OPINIONS and QUERIES HOW THOMAS TILLING SET A PRECEDENT T HE time-saving idea of a young bus driver, who died
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just 50 years ago this year, is proving a rubber-saving idea to-day. When, at the age of 25, Thomas Tilling drove his first bus around London, the leisurely custom was to pick up patrons from their own doorsteps. It was young Tilling who first made them come to the bus, a fact which will be of interest not only to motorists of my own long experience, but to millions of bus users. The casual stopping and starting of the old Victorian days wear down the tyres as much as anything.
C. R. TAYLOR, B.Sc., A.M.I.Mech.E. London, W.C.2.
EXAMPLES OF FUEL WASTAGE WHICH COULD BE STOPPED I WAS very pleased to see you draw attention to the 1 waste of petrol caused by London Transport Board buses crawling along in low gear.
You may not be aware that another source of waste is at points on routes where the changeover of drivers takes place. Frequently buses stand for several minutes, due generally to the taling over of drivers and conductors, or being late. This is most annoying to the passengers, • but a far more serious offence is that of leaving the engine running unattended. This is not only a waste of fuel, but an offence against the Traffic Act.
1 have written to the London Passenger Transport Board on the subject, but did not even get a reply.
The Post Office should also have their attention drawn to the serious waste of petrol by their small cars which • deliver parcels to houses, and pick up letters from pillarboxes. The engines are always left running while this • operation is in progress, and here, again, not only is it a waste of petrol but an offence.
Further, a good deal of petrol could be saved by these small cars free-wheeling down-hill instead of having their engines running: In quite a number of suburban areas the drivers could run from one pillarbox to another without the power unit in operation.
These are small matters, but, in the aggreghte, they mean the consumption of a large amount of petrol.
Mitcham, A. H. PINE, Transport Officer, James Pascall, Ltd.
COMMENTS ON WORKS CANTEENS FROM THE CATERING TRADE •VVare grateful to Mr. R. Elwick and to you, Sir, for itblishing his letter, as you did in your issue of April 9.
May I answer Mr. Elwick's question by saying that the N.J.I.C. is perturbed by mischievous attacks on works canteens, because such attacks cause mischief and do not give the workers better meals? May 1 also say that, far from resenting complaints or attacks which can be gone into, the whole aim of the N.J.I.C. was to invite them so that they could be responsibly gone into?
Mischievous attacks were those we mentioned. Given wide publicity in the daily and Sunday Press, they alleged, among other things, that the food served in the canteens was " fit only-for. pigs." The statement was
without any qualification. It did not ipecify which canteen or canteens, but apparently applied to all. We ask for specific cases so that we can go into them.
Mr. Elwick mentions a canteen at an aircraft factory, a protest meeting outside and a lorry driver who said " the meal was awful." Now, Mr. Elwick, does all this juStify your general reference to " the catering racket "? There are more than 8,000 canteens in the country. Is the whole thing a "racket," or are the official reports by the Select Committee on National Expenditure, the Factory Inspectorate's Medical Officer and so on more balanced and nearer the truth?
However that may be, we invite Mr: Elwick to send us the name and address of the canteen and any evidence which can be gone into responsibly. We shall be very glad indeed to go into it if any concern associated with the N.J.I.C. 1s involved. Alternatively, we suggest that Mr. Elwick puts the evidence before the Ministry of Labour Factory Inspectorate.
Let us have the facts and justice; but Mr. Elwick will surely agree that the British idea of justice is not to condemn any man .unheard, or to condemn all men because one is no better than he should be.
London, S.W.1. ARTHUR LAWSON,
Joint Secretary, Employers' Side, National Joint Industrial Council for the Industrial Catering Trade.
WHAT WILL BE THE SHAPE OF THE VEHICLES TO COME? FOLLOWING the publication, on April 16, of your article, `` Factors Which May Affect Post-war Design," I am hoping to see some interesting and useful comments from those who will be responsible for the production of commercial vehicles. I remember that some two years ago you had a series of comments of this nature after you had given a lead, and if there be no similar result on this occasion, operators will begin tp wonder whether the manufacturers really have any ideas for meeting the undoubtedly huge demand which will occur. If they do not eventually come up to scratch, perhaps some of the users will give their views.
London, W.I. SAvov.
WHY NOT USE COMPRESSED GAS AS FUEL?
NAAY I be allowed to help your correspondent, Mr. 1v1R. G. Forby (issue dated April 16) who wishes to know the answer to the above question?
There are many reasons why compressed coal gas is not used, at least to any great extent, as a fuel for motor vehicles. First of all, there is the factlhat suitable compressors are very few and far between; secondly, there are the size and weight of the steel cylinders required. These are usually about 6 ft..long and Weigh about 150 lb. each.
When the gas is compressed to about 3;000 lb. per sq. in., each cylinder only then contains the equivalent of 1.2 gallons-of petrol. Thus, with a cylinder weight of 1,350 lb. (i.e., extra weight over and above the normal loaded weight of the lorry), a 6-ton-lorry could travel only some 60-odd miles, and this ha to include the distance from the starting point to the site of the compressor and back in those cases where its proper journey is in the opposite direction, which might easily be the case..
Steel for cylinders is a much-needed war necessity, and it is quite certain that no useful allocation of steel would be authorized for gas cylinders.
Reverting to compressors, in September, 1939, there was only one suitable compressor in the North of England.
Lastly, there is the fact, as with producer gas, that the thermal efficiency of the compressed gas is very poor as compared with the gas from liquid petroleum fuels.
Leeds, 1. s W. H. GODDARD.