THE TRAVELLING HOTEL OF THE FUTURE.
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An Advanced Idea in which the Travelling Hotel Accommodating Sixteen Passengers Consists of Three Vehicles.
THE travelling hotel, having all the comforts of a home of moderate size, with the added enormous advantage of extreme mobility, has long been the dream of the lover of the cOuntry and also, in a measure, of the business man. The dream has occasionally taken material shape and special motor_ coaches have been constructed having sonic of the features of a large and luxurious caravan. When used for pleasure, the observation compartment, provided with armchair seats, has been convertible into sleeping quarters, whftst a space has been set apart for the preparation of food, for A lavatory, and .so on. The man using a similar vehicle for business could convert the saloon into a showroom, an office or conference room during part or whOle of the business period of the day, the paraphernalia of trade being packed away for the evening.
Such vehicles. are already running in America, and one or two have been put on theroads in this country, in addition to which a few coaches of the fixed-roof variety have been fitted up with a toilet compartment.
The idea cannot, however, he claimed to have gained extensive popularity, largely because on any one vehicle, however large, . the scope has been very limited. Considered as a touring proposition, it broke down because of inadequacy of sleeping accommodation, whilst it was difficult to secure variety in the food. The mere novelty of touring in a way which rendered one independent of hotels would carry the scheme through for a day or two, and then the discomforts would begin to loom large. It would be. seen that considerable time had necessarily to run to waste over the preparation of meals, partaking of them and clearing up. The inadequacy of the accommodation showed itself at once in• preventing the employment of a proper staff. The chauffeur might be a handy man, but he would not be a suitable person to cook a meal. The effort to find a solution in tinned foods and in cookshop purchases would quickly prove unavailing because of the monotony of the diet.
The way out of the difficulty is simple, but naturally more expensive, for it involves taking a more generous view of the needs of the case and providing three vehicles to the train instead of trying to make a single vehicle meet all the requirements.
The idea now put forward of a three-vehicle mobile hotel may, at first blush, border on extravagance or elaborateness, but exactly the same criticism would, eighty years ago, when the railways had already partially matured, have been passed upon a "plan to provide the accommodation on a long journey that is Procurable on a wagon-lit express. . To be able to live on a train for two or three days (longer still in the States) without the need for dispensing with the ordinary comforts of life would have appeared fantastic to our grandparents. Hence, by analogy, in the near future the travelling hotel should scarcely d,o.more than arouse passing interest on our highways and at the beauty spots and places of historical interest in the country.
The three-vehicle travelling hotel is designed to accommodate sixteen passengers, with a staff of five servants, three of theft] being the drivers of the vehicles, with a chef and a steward. A good arrangement would be to employ a man and wife as steward and cook respectively. The vehicles would consist of a day travelling Saloon, a six-wheeled sleeping saloon, and a kitchen car.
To describe each of these, the day-travelling saloon would be provided with eight double seats of the semiarmchair type, two pairs of seats facing each other across folding tables. At the rear of these seats would be two similar double seats facing forward and having a folding table rather narrower than the tables used for the facing seats— Behind these again would he two longitudinal seats over the wheel arches, and at the extreme. rear would be a lavatory and a w.c., one on each side of the rear doorway. Four large wardrobes are included, these being placed at the disposal of the four passengers who at night-time sleep in this compartment. There would be a sliding door from the driver's cab, on the near side of which would be the chief entrance. Ample ventilation would be provided, whilst the clerestory roof would give the requisite Ii eadroom.
When in use as a sleeping saloon four bunks would replace the seating and tables and a curtain would divide it into two two-bunk compartments. Ffeating apparatus and wireless equipment would be provided.
The sleeping saloon would be equipped solely with twelve bunks, six on each side, in two tiers, the saloen being divisible by curtains into three four-hunk compartments, each compartment having two wardrobes. There is a doorway through into the driver's cab and one at the rear. There is no need for a lavatory or W.C.. as will be explained later. The vehicles would be heated in some suitable manner.
The kitchen car has an entrance from the driver's eab and a door on the off side to the left Of the cooking range. Next to the range Is a table, and on the same side a bedding cupboard. On the opposite side of the car are a refrigerator, food store, a sink and a draining board, two cupboards for food, crockery and utensils and a lavatory. Across the rear of the vehicle are arranged two bunks each with windows and venti lators. A curtain divides the sleeping quarters from the remainder of the car.
During the day the sleeping saloon would travel empty, the day travelling saloon being put into general use. At lunch-time and tea-time a suitable place would be chosen where the kitchen car could pull up on the near side of the day saloon so that a gangway could be thrown across between the off-side door of the kitchens car to the Principal entrance of the day saloon. The steward would lay the tables and the meal would be served from the kitchen, which, being so close, would ensure the food being served hot, and yet there would be an absence of any odour of cooking.
The driver's compartment in the kitchen car would have a table and folding seats, so that the drivers could have their meal at the same time. It would probably be best to arrange for the chef and steward to take their meals after the others.
At night-time a camping place would be selected, the day saloon and kitchen car would form up as they would do for lunch, whilst the sleeping saloon would be backed up to the rear of the day saloon and a gangway would be placed across connecting the two doorways and permitting ready access from one to the other. With this arrangement the one lavatory and the one W.C. woud serve for the occupants of both cars.
The sleeping quarters for the chef, or cook, and steward have already been mentioned. Bunks lowered from the roofs of the drivers' compartments would provide for the "drivers and portable lavatory facilities would have to be arranged for them.
The only difficulties in completing such a scheme seem to be the provision of tank storage for the large quantity of water needed for 21 persons and the means of procuring supplies. Large tanks beside the clerestory roofs, at the rear of the kitchen, under the two bunks, and elsewhere would have to be arranged, and every opportunity would have to be sought for replenishing the store. Water standards for replenishing the tanks of steam wagons are becoming more plentiful, but it is less easy to secure such supplies throughout the country than might be imagined.
The whole scheme of a three-vehicle travelling hotel, however, is extremely interesting, and we shall not be surprised if it is put into practice by one of our great travel agencies, American visitors particularly being catered for.