Milford chronicle., 1924-09-12
SCHWAB TO BUILD
SIX-WHEEL TRUCKS
Becomes Head Of New Company
To Help Solve Problems OF
Highway transportation

AAHAWNy AAssA" " StAeAS
u
Charles M. SchWab, Chairman Oi
the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and
a director in ten other corporations
including several banks, has assum-
ed the Craftsmanship of a new cor
pOratiOn known as the Six Wheel
Company, which will manufacture
six-Wheel motor buses and trucks.
Announcement of this has been made
by Mr. Schwab himself through N.
W. Aver & Son.
The Six Wheel Company is Phil
adelphia concern, and the siX-wheel
motor bus or truck it produces is
described as a distinct departure in
autOmotiYe engineering. The four
rear wheels of the vehicle are as
sembled in one unit, similar to the
assembly of the trucks on railway
cars, and power and brakes are ap-
piled to all four wheels. Setting forth
his reasons for entering the new en-
terprise, Mr.. Schwab said:
In the transition through which
land transportation has been pass
ing in the last few years the high
way is playing a part of tremend-
Ously increasing importance. No
present day economic problem has
fascinated me more than the need
which has thus arisen for a proper
coordination of the rails and the
highways, to the end that both may
find their greatest fields of useful
ness.
81 have neither the intention nor
the desire to engage in highway
transportation. I have entered the
automotive industry, however, in the
field of large capacity passenger
coaches and freight trucks, with the
idea of providing a solution Of the
two outstanding problems of efficient
and economical use of the highways
by heavy motor vehicles.
"The highway is the roadbed of
the motor truck and bus. COnserva-
tion of that roadbed is the basic
principal of truck and bus operation,
if such operation is to be of greatest |
public service. Herein is the great |
difficulty of highway transportation.
Loads sufficiently large to permit of |
economical operation have present
ed a serious problem of highway |
maintenance.
Having this condition in mind, a
six-wheel motor vehicle has been
developed which reduces road impact
to about One-fourth that experienced
by four-wheel vehicles of like capac-
ity in general use.
with 2,941,274 miles of highways
-, A. TTDf4oI Cfafne OOmn9Tn6 /
with only 251,175 miles of steam
railways and 47,150 miles of electric
and street railways the right type OF
highway vehicle is obvious. A large
portion of this highway mileage is
made Immediately available for pas
senger transportation through the
of practical six-wheel
vehicle.
"If 1 did not meel that highway
as a complement of
rail transportation fills a need that
cannot be met in any other way l {
would not enter this field. 1 do not ,
regard the motor bus and heavy !
duty motor truck as competitors of J
he rail lines except in segregated in
stances. It is thoroughly practical 7
'or the rail lines to utilize highway &
systems as feeders.
This is already being done to linn
ted degree and will undoubtedly in 7
crease tremendously with the advent q
If a six-wheel motor vehicle driving
IN the four rear wheels. =
''When railroads first useG four r
Wheel trucks under their cars, two =
Wheel trucks became forever obso- II
etc. The new type of six-wheel con- :
truction will, in my opinion, accom- :
,lish the same thing for heavy duty .
highway motor vehicles" =
Mr.. Schwab, besides his chairman =
hip of the Bethlehem Steel COrpor- d
tion, is a director of the following Il
ther concerns: Bethlehem Spark G.
'lug Company, Chase National Bank
f New York, Chicago Pneumatic u
'ool Company Cha Grman), Empire Il
afe Deposit Company, Empire Trust N
company; Loew's, Inc; Metropoli-
an Life Insurance Company, Tono- n
ah Extension Mining Company, OF
-nited Zinc Smelling Corporation u
nd the Vanadium Corporation. di