Answers to Queries.
Page 16
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Recorders for Steel-tired Steam Lorries.
[2423] (Herts).—You might with .advantage try the " What Was When" recorder, which is sold by S. S. Nevill, Ltd., 79a, Parkhurst Road, Holloway, N., or the A.T. Mileometer, which is sold by the A.T. Speedometer Co., 140, Long Acre, W.C.
Assisted Hire Purchase.
[2424] (Makers).—The name and address for which you inquire is the Motor Hire Purchase Syndicate, 75, Crouch Street, Colchester. Another firm which takes up work of this class is the British Railway Traffic and Electric Co., Ltd., 15, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.
Summer Shortage of Chars-a-bancs.
[2425] (Seaside Owner).—You cannot expect a. fellow-owner to hire a motor char-a-banes to you for the picked 12 weeks of the year, except on a profitsharing basis. H you have any proposal of the kind to make, you might get a vehicle from Messrs. Timpsons, 22, Woodhurst Road, Plumstead.
Buying a Char-a-banes.
[2426] (Tryer).—You will not get any char-h-bancs under a deposit of .2300, partly because the bodies are so expensive. We never take the responsibility of advising a purchaser where to work, because any one place is probably as good as another to a man who handles the job properly. There is unquestionably more money made at seaside resorts than in London, and money should also be made in working from manufacturing centres. Our issue for the 23rd October last contained much information about chars Converting a West-Aster Car.
[2427] (Drapers).—ln reply to your letter of the 30th June, the West-Aster car has not been made for a number of years past. We do not think you will be able to get any " gear " as you call it. Modern Aster engines are made by the Aster Engineering Co., Ltd., Wembley, and you might perhaps apply to them. It is our opinion, based on very considerable experience, that conversions of pleasure-car chassis for commercial purposes are almost invariably not a paying proposition. Such chassis a-re with very few exceptions entirely unsuitable for the special circumstances of commercial-vehicle employment, and there is, as in this ease, the added difficulty of securing adequate supplies for replacements. The few exceptions concern light loads for transportation at usual private-ear speeds.
Starting as a Haulier and Contemplating some Passenger-carrying.
[2428] (Birmingham).A vehicle which is exelii. sively used for goods purposes bears no tax, but only the single registration charge of £1, apart from I he driver's licence of 5s. per annum. If used for charit-banes purposes, there is then a hackney-carriage licence of £2 17s. per annum if the unlade.ri weight be two tons or less, or of E3 18s. per annum if the unladen weight is above two tons. If used for goods purposes only, all petrol is subject to a rebate of 1.!;d. per gallon, and you must see that you get a certificate from each garage where you buy petrol to the effect that the full duty of 3d, per gallon has been paid. You can afterwards get the rebate, say once a month or every two months, from the local Excise officer, by making application on the appointed form. If used for char-k-bancs purposes, there is no rebate on the petrol, unless the vehicle is exclusively used to stand and ply for hire. If it be used to take out parties and for booked trips, the full petrol tax of 3d. per gallon is payable.
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Railcars and Tip-up Wagons.
2429 (Secretary). For petrol locomotives for narrow-gauge railways you might apply to the following :— Drewey Car Co., Ltd., River Plate House, 13, South Place, E.C.
Tronside, Son and Dyckerhoff, 40, Mincing Lane, E.C.
Motor Rail and Tramcar Co., Ltd., 79, Lombard Street, E.0 Tip-up wagons for road use can be bought from practically any of the advertisers of heavy motorcars ; you can find their names from one of our issues.
A Threatened Summons for Blowing off Steam.
[2430] (Yorks).—Your driver should be able to answer the summons, if it reaches him, in satisfactory fashion, and with the desired result, by making use of the following information. A heavy motorcar is allowed, under the Acts of 1896 and 1903, to emit steam from any temporary or accidental cause. This is set forth in Section I of the 1896 Act, which has to be read together with the 1903 Act and the 1904 Heavy Motor Car Order. There is no obligation on a driver to stay with his engine at all times, unless obstruction is likely to be charged againsthim as a consequence', but this latter risk appears not to have arisen. The Motor Car.(1:se and Construction) Order of 1904 states, as part-of Article IV (2), that a driver shall not "quit the motorcar without having taken due precautions against it being started in his absence." Your man clearly took the necessary precautions which are here indicated. Perhaps you can point this out to the superintendent of police, and so save trouble.