SHOWN TO LANCASHIRE AGRICULTURISTS.
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A Brief Description of the Vehicles Exhibited at the Royal Lancashire Show. The Preponderance of Machines for Carrying Loads of 30 cwt. or Under.
YEN if the transport exhibits at
the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show, which was held at Oldham from the 2nd to the 6th of this month, lacked comprehensiveness, they offered many useful suggestions to farmers and others hesitating on the brink of buying new vehicles. Machines with a load capacity of 30 cwt. and under were shown in a very marked preponderance, and were exhibited with various styles of bodywork, from the plain van or lorry to the elaborately fitted horsebox.
The number of vehicles designed specially for the agricultural user was very small indeed. Probably the explanation for this is that the Show was held in a thickly populated industrial county which does not usually boast of its agricultural eminence, but which can always organize a highly successful Annual show and command the support of all sections of the community. It struck one as peculiar that not a single farm tractor was on view, yet there were three or four highly developed types of saloon coach that compelled ad
miration. In a part of the country where travel by motor coach and bus is -so popular Perhaps this should be re garded as a very suitable touch !
A List of Exhibitors.
The exhibitors of commercial motor
vehicles were Blake and CO. (Bean and Thornycroft) ; G. F. Crisp and Co.; Fiat (England), 'Ltd.; Fodens, Ltd.; Foster and Seddon, Ltd. (Cominer and Lancia) ; Messrs. F. Kenning and Sons (Morris-Commercial) ; Lookers, Ltd. (Vulcan and Chevrolet) ; Merryweather and Sons, Ltd.; the Oldham Motor Co., Ltd. (Ford) ; the Old Trafford Engineering Co., Ltd. (Dennis) ; Drakesoe Motor Co., Ltd. (Dodge and Graham) ; Sandon 'Engineering Co.; Trojan, Ltd.; and Will ys Overland Crossley, Ltd. The stands of the above were grouped to form two sides of a square
The Curtis three-horse box was shown on a Lancia 35 h.p. chassis. It is, of course, one of the few specialized applications of the motor vehicle to meet the needs of horse dealers, bIoodstock breeders, hunting men, etc.
As has been described before in our columns, the body is constructed chiefly of duralumin. The interior walls, floor and roof are padded with coconut matting and canvas, the partitions being held fast by spring-loaded bolts. Breast-straps and detachable mangers are fitted in each stall.
In the interior of the body, comfortable quarters are provided for four grooms, who have upholstered seats at the rear of the horses' compartment, with a constant view of and easy access to the horses. The Lancia chassis is of the type commonly used for passenger traffic and is shod with largesize pneumatic tyres. This exhibit was staged by Foster and Seddon, Ltd., which also displayed a 30-cwt. lorry and a Lancia 26-seater all-weather motor coach, with bodywork by Messrs. Arnold, of Manchester.
The Dennis F-type saloon coach to seat 26 passengers and the G-type chassis with a saloon body to accommodate 20 passengers are models which show quite clearly the linea on which development in bodywork and chassis is taking place. With regard to the former vehicle the seats are single on one side of the gangway and are in pairs on the other. All the upholstery is executed in furnishing hide. A folding table fits into the back of each seat and each passenger has a push-bell to communicate with the driver. The other vehicle is built more for longdistance touring and has a capacious dome-type back, which gives plenty of space for the carrying of luggage.
On this machine the semi-bucket seats are erected in pairs on each side of the central gangway. There are two doors at the front of the vehicle (one on each side) and there is another on the near side. The driver's compartment is separated from the passengers' section, and his windscreen is fitted with Surmise. Before leaving the passenger exhibits, mention should be made of the 32-seater Vulcan saloou, built to standard specification.
Horseboxes on Light Chassis.
The suitability of the Morris-Commercial chassis for carrying a horsebox body was demonstrated by Messrs. F. Kenning and Sons. Two models avere -shown, each with Curtis twohorse bodies—a general description of this' class of box has already been given. Incidentally, full-sized horses, up to 13 hands, can be comfortably accommodated.
Merryvveather and Sons, Ltd., as usual, underhiok the fire-protection
services of the show with a 250-gallon engine and a 150-gallon trailer pump. The stand had a distinctive appearance and was well stocked with hand.. extinguishers.
As we have already mentioned, the strongest section of the show was that which• was represented by vans and lorries of below 30-cwt. load capacity. These are mainly in the general utility class and are, of course, capable of ready adaptation to farm usage. Typical of the Vulcan output was a 30-cwt. lorry, with low-hinged sides, supplied to Messrs. Gardners, the engine builders, of Patricroft; and a 30-cwt. van, the seventh repeat order from this maker by J. Hill and Co., the biscuit makers. In the 50-cwt. class was shown a 'Vulcan hydraulic tipping wagon and a high-sided cattle wagon, painted and lettered for Messrs. P. and S. Smith, cattle carriers, of Whitefield. Lookers, Ltd., which was showing the foregoing vehicles, also had the co-operation of the manufacturer of the Chevrolet vehicles, so the exhibit also comprised a 25-cwt. lorry, a lorry with low sides, a cattle wagon, a farmer's general-service vehicle and a 10-cwt. van on this make of chassis.
A Multi-purpose Machine.
The 25-cwt. Overland appeared in four popular roles, namely, as an agricultural wagon, with slatted sides 48 ins, high and a rear tailboard opening out to form a loading ramp ; as a hand-operated, end-tipping lorry; as a
steel refuse collector with hydraulic tipping gear„ the drive being taken from the gearbox and controlled from the driver's cab ; and as a 10-cwt. dualpurpose saloon vehiale, which could be used either as -a traveller's brougham or as a 5-seater touring car. The same type of chassis is also the basis of the 10-cwt. delivery van.
Dennis Bros., Ltd., were represented by two 30-cwt. machines, one being a standard end-tipper and the other a general-purpose van.
In the category of heavy vehicles must be included a 3-ton Dennis and a, reconditioned Thornycroft, the latter being exhibited with a 30-cwt. Bean, by J. Blake and Co., of Manchester and Liverpool. This Dennis is fitted with Timken bearings throughout and has particularly comfortable accommodation for the driver, being provided with a heavily sprung seat and deep squabs carried across the whole width of the vehicle. This Dennis machine is fitted with pneumatic tyres.
The Steam Wagon Class. In the steam vehicle field the entries were confined to Fodens, Ltd., which B44 exhibited a very imposing quartet. Two of the vehicles were rigid sixwheelers—one for Messrs. Bethell and Sons and the other for Joseph Garth (Oldham), Ltd., was of 10-12-ton load capacity. They were displayed to demonstrate the range of axle movement which comes into play when negotiating bad roads. One of the bodice was of fixed construction and the other was a three-way tipper. Obvious comfort is provided for the driving staff on these vehicles, of which the forward compartments have glass windscreens, these being arranged so as to run the full width of the vehicle.
Of the two four-wheeled Fodens, one was a standard 6-tonner for the Bleachers' Association, Ltd., and the other a tipping wagon for G. Hargreaves and Co., of New Church. Altogether this was one of the most interest lug and distinctive exhibits in the show.
Further support to the light-vehicle class was given by the series of Graham lorries. All of them had standard bodies, with the exception of the 2-ton cattle truck which had high slatted sides and was equipped to rim on pneumatic tyres. The two 25-cwt. Graham models were shown as a lorry and as a tradesman's van. A smaller member of the same family is the 15-cwt. van, the outstanding advantage of which is the low yearly tax, namely, 116. Attention was certainly merited by the Graham Bros. TDX saloon coach built on a six-cylinder chassis. This is a lightly constructed coach and incorporates several features that conduce to the special comfort of the passengers. The body is of good length, and this has enabled a generous spacing of seats to be made. \ Incidentally, another row of seats can be installed if it be considered necessary.
A Bean passenger-carrying vehicle was shown by J. Blake and Co., Ltd., the Particular model being the four-cylinder 18-seater Sunsaloon. This concern's other exhibits are a 30-cwt. Bean lorry ; two reconditioned 4-ton, J-type Thornycroft lorries; a 54on A.E.C. lorry, and a low-built, heavily constructed 4-wheeled trailer.
A Useful Range of Light Machines.
Some of the new Ford vehicles were shown by the Oldham Engineering Co., Ltd., which displayed a range of lorries and vans, together with several interesting models. The new Ford 30cwt. chassis was shown with and without bodywork, certain examples 'icing with a lorry platform, a tradesman's van and a saloon touring body. The models were of dual-pnrpose vehicles, including the Ford tipping wagon, the general-purposes body and the detachable touring-corn-van body. An excellent range of spare parts for Ford machines were displayed on an attractive stand which was mounted on one of the Nord lorries.