A Survey of Taxicab Developments
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Some Extracts From, and Comment Upon, a Paper Recently Read by Mr. J. S. Critchley, M.I.Mech.E., before the Royal Automobile Club.
The author of a paper, entitled " The Evolution of the Taxicab," that was read at the Royal Automobile Club on Wednesday of last week, was perhaps largely influenced in his writing by the fact that he was appealing to an audience the majority of whom were London residents. Only from this point of view can justification be found for Mr. Critchley's almost entire neglect to consider the great increases that have taken place in the provincial employment and evolution of the taxicab. Many Heves of motorcabs that are in use in extra-metropolitan areas are purposely composed of units that are quite distinct from the little London model. That is one aspect of the motorcab's evolution that the author has neglected. Moreover, in his paper, no attention has been drawn to the most-strikingstage at which this evolution has now arrived, viz., to the over-lavish equipment of many popular models—a state of affairs that has already been brought about by increasing competition.
A large proportion of the early part of Mr. Critchley's paper consists of a useful review of the early stages of development. through which the motorcab passed, before it reached anything like a practical form for use in the streets of the capital. Records of many of the moreimportant advances that were made in those early days duly appeared in the columns of the lay Press, but Mr. Critehley has serviceably arranged. in something like chronological order, those events in the motorcab world which happened prior to, as well as after, the appearance of a Press devoted exclusively to commercial motors.
We may here usefully extract, in order to facilitate future reference, a list of the early efforts which were made to evolve a satisfactory type of motorcab.
1897. The Electric Cab Co. placed 24 cabs on London streets.
1898. The same concern replaced the above machines by 50 of an improved type.
1898. Twelve-day competition for motorcabs organized by the French Automobile Club ; 25 vehicles were entered. of which 14 were electric.
1899. Second series of French trials, in which Panhard and Peugeot competed.
1903. The London Express Motor Service, inaugurated a service of two-cylinder cabs modelled on the hansom, 1904. The machines belonging to the last-named company were withdrawn in October.
1905. The Landon Motor Cab Co., commenced business with Heatley-Gresham cabs. The London Automobile Cab Co. started with Ford machines. The Metropolitan Motor Cab, Car and Carriage Co., and the London Motor Transit Co., inaugurated services of motor hansoms.
1906. The City and Suburban Co. and the General Motor Cab Co. started business, the latter concern with one cab. The City and Suburban Co. then owned the only model (two-cylinder Fnic) which has survived to-day.
[Note.—Up to this time no English-used rnotoreahs had been fitted with taximeters.—En.] 1906. On 31st July, the Report of the Select Committee on Motor Cabs and Buses was issued by the House of Commons.
1907. In March, a Home Office Order was issued making it compulsory to fit taximeters or distance recorders on all motorcabs after August of the same year. [Note.—The Order which specified taximeters exclusively was that dated 30th December of the same year.--En.] Considerable apace is given by the author to consideration of the costs of running of the early types of electric cabs and to a retord of the causes of their failure. Nonsuccess in all these cases is invariably attributable to the fact that the actual ousts of running far exceeded the estimates: weights, in addition, were excessive. Several apt quotations of early-expressed views upon the prospects of the motorcab are included by the author, and we reprint some of them below :— " At the ceremony on 19th August, 1897 [The inauguration of the Electric Cab Co.'s services,—En.], at the Juxon Street Garage, Sir William Preece at that time described the horse in the following manner. The horse,' he said, ' is a most imperfect machine. Its principles are horrible to the en
gineer. It moves in unstable equilibrium. It is unmechanical ill its movements and very weak in the head."
" In a leaderette, the ' Daily News ' of 20th August, 1897, says:—' The motorcab appeared in the London streets yesterday, and with some pomp and ceremony. . . The cabman manifestly could not meet the eye of his fellow-driver of the old dispensation. He carried no whip, and somehow looked like a person who had forgotten some essential article of clothing. In this respect his appearance was almost indelicate, The other drivers were moody or thunderstruck—at any rate, they said no word. They may have felt that black
leg ' was below the necessities of the situation. The cab seems to turn about and wheel about with the facility of the Jim Crow of negro melody. It looks like a cross between a brougham and a four-wheeler, and it ha s a sort, of hustle, where hustles should be, which may he supposed to contain the apparatus.' "
" As denoting the opposition to the new form of vehicle the London Cab Trade Council expressed themselves as bitterly opposed to the new form of traction, and passed the
following resolution This Council meeting views with disapproval the introduction of electric cabs on the streets of London, and urges all cab drivers in the interest of the cab industry to discourage any further development of public vehicles driven by motive power.'
" It is interesting at this stage to review the opinion of M. Bixio, at that time President of the Compagnie Generale des Voitures [of Paris.—En.1. He stated, in October, 1897, that the petroleum car had no chance at all. As soon as we get the electric car ready, the petroleum automobile will be seen no more. For several reasons the latter cannot compete with the former, principally because it is not strong enough. . . I quite admit that at the present time there is an enormous demand for the petroleum autoces, and the manufacturers are, I am told, asking from 15 to 18 months for the execution of an order. But it is wealthy classes and amateurs who are using it. They obtain amusement from it just as a child is amused by a new toy. But I am of opinion,' concluded M. Bixio, that neither the electric nor petroleum car will ever come into universal use. Autornobilism is only likely to replace horses in public conveyances, and in the case of delivery carts and wagons. The wealthy class will always keep to their horses. A wealthy man will never be so proud of his automobile as he is of his well-groomed thoroughbreds.' "
Figures are next included, which deal with the numbers of motorcab and horse-cab licences granted in Paris and London, during the last six or seven years, but, as these have already appeared in our columns, there is no need again to repeat them in extenso. The number of motorlicenees in London on 30th December, 1910, is given as 6,336. No attempt is made to estimate the figures for provincial towns and districts. Mr. Critehley suggests that there will be 7,000 Metropolitan inotorcab licences by 1912; we are of opinion that that total will be surpassed by April. He does not gives driver-licence figures.
In order to demonstrate the valuable nature of the motorcab industry, estimates are made of the gross earnings, and of the gross expenditure under certain headings, of the motorcabs of London, and these totals are compared with similar figures for the London County Council Tramways. The total annual mileage of 5,000 London motorcabs is quoted as 91,250,000, and that of the L.C.0 tramway fleet as 43,160,186; the annual earnings of the former are stated to be .C2.281,250, and of the letter to he £2,023.003. Et tins section that is devoted to taximeters, an illustration of the diagram of a fare-registering mechanism, which appeared in our issue for 23rd July, 1908, is included, and considerable space is devoted to the technical description of the arrangement of parts that is embodied in the well-known Aron instrument, an example of which was, hy the courtsey of the manufacturers, the General Electric Co., on exhibition at the Club.
We reproduce below a table, which, in our opinion, is quite the most-interesting feature of the paper. Tht, consideration of the relative cheapness of various modern means of public transport, when time is taken into account on the basin of ffs. per hour, has never, to our knowledge, been hitherto suggested. We cannot, how ever, agree with Mr. Critchley's figures either fur the speed or the fare of both the motorbus and the electric on r. The motorbus certainly has as high an average speed is the tramcar, and its fares are., in most cases, isoheap. The author should remember that it is nowadays possible to travel, by motorbus. through London. 17'inrls fm. sixpence. Our readers must bear in mind that Mr. Critchley is again confining his deductions to circumstances arising from London conditions.
LlicitOr the heading " Mechanical Details," we are glad to note that the author emphasizes the, opinion that pleasere-car models are not suitable for 1)0)1M-service work. Whilst on the subject of engine lubrication. Mr. Critehley should have drawn attention to the undoubted advantages of the trough system, hut this is not men
tioned specifically. We now quote certain pa ragraphs which reflect the author's opinions up-on the monobloc construction of cylinders and upon the unit method of chaseie assembly:—
" The advantages, or disadvantages, of the monob:or system ef casting cylinders is one upon which there may be a eoneiderahle difference of opinion; theoretically, uf nourse, it would be art advantage to have eyelinders cast separately, so that in case of renewal the cost would be mieintized on the ether hand, single-cylinder castings involve a greater length of engine and more joints. In all probability there is nothing to choose between the two in actual running expenses., and certainly the monobloc system gives a much cleaner look be: meter, and is much more easily kept clean and present
able. . .
" The unit system of constructing the engine awl gearbox
appears to have some advantages. Front a maimieeturing point of view the advantages are obvious, but from the user's point of view, perhaps they are not quite so eleerly defined, le is asserted, of conise. with tenth, that the parts of the unit system are less accessible than when arranged individually. and that to get at some small part it is necessary to deal with the whole unit. The removal of a unit, of course, is quite a Simple matter ; it can probably he effected in a shorter time than removing, say, simply a detached gearbox. The system involvos having a certain number of spare units. WilICI1 is not possible unless a considerable number of vehicles ;Irs in use. The chief advantage would anpear to be in the rigidity of the whole unit, and the elimination of universal joints between the engine and gearbox, and the covering in of the whole of the driving mechanism. In garages where a supply of spare units can be provided the system would appear to have real advantages."
In dealing with the relative claims of two-cylinder and four-cylinder engines, we notice that Mr. Critehley makes the mistake of ascribing " increased torque " to the four-cylinder type, although in a later paragraph he uses the correct expression.
On the subject of depreciation the author is emphatic, and some of his views are worthy of extract. He says:—
" The writing down of a fifth or sixth of the value of an article means one of two things, either that the article will be worn out at the end of the said period, and merely consist of scrap material, or, that it will be useless for the purpose for which it was intended, by reason of is better and more economical article having been produced for the same purpose, so rendering the original unprofitable as a money earner.
" In any new business it is always necessary to look at the worst that may happen, and those interested in motorcabs wiselydecided at the outset, thatin all probability the fife of a motorcab as a money earner would be six years, and at the end of that period, either it would be worn to such a degree that it would he unprofitable to put it in proper repair, or on the other hand the type would be. superseded by one which could be worked on a more profitable basis. Whatever may 'ewe been necessary fur the first motoreabs introduced, it does
not, I think, hold good to-day. Remember that every year the motoreab is subjected to a very searching inspection by the licensing authorities at Scotland Yard, and has to ;appear before them practically as good as new; therefore, as long as the., vehicle can be rendered acceptable to the authorities, it may be said to be quite as efficient as a money earner as when new. . . .
" Under these conditions, it is conceivable, that a cab may exist. as a money earner for an almost indefinite number of years, as the cab is practically brought up to date for each annual inspection. The position to my mind is, therefore, to consider what may be the economical life of a motorcan. that is, how many years will it runt before it is supplanted by a machine. which can he operated more economically, " In consideration of the fixed design of motor vehicles. which has now prevailed for the past eight years, I see no reaaan why the life of a motoreab should be taken at anything less than ten years, which I consider under present conditions, would be fair and reasonable time to expect, that something better and more suitable from an economical arid public point of view would he required.' "
We may usefully conclude this re-view of Mr. Critchley's interesting paper by another quotation, this time from the section entitled " Possible Modifications."
" The epicyclie gear, one would think, ought to prove advantageous for cab work. . .
" The two-stroke engine may eventually be found useful. . . .
" The worm drive is sure to be adopted sooner or later... With regard to gearboxes in all probability the chain type will give more satisfactory results than the usual form. The writer many years ago designed a gearbox on these lines, but the chain makers were dead against any such arrangement, and said that it was practically impossible to construct chains which would work satisfactorily ; however, one has since seen the applicatirm of this system adopted for motor omnibuses, and motors, and on account of its extreme silence, there is no reason why it should not be applied to motoreabs with advantage.' " ".London's taxicab service is a credit to all concerned, and it is s;neerely hoped that Government officials, owners, drivers, and the public, will Continue to work in the future, as harmoniously as they have done in the past, for the welfare and general benefit of all concerned."
We seem to have heard rumours of certain relations in the motorcab industry which were not exactly harmonious during the past twelve months. But perhaps Mr. Critehley wants the owners, the drivers and THE Comm ETICIA T. MOTOR to forget such things as " Extras! "