[
    {
        "id": 207767,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1976",
        "page_number": 155,
        "title": "RAS-1976",
        "content_text": "140\n\nW. A. REYNOLDS\n\nIt will be seen that many of the routes were mountainous, and the road near Makuchen () on the Kutsing-Luhsien (Fig. 2) run reaches 2,630 metres. The grading in almost all places was good and reflected credit on the engineers who had surveyed and built the routes, mainly with manual labour impressed from the surrounding countryside. There were no sealed or tarmac surfaces and the roads were kept in repair by filling potholes with hand-broken small stones.\n\nThe first permanent transport base was at Kweiyang where the Unit took over and extended the garage maintained there by the IRC outside the city at Shi Sang Shi (4%). (Plate 18) Cover for four trucks, stores, tinsmiths and engine overhaul shops, office and living quarters for drivers, mechanics and their families were provided. The godown was at the old IRC headquarters inside the city, a Confucian temple courtyard (M). Other bases were purpose-built. Kutsing (), opened for operation in June 1942, became Unit Headquarters in August 1942 and had a large godown. Luhsien (⇓) was a small base used for serving trucks on the arduous Kutsing-Luhsien run and forwarding supplies to Chengtu by truck or by boat down river to Chungking. A small group with one or two trucks was based on the West China Union University (#606★*), campus at Chengtu for 1942 and part of 1943 for distribution to many institutions in that area and up to Paoki (**). In early 1944 a permanent garage was acquired and extended on the South Bank at 44 kilometres milestone at Chungking, and this later became a major base.\n\nEach transport base had a garage Manager, with assistants in the large ones, and an Agent who looked after all paperwork, permits and cargo details, with an assorted force of employee mechanics, tinsmiths, carpenters etc. Drivers and mechanics also worked on their trucks when in the base. Details of garage operations and numbers are discussed fully in a later section.\n\nThe time taken for journeys varied widely according to the motive power of the truck (petrol, alcohol, diesel or charcoal gas), the skill of the driver in maintenance (especially with charcoal powered trucks) and the state of the road and the weather. When the diesel powered Fords, described in a later section, were new, convoys of 2-3 trucks would regularly complete the Kutsing-Luhsien (724 kilometres) run in 3-4 days giving, with crew rest days and",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1976.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/hq382988q",
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    },
    {
        "id": 207774,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1976",
        "page_number": 162,
        "title": "RAS-1976",
        "content_text": "A ROAD TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN WEST CHINA 1942-46\n\n147\n\nhappened). Two died of typhus, and one was killed when a truck overturned. No Chinese transport employees died in the four years under review.\n\nMaintenance\n\nAs has been indicated in earlier sections, truck maintenance was the major problem in sustaining the system, and the supply of spare parts and lubricating oil was the most critical element. Each convoy or individual truck was expected to be self-sufficient for any repairs or maintenance between bases. If there was a major breakdown within 50 km or so of bases, arrangements might be made for a tow-in; otherwise, repairs were done on the spot. Connecting rod bearings can be replaced, and crankshaft journals resurfaced at the roadside if necessary. Replacing front and rear spring main leaf was a common occurrence. Just what self-sufficiency on the road meant can be gathered from the lists of spare equipment carried on truck No. 21, a Chevrolet converted to charcoal, given in Table IX. This was in addition to personal sets of spanners, etc. It is true that this truck was four years old and was better kitted out than most, but all the spares had been found invaluable on one occasion or another. Even with new WD Dodge trucks running on petrol, but setting out on a 3200 km round trip from Chungking to the Shensi-Kansu-Ninghsia Border area in early 1946, the list of spare equipment for a three-truck convoy was quite formidable and is given in Table X.\n\nEffective transport systems depend on maintenance, especially where there are no service facilities, and maintenance, in these circumstances, starts with the truck driver. It became second nature, drilled into all drivers on first trips, to examine all tyres and springs at every stop and to check not only oil and water but also engine mountings, fan belts, U-bolts, and wheel bolts every day.\n\nApart from mechanical failures of springs, etc., the major causes of troubles on Chevrolet and Dodge trucks were electrical. Radiators also gave trouble, and if a leak could not easily be soldered, the addition of water buffalo dung to the system was often efficacious. One ingenious charcoal truck driver connected his fuel pump (not required on gas) to a spare 5-gallon water tank and kept his leaking radiator topped up in that way.\n\nThe major item of garage maintenance was engine overhaul. This was established on a preventive basis, especially for the char-",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1976.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/hq382988q",
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    },
    {
        "id": 207787,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1976",
        "page_number": 175,
        "title": "RAS-1976",
        "content_text": "160\n\nW. A. REYNOLDS\n\nTABLE X\n\nSpares For 3 Truck Convoy (Dodge) on Petrol On 3,400 Km.\n\nFriends Ambulance Unit: Chungking Garage:\n\nYenan Convoy. 15:1:46 Round Trip. 1946\n\nSpares for trucks 62,119,122 and trailer\n\n  \n    1 set big end bearing shells\n    .002\" u.s.\n  \n  \n    1 stub axle left\n    1 steering arm left\n  \n  \n    1 water pump assembly.\n    1 steering arm right\n  \n  \n    2 fan belts\n    1 drag link\n  \n  \n    2 pistons 3 \" plus .060\" 0.8.\n    3 ball studs\n  \n  \n    1 connecting rod (used)\n    3 engine mounting bolts\n  \n  \n    1 set compression rings standard TI1OL.\n    2 front spring assemblies\n  \n  \n    1 rear spring assembly (no helper)\n    1 engine gasket sets\n  \n  \n    2 cylinder head gasket\n    2 timing chains\n  \n  \n    2 fuel pump diaphragms\n    spare main leaf rear\n  \n  \n    1 second leaf rear\n    1 fourth leaf rear\n  \n  \n    2 front spring centre bolts\n    1 fuel pump repair kit\n  \n  \n    2 rear spring centre bolts\n    1 carburettor repair kit\n  \n  \n    9 spare tires with tubes\n    1 length 3/16 pipe and male\n  \n  \n    5 spare tubes\n    unions\n  \n  \n    1 pos. battery lead\n    1 neg. battery lead\n  \n  \n    6 14mm spark plugs\n    1 radiator\n  \n  \n    4 pieces assorted radiator hose\n    4 hose clips\n  \n  \n    2 clutch oil bearings\n    1 universal joint assembly\n  \n  \n    1 clutch disc\n    4 brake shoes rear\n  \n  \n    3 front flex, brake lines\n    2 rear flex. brake lines\n  \n  \n    2 front wheel brake cups\n    2 rear wheel brake cups\n  \n  \n    6 ft HT wire\n    1 distributor cap\n  \n  \n    1 distributor rotor arm\n    3 sets contact points\n  \n  \n    3 condensers\n    1 coil\n  \n  \n    10 ft LT wire\n    1 generator\n  \n  \n    1 voltage regulator\n    1 brake master cylinder assembly\n  \n  \n    2 wheel nut assemblies left and right rear\n    1 sealed beam\n  \n  \n    2 headlight bulbs\n    2 headlight lenses\n  \n  \n    1 half shaft\n    \n  \n\nYenan Convoy Equipment\n\n  \n    1 battery\n    3 sets double wheel chains\n  \n  \n    10 fathoms \" rope\n    1 tow chain wire\n  \n  \n    6 5 gallon cans\n    1 tow rope\n  \n  \n    2 mechanical jacks",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1976.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/hq382988q",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 208023,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1977",
        "page_number": 62,
        "title": "RAS-1977",
        "content_text": "46\n\nW. A. REYNOLDS\n\nhere, the surveillance is curiously haphazard and capricious. We could not see that we were followed on leaving; perhaps they have given up checking on foreigners\". We had also been to a large reception given by General Chou En-lai on January 7th which was attended by General Marshall and, from the Kuomintang; Chen Li-fu, Feng Yu-hsiang and Dr. H. H. Kung, together with the Chungking establishment of Ambassadors, Consuls etc.\n\nThe Journey There\n\nThe route followed is shown in Fig. 1.* The convoy finally set out on a misty morning on January 21st intending to cross the Yangtse by the upper ferry. Disaster overtook us within four kilometres. Going down a steep slope the driver of the leading truck missed his gear change and ran off the road into a paddy field. The truck finished up on her side (Plate no. 6). With help from the base garage, she was hauled out, (Plate no. 7), the Garage Manager directing. The convoy returned to base, spent a day straightening and reloading and set forth again on January 23rd. The route went through Sui Ning, San Tai, Mien Yang over the Chien Men Kuan or Sword Gate Pass to Kwang Yuan and then over another Pass, Ch'i P'an Kuan or the Gate of Shensi, in the Mi Ts'ang Mountains to Pao Ch'eng.†\n\nNorth of Mienyang the 'new' motor road follows the route of the old Imperial Highway to Ch'eng-tu. Impressive “pai lo's”, fine trees and stone bridges mark the route (Plates 8 & 9). Just after Pao Ch'eng is the famous Buddhist temple Miao-T'ai Tzu, where we stopped for a visit. A place of peace and beauty to which one might dream of retiring for a while.\n\nIn Pao-ch'eng the scene is very different from the Szechuan towns over the mountains to the south. This was the southern limit of the camel trains coming down from Sinkiang and Kansu, some with loads of dried Hami melon. Perhaps some of the flavour of the place is given in a quotation from a letter home: \"We spent one night in Pao-ch'eng and as we came up across the bridge in the late afternoon, the long flatness of the Han-hui Ch'u valley behind us, lines of camels drinking at the river side were mirrored\n\nP.54 Plates 6-19 at rear illustrate the article.\n\n+ The romanisation of place names is that used in the Times Atlas of China since this is the detailed reference most easily available to Western readers.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1977.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/np198x23n",
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    }
]