OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subject"connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and, preferably, typewritten. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted.
A Bus Driver's Views on Weather Protection.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[27251 Sir,—May one who can speak from firsthand knowledge heartily endorse the editorial in your issue of January 22nd on "Better Protection Essential for the Drivers of Buses and Taxicabs"?
For the past six years I have been driving abus in London and, although I am now getting more "seasoned," I used to look forward to the winter months with dread, for, much as he may wrap himself up, even with a blanket around his legs, a driver is never warm. At present I am wearing two pairs of gloves and a raincoat under my driving coat.
We drivers are told that it is through "police restrictions:, that in the Metropolizan area we cannot have more protection, and yet provincial buses and coaches run in and out with their drivers fully protected! I know this, for previous to my present employment I was driving for a Maidstone firm, and I never suffered then from colds, rheumatism, etc., as I do now.
Taxicabs have lately been fitted with a half-screen and automatic wiper, so that rules the "police restriction" out for that small bit of comfort.
The aprons provided, admittedly, keep one's arms dry, but they direct the draught full in one's face and the right shoulder nearly always gets very wet!
Again, our company does not believe in driving mirrors, saying that a conductor is sufficie.nt. Well, there are conductors and conductors, and anyone sitting in an NS-type driving seat cannot see traffic such as trams close up until they are nearly abreast. The buses owned by other companies have mirrors—why the difference? While on the subject of close-up traffic, I would like to ask if it would not be possible for lorries with trailers to be required to have some kind of identification on the lorry on the near side, so that when they are passing a driver on the overtaken vehicle can tell by a side glance that there is a trailer to follow. Of course, a second man or vanboy is supposed to be aboard to signal with his left arm, but he is not always. carried.
My company does not take into consideration the different heights of drivers. The buses are all standard of their types and, particularly in that model fitted with a permanent "rain shield," a tall driver has to sit in discomfort with his head down and round shouldered, for if he sat upright he could not see more than 20 yards ahead. As for the hand signals of horsed-van drivers, who are perched up high, it is impossible to see them, The driving seats leave a lot to be desired, for on two types they are plain board, whilst the drivers' seats in the new luxury buses are plain -board covered with American cloth and, for the reason staled above, a cushion cannot be used.
I trust. your valuable journal will continue your policy of "more comfort for drivers," for if only a small concession be gained for us you will win the thanks of thousands of men who are, like myself, London bus drivers. I have been a reader of The Commercial Motor since 1920 and consider it the best journal and the most up to date with its news of the commercial-motor world.—Yours faithfully, F.J.E.
Chiswick, W.4,
"Someone Ought to Tell Them of It."
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
127261 Sir,—An old proverb tells us that many a true word is spoken in jest, and after reading the article "Someone Ought to Tell Them of It," in year
issue of January 8th, I am con
vinced that designers would do well to remember some of the points mentioned.
I can foresee some very interesting developments if the tendency towards low-loading, six-wheeled, three-axled, servo-braked, etc., chassis is carried much farther. In the first place, we shall probably have to find a race of dwarfs for
carrying out repairs to these vehi
4 des. These men will be trained from childhood to manipulate themselves into all sorts of otherwise inaccessible places. They will be popularly known as bantams, but they will take unto themselves the dignified title of automotive investigators.
A limit must be reached sooner or later, and this will probably arrive when a society is formed for the prevention of cruelty to motor mechanics. Designers will have to submit their plans to the inspector of this society, and if a draughtsman has three designs rejected in succession he will have his drawing licence suspended and be sentenced to 12 months in a motor repair shop.
After this drastic treatment he will no doubt amend his ways and his designs.—Yours faithfully, W.S. Maidstone.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR,
[2727] Sir,—We were very much interested in your article of January 8th, entitled "Someone Ought to Tell Them of It."
It seems a real pity that this is at the moment only an imaginary club, but as all beginnings start with dreams this we hope is a dream the fulfilment of which is to come, as from a maintenance point of view it is long overdue.
In the interest of owners and users it is high time that some important organization or journal took up the matter of inaccessibility, and fearlessly exposed the designers' faults and apparent lack of forethought as to the difficulty of replacements and repairs. The consideration of accessibility ought to be every bit as important as bore and stroke, turbulence, petrel consumption, tyre mileage, etc., and if a little more thought were to be given Iy designers to maintenance it would mean a saving of hundreds of pounds in a year to owners of large fleets.
It is, I believe, generally recognized by those who have been on the maintenance side of the motor industry for a number of years that designers, from a clearcut accessibility to replacement point of view, have not kept pace with the rest of the improvements in speed, acceleration, finish, appearance, metallurgy, etc. They are, in fact, in some respects farther behind than they were 15 or 20 years ago. I have in the workshops at the present moment a vehicle sent in to have the valves adjusted. There are 13 fin, screws holding the valve cover, and, although it is possible to get at the tappets with the induction pipe, carburetter and controls on, all these have to be removed before the valve cover can be taken away.
An experience of clutch trouble that happened to us with a well-known make of vehicle may be of interest. We had a 12-mile run out and the trouble we found was as follows :—There are six 1-in, bolts holding the clutch cone to the centre shaft. One of the nuts had come off, allowing the bolt to work back and become wedged between the flywheel face and the pressure plate. To get the bolt head out the gear-shift levers had to be removed, and the floorboards being screwed down, the accelerator and brake pedals, the clutch-withdrawal shaft and the coupling had to be taken down. It was then possible, by putting one spider into the other, to get the clutch out far enough to remove the bolt. It all had to be replaced to get the vehicle home, but to reinstate that fin, bolt was another question. The accelerator and brake pedals, clutch-withdrawal shaft, coupling and gear-shift lever had to be taken down again, the propeller shaft removed and the gearbox shifted back before it was possible to get the clutch out.
All this could have been forgiven if there had been no possible way out of it, but the pity of it was that if the designers had made the clutch shaft 1 in. shorter and the spiders in. longer it would have been possible to have taken the 'clutch out merely by removing the clutch-withdrawal shaft and coupling. To replace that bolt, valued at 81:1,, cost my company £2 10s., in addition to the loss of earnings.
Tools and equipment supplied with new vehicles are other factors to which little thought is given. We have recently had five new vehicles delivered to us, costing £1,400 each. The spanners are of a quality that no respectable mechanic would give toolbox-room to; the jacks are of such a height that if a puncture occurred on the road they would not go under the axle; the axles have no provision made whereby a jack could be placed with safety while a wheel was being removed.
These and many other evils inherent to commercialvehicle design will only be remedied by a fearless attack on those responsible by some such club or organization as that to which you refer.
I sincerely hope the imaginary club will soon be a reality. I am sure it would find a ready membership, and if you would give it encouragement and space in your columns for comment you would be doing the commercial-motor industry in general a great service and not only win the approval of the one who has to foot the repair bill but the undying gratitude of he who has to put the thing right.—Yours faithfully,
A. WILSON, Manager,
LINCOLNSHIRE ROAD CAR CO., LTD. Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
I-27281 Sir,—Your article "Someone Ought to Tell Them Of It" in your issue for January 8th is, I hope, the first of an interesting series. The writer has only touched the fringe of the subject ; there are dozens of things which can be incorporated in a standard chassis which would make its handling by drivers and repairers a pleasure, and any manufacturer who incor
porated them would carry his product right out of the ordinary rut and reduce running expenses.
May I suggest that one feature should be taken in each article and an ideal component designed, based on known defects as found by users, and put up for criticism by your staff and readers.
If only designers could be induced to say why these known defects are not weeded out, or point out why the obvious improvements are not put in, what an interesting series it would be !—Yours faithfully, Orpington. F.S.
Are Windscreens Wrongly Designed ?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[27291 Sir,—I am extremely interested in the design of windscreens, and it is my firm opinion that all the existing types are theoretically wrong. I consider that the bad vision caused by the effect of raindrops and dazzle owing to the sun and bright lights could be minimized by the adoption of screens leaning outwards instead of being arranged vertically or leaning inwards, as is often the case.
I enclose a rough sketch—[Which we have had redrawn.—En.]—showing the suggested arrangement.
The opinions of owners and drivers as to the benefits which might be conferred by this type of screen would be esteemed.—Yours faithfully,
Cromarty. D. CAMERON.
Rate-cutting by Hauliers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[2730] Sir,—We agree with a "One Hears" which you published recently to the effect that rate-cutting to-day is a millstone around the hauliers' necks. Unfortunately there appears to be no end to the suicidal competition. Many hauliers to-day, provided that they obtain something like is. per mile for a 5-ton lorry on the outward journey, are satisfied, and will often run back empty, probably 100 miles or so. The most extraordinary thing about it is that they think they are doing well on what, over all, in many cases, does not amount to more than 6d. per mile.
In our opinion it is most ruinous to the industry and there is no justification for it, because in many cases the railway rate is quite 75 per cent. more.
It is the opinion of some of the railway companies that the road hauliers will run themselves off the road, and it certainly looks as if they will. We approve of competition conducted on sane fines, but many of these hauliers are running their vehicles considerably below bare costs and do not realize it.
It is a very serious matter for the trade and one which we think should be taken up by your journal.-