Wanted —A . British Light Van with a Big Engine.
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OR SOME considerable time it has unfortu nately been only too apparent that our manu facturers are not catering for what has already. proved to be an extensive market, and one which presents considerable potentialities, not only in this country but a,broad.
Most of our British light vans appear to have been built under the•influence of car design. The majority have comparatively high-speed, small-bore, longstroke engines, which do not develop any considerable amount of power at,low speeds, and have not that quality of slogging away at low speeds which is the dominating feature of many foreign Vehicles of a similar carrying capacity.
This is a very regrettable state of affairs, and it is difficult to understand why it should have arisen. It mayheVargued that the small engine is more . economical in its consumption of fuel, but apparently this does not count to a very great extent, otherwise there would not be the sale for American vehicles, and particularly for one which embodies a large engine, and in which the petrol consumption is almost a secondary consideration.
We are afraid that the influelice'of the horse-power tax, which has so affected the design of the private ear engine, has been reflected in that designed for the van, in spite of the fact that the goods vehicle pays its.tax on its unladen weight, which., is not a factor dependent to any great extent upon engine power.
The result of producing vans which have engines of only small -bore has greatly reduced their Usefulness for overseas work, and has thus closed to us what might have proved very valuable markets for the sale of British vehicles of this class. Even in our own country we seethe effect of this 'dearth of suitable vans. Take, for instance, the distribution of newspapers, a subject with which we deal in a special article in this issue. The requirements, of this work necessitate a high-powered vehicle of fairly large load capacity, say, 15 cwt., combined with comparatively light 'vehicle weight and freedom from breakdown. The vehicles Must also be easy to repair, of moderate price, and free from useless " gadgets."
What do we find? In order to obtain such vehicles, praetically all the important evening papers, Certainly those published in London, have to employ large fleets of vehicles which are not manufactured in this country, and this despite the fact that the transport managers of these fleets have endeavoured to obtain home-produced vans, which would meet their requirements. If we must have the present type of van for certain .classes of work, why cannot our makers also endeavour to cater for what is an obvious need'?
A Tractor-bus for 85 Passengers. .
NOT ONLY all interested in passenger transport in London, but many others in the provinces, are waiting for information concerning the new N.S. type of L.G.O.C. bus, because London has always held the lead in the provision of facilities for passenger travei, and the experience gained in catering for the requirements of the metropolis can, with advantage, be drawn upon in organzing provincial services.
But, at present, secrecy shrouds the designs of the N.S. type, for, quite wisely, Lord Ashfield, sup ported by the managing directors and chief .engineer and operating Manager, has determined_that no detail Of the design shall be disclosed until a number of the vehicles are ready to be put into service. But this much can he said—it is not a six:arheeler. That particular type has been considered and is still being sonsidered, and we may be sure that,. if it can be shown to afford greater comfort and convenience to passengers and to reduce vibration and road wear, its development will be attempted by the experimental department of the L.G.O.C.. We are led to make these remarks by the disclosure of a design of tractor-bus by an American designer, who shows how he could give seating capacity for 85 passengers on a vehicle with an extremely small overhang (5 ft. at the most on a 23-ft. wheelbase between centre wheels aid rear wheels), the floor and the lower deck being only 20 ins. from the ground (we think the L.G.O.C. will do even better than this), and the upper deck, as far forward as a vertical line above the drop ;n the frame, being covered in. The centre m avity of a vehicle built to such a design would be very low, and it is difficult to con ceive that it cou:d be other than a perfectly safe vehicle, provided ''''le brake system were well carried out and properly maintained. Weight distribution is such that no wheel carries more than 221 per cent. Of the total load.
It has been argued that 54 passengers (the number carried on an S-type L.G.O. Co.'s bus) is as many as one conductor can look after and can collect fares from, but the London tramcars carry about 80 people, and even a hundred in the peak hours, and we doubt whether very much is lost in fare collection' or that the collectors could not board buses at e points where many passengers were picked up, travelling on them and collecting fares for a few hundred yards, and then returning or transferring to a following bus.
The tractor-bus offers peculiar advantages in dismembering for overhaul or repair of power unit or body, and its design, as illustrated and described in this issue, is worthy of more than mere passing attention. .
The Trade Support of Vehicle Parades.
WE ARE GLAD to have it upon the authority of Lt.-Col. Arthur C. Hacking, the secretary of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and formerly the secretary of the Motor Legislation Committee, that, when the Society, through its Management Committee,, came to the conclusion that it must place the C.M.U.A. parades under the ban of trade discouragement, it was not actuated by any resentment of the attitude of the C.M.U.A. towards the Motor Legislation Committee. We are glad of that and to be able to clear the innuendo from the discussion. For there is certain to be a discussion upon the Society's curious decision. We have met men inA32 ' terested in the conduct of road transport, and we find them actually disconcerted by the announcement. They ask what the parades have to do with the Society—what right the Society has to interfere? The general feeling is that the road industry, whilst regretting the diminution of the prize fund through the trade standing aloof, has every justification for continuing the organization of the parades, which, as between employer anddriver, have done a great deal Of good. With the examinations, they have enormously raised the standard of vehicle driving and maintenance, they have provided opportunities for the comparison of knowledge and of methods, have unquestionably improved the status of the men, and have provided the openings for the passing of compliments from management to employee that give encouragement and incentive to better work. We understand a desire for economy, but, as the trade does not in all subscribe £250 a year to the whole of the parades of the country, we submit that a much better and more useful feeling will be engendered if these events be made an exception to the rule of discouragement upon which the Society's Bond is based.
No Cycle Rear Lights—No Headlight Restriction
IT SEEMS to us that there is every possibility that the projected Lights on Vehicles Bill, to be introduced-as a Government measure, based upon the report of the Departmental CoMmittee cf the Ministry of Transport, will not come into law— at arty rate, this year. It would have imposed considerable restriction upon the use of powerful headlights, and, as at first drafted, would have compelled the use of rear lights upon cycles; but, so great has been the clamour of the cycling organizations against what any ordinary being would have thought to be a wise provision, that, as we understand matters, the clause concerning rear lights on cycles has been, or will be, struck out of the Bill, and it would be open to the House of Commons to reintroduce it. . There would be a good deal of support for such a proposal, but also a great deal of opposition, and. as the issue is uncertain, the favoured tactics would seem to be a determined resistance to the passage of the Bill in the form presented. With such opposition to the Bill in prospect, it would, therefore, appear likely that the Bill would not be presented at all, because; with a heavy legis lative programme before it, the Government would not waste time upon what promised to be a conten tious measure, and one not highly important from a legislative standpoint. This would be a pity, because commercial vehicle drivers, in common with cyclists, are anxious for some really practical measure which will repress or control the headlight of excessive illuminating powers, and the Bill promised to provide this control, It is strange that the unanimous approval of all road users cannot be secured for the principle that, so far as is possible, no vehicle, person, animal, or object should be on the road at night without his, her, or its presence being indicated to other road users by some practicable means.
The Triumph of the Road Passenger Vehicle.
THE motor coach and the motorbus surely never had such a day as when they were impressed in their thousands to convey sightseers around London and to and from Wembley for the Cup Tie. The daily Press has been telling football enthusiasts that, at last, a ground had been found that would accommodate everybody and that there would be room at the Stadium for all. The fickleness of our climate gave London a fine day, so that the railways poured their thousands out at the gates of the arena, and the 'roads leading to the grounds were moving terraces of vehicles, moving slowly, and more slowly still, as the hour of the match approached. At High Street2 Harlesden, which is miles from the ground, the line of traffic proceeding Stadiumwards became unbroken at 1130 in the morning, and, after that, mass formation was maintained by the outward going, and, later, the returning, vehicles, until 6.30 p.m., when the lme began to thin. But at 9.15 p.m. the coaches and buses were still corning away from the ground, although they seemed to be the very last of the rear guard.
We saw coaches labelled from Keswick, Bristol, many southern towns, and most Midland centres, whilst scarce a Lancashire town or village did not send a`amall fleet of them. They had travelled through the night and bore the dust of many counties. As we heard it remarked by onlookers, " we did not know that there were so many motor coaches in existence or so many buses not engaged on the regular services." The sight must have greatly impressed many people and have served to convert any who may. not hitherto have paid due regard to the pleasure-giving possibilities of road travel. Undoubtedly such an event as the Cup Tie, drawing its spectators from all over the country, Must provide' extremely valuable propaganda for road travel, and for the modern type of road passenger vehicle which can give such pleasure and provide such service. .