Opinions and Queries
Page 70
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Should Long Coaches Be "Artics"?
JWAS interested in reading the remarks made at the Public Transport Association's dinner by Mr. T. Robert Williams, particularly his reference to the need for P.S.V.s 35-ft. long.
When the 30 ft. x 8 ft. maximum dimensions were first introduced, many small operators bought these coaches for, apParently, no .better reason than to be in step with their competitors, who haddone likewise. In practice, however, these larger vehicles seem. to me to be often unsuitable for the type of work upon which they are regularly employed.
As-one Who has frequently to drive a 30-ft. coach around the suburbs of West London on a school contract, I have corie io realize only too well that most of the side roads and those in housing estates were never designed to accommodate vehicles of this size. It is by no means unknown for drivers . to have to knock at front doors to ask householders to shift their parked cars, or, if they are awkward, to wait until the police have the cars removed. The amount of kerb rubbing and running up pavements which has tc be resorted to considerably shortens the life of the tyres.
If the 35-ft. vehicle becomes legal, how long will it be before someone, who probably has never driven a coach in his life, suggests that the legal length should be increased to 40 ft.? The old 27-ft. vehicles with half cabs could go almost anywhere available to a large car, and had infinitely better driver's vision than . any full-fronted design. One could always get them home in the worst fogs without risking anything more than a dented near-side wing.
If we must have longer coaches, at least let them be articulated, which would give a much greater degree of manoeuvrability for a given length.
London, W.15. S. .I. COOKE.
Safety Pointer from a Driver
THE leading article Too Much Power to their Elbows," in your issue dated November 21, was read by me with much interest I particularly liked the point that vehicle designers could learn from • talks between drivers. As .a driver of most classes of vehicle during 20 years I agree with everything said in this article, and for a long time I have thought in much the same direction. I can only hope that suggestions such as you publish will be noted by the designers.
An especially stupid practice to my mind, and in the opinion of many other drivers, is that on most medium-capacity tippers, with
• both. long and short wheelbases, the spare -wheel is located between the front and rear axles on one side or the other. On building sites, tips and in gravel quarries or when entering fields with gravel for footings, etc., it is easy for the spare wheel or its carrier to contact high places, especially if the front wheels sink an inch or two. Running off a sleeper track is another danger. If the carrier is of the three-point type with a bracket at one side, and two brackets at the other where the wheel is withdrawn, any impact to either the spare wheel or its carrier can result in the whole equipment fouling . the fuel tank, usually with serious results. Surely, such an occurrence should have been
n26 obvious to the designer or manufacturer of the vehicle as early as the drawing-board stage?
As the result of such an incident I bolted the spare wheel inside the tipper body, securing it to the front loading board and removing the buckled carrier. A few weeks later, when I entered the premises of the area dealers for the vehicle concerned, I was met with the remark If we had known we would have bolted the spare wheel there."
Another point is that quite often the owner of a vehicle concerned with any of these difficulties will not believe his driver until a fault results •in damage or delay, when he quickly finds out what has long been obvious to the
°driver.. .
As regards positioning the spare wheel, would it not be possible to allow a space between the cab and the body, as is done with some military vehicles and on a number of Continental models? Possibly it is a case of it being cheaper to fit the spare underneath than to use what may be a more elaborate rig.
-I fully agree with the need for two windscreen wipers as standard. Surely, safety counts in such a matter? 111 could give more examples of this sort, but I feel that I am better at driving lorries than writing letters.
London, E.8. C. V. DRIVER.
Was Tyre Pressure Balanced?
THE reference under. "Passing Comments" in your issue I dated October 17 to the extraordinary time during which the tyres of a trailer retained their pressure under water, prompts me to suggest that the depth at the spot might have had some influence upon this.
My excellent diary gives the pressure under 1 ft. of water as 0.434 lb. per sq. in. From this I calculate that if the depth were, say, 46 ft., the pressure would be about 20 lb. Assuming this to be the approximate air pressure in the tyre, there would be no reason to expect air to escape from it at this depth.
At the same time tribute' should be paid to the resistance of the Firestone tyres to attack by the contaminated water likely to be found in such a place as a dock basin.
Luton, Beds. P. W. R. STUBBS.