The Straker Steam Wagon.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 May 1906, Page 177

The Straker Steam Wagon.

Our illustration shows the new Straker 5-ton steam wagon recently delivered to the Wellington City Council. At the preliminary trials this wagon pulled five tons dead-weight up the Pine street hill, varying from 1-7 to 1-8 ; and on the official trial, under the superintendence of the city engineer, Mr. Morton, the wagon went out light from the Council yard to the Corporation quarry at Maranui, via Oriental Bay, a distance of six miles, m forty minutes. Here \\ yards of road metal were taken to the top of the Crawford road hill, a distance of two miles and an upgrade all the way, m twenty minutes. The city engineer is perfectly satisfied with the working of the Straker, and the wagon is now being employed for regular work, it being estimated that it will be able to take from twentyfive to thirty yards of metal per day to various parts cf the city, and that it will prove a saving to the Council of from £20 to per week. The machine can easily do the work of five teams at a cost of under £8 per week, including wages, depreciation, fuel, oil, repairs, and interest.

The Gordon-Bennett Cup race was killed by the English and French. The British Automobile Club decided to abandon the event in the interest of its own Tourist Trophy race, a speed contest held in the British Isles open only to touring cars under touring conditions. The French Club withdrew because it felt that France was not treated fairly considering her position as the boss nation of the motor world. Meanwhile, the valuable GordonBennett Cup presented by and called after the proprietor of the New York Herald, is held by the Automobile Club of France, having been won by the reckless Thery in 1904 and 1905. France has won it four times, England and Germany once each. The French club will replace the lost race by another over the Fontainebleau circuit, in which there will be no restriction as to the number of representatives any nation may have. That was the rock which wrecked the Gordon-Bennett race.