CONCESSION REFUSED FOR ' STRAWBERRY TRAFFIC.
Page 48
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
It was stated at Manchester, last week, that strawberries from the Wisbech district had to be picked before 3 p.m or 4 p.m. in order to catch the trains for Manchester.
The application was before Sir William Hart (North-Western Licensing Authority) by one of the B-licensed carriers of Smithfield Market, Manchester, for authority to collect lategathered fruit at Wisbech each day during the season.
Mr. Philip Kershaw, for the railways, said that road competition from Wisbech was viewed with alarm and it was in the public interest that the elaborate and highly efficient transport provided by the railways for strawberries should be well patronized.
Sir William Hart refused the application, saying that there was not sufficient supporting evidence. The letter from the trader concerned was vague and evidently he had been served by the railway companies without complaint.
Big Mileages from Buses in Australia.
News from Perth, Australia, shows that many of the buses in the service of the Metropolitan Omnibus Co., Ltd., are nearing the 500,000 mileage mark. The average mileage for the fleet of 19 Leyland Lion petrol-engined vehicles is 409,625, the highest being 482,205 and the lowest 299,016. It is • chiefly because of the high mileages from this make that the company has decided to standardize on oil-engined vehicles, and has recently ordered a further six Ley
land Lion oilers. Some of the oilengined vehicles in service have already covered 150,400 miles.
Rear Reflectors Standardized on Bedford Lorries.
Red rear reflector discs are now being fitted as standard equipment on the Bedford 30-cwt. lorry, the 2-ton lorry (both short and long-wheelbase models), and 3-ton long-wheelbase lorry. The discs are 21 ins, in diameter, and one is fitted to each of the rear corner posts of the body. Operators who find it necessary to load or unload on the highway during the hours of darkness should welcome the extra warning which these reflectors afford to oncoming traffic. The company is fitting them in the interests of road safety.
A Scottish Gazogene Company.
• Among the private companies registered in Scotland, last week, was the British Gazogeries, Ltd., with offices at Old National Bank Buildings, Inver ness. The capital is £10000 in £1 shares.
It is a private company " to carry out an agreement between Jean Gohin, 6 Rue Thiers, Choisy-le-Roi, France, of the first part, and His Grace the Duke of Montrose and Sir Alexander MacEwen, Inverness, of the second part, and to carry on the business of motor and cycle engineers and mann a14 facturers of and dealers in all classes of gazogene."
The directors are the Duke of Montrose‘ Sir Alexander MacEwen, and Professor C. J. Hawkes, Professor of Engineering, King's College, Newcastleon-Tyne. We recently reported that application for a factory site near Glasgow had been made by this company.
£43,000 Scottish Bridge Opened.
Sir Thomas Erskine, Bart., chairman of Fife Road Board, opened, last week, the new 449-ft. bridge over the River Eden, at Guardhridge, Fife. Costing £43,000, the structure supplants the single-track bridge which has been in existence for hundreds of years.
Chrysler Introduces New Van.
After a lapse of some years, Chrysler Motors, Ltd., Mortb,ke Road, Kew Gardens, S,urrey. is entering the commercial-vehicle field in this country and is marketing an attractive 15-cwt. van, which is illustrated on this page. The vehicle has well over 120 cubic ft. of body space, whilst it is also available in chassis form. Priced at £175 for the chassis and £215 for the van, the vehicle provides a stylish transport unit at a reasonable figure, A.R.P. Demonstration at Dennis Works.
A few days ago, members of the London centre of the Institute of Public Cleansing visited the works of Dennis Brothers, Ltd., of Guildford, in the course of which a close insight was obtained into the production of municipal appliances suitable for air-raids precaution service. A demonstration was given of a decontamination squad operating with a Dennis refuse collector, which is capable of carrying 700 gallons of water.
Ford Exhibition in Darlington.
A four-day exhibition of Ford products, including commercial vehicles, is How in progress in' the Baths Hall, Darlington, it having been arranged by Messrs. John Neasharn, the local Ford dealers. CHECKING USE OF GOODS TRAILERS BEHIND CARS.
At a meeting of the council of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, last week, a discussion took place on the use of heavy trailers behind private cars. The chairman of the road-transport section said that an objection had been taken to its recent recommendation. It was agreed that the minute be reworded, to the effect that the section viewed with grave concern the growing practice of trailers being used behind private cars for the carriage of goods, and recommended that the attention of the Ministry of Transport, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and the British Road Federation be called to the matter, with a view to checking the abuse of the facility He added that a test case would shortly be coming before the Licensing Authority in Liverpool.
Incidentally, two applications for trailers are listed for hearing before the North-Western Licensing Authority, at Liverpool, on April 1 1—a quarter-ton trailer on an A licence and a half-ton trailer on a B licence to carry horses and equipment.
Shipping Guide for Hauliers.
The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from April 8 to 16 inclusive :—DocKs : King George V. 10; Royal Albert, Il; Surrey Commercial, 7; East India, 1; West India, 7; South-West India, 2; Tilbury, 8; Miltwall, 5; London, 1. WHARVES : Hay's, 6; Mark Brown's, 2; Butler's 1; Tilbury Jetty, 3; Regent's Canal, 1.
Scots Fire Engineers Confer.
The Scottish branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers held its annual conference at Paisley, last week. The following office-bearers for the ensuing year were appointed:—Chairman, Mr. A. M. Cameron; vice-chairman, Firemaster Robert Bowman; secretary, Firenaaster Muir. In the afternoon the party of delegates was conducted on an interesting tour of the Inchinnan works of the India Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. CARBURATION DISCUSSED BY I.A.E_ MEMBERS.
An unusually interesting and vigorous paper was read On Tuesday last before the London Centre of the Institution of Automobile Engineers by Mr. Alex. Taub, of Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., on the subject of carburation.
Mr. Taub said that we are only at the beginning of work which can be done on carburation problems, and he saw no reason why fuel consumption on engines as normally used on the road should not be improved by 70 per cent, or even more.
He considered that existing carburetters, manifoldlag systems and the tech
pique of ignition or burning were, in many cases, deficient, that a strong and determined technical attack upon them could, and would, result in enormous improvements. He also stressed the vital importance of accuracy in carburetter manufacture and of obtaining good distribution of fuel in the engine under 'all conditions of throttle opening and load.
Mr. Taub's paper and the discussion which followed it were both most enthusiastically received by the large assembly.
Bendix Brakes for Electrics.
Bendix and Cowdrey brakes are fitted to a large number of makes of battery-electric vehicle, amongst them being the Electricar, Morrison, Sunbeam, Victor and Wilson. This popularity has resulted for several reasons: the brakes are prayerful yet relatively light in weight, smooth and progressive in action and easily maintained, single-point adjustment being provided.
The Bendix type is, normally, cable operated, whilst the Cowdrey can utilize cables or rods, hydraulic or pneumatic control. They are alike in principle, and both shoes are fully floating, the torque from the primary being transmitted through an adjustable link to the secondary, thus taking advantage of the drum rotation. The Bendix is operated by floating cams, whilst the Cowdrey shoes are expanded by a wedge.
Success in Milk Carrying.
An East Yorkshire haulier who applied, at York, on April 4, fbr the re-grant of his A licence with a variation for acquiring an additional vehicle to supplement three in possession, told the Yorkshire Licensing Authority '(Mr . J. Farndaleythat during the 'first six Months of 1937 he carried 18,000 'churns of milk, an increase of 2,700 on the corresponding period of 1936: In 1936 he collected milk from 36 farmers in 21 villages, and this year the totals had risen to 68 farmers and 30 villages.
The applicant, Mr. E. Harrison, told Mr. E. P. Merritt,. for the L.N.E.R., that he had no opportunity of hiring additional vehicles. Decision was reserved.
Technological Institute Comes of Age.
The Technological Institute of Great Britain, Temple Bar House, London, E.C.4, attains its 21st birthday this year.
The Institute has enabled 25,000 men to embark upon careers in engineering through the medium of training by correspondence. It operates over 200 courses and specializes in preparing candidates for examinations. Those interested should write to the Institute, at the address given above, for a copy of its comprehensive prospectus, entitled "The Engineer's Guide to Success." COHEN GROUP GETS 22 SAFE. DRIVING AWARDS.
Among the 113,000 drivers who entered the Safety First competition, started 20 years ago, said Brig.-Gen. R. H. H. Boys, CB.. D.S.O., of the National "Safety First" Association, 20 received' recently their 20th annual awards. This statement was made at the annual vehicle inspection of the combined fleet of George Cohen Sons and Co., Ltd., and its associated corn panics, held last Saturday, at which 22 Safety First awards were presented by Mrs. Cyril Cohen, in addition to the prizes for the best-kept machines.
General Boys also congratulated the drivers present, saying how much he admired the care and efficiency of the majority of " heavy " drivers.
As on former occasions, Mr. J. Pollitzer, of Beck and Pollitzer, Ltd., conducted the inspection of the 57 vehicles operated by the Cohen group.
First prize was gained by a Thornycroft, two Fordsons tied for the second, and third was awarded to an old Associated-Daimler. Besides these makes, of which there are 2, 8 and I respectively, the group operates 16 Contmers, 11 Albions, 5 Bedfords, 5 Multiwheelers, 4 Halleys, including one with a Perkins engine—the only oiler, 3 Scarnmell mechanical horses. 1 Studebaker, 1 Morris-Commercial and several Carrimore trailers.
Personal Pars.
MR. A. A. JACKSON, M. Isrsr.T., general manager of St. Helens Corporation transport department, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
A silver salver was recently presented, on behalf of the employees of Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., Wolverhampton, to Ma, GEORGE F. MORTIMER, who recently resigned his position as general manager. He had been with the company for 27 years.
Edinburgh Public Utilities Committee has recommended the appointment of MR. A. F. NEAL, B.Sc., A.M.I.E.E., assistant chief engineer of Manchester Corporation, as deputy manager of Edinburgh Transport Department. He has held his present post since 1934.