126 CARE OF THE COACH CH. VIII 



The distance between the axles of XII. is made 

 necessary by the length of the body and of the 

 thorough-braces. 



The hind wheels of II. and of XII. are of the 

 same size, and much larger than in any of the other 

 plates. 



Plate XI. shows a break designed by me many 

 years ago for my own use, and a comparison of it 

 with the coaches, shows that it preserves their main 

 proportions, while being much lighter ; weighing 

 only 1600 pounds. As in almost all breaks, the 

 horses are from six to ten inches further away from 

 the coachman than they are in a coach. This dis- 

 tance can be diminished by putting the front wheel 

 further under the body, but somewhat to the detri- 

 ment of the steady running of the vehicle and of its 

 appearance. 



CARE OF THE COACH 



As soon as the coach returns to the stable after 

 use, it should be washed, and under no circum- 

 stances should mud be allowed to dry on it, since 

 that will inevitably spot the varnish. There is no 

 way of washing so good as with a stream from a 

 hose, where water under pressure is available ; fail- 

 ing this, water must be dashed on the carriage 

 from a bucket. As the under part of a coach is 

 much more complex than that of an elliptic-spring 

 carriage, it is more difficult to wash, and the man 

 must get under the coach to do it thoroughly. 

 Where plenty of water can be had there is little 



