CHEAP FUEL

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1932, Page 7

CHEAP FUEL

CREOSOTE AT fid A GALLON. I l BELFAST EXPERIMENT. LONDON, November 1. According to the correspondent of “Daily Express,” three chemists in ■ the laboratories of the Belfast Corporation gas undertaking) have now per- * fccted the discovery they made fifteen months ago of a. creosote oil substitute •Tot petrol, which they, claim will reduce by half Britain’s motor fuel bill. i*lfycr since June last year the C'orpoi^iion: lias been producing for eager ,custpmei's'thbi:f/ands. of gallons of this fuel** and TVlv annual output of half a "•million gallons can be. attained. The Total omnibus company, after testing .- the fuel over 400,0(',0 miles of Ulster fronds, has decided io convert, and has entered into a contract with the gas undertaking for a five years’ supply. One hundred private motor-cars in Belfast are running on the fuel, which costs the owners sixpence a gallon. Tli© London General Omnibus Company is carrying out exhaustive tests, Salford ’ Corporation is running an experimental vehicle satisfactorily, and the formula has been broadcast throughout the Empire. A north of England concern is producing the same fuel for omnibus traffic in the Manchester area, and a representative of the Australian Gov- ; 'ernment, sent specially to Belfast for information, is on his way back to nd■vise the Commonwealth to encourage 1 its manufacture and use there. It is claimed that any gas undertaking can manufacture the fuel without any capital outlay on additional plant. The chemists produce the orco- 1 sote from the residual tar after the gas has been extracted from the coal.

KNOCKING ELIMINATED

! Tlie fuel, because of its high flash point and non-inflammable qualities, cannot he used for starting up or idling, and this necessities carrying a reserve tank of. petrol. But once the engine is started it automatically switches over to creosote,’ which, it is stated, eliminates knocking and contains such a quantity of carbolic acid that the exhaust gases are rendered highly disinfectant. Mr James Courtney, the engineering expert of the Belfast Omnibus Company said in an interview:! “Over a period of fifteen months the omnibuses running on creosote show a substantial saving over those running on petrol alone. All the vehicles need for conversion is a special manifold and another carburettor, the operation of which is purely automatic.” Air James McCrae,' managing director of the company, said: “The- saving on creosote.is one penny pe|‘ mile, and if we convert out whole fleet we shall save approximately £20,000 a year.” |