MOTOR DISCARDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18067, 19 April 1933, Page 12

MOTOR DISCARDS

TURNED OVER TO HORSES ECONOMY IN TRANSPORT All motor vehicles that have had their day no longer go to the scrap heap to he broken down as spare parts. Some are converted into horse-drawn conveyances, and as such they are declared by choir owners to be a great success. One of the latest and most ambitious moves in this direction lias just been completed in Gisborne. This is the conversion of a motor truck of an old ivpe to an efficient horse-drawn lorry, which has all the advantages and none if the disadvantages of the old type of horse wagon, while economy is one feature which induced the owner to have it converted.

The motor truck concerned was purchased for a very small sum, alter being discarded by the original owners as being beyond economical use. It was then taken to the .coachbuilder, whose rt 'converted it for use by horses. Explaining the manner in which the lorse lorry was built from the old motor reek, Mr. W. E. Krebs stated that the hassis was cut in half. The back por.ion was used as the back carriage oi the lorry, and the 1 rout half was fitted with circle plates to make a full lock arr.age. All the gear was taken out ot the differential to make the vehicle ighter, but the entire braking system was retained intact, except where it was necessary to make alterations for fittings to the hand and foot levers at trie driver’s seat. The springs .were retained, and strengthened in order to carry heavier loads tiffin those for which the original motor truck was intended. Une of the big advantages of the converted vehicle over the ordinary horse lorry is that the wheels arc on ball hearings, which provides ior easier movement as against the old sleeve method, md it is estimated that two horses less would he required for a full load. The wilid rubber tyres ot the motor truck are retained. Provision is made for the ittaclimeiit of from two to six horses, and the vehicle is built to carry six tons. There is no weight restriction on horse drawn vehicles, the use of which also saves the several forms of license ;ecs, which, for heavy vehicles, constitutes a heavy impost on the owner before the truck goes on to the road. Other converted motor vehicles of the lighter type are doing service around lisborne, the move coming mainly as a ■esult of the difficult financial conditions making economy essential. If this movenent becomes more widespread, there should he a greater demand for good horseflesh than there has been for some /ears.