From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Correspondence page from a motoring magazine with letters from readers discussing various automotive topics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0160 | |
| Date | 22th January 1941 | |
| January 22, 1941. 557 The Motor CORRESPONDENCE Letters intended for publication must be written on one side of the paper only and should be as short as possible. The name and address of the sender must be enclosed as a guarantee of good faith. No responsibility is taken for views expressed by the writer. NEXT? The freeing of Menai Bridge from tolls, as from January 1, makes one hopeful that others will also be freed. One of the most discussed, the freeing of which has been postponed owing to the war, is Burrow-bridge, on the Glastonbury - Taunton road. Signalling Becoming Lax I DISAGREE with all the critics who blandly state that the standard of driving has depreciated in recent months, except for one thing—namely, poor signalling. I fail to see a regular use of the direction indicator or of a signal by hand to indicate that a vehicle is turning right. This, I consider, the most important signal of all and if neglected places a terrific responsibility upon an overtaking driver to prevent a collision. Fortunately, it seems to me, the overtaker as a rule appears to sense the probable action of the man ahead. With signalling devices now developed to a reasonable degree of reliability, there is really no excuse for bad or neglected signals. London, S.W. K.L.B.D. More Tolls to Free WITH the announcement that Menai Bridge is free of toll as from January 1, Somerset road users are wondering if Burrowbridge toll-gate will be freed at last. On the main Glastonbury-Taunton road it is in frequent use. It had been promised to be free from last February, but the war decrease in takings apparently postponed matters. In 1939, when changing hands, it fetched £1,725, equalling 138,000 customers at 3d. to clear expenses in the year. Built 125 years ago, the cost of £2,550 was put up by 50 people; 5 per cent. has since been paid on the bonds and it is only now that the last of these have been redeemed. Previous sums paid for the right to collect tolls for 12 months were:—1925, £513; 1932, £1,280; 1938, the record of £1,830. The auction was unique in that it has been held every year in an old posting-house in Langport and the sale conducted by a century-old sand-glass. When the final bid was made it was turned up three times before clinching the deal. Long Ashton, Bristol. DOROTHY KNOWLE. Renovate the Old Cars WITHOUT being critical of the appeal for derelict cars for the Red Cross and St.{Capt. P. R. Strong} John Fund, I venture to express the hope that no more cars will be sent to the breakers unless they are definitely and finally beyond repair. Any car that can be made to run is more valuable to the country in that condition than it is as scrap. We need all the cars we can muster—and shall increasingly—both to maintain the routine of civil life and for actual defence purposes. In particular, the Home Guard ought to have more cars. Of course, scrap metal should be collected, but some supporters of the campaign have been over-zealous for it and have scrapped things that had much better have been kept in use. Banbury. FRANCIS JONES. “The Case for the Two-stroke” Overcoming Inherent Difficulties IN view of the recent controversy regarding two-stroke engines, might it not be said that we are getting to the stage in two-stroke development when some of the inherent difficulties can easily be overcome? I have a smattering of knowledge on the subject and understand that the main bars to efficiency in the two-stroke petrol engine are scavenging, cooling and carburation. It would seem, however, that a correctly ported two-stroke engine fitted with a direct injection system, and either super-charged or fitted with a scavenge pump, would overcome the difficulties mentioned, with a corresponding increased power output, reduced petrol consumption and elimination of “four-stroking.” With such a system burned gases are completely cleared from the cylinder, cool fresh air is introduced, and when the ports are closed and compression has taken place, then the correctly metered charge of petrol is introduced. And half the charge is not lost through the exhaust ports before combustion, as is often the case to-day. Chesterfield. TWO-STROKE. A Little Miscalculation IN view of the Editorial footnote to the article by “M.S.A.E.” (January 8, 1941), I refrain from dealing with the many parts of the article which appear to me to be misleading and even contradictory. Perhaps you will permit me, however, to make a present to “M.S.A.E.” by correcting one of his pieces of arithmetic. He values a set of four pistons at 14s. each at a total of £5 16s., whereas I think it comes to £2 16s. He proceeds to make twice 17s. come to £3 14s., whereas it is actually £1 14s. Then he claims that these figures show an advantage to the two-stroke of nearly 25 per cent., whereas the true ratio, on his argument, is nearly 40 per cent. In view of the rest of his article, I cannot think why his claim was so modest in this particular. Coventry. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} P. WILLOUGHBY. A27 | ||