Handling Goods in Small Lots.

The handling of merchandise in small lots has always been a difficult problem for the Home railways. Now that road transport is developing so rapidly, much consideration is being given to measures calculated to assist in the safe and speedy movement of traffic in small lots. Among means to this end there may be noted the introduction of bonus schemes in the bigger warehouses, providing for the payment of a special cash bonus, in addition to ordinary wages, to men engaged in handling miscellaneous traffic. The bonus payments are calculated upon tonnage handled, and all tonnage dealt with over and above an agreed minimum is credited to the workers concerned in its handling.

The main feature of “smalls” traffic movement at Home is the operation throughout the group railways of special tranship sheds for the handling of consignments in small lots. In London and at strategic points throughout the country, freight depots are located and equipped for dealing with this class of traffic. The main principle involved is the direct loading of “smalls” traffic to a point as near destination as possible. Daily wagons are made up in each shed to the other important tranship depots, and traffic is thus staged from point to point in accordance with elaborate loading instructions issued for the guidance of the staff, roadside stations being linked up with one or more of the adjoining tranship sheds by road wagon service operated in pick-up goods trains.