MaMMOTH ROAD TRAIN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 10

MaMMOTH ROAD TRAIN.

■ : , FOR. THE' RIVERINA. ■ SOLVING TRANSIT PROBLEMS. Tho wonderful adivance mado in conimorcial motor vehiclos during recent years' is all concentrated in a remarkl- - petrol-eleotrio road train that has just been land'.i-"V Melbourne jto'tho; order of Mr. K.. S. Falkiner, of the Riverina. The hugeness; and completeness of tho train amazo veyen. tho hnrdei;ed motorist, and nothing like it has, been seen in any part of the world, except thpi land of its origin—Germany— where ten. similar trains are in commission in jhe. Gorman army." Wealth and influence-,alone, enabled ,Mr. ; Falkiher to ' obtain,, possession of - the Muller . train, ,«i(':,'the,>'German:authorities, :it- is. said, 'wore not too 'favourably disposed td- i 'wardi allowing a Muller train, to leave' their country. Howovor,.' f.this ■ mam-; •moth- road: tractor with ' its inventor, .Major W. A. Mulldr, is in : Melbourne, 'ttho train assembled all ready to demonstrate what it can do under-Australian ■ • ' ■ -.

i -The train' consists of a. motor van. and. Vteii'trucks,' - tlfe propelling power .being ■''drawn from favo motor units of 125 h.p. 'each. Theso luiits Sro placed; one in.tho 'front, of tho van, and one in tlio back, : tca'ch "cngino' comprising -1 six cylinders ' (120 in.m.'boro by 220 in.ni.' stroke), the ,',w:ork of ..the Alistrian Daimler Company. Each 'of: engines has.two carburetters .aiid two magnetos. These, motors fdri; turn, 'drivo a huge dynamo, which supplies a' direct electric'current to pro'pel tho,.-triiinj'"'which weighs,unloaded .3s} tons, /at.. any pace 'up to. 18,iiniles hour when empty,,' and' from;four io.lOmiles per hour when loaded. The train is not drawn by tho.engirie, as in r'tji railjvay train, but each truck; is it-self .'driven, independently hy- two electric -Iniotors, olio to each- axlo and pair, of ■ wheels, the electric current '.being' de-, jiTived from the dynamo % tlio motor; '.van', which is, propelled in the .samo man-; 'ner as tho trucks, namely, motov fitted in the ; centre ofi'each axle snd pair of wheels," all.; of which run on ball bearings. Tlie pow'er unit of. eaclr vehicle in tho train is equivalent to about .25 h'.p.j tho weight of, eacli empty truck, being, 3J 'tens,-'.whilst'.tho motor van weighs , 8J tons. The -. driving- jwwer is transmitted, from each eleistno ; motor through a differential gearAand',thence jby,.chains ,to the road wheels." gears" are i provided: to each set of whfiels, tho -gear f case being set, between:' the clectrio imotor and tli<s.'differential, gearing. ■ Theso aro changed by pulling out .a (lover, tho whole - operation taking about itwo minutes. The mechanist is manipulated by one driver, Who sits' in a covered cab, with a set of petrol engines .at each end, and the dynamo , in the centre of the cab, tho controlling mechanism being wonderfully simple. >vncn' the train is in motion on a level road or "track under light travelling conditions, on automatic governor outs out one set 1 of- engines, tho full power being -again automatically brought into action when poivor is nccossary, say, for hill' climbing or, heavy going. . Tho petrol' consumption .is about li .2 gallons per milo according to road surface and: g'ear in use. Tho trucks are all detachable, and the train can bo mado up as desired, according to loading. , The length-.of the train, including ten 1 trucks, is, 218ft'. ;i -.A remarkable featire of the train is; its. steering. Tho dnver handles his ; steering wlieel, and as tho train moves ; ' tho,train' : ;follpws .tlio'sairio'itrack as.tlio, front wheels'of the motor van." Tliis enables tho train to trail about snakelikc', .and it.can .turn in au ordinary street;' The engines aro started up by cranking in the ordinary way, without the-electric current on. A Bosch selfstarter then .sets tho motor running. ; Wooden wheels, strengthened by heavy, steel/bands 3ft. lOin. high,-with smooth' 'lOiiu'.Viron' tyres, are fitted throughout, ! ,and Vlien the electric power is applied. 22 .pairs of wheels, simultaneously; set iii motion-by their respectivo electricmotors, and the whole„tf3.iii moves off "without'a jolt. In the movent, of .tho, motor.'van getting bogged with no grip < for*-its wheels,-all. that'Jias to . bo ,dono' is to ; reverie' tho' electric;,motora',;:and thc.ten trucks" Uraw the'van backwards, onvjto; solid ground again. Each truck is mado-ito carry.,six- tons.of.merclian- , dise/iinaljing load of 60 tons'. .The trains-is manned by only ,one; driver; and an-saasistaut. . Effective electric brakes, are provided on each of tho 22 motors, : ' andiin addition there are'supplementary hand-operated brakes acting on the^irontyred: wheels.. - , .. . • Iti'is stated.that TemaTkablo results' have been obtained .with' theso trains in connection with'.'ttef.'.Gennan . militiiry manoeuvres, they traversing the country •under heavy loads that liorso wagon's wero unable to move on. An idea of the cost,.of 'this great road tractor may bo , g&thered' ; lromtho fact that "the Com-; monwealth -Goveriimeht' claim to colalone, which will bring tho.landed cost in Australia to about •ilf^OO. Mr. Falkincr's idea-is to utilise the

Muller; train in connection with somo of his pastoral properties for wool-carrying, etc. 'At a private.trial iiv Albert Park, hcfore;re]iresentativos of tho Commonwealth military authorities, the train sifirst of all demonstrated what it can do on tho soft' sand parkland, averaging about four .miles an hour, whilst on tho macadamised' road the whole - train, weighing complete over "100 tons, easily •set a pace of 10 miles an hour. A demonstration of tho easy "manner'in which tlio'train can be manoeuvred about was also another yory interesting feature of StliG .trial —tho, train circling around a motor-car stationed in the centre of tho roadway,, tho diameter of.tho circle described being about 40ft. Needless to .say;'tho;trial was. a most impressive one. Tho ;first long trip contemplated is a 217 miles'' run from Melbourne to Wagga, New, South Wales, with 6() tons of merchandise'aboard. The Dunlop Rubber Company supplies these particulars of, this'remarkable invention.. '