128 COST OF A COACH CH. VIII 



head, but coarse grit will scratch the surface and 

 make it impossible to get a proper polish. Care 

 must be taken not to rub off the paint where it joins 

 the steel. Nothing- shows g-ood stable-care more 

 emphatically than really well-kept steel, and only 

 hard work will bring about the desired result. 



In taking- off the wheels for oiling - , a small table 

 or chair, or at least a paper spread upon the floor, 

 should be used to receive the nuts, washers, and 

 pins ; if laid upon the floor they are sure to get grit 

 upon them, which will damage the finely finished 

 axle. The old oil must be carefully removed and 

 all the parts scrupulously cleaned before re-oiling 

 and putting together. On a private coach, Collinge 

 axles run from one to two months without attention, 

 but mail axles require oiling once a week, and on 

 public-coaches it is usual to clean and oil the axles 

 every day, and at the same time to make a thorough 

 examination of all nuts and bolts. When washing 

 a coach, public or private, the washer should always 

 bear in mind the necessity of examining every part 

 of it, to see whether all is in g;ood order. 



COST OF A COACH 



The cost of a coach depends upon its finish and 

 the locality where it is built. For what may be 

 called a standard drag, built in the very best way, 

 the price is usually in America 2400 dollars, in 

 England 300 guineas, and in France 8000 francs. 



