SUCCESS OF GAS PRODUCER

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 6

SUCCESS OF GAS PRODUCER

Unit Manufactured In Invercargill

In order to comply with the new Government factory regulations concerning the manufacture of gas producers, the firm of H. E. Melhop, Ltd., recently fitted one of its units to an American car and set out on the road to Wellington. The unit passed all the Government tests, and H. E. Melhop, Ltd. became the first and only firm in the South Island licensed to manufacture gas producers for motor-vehicles. On the journey 1127 miles were covered at a total fuel cost of £2/6/-. Mr H. E. Melhop, accompanied by Mr A. J. Melhop at the wheel, left Invercargill at 5.45 a.m. on January 11 on the first stage of the journey to Wellington. Dunedin was reached at 9.10 a.m. Only one stop was made at Clinton for three minutes to refuel the producer, no other attention being required. All the hills were successfully negotiated on producer gas alone. The next day at 4.45 a.m. a start was made for Christchurch. Both Mount Cargill and the~Kilmog were climbed on producer gas alone, the petrol tap having been turned off in Dunedin. The lowest reading on the speedometer was nine mile per hour at Hangman’s Gully.' The time taken to climb Mount Cargill to the Brown House was eight minutes and in 15 minutes they were at the summit.

STRONG HEAD WIND Oamaru was reached at 7.15 a.m. The producer, was refuelled and at 8.45 a.m. Timaru was reached at a good steady speed of 45 miles an hour. Some time after leaving Timaru a strong head wind was met and continued until the end of the journey. At this ?tage the minimum top speed dropped to 35 miles an hour and continued at that for some 40 miles until the wind, still strong, veered to the left side and the speed increased to 40 miles an hour This was held till the end of the journey. The second stop for refuelling occurred near Ashburton and no further fuel was required until Christchurch was reached at 11.40 a.m. The travelling time to Dunedin was 3 hours 25 minutes and from Dunedin to Christchurch 6 hours 55 minutes. No clinker trouble was experienced during the whole trip to Christchurch. The Port Hills to Lyttelton were climbed on producer gas alone.

In Wellington the Melhop Producer was tested by the staff of the Dominion Laboratory, first, for filter test and second, for road test. It passed the Government requirements in both of these with a good report. The return trip from Christchurch was started at 4 p.m. on January 19, the journey being broken at Oamaru and continued to Invercargill on the 20th.

On the up journey Linton char gave the best performance of any fuel used. It was unnecessary to stop the engine for refuelling and no time was lost on the road for any other attention.