PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
The One-man Char-abancs:
An Owner-driver's Experiences of a Season's Work, with a Statement of Receipts and Ruitning Costs.
By a Maudslay Owner.
IA IIEN THE WAR came to an end V1 I, like many Others, had to look round for something to do. My brother and I had a little money, and, as a friend of ours was doing well in the. char-a,-bancs business, havine' bought two chars-b.-banes and bodies at pre-war prices and paid for them out of one season's running, I set out to look for a place where there might be an opening for us, the arrangement being that I should drive and be generally responsible for the management of the business.
Conditions •were' investigated at Scarborough, , eltedcar, Saltburn, and Bridlington, but I decided that the difficultiee of storage, supplies, and organization in a town to which I was a stranger were of too serious a character to warrant the risk. Consequently, I eventually fixed on my home town as the most suitable place in -which to make a start.
Although I knew nothing of heavy vehicles, I had had, a certain amount of motorcycle and car experience, and had always been keen on doing my own repairs. In January, 1920, my brother and I bought an A.E.G.; but, as I am not a strong man, I found the starting up too great a strain, and was lucky • enough to sell this machine at a con-. siderable profit. With the money we bought a W.D. model Maudslay from 'a dealer in London, and had it fitted with a new 30 seater char-&-banes body. I spent the next fortnight in overhanling the engine, taking the eylinders off and generally putting the Motor and chassis into gist-rate running order, My first outing was planned for Easter, and I advertised various runs in the local papers, but the weather was cold and the holiday proved an entire failure front our point of view. Whitsuntide was the next event of interest, and I went all out to secure business by drcularizing the social secretaries of the various works in the district, the public-houses, and the friendly societies. My efforts produced good resuits, and from then to the end of September I was kept t xtremely busy. From September onwards trade was poor, and I only took out a few parties to local race Meetings and football matChes. Being eingle-handed my brother being only financially interested, did not remove the body and attempt to enter the haulage business, as I found that removing the body was a much bigger and longer job than most people imagined.
My mileage worked out at about 3,500, which was covered in the period from the end of May till September. During the time I conducted the whole of the business.—driving, tepaire, and maintenance—myself. in August we had the offer of another body at a, very low figure, and we bought it, and, in Novomber, procured from Slough another Maudslay, which was in a derelict condition and had to be towed 135 miles home by the ehar-h-bancs. The next two menthe were occupied in putting the second chassis; in order. I now have two complete cars in first-rate condition—one fitted with a new body and the other with a repainted one. On the question of my road. and maintenance experiences I have been very lucky. The tyres of the old ohar-kbanes are good for another season. I only had to grind in the valves once, and here I wouldeadviee ether Mandalay owaeradkivera not to tinker with the Maudslay valves unnecessarily, as they
will run for a very long time and are better left alone.
My machine is fitted with a C.M.L magneto, made by the Peel Conner Co., and I have been very Pleased with this, both on account of its easy etarting and slow running. At first when using NO, 1 petrel with the Zenith carburetterAI only obtained six miles to the gallon. I then experimented with a mixture of benzoio and petrol, and the consumption decreased to a gallon per eight 'miles. Thera was no knocking with the benzole, and I could make good climbs on top gear With the ignition advanced.
I was very particular. to keep the going chassis well greased, go over it regularly once a week. My garage coat me 12s. 6.d. a week, whichd consider 2s. 6d. a week too much, as the bus was stored with other private ears, and -was constantly getting moved and unnecessarily knocked about. hi y insurance cost me £60, and was unlimited. I eoniidez..this expense, worth incurring. With 30 people on board were I to have an accident, I should. he in a pretty niesiaif I wereeuninsured. So my advice to others similarly situated ie get unlimited cover. The people with whom I insurn give a 10 per cent rebate on the next premium if a claim is not made in the year. I once reversed into snakier car by mistake and bent my back panel. At the time I did not claim for the damage, which seemed to be small. The bill has jest come in for repainting and repairs, £50. Consequently, I have come:to the conclusion that it does not pay not to make a claim, even if be only a small one,
I usually made 8s. a, day in tips, and noticed. that the rowdiest travellers gave least or nothing. I paid my agent, at whose offiee in the town odd bookings could be arranged, a ceinmlis.ion of 1s. 6d. in the £1, but generally used to obtain parties direct.
In August week I took £200. I used to etart at 10 a.m.' and get back to the
garage at 10 p.m. On one occasion I got back at 2 a.m., and then had to get up at 5 a.m. to wash the ear and refill the tanks ready for the day's work. On this particular occasion over 40 pirate of beer were consumed at the last, stop, which resulted in there being a free fight lasting over an hour when the landlord attempted to turn the party out into the street. Sometimes I had great difficulty in collecting my paeties. Some of them would arrive at the correct time after a meal stop, get tired of waiting for the others, and then wander off again. Meanwhile, the lost sheep would appear, and so thegame went on. belong to a local association of char-iebancs oyiners but am not certain that this is wise. The bigger concerns do not want the, smaller ones or the newcomers to get part at their business by cutting prices, and, hence, a prie.e maketenance scheme is in vogue. By this method the old hands make certain of not losing their :connection.
There is another point which I sheeld libe to emphasize, and that is the scan dalons way in which: the hotel and restaurant proprietors eab ebar-A-banrs parties. Last etimmer I took out a party of working girls, who were charged
6s. 6(1. per head for a. cold tea. consisting of foreign meat, stale cakes, and
weak tea. I think-the hotels eeelize that the eeeretaries of these parties are net very experienced and are really frightened of complaining. Conse quently, to put it vulgarly, the hotel keeper " puts it across them" whenever possible. I have noticed the same kind of. treatment frequently at the popular holiday resorts in my district, and feel
very bitter about it, as this kind of thing will stop outings, and people who cannot get, properly fed will teen, to other forms of refreehmen.t..
In eonclusion, I do not think that my time has been weeded, Inthe end the big companies are bound to eliminate the smaller fry and take their business. do not mind the new' taxation schemes, as the further one goes the more one gets back on theearnount saved in petrol C14
duty. I think that the future of the char-e-bancs trade is assured and that people will prefer -Le spend their holtdaye on the open read rather than in the train. For the benefit of other owners or potential owners of one-man char-a:banns 1 append a. rough statement of my receipts and eepenclitere
Mileage from end of May to September, 1920, 3,507.
From the balance must, of coin-se, be deducted depreciation, interest on capital invested, and tyre wear.
Demonstration Coach Tours.
An Interesting Series of Runs Ai-ranged by Commercial Cars, Ltd.
1 OUR last • week's issue: in ony feature "Progress in Passenger Travel," we referred to a series of demonstration coach tours which have been started by Commercial Cars, Ltd., of Luton, for the exprees purpose of pro• vicling passible purchasersof motor coaches with an. opportunity of inspecting the Cornmer Car char-it-banes and teeting its capabilities wider service conditione.
On that occasion we made reference to the fact that we hoped to be in a position to publish maps of each of the distriets which are being traversed by the respective vehicles, and accordingly will be found on this page a group of line illustrations,. which shows the itinerary of each of the four vehicles which are taking part in the demonstration. The vehicles which are employed are the • 3P type passenger-carrying model, and each vehicle is fitted with a-30 seater body. The tours commenced on February 7th, and we publish below a list of places which have ee far been visited Red those that remain to be called at by each machine:
No. 1 Char-h-banes.---Feb. 7th, Luton to Nottingham; Feb. 10th, Retford; Feb. 12th, Sheffield ; Feb. 19th, Goole; Feb.. 23rd, Hull; Feb. 26th, Bridlington; March 3rd, Filey : March 4th, Scar-* borough; March loth, Whitby; March 14th, Darlington; March 17th, Sunderland March 20th, Newcastle-on-Tyne; March 23rd, Luton.
No. 2 Char-n-banese-Feb. 7th, Luton to Bristol • Feb. 10th, Bath; Feb, 13th, Cardiff; Feb. 26th, Swansea ; Feb. 27th, Pembroke; March 3rd, Cardigan; March 4th, Aberystwyth-; March 9th, Hereford; March 14th, Gloucester ; Meech 16th, Cheltenham ; March 181-h, Oxford; March 21st, Aylesbury; March 24th Luton.
_ No. 3 Char-beharies.---Feb. 7th,Luton to Birmingham; Feb. 12th, Tunstall; Feb. 15th, Liverpool; Feb. 23rd, KeighLey ; March 11th, Grimsby ; March 17th, King's Lynn j March 180, Norwich; March 23rd, Luton.
No. 4 Char-aleenes.Feb. 7th, Luton to Reading; Feb. 9th, Andover and Salisbury; Feb.. 10th, Itoirnertioutie district; Fob. 18th, Exeter; Feb. 19th; Torquay; Feb. 21st, Plymouth; Feb. 23rd, Bodenin; Feb. 25th, Falmouth and PenzanceFeb. 26th, Southampton; March 1st, Portsmouth; March 2nd, Brighton; March 7th, Eastbourne; Merch 12th, Hastings March 15th, Folkestone; March 17th; -Dover ; March 18th, Ramsgate; March 19th, Margate; March 20th, Luton.
-We haee riot the space at our dispose/ to be able to refer To the agents who will be called upon in the various places; these will be found in the advertisement of the companz in another part of the paper. Those interested in the demonstrations, and whose towns. have :still to be visited, should, if they desire:a trial run, communicate immediately with their local agent, or else with Commercial. Cars, Ltd., 168, Regent Street, London, The Vast Coach Scheme a Myth.
THERE has been a good deal of wild newspaper talk, even reaching the eminence of a scare „editorial in The Times, concerning an imagined scheme for running a heavy daily service of motor coaches from the precincts of High Holborn, the leading spirits of which enterprise were supposed to be Messrs. Pickfords, Ltd. Vehicles in number up to 200 per day are being talked of as being despatched from the heart of London to the various pleasure resorts, but the real fact of the matter is that, whereas last year three motor coaches per day were run by a group of owners for whom Messrs. Piekfords were hooking agents, an extension of the scheme is contemplated for this year and it may reach the total of seven vehicles per day.
We deal with this matter editorially. It should be obvious to anybody, after a little thought, that, in the short time available, such a vast number of pas-. sengers could never be handled from any one centre, however important it might be. Coach Items.. It will not belong before we see motor coach stations erected, esp•ecia.11y at our seaside resorts. At Blackpool, where the motor coach traffic is extremely heavy in the summer, the Town Council have decided to ereot, a municipal station with waiting room accommodation etc., where
• passeisgers can embark and alights will be remembered that during last summer a great deal of ill-fading was expressed in Essex owing to the behaviour of some of the occupants of charsilsbancs. It was also felt that these vehicles should not be allowed to use the many narrow roads in the•county. The matter was again discussed by the Esset. Cs/linty Highways Committee, who invited the en-operation of rural councils to decide which roads shall be closed to traffic of this nature.
A well-known North Wales char-a-banes proprietor estimates that his com
plete fleet only runs for about one month in the year; half the total number are running for three months only, a third. for six months only, and a sixth, of the total number for eight months. None runs longer than 'eight months in the year, and there is no winter work apart from a few special long-distance tours, In view of these conditions the new taxation may have very serious results for the trade.
J. W. Barker i describes a construction of char-à-banes body in patent spercification No. 156,004, which is pub lished th0: week, whereby the motor lorry may quickly and conveniently be converted for passenger service. The coach is made in sections, one section for each row of seats, and these are devised so that they slide on rails on the lorry, and, when in position and lucked in place, the vehicle, both as regards its exterior appearance and the comforts it -provides, is alleged to be equivalent to a char-h-bancs constructed on ordinary familiar lines.