The Motor Omnibus World.
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Proceedings of the Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers.
The second council meeting, for the second year, of the Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers was held at the registered °like, Cecil Chambers East, 8O, Strand, W.C., on Monday, the 19th ultimo. Mr. F, C. A. Coventry t(ireat Western Railway Company), chairman of the Society, occupied the chair, and the members of council present were ; Messrs. H. P. G. Brakenridge (London Road Car Company), W. Fiexman French (Sussex Motor Road Car Company), E. L. Greenhough (London and North-Western Railway Company), W. :1!. !lodges, G. Pollard (London Motor Omnibus Company), and P. Frost Smith (Thomas Tilling, Limited). Also in attendance the Secretary, Mr. Charles E. Esse. Letters of regret for non-attendance were read, and the business transacted in the folk■wing :— Agricultural flail Show.—It was resolved to accept the invitation of Messrs. Cordingley and Company to pay a visit to the forthcoming show at the Agricultural Hall, on Wednesday, March 28th. The Secretary reported that he arrangements had been concluded, and it was resolved that Messrs. Cordingley and Company should be thanked for affording facilities to the members of the Society.
Honorary President.—On the motion of the Chairman, ;i.conded by Mr. Brakenridge, it was unanimously resolved that Lord .Montagu of Beaulieu be invited to become the honorary president of thc Society.
March Meeeing.—The Secretary submitted that the last discussion for the first session, which is to be taken at the meeting on March 12th, should deal with the subject of " Excessive noise from motor omnibuses considered in re
lation to transmission." This was approved, and it was agreed that it should be left to the Secretary to make arrangements for an opener on the subject.
Summer Prograrrzme.—The Secretary reported that an informal invitation to visit the works of Sidney Straker and Squire, Limited, at Bristol, had been received, and a similar invitation from Thomas Tilling, Limited, to visit that Company's depot at Peckham. Instructions were given that, arrangements for dates, etc., should be proceeded with in this and other directions.
Iwo-1907 Session.—it was directed that the Secretary should submit a scheme of papers to the next meeting of council, and that this should provide for contributions by associates of the Society, and it was decided that the Society should call for the offer of papers, to be read at the open meetings of members and associates, between October, ;gob, and March, 1907, by notice in its official organ, " THE CommEkcim. MoioR."
.11embership.—The following were duly admitted members of the Society : Frank James Field (London and District Motor Bus Company, Limited); and, as an associate member, George Bullock (London and District Motor Bus Company, Limited). Associates.--The following companies and firms were duly enrolled, the names in brackets indicating the representatives : Alexander Duckham and Company, Limited (A. Duckham); The General Engine and Boiler Company, Limited (P. Du Gautoy); Vacuum Oil Company, Limited (A. F. Newton); Joseph Lucas, Limited (J. Johnson); Scott, Stirling and Company, Limited (John Stirling); Willans and Robinson, Limited (E. T. White); The Acetylene Illuminating Company, Limited (H. S. Smith); Corbett Brothers (C. F. Corben);. Alley and Maclellan, Limited (S. E. Alley); Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company, Limited (j. D. Siddeley); Peto and Radford, Limited (Wm.
Peto); Nettleford and Sons, Limited (S. Stanton)Thomas Tilling, Limited (H. Tilling); H. Wilson, of • the Simms Manufacturing Company, Limited; C. C. Wakefield and Company (J. IT. Angel); and Clarkson, Limited (Thomas Cla rkson),
Lubrication Research.—The Secretary submitted a budget of estimated receipts and expenditure in connection with the Society's intended investigation into the question of the lubrication of internal-combustiob engines. He also reported the names of several manufacturers who had undertaken to lend the Society four-cylinder engines. The scheme for the tests, and the engagement of an engineer to take sole charge, were approved in principle, it being referred to the 'lubrication sub-committee to bring up a full report. Criticism of the Sociely.—The Secretary read several articles which had appeared in a weekly motor journal, in the course of which the Society was criticised for not admitting the Press to its meetings. It was unanimously resolved that no notice be taken of these comments, and that the papers do" lie on the table."
General Meeting.
There was a large attendance present to hear the paper on Flame propagation in relation to ignition and cylinder clesign," by Dr. IV. R. Ormandy, late Berkeley Fellow of the Owens College, Manchester. This meeting was held in the Chapter Suite of the Hotel Cecil, at eight o'clock, when Mr. F. C. A. Coventry presided. The members of council who had attended the meeting earlier in•lhe evening were present, whilst the additional members and associates included : Messrs. R. Bell (London Motor Omnibus Company), vice-chairman ; A. W. Torkington (The Hartridge Tyre Syndicate); A. Oakley Cook (Albany Manufacturing Company); A. Grey (General Petroleum Company); T. Sibary (H. and W. Greer, Limited); Ff. Wilde (HughesJohnson Stampings, Limited); Bernard Metz (Falconnet Perodeaud); Harry W. Laing (Cambridge Alotor Bus Company); F. Muir (Price's Patent Candle Company); Leo Harris (John Marston, Limited); E. H. Crinage (London Motor Omnibus Company); F.. W. Hart ; W. B. Richardson (New London and Suburban Omnibus Company); T. F. Carter (Associated Omnibus Company); E. Phillips (Motor Omnibus Construction Company, Limited); F. W. Vallat (James and Browne, Limited); A. Pedler (North British Rubber Company); H. Horn (F. and H. Hora, Limited); Albert E. Newton (Vacuum Oil Company); S. Stanton (Nettlefold and Sons, Limited); and A. J. D. Smellie (MeadeKing, Robinson and Company). Dr. Ormandy's paper, which was illustrated by drawings on the blackboard, was followed with great interest, and a prolonged discussion ensued. At the close of the meeting a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer and the chairman, and it was announced that Dr. Ormandy's paper would be printed at length and issued to every member and associate at an early date.
lin view of the decision of the Society, the paper will not be reprinted in our journal.
London Road Car.
Mr. John Howard Moore, chairman of the Road Car Company, Limited, in the course of his speech at the forty. sixth ordinary half-yearly meeting of the shareholders, made the following references to the company's action in relation to the adoption of mechanical vehicles : I desire now to deal more particularly with the paragraphs in the report which deal with motor omnibuses, but before doing so, in view of the absurd statements which arc constantly appearing in the Press, calculated to give the impression that the directors of this company have practically been asleep, and have only recently become alive to a sense of its importance, shall epitomise what we have actually been doing in this matter for the last six years ; for it is as far back as September, 1809, when the directors first ordered an electric omnibus to carry 26 passengers, but which was never delivered. In the following November we actually ran a Thornycroft steam car for over five months, with fairly satisfactory results; but the car was withdrawn on the understanding that the manufacturers were to supply others of an improved type, and bodies were built by us in anticipation. The others, however, were not forthcoming. In July, 1901, the directors made a trial of a centre steer ing tractor, resulting in an order being given, but this order also was never completed. In August of the same year negotiations were entered into with an American company for another electric Motor; 'but the proposal fell through, as did another proposal in the following month for a hydroleum liquid tuel motor. In May, 1902, a contract was made with another American company to deliver three electric motors to carry 32 passengers. Delivery was to have been made within three months of the date of the agreement. They did not, however, come to hand until some considerable time afterwards, and, conseqiietitly-, the directors of this company intimated that, in view of the delay, and of information regarding their working, which was unfavourable, they would be declined. So anxious was the board to take the lead in introducing mechanical traction that about this time (1902) a tractor was built by the company at their car factory. The design, however, as might perhaps have been expected at this early stage in the evolution of the motorbus, was not quite perfect, and after a good deal of experiment the tractor idea was abandoned for good. In February, 1903, a contract was entered into for six Daimler motors, and the company built the bodies for these cars. The company was never able to get delivery of these motors, and the bodies have, in consequence, been used on motors purchased from other makers. I will not weary you with further particulars; suffice it to say the list has by no means been exhausted, and that one and all only brought us disappointment. At lengtti, towards the close of the year 1903 and the beginning of 1904, we made trials with some motors—one propelled by steam and the others by petrol—which really gave us hope of ultimate success. As a consequence of these trials, and of the successful running of motors in provincial towns, in December, I904, the board came to the conclusion that the experimental stage ot motor vehicles had been passed, and consequently placed orders with makers of reliability, stating by circular to the shareholders, dated January 2nd, 1905, that, in the opinion of the board of directors, the time had arrived when the operation Ot'substituting mechanically-driven vehicles for the present horse cars should be seriously commenced, and the existing horses and cars disposed of by degrees. To enable them to carry this through they offered the remaining unissued shares of the company (amounting to £116,004) for subscription by the shareholders, in accordance with the terms of the resolution by which the capital had been authorised. The bulk of the shareholders of this company did not make the hearty response to this appeal which the directors anticipated. Of the amount asked for, however, £60,000 was raiser:, at the small cost of .C150, and the directors proceeded with their scheme.
You have thus seen that for five or six years the directors had been using every effort to secure a machine which would be quite suitable for public service. When this was on the eve of fulfilment, last year, the promoters of several new motor. c minims companies, who had done nothing to aid the evolution "1 the motorbus, appeared on the scene and appealed to the public for funds to enable them to oppose ourselves and other omnibus proprietors, who, for all those years, had been trying to solve the problem ; and the Press, while ignoring our efforts, has had nothing but praise for these so-called pioneers. A considerable amount of promotion money must have accrued to these promoters. The ultimate fate of the companies remain to be seen ; but the appearance of the new-corners in the field has had the effect of modifying the programme which the directors of this company had mapped out for themselves, namely, to carry out the substitution of mechanical for horsepower gradually. It must he perfectly obvious that the horse. drawn car can have no chance against the swifter-running motor, and the substitution of the one for the other must therefore-he now accelerated, and curled through with the utmost possible expedition. (Hear, hear.) The directors are extremely sorry that circumstances have been as described, as, in their opinion, .the evolution of the periect motor would have been ensured during the period of substitution, had it been carried out gradually. The acceleration of the substitution will also need money for its fulfilment, which, under the circumstances, the directors feel sure the shareholders will provide when called upon. The value of horses, cars, and harness which during the year 1906 have been put out of service is about £30,000, about £20,000 of which has been paid out of revenue, which, under the circumstances, the directors think is very satisfactory, as, in addition, a reserve account for the depreciation and renewal of motor chassis of £1,000 has been started. (Applause.) The directors hope that dating the present six months a considerable number of motors will be delivered, and they believe that they can reasonably rely upon die number. Tn addition, a large number have also been ordered for delivery in the second half of the year, and by the end of that period the greater proportion of the company's stock will have been substituted. As much of the company's property is suitable for conversion into motorcar depots at a small cost, it follows that in this respect, in comparison with the new motor-omnibus companies, the T.ondon Road Car Company is in a most favourable position.