual arrangement and the firm shall give an undertaking "that the fares charged shall be ' • such las to discourage the use of their .vehicles by passengers travelling locally on the route served by the corporation tramways.

Monthly Petrol Consumption.

The striking growth in the use ef motor vehicles is . shown by figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, of the average monthly consumption of motor spirit for

• the years from.1923 to 1928. In 1923 the average monthly consumption was 28,480,000 gallons; • in 1924, 39,318,00)0 gallons ; in 1925, 39,649,000 gallons; in 1926, 55,438,889 gallons; in 1927, 56,098,325 gallons and for the first six months of 1928; 4,504,668. gallons.

A New Brown Oros.

Another, fink has . been added 'to the chain of depots from which Brown Bros., Ltd., sets out to meet the requirements of the motor, cyCle and wireless trades. The new branch is at 25, Temple ,Street. Bristol, and it has a storage space of 12,300 -sq. ft. The manager of the branch is Mr. W. C. Jones.

Municipal Parehases and Proposals.

EAST SUFFOtA Comity Council has purchased a new chassis for the motor ambulance.

WORL IN GWORTH (S u ) Parish Council is considering the purchase of a fire-engine.

EDINGTHORPE (Norfolk) Parish Council has decided upon the provision of a fire-engine.

STRATTON (North Cornwall) Rural District Council has decided to purchase an ambulance at a cost of 1260.

"Ilitenury Urban District Council toquires a 30-cwt. tipping wagon, and tenders have to be delivered by September 8th.

LANCASHIRE County Council is seeking sanction for a loan of £720 for the purchase of a new motor ambulance for Peel Hall Sanatorium. .

The tramways committee of the Rskinsto Corporation has accepted the tender of Guy Motors, Ltd., for the supply of three motorbuses.

The highways committee of the LEEDS Corporation is inviting tenders ' for the supply of a 10-ton, three-roll road roller, and these have to be delivered by September 6th. Obstruction by Contractors' Lorries:

Norfolk County Council has considered the question of obstruction to traffic caused by contractors' motor lorries drawing across the road for the purpose of tipping small heaps of sand, and has circularized the owners warning them that such a practice rendm them liable to prosecution. The council has further decided to insert a clause in next year's contracts for haulage which will prevent the occurrence of such obstruction.

Leyland Facts.

Leyland Motors, Ltd., has just issued a leaflet, for inclusion in its loose-leaf catalogue, which deals with the policy and service organization of the company, and gives a short history of its progress. The service organization which embraces numerous depots and

agencies throughout the world has its headquarters located at the main factory, where it has its own transport, despatch department and separate stores. The stock of spares held Inthese stores has a value of over £50,000. The historical review mentions that today upwards of 5,000 hands are employed at the company's LancashVe works, which extend over 160 acres.

Bus Results at South Shields.

At the end of March last the South Shields Corporation had 13 motorbuses in service, these being of Guy and Morris-Commercial makes, but, according to the report of Mr. J. Austin Baker, the general managerand engineer of the tramways department, for the year ended March 31st last, the average number of buses in use for 16 hours a day was only six. South Shields, has just completed its 14th year of operating motorbuses, such vehicles now being in use on a route mileage of 71...

In the past year the total income from the operation of the buses was £13,110, and expenditure totalled £11,538, thus leaving a balance of £1,572 to be carried to the net revenue

account. After deducting interest on capital, sinking fund charees, etc., the net loss on the workine' of the buses amounted to 11,537. During the year the buses ran 285,639 miles and carried 1,464,161 passengers.

Municipal Praise for Bus Services.

A Blyth Corporation report states that from Post Office Square very complete and efficient services of motorbuses radiate north,' south and west and give the inhabitants of the smallest and remotest villages a cheap and speedy means of reaching Blyth for shopping or for a day by the sea. A frequent service of buses runs to Ashington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Shields, Morpeth, Whitley Bay and other places. Passengers who live on the bus routes find them extremely useful for safe and -expeditious conveyance of parcels and the ready facilities . provided in this direction are -fully

appreciated and used. .

Bridging a Dangerous Level Crossing.

Norfolk County Council has decided to erect a bridge, over the dangerous level crossing' at Rouclimm. The railway company has agreed to contribute £5,000 and the Ministry of Transport will make a grant of 75 per cent, of the net cost to the county council. The conned has decided to provide a temporary road diversion near the site while the bridge is in course of construction.

Joined a Manchester Company.

We understand that Mr. J, Atkinson has just taken up the management of the publicity affairs of Newton and Bennett, Ltd., King Street West, Manchester, the patentee and manufacturer of the Newton shock absorber. Mr. Atkinson was previously with the Equipment and Engineering Co., of London. The Houdaille Tyre-pressure Equalizer.

In our issue for last week we asked for information concerning a type cf tyre-pressure equalizer for use with the twin tyres of commercial vehicles. We now learn that the device in question is a product of the Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension Co., Ltd., 69, Drayton Gardens, London, S.W.10. It is available, in two sizes—one, the standard model, being priced at 12s. 6d.; and the other, the super model, which includes a gauge reading from zero up to 60 lb., at £1. 1s.

To Avoid a Road Detour in Berkshire.

The Milton Parish Council has raised the question' of the practicability of constructing a new direct road from Milton to Steventon. At present the nearest road for use by vehicles is by way of Steventon Hill and Milton, a distance of over two miles, including a very steep hill, and it is suggested that a new road, about three-quarters of a mile in length and practically on the level, could be made to connect the two parishes. The matter will be submitted to the Ministry of Transport by the Berks County Council with a view to ascertaining what financial assistance would be forthcoming in the event of a scheme on the lines suggested by the parish council being entertained.

Lorry Fittings for Bodybuilders. Bodybuilders in particular will be interested in a catalogue which has just been issued by Messrs. John Perks and Son, Crown Works, Lye, Stourbridge. It contains illustrations and details of a host of useful fittings for motor lorries, including tailboard hooks, spare-wheel brackets, trailer drawbars, hood fittings, locks of different pattern and brackets for many purposes. The firm markets screw-tipping gears and single-screw and double-screw patterns are available, the former being for light vehicles. B23 A Special Trailer for Long Loads.

R. A. Dyson and Co., Ltd., the wellknown maker of trailers, of 76-80, Grafton Street, Liverpool, has just produced a particularly interesting trailer which is intended for carrying long loads. As will be seen from accompanying pictures, it is shod with pneumatic tyres, twin equipment being used on the rear wheels ; the dimensions of the tyres are 1,085 mm. by 180 rem. The load capacity of the trailer is 10 tons. Its normal wheelbase is 12 ft., but when extended to deal with long loads the wheelbase is 20_ ft. The stanchions which are provided are quickly detachable, it only being necessary to remove a single pin. The width of the bolster is 7 ft. 6 ins, and its. height from ground level is 4 ft. 5 ins. Brakes are fitted to the trailer, these being of the• internal-expanding type, whilst the drawbar provided is of the tractor pattern.

An Anti-fire BY-law.

The Aberystwyth Town Council is refusing applications for licences for service vehicles in cases where no fireextinguishers are provided on the machines in question. The council has now made a by-law enforcing the carrying of fire-extinguishers on these vehicles and, recently, a fine was imposed by the local magistrates on a bus owner who was summoned for a breach of the rule.

Chesterfield and Long-distance Services. , Chesterfield Watch Committee has adjourned consideration of iiiiplications received from Underwood Express Services Ltd., of Sheffield, and Ne Plus Ultra' Motor Services, of Retford, for licences to ply for hire in Connection with services between Sheffield and .London, and from' Mr.' F. Taylor, of Middlesbrough,for a, licence to ply for hire with a vehicle Used on the Durham mid Derby route.

Bowtenstall's Municipal Buses.

Municipal motorbus services were cotnmenced at Rawtenstall in August, 1924, and in the three completed,years of their operation the -number of miles run and the passengers carried per annum have shown a steady increase. Whereas, in 1925-26, 278,140 miles were run, in the year to March 31st last, 415,200 miles were recorded.

According to a recent report dealing with the passenger transport system at Rawtenstall, the corporation now owns 13 buses, most of them being of Leyland Mannfacture. In the year under review the total income from the buses amounted to £25,930 and expenditure totalled £19,309, thus leaving a balance of 16,621. After adding bank interest (Da), interest on loans, sinking fund charges and taxes amounting to £4,699 reduce this slim to 12,018, this being transferred to the appropriation account.

A Belgian Commercial-vehicle Parade, The Syndicat du Vehicle Automobile Industriel of Brussels, which may be described as the Belgian Commercial Motor Users Association' is organizing a competition of such vehicles for September 9th next. One of the objects of the competition, which will be open only to vehicles that have

been in use for at least sit months, is to create amongst both owners sod drivers an appreciation of the Advantages of keeping their vehicles in good condition. Such events, held in this country under the auspices of the Commercial Motor Users Association, have _done much to achieve this object.

Cardiff and Caerphilly Seek Extra Bus Powers.

The Cardiff City Council hits now made formal:application to the Ministry of Transport for sanction to extend its bus services into the area of the Caerphilly Urban District Council, via Tongwynlais, Taff's Well, Glan-y-Llyn and Nantgarw, to Caerphilly. The Caerphilly Urban District Council has also made formal application for sanction to run buses from Caerphilly into Cardiff on the same route, there being an agreement between the two councils for the operation of municipal services on a certain joint basis.

Business Chances in Sweden. • It is reported from Stockholm that the two Swedish manufacturers of motorbuses and lorries have orders in hand for all the vehicles that they can produce until well into the autumn and, consequently, there are opportunities for business in the country which some British. makers might turn to profitable account.

Of Interest to Metallurgists.

Volume 39 of the Journal of the Institute of Metals has just ,been issued. It contains an account of the proceedings at the twentieth annual general meeting of the Institute, and' the papers that were then presented are reproduced in full, with the verbatim; discussions on them. They deal with the .work of metallurgists in Japan, India, the United States and Germany, as well as in Great Britain. Much space is given in the volume to a summary of the world's metallurgical literature.

The volume is published by the Institute of Metals, 36, Victoria Street,' London, S.W.1, and sells at 31s, 6d. net It should be of value to all those who have to deal with the manufacture and use of metals and their alloys.

Road Transport Developments in Syria.

The use of motor vehicles, both for goods and passenger transport, is, according to a Department of Overseas Trade Report, still on the increase in Syria. The approximate number of motor lorries in use in the country at the end of 1927 was over. 400, in addition to 4,500 cars, the bulk of the vehicles working in the Lebanon.

The trans-desert motor services, the Operations of which were greatly hindered by the troubles of 1025, seem to have regained the ground which was lost. The main traffic is on the Bey

rout-Damascus-Baghdad route. It is stated that the most reliable service is furnished by an Anglo-French company, which has put into use vehicles of the saloon type. These give a large mea sure of comfort and are stated to te a great improvement on the ordinary touring car.

There is also a certain amount of motor-lorry traffic, but it does not seem to have developed to any great extent. Lorries and passenger vehicles also tly regularly between Aleppo and Mosul, making the journey in two days.

Morecambe Grants Licences.

'Morebanibe Watch Conimittee 'has granted licences to Messrs.' Cross Country Motor Service, of Barnsley; for a niotorbns service between Morecambe and Withernsea, via Hull, subject to the firm undertaking to comply with the provilipns of tlie_ protective clauses Of the :London Midhnd and Scottish' Railway: Co.'s Road Transport Bill not to 'pick up or set down passengersi .within the extende'd-borMigh of MoreCaMbe, ;to provide, their own terminus and to follow defined routes.

Packing Six-wheelers for India.. In an 'article which appeared in our issue dated August 21st dealing With the activities of R. and J. Park, Ltd.-, in connection with the preparation of cunimercial motors for export, we referred to a number of six-wheeled vehicles being shipped for the India Office. These vehicles, we understand,' Were of Karrier make and not as stated.