News and Comment.
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This journal is officially recognized by the Commercial _Motor Users' Association.
The special Overseas Section opens on page 282.
Old and new readers, both at home and abroad, will find the contents of this issue of general interest, and we hope they will bring them under the notice of friends who might be persuaded thereby to take up commercial motoring as a business proposition, whether as users or agentsor in any other connection.
Yesterday (Wednesday), at the Royal Agricultural Hall, the annual general meeting of the governors and members of the Royal Agricultural Society of England took place. The total membership is now only 80 short of 10,000. The 71st annual exhibition, as has already been announced, will be held at. Liverpool, from the 21st to 25th June next, whilst the exhibition in 1911 will be held at Norwich.
Straker-Squire Motor ParcelsVans for the G.W.R.
The Great Western Railway Co. has recently, as reported by us, put into service, for town collection and delivery work, the nucleus of a fleet of Straker-Squire motor parcelsvans. Three are running at Birmingham, and three at Liverpool and Birkenhead. The principal features of the vehicles are: cylinders, 41 in. by 5 In.; ball bearings on main crankshaft bearings; weight of chassis with tires, 1 ton, 4 cwt. 3 qrs. ; weight of body, 6 cwt. 1 qr. ; thermosyphon cooling ; leather-faced pressedsteel clutch ; three-speed gearbox ; worm drive on back axle, giving ratio of 7.2 to 1; overall length, 13 ft. 8 in. ; and body space, including driver's seat, 8 ft. 10 in. It will be observed, from the foregoing, that this type of vehicle, one of which is illustrated amongst the delivery vans in our special section, discloses the intention to make a deliberate attack upon the privileged ground of the one-horse
van. ft is significant that so cautious a man as Mr. J. C. Inglis, the general manager of the G.W.R., should have taken this course.
Natal Purchases.
The Natal Government has resolved to purchase a Renard motor train, two agricultural motors, and one 30-passenger motor rail-coach, and it has agreed to a total expenditure not exceeding £10,000 in this connection.
An L. and N.W.R. Departure.
The London and North Western Railway Co. has purchased a 21ton Thornycroft chassis, with interchangeable and detachable lorry-platform bodies. This vehicle, which is fitted with a standard 16 h.p. twocylinder engine, has been sold through Mr. C. Pemberton Wooler, of 2, Park Place, Leeds, who took the order from Mr. C. J. B. Cooke, the chief mechanical engineer of the company.
Newcastle-Blackhill Service.
We announced, three weeks ago (page 224 ante), the intended formation of a motor-earrying company for the Blackhill district, near Newcastleon-Tyne, and we then gave the name and address of the secretary. We are now able to report that the company will be called the Derwent Valley Motor Co., Ltd., and that it will have a capital of £3,000 in .C1 shares, whilst Mr. J. Eltringham, a member of the Northumberland County Council, will be chairman of directors.
The Postmaster-General has accepted the tender of Leyland Motors, Ltd., for the London-Chichester-Portsmouth service.
Scottish A.C.
Entries for this year's competition of the Scottish Automobile Club, in respect of good-driving records, must be lodged, at 163, West George Street, Glasgow, before the 18th inst.
Tar-sprayers.
We are asked to point out that the Mann steam wagon, with tank and tar-spraying equipment, which we illustrated a fortnight ago, is the property of the Aitken 'Inroads Syndicate, of 29, St. Vincent Place, Glasgow.
The Road Improvement Act.
We notice, in his Majesty's prorogation speech, the following passage : 1 anticipate beneficial results to agriculture and to the rural industries of the country from the measure for the economic development of the United Kingdom and for the improvement of roads." We also observe that the proposals of the House of Lords, to provide grants towards meeting extraordinary expenditure incurred by highway authorities on the maintenance of roads in consequence of motor traffic, which was carried early last month as an amendment to Clause 8 of the Bill, and which the House of Commons subsequently rejected, has not been retained in the Act. Consequently, any money at the disposal of the Road Board should be properly applied.
Ambulance for Motors. The " breakdown car" is a necessary adjunct to the fleet and organization of any large motor undertaking ■ % here passenger transport is the chief business, and that is why the principal London omnibus and cab. companies have vehicles of that kind. On receipt of a telephone message from the scene of trouble, one of these machines is driven to a particular spot, with one or more fitters aboard, and the necessary repair is generally effected rapidly. In cases of a more serious nature, an omnibus is towed hack to the depot, whilst a cab is more generally hoisted on to the platform of the " retrieving " machine. Some manufacturers and proprietors of large garages keep by them a vehicle of this type, and we illustrate one example on this page. In this case, a large car had been seriously damaged by collision on the Hog's Back, between. Guildford and Farnham, but it was comfortably accommodated on the Dennis vehicle which was sent out.
Whilst it clearly will not pay anybody who does not own a large fleet of public-service vehicles specifically to keep one or more such vehicles in waiting, we commend the idea generally.
The Edinburgh Show,
The exhibition at Edinburgh, next month, under the auspices of the Scottish Automobile Club and the Scottish Society of Motor Traders and Agents, promises to be, as usual, a big stIMENSS.
Argyll London Repairs.
Argylls, Ltd., wishes to remind owners of Argyll vehicles that overhauls, repairs and the supply of spare parts are undertaken at Brownlow Mews, Guilford Street, Gray's Inn Road, W.C.
A Halley Trial.
We learn that Messrs. Smith, Laing and Co., of Russell Mills, Springfield R.S.O., Fife, have been subjecting a 30-32 h.p. Halley lorry to a series of severe tests. From our knowledge of this make, we are not surprised that good results have been obtained.
Motor Claim Fails.
A claim by Bainbridge and Co., Ltd., of Market Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, against the Mayor and Corporation of that city, for damages caused to one of the plaintiff company's motor and trailer by collision with an electric tramcar, resulted in a decision for the defendant corporation, with costs.
Daimler Hiring.
The hire department of the Daimler Motor Co. (1904), Ltd., has been transferred, owing to considerable extensions and demands, to premises at 78, Marylebone Lane, W. This is close to Wigtnore Street, and to Bond Street Station on the Central London Railway. Mr. H. P. G. Brakenridge is the manager of the department.
Two Trailers.
A driver named William Anderson, of Sandhaven, was fined 20s. with 30s. costs, at Peterhead, on the 30th ult., for crossing the Mills of Strichen Bridge with two trailers behind his tractor. We would again warn owners of tractors that they are not allowed to haul more than a single trailer, unless they choose to register the ma
chines both under the Motor Car Acts and the Locomotive Acts—the latter Costs at least 210 a year per tractor.
Roads for Australia.
It is rather a sign of the times that a number of municipalities throughout the State of New South Wales are ordering, or inviting tenders for, the supply of steam rollers, and it is to be hoped, for the sake of commercial motoring in general, that it will lead to better roads within urban areas. Albury has gone rather farther than most others, by ordering a steam wagon, which is to be convertible into
a road roller. In stating the cause for this advance, it is estimated that, by using steam plant and motor wagons in lieu of hand-breaking and horses, 21,175 per annum will he saved.
To and From Germany.
We learn that Mr. F. B. Goodchild has been paying a business visit to Berlin, and that he had a very bad crossing, in the early hours of Friday last, on the North Sea. We know what that can be like, too, in a winter gale. Back from Waltershausen and Berlin, we see, Mr. Fritz Poppe has returned to his London charge of the Polack interests. Another Motor Mail.
A motor-mail service was inaugurated, on the 1st inst., between Chesham and Slough, the delivery of letters being thus expedited by one hour, and the time of closing being extended by a similar period. Mr. W. Forster, of High Street, Chesham, has the contract for the new service.
New Registrations.
The East Lancashire Motor Carrying Co., Ltd. (private company), with an authorized capital of 25,000.
The " Captain " Motor Wheel Co., Ltd. (private company), with an authorized capital of 23,000 in 21 shares, to enter into an agreement with a Mr. II. L. Goodman, and with its registered office at 6, King Street, Bristol.
Huband, Simms and Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of £5,000 in 21 shares, to acquire a business no carried on at 63, Broomspring Lane, Sheffield, as garage proprietors and automobile engineers.
Southern Automobiles, Ltd. (a private company), with an authorized capital of 23,000 in 21 shares, to carry on business, inter alia, as garage proprietors, contractors, and hirers-out of road motors, and with its registered office at 102, Westcombe Hill, Blackheath, S.E.
Lyons's Growing Fleet.
The vehicle shown below is the fourteenth Lacre motorvan supplied to J. Lyons and Co., Ltd., of Cadby Kensington, W., which company now possesses a ileet of 45 motorvans (25 Renaults, 14 Lacres, and six singlecylinder de Diens). The Lacre vans present a very attractive appearance in their finished state, the colours being light and dark blue and white, the bodies and tasteful finish being the work of Mr. T. Blanch, of Church Street, Chelsea, S.W. The tea delivery by these machines extends all over the country, lengthy tours for weeks at a time being undertaken, and in such cases the windscreens are a welcome adjunct, as is the big head-light for finishing the round on country roads after dark.