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From our Berlin Correspondent.

8th August 1907, Page 6
8th August 1907
Page 6
Page 6, 8th August 1907 — From our Berlin Correspondent.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

German Commercial Vehicle Trials.

It is settled that the Imperial Motor Club, in co-operation with the Association of German Automobile Manufacturers, purposes organising, for the forthcoming autumn, a six-day reliability run for self-propelled delivery vans, lorries, omnibuses, and " trains,"' sub-classified according to their carrying capacity. In the fall of 1905, the Imperial Motor Club organised trials for .nine classes of vehicles, but they were more or less of a fiasco, since only 13 entries were received.

The 1905 route was about moo kilometres in length, the start having taken place at Berlin, and the finish at Spandau—see page 550.

Berlin Motor Shows.

I learn, that this year's Berlin Motor Show will not be held until after the Paris Salon has closed its doors—that is, not before December. It is proposed to hold, in fact, two exhibitions of five days' duration each ; the first for pleasure cars to be open from the sth December, and the second for commercial. vehicles and motor boais from the m9th of December. An arrangement of this kind would give exhibitors of the two latter classes a far more satisfactory opportunity than they have hitherto had in Berlin for displaying their exhibits to advantage; indeed, available spaces and positions have, in some instances, been such as to oblige firms to keep back exhibits.

Self-propelling Road Trains.

Prussian military authorities have been experimenting with motor trains between Berlin and Posen, a distance of 187 miles. The particular arm of the service which conducted the trials is the Versuchsverkehrabteilung, or Experimental Traffic Department, and those in charge of the test expedition were three officers, eight non-commissioned officers, and 16 men, all of whom have gone through a course of instruction in motor works. Each train consisted of three motor units. The leading vehicle carries 48 persons, while each trailer—if a vehicle with self-propelling power can properly be called a trailer—has a carrying capacity of 3 tons. On the occasion of the run, which was accomplished in four days, at the rate of some 16 miles an hour, the trailers were loaded with 6 tons of stones.

A Petrol Field Ambulance Car.

Messrs. Klevesahl und Sohn, ambulance specialists, of Berlin, who sup-. plied the carosserie for Berlin's first self-propelled ambulance, an electric vehicle which was illustrated in" THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " at the time, have constructed a wagon for field hospital work, and exhibited it at the German Army, Naval, and Colonial Exhibition at Friedenau, close to Berlin. It contains four beds, hung on springs by a method patented by the firm, two, side by side a foot or so from the floor, and the others about midway between floor and roof. These beds are g-et-at-able from each end of the wagon. For driving power, Messrs. Klevesahl rely this time upon a four-cylinder petrol engine from the Protos Works. It has a cardan drive, and runs, I understand, with remarkable smoothness.

Freight Automobiles in South-west Africa.

Captain von Stillfried, writing from Windhuk to the official organ of the Imperial Motor Club, thus sums up the requirements of freight automobiles destined for South-west Africa :—They must not be too heavy ; must be able to pass rifts without outside help, and transport so much useful load as to work not less economically than oxcarts. The African draught-ox needs no other fodder than grass. A wagon drawn by 20 draught-oxen transports 70 cwt. in 2o-kilometre., daily stages over a great distance. Competition with oxwagon traffic, except in times of cattle pests and in districts poor in water and pasture, is only possible where at least 3,300 kilos. (nearly, 69 cwt.) are transported in a short time and, indeed, over tracts not under 200-300 kilometres (125-188 miles) in daily stages of 5o kilometres (32 miles). Given this minimum capacity, self-propelled traffic has prospects of working at a profit, es

pecially if the freights for fuel drop from their present terribly high rates to a lower scale. On the Woerrnann steamers a cubic metre of petrol costs over go marks from Hamburg to Swakopmund, or about 14 pfennigs litre (Anglice, o.875d. a pint). Attendants must be as few as possible, as high wages, in consequence of high cost of living, necessitate economy,. and they should be in a position not only to drive, but also to effect repairs. Until repairing shops, stores for spares, petrol, etc., exist on all the important stations, the automobile cannot be worked by the farmers themselves. Captain Stillfried mentions that, up to date, trials with freight automobiles had not extended above 1,95o kilometres (1,220 miles), with a total useful load of 25,950 kilos. (some 26 tons), The vehicles had to be reconstructed, and, further, trials were also impeded by the difficulty of getting spares and fuel. Tests have been made with cars over a distance of 8,125 miles.

Motor Post Lines in the Bavarian. Alps.

In the course of this summer, besides the already-established lines (TolzKochel and Trostberg-Altatting), the following new lines will be open until the m5th September : Garmisch-Partenkirchen-Mittenwald ; Tegernsee-KreuthGlashiitte ; Berchtesgaden-Konigssee ; and Berchtesgaden-Ramsau-Hintersee. All these additional lines will be run in connection with the scheduled railway times, the Bavarian Post Office agreeing to put on extra vehicles to meet the demand, and also to arrange for " specials" when is seats are booked in advance. Thanks to the trailers, from 36 to 40 persons can be carried at each trip. Every paying passenger is entitled to have transported 15 kilos. (33 lb.) of luggage, free of charge. For every additional 5 kilos. (it lb.) up to 5n kilos, (i to lb.), in pfennigs (1.25d.) is charged. Children who do not occupy a seat pay nothing. Dogs may be taken in the buses, provided that the owner's fellow-passengers raise no objection. Dogs travel free.


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