Bird's Eye View
Page 56
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A COMMON complaint concerning recent shows, which 1-1.has become much sharper this year, is the lack of space for p.s.v. coachwork displays. The advent of 36-footers has been just about the last straw to some of my p.s.v, pals. One is once again hearing the old suggestions (a) that some of the central displays take a disproportionate amount of space in the main hall and could be moved towards the balconies or (b) that fewer vehicles per p.s.v. stand should be shown. I don't intend to get involved, but I did find I could not get more than a sketchy idea of the appearance of some of the buses and coaches displayed at Earls Court.
What's in a Name ?
G0 into one commercial vehicle manufacturer's works and start talking about a "steering fore-and-aft tube," and one might very well not be understood. In another works "side steering rod" would cause blank expressions. "Drag link" would probably be more widely acceptable, but all three terms actually refer to the same part, the first version being that used by Thornycroft at Basingstoke, and the second that favoured by A.E.C. at Southall.
There are many similar examples, some of which can lead to misunderstanding. The orthodox motor vehicle gearbox, with input and output shafts in line, one at each end, and parallel layshaft, provides a case in point. The input shaft is quite often, and logically, known as the primary shaft, but at least one concern (Thornycroft) sometimes call the output shaft the primary shaft, with understandable confusion as a result.
"The Bottle Gear"
nTHER names for the input shaft are the first-motion shaft, the clutch shaft (when, as is usual, the clutch driven plate is splined to it), the constant-running pinion (a rather unsatisfactory term on a modern gearbox with constant mesh. applied to additional gears) and, unofficially but expressively, "the bottle gear" because of its appearance when upended.
The layshaft is most generally known simply by that name, but occasionally one sees it referred to as the secondmotion shaft. The output shaft is most commonly known as the mainshaft, but third-motion shaft is another name, in addition to the above-mentioned use of primary shaft.
This kind of thing can be very confusing, but rigid standardization of terms would make life less interesting.
Spotting the Names
THE 100 lorries controlled by Mr. Stanley Robson of Border Transport, Carlisle, have become a nation-wide attraction to young "lorry spotters."
The names have caused Mr. Robson quite a headache, for he finds difficulty in conjuring up new ones.
Ever since he started in the transport business in 1926, his lorries have been named individually, e.g., Border Raider, Border Queen, Chieftain or Prince.
Since then, over a hundred new names have been thought D2 out, and as one lorry goes off the road, its name goes on "retained list" to be painted on a new wagon by I Malcolm Pagan, the firm's letter painter.
Over the past few months, the garage has been visi by hundreds of Carlisle schoolchildren, while Mr. Rob. has a regular " fan-mail " from children all over country asking for new names.
Mr. George Flenley, the firm's transport manager, sa "We have had thousands of leaflets specially printed send away to these young lorry spotters."
It's amazing how much added interest a name gives!
Long Trail for Trailer
A MAN with much mileage to cover in the next six we is Mr. George Henry ,Ley, Mr. Ley is to pilot I units forming mobile showrooms all the way from Lon( across Europe to Bucharest and back (about 3,500 mile In Bucharest the vehicles and the products they are cal ing are to be displayed at the British Equipment Exhibit from October 14-26, From there the vehicles will go to Budapest to visit a private exhibition: they are due b; in London on November 14.
Mr. Ley has been driving on the Continent for the seven years and, in view of his experience, he will bear burden of the greater part of the driving on this long t The company responsible for the project is Mol Exhibitions, Ltd. The towing unit has an A.E.C. Relia chassis and the 24-ft. trailer is mounted on a Crane cha5