The Motor Omnibus World.
Page 6
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A service will shortly commence between Grove Park, Chiswick, and Acton Green.
Satisfactory trials have recently been made on the streets of Vienna with an electric bus made by Jacob Lohner and Co., Ltd., for public service use in Copenhagen. The bus has a carrying capacity for 14 passengers, and provision is made for carrying about rocwt. of baggage. The average speed 1S 12 miles per hour.
The service promoted by the L. and N.W. Railway between Connah's Quay to Mold, via Flint, Northop, and Loug-hton, is now successfully working. Doubie-deck OLISCS are employed, with luggage accommodation on the roof. This is only the forerunner of a number of routes in North Wales which this railway company will cover, thus following the excellent example set by the G.W. Railway.
Mr. Robert Turnbull. superintendent of the line, L. and N.W. Rly., has been good enough to inform us that the company will shortly have running a total of nine vehicles, and others may follow in the near future. These comprise two double-deck buses of 24h.p. now working the Connah s Quay and Mold service, two single-deck of 181t.p. to carry 16 passengers and luggage, and five single-deck 241-s1). for combination work.
One of the latest G.W. Railway routes is from Wrexham to Aldford, four trips being made daily in each direction. In connection with this service, a delightful circular tour has been arranged between Chester and Wrexham. Starting from Chester, train is taken to Wrexham, where the motor bus is joined to Aldford, and Chester is again reached from the Iron Bridge by means of one of the Dee Steamboat Co.'s steamers. The tour can be taken in the reverse direction if desired.
The Camden Town Omnibus Association has on order a large number of motor omnibuses, and it is intended to place these vehicles on various roads as soon as they are ready. The Associated Omnibus Co., Ltd. (member of this association) is erecting a magnificent garage at Camden Town for the accommodation of the motor buses, and will convert some of their stabling (built on plans suitable for conversion in view of the advent of the motor) into motor depots. Mr. P. Willing Tibbs, the managing director, is of opinion ths motor buses will open fresh fields and possibilities where the horse-drawn bus could scarcely hope to succeed.
Hove Town Council has extraordinary ideas as to how it should issue licenses to motor vehicles to ply for hire. The Sussex Motor Road Car Co. has recently made application for licenses for seven buses, and, in granting the request, the Town Council imposed the antediluvian condition that the lowest fare to be charged should be threepence. The Worthing Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., has also been granted licenses under the same conditions, but these out-of-date restrictions are not imposed upon the motor bus company plying between Brighton and Hove, and whose shares, we understand, are largely held in the neighbourhood.
The Sutherland Motor Traffic Co., Ltd., has placed an order for a third Albion vehicle for carriage of mails, luggage, and passengers.
The Chichester and SeIsea Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., has just been registered with a capital of .2o,000 in ki shares. There is no initial public issue.
The Brighton, Hove, and Preston United Omnibus Co., Ltd., is hoping to have is vehicles in full running order before the end of this month.
The Star Omnibus Co., London, Ltd., has 21 doubledeck buses on order, additional to three now running on the Peckham-Oxford Circus route.
Messrs. Moss and Woodd, of Bannister Road, Kensal Rise, have 16 Orion chassis on order from certain London bus companies, to be delivered shortly.
A company has been formed to run steam buses between Wishaw and Eddlewood, via New Mains and Hamilton. The buses will be made losaliy, and will have seating room for twenty passengers.
Tee Motor Car Emporium, Ltd., is supplying the Mersey Raiisvay with a ticet of buses of the double-deck type. The engines will be four-cylinder, developing 26h.p., and the vehicles will have searing for so passengers.
Tne motor mail service between Redhill and Dorking via Reigate and Betchworth is now successfully working, and has already proved of the greatest utility. Connection is made at Redhill with the London-Brighton motor service.
The Woolwich and District Motor Co., Ltd., is hoping to receive early delivery of at least three vehicles on order, when a service will be at once started. All the preliminary details have been settled, route selected, and necessary employees engaged.
The Austrian Army will use motors for post office service among the troops. Three motor buses are being experimented with for this purpose, running between Bosnisch and Novi, and Bosnisch and Petrovac. The distance covered daily amounts to something over 84 miles, and is a complete success.
The first two Chelmsford steam chassis for the New South Wales Government have successfully passed the official trials and are in course of shipment to Sydney. A second Chelmsford double-deck bus is now completed, and, as we write, is being driven up by road for delivery to its owner, the Nantwich and Crewe Motor Bus Co., Ltd.
The report of the Royal Cominiss:on on London Traffic, the issue of which we deal with on page 374s, urges large tramway extensions, but it will be noted that the Commissioners are not sanguine as to the raising of the necessary money for street widenings and construction. Twenty-four millions sterling is wanted. Motor buses are not vetoed by any means.
As an evidence of the great interest taken in the working of the Clarkson buses at Torquay, the secretary is continuing to receive numerous enquiries, not only from different parts of this country but also from the Colonies aricr foreign countries. Various corporations and companies in Great Britain have written, and letters from Australia, South Africa, Italy, and the Barbados have also been received asking for information. Only last week various details were furnished to enquiries from Kent, New Zealand, and Spain.
The Isle of Wight Express Motor Syndicate, Ltd., finding that the local authorities are disinclined to render any assistance in securing the lopping of trees which obstruct the free passage of the highway, has determined to take the necessary steps to this end. The syndicate will insert advertisements in the local Press calling upon owners of property adjoining the roads over which the buses run to cut all branches to a height of 18f 1. Failing any attention to Ibis notice, the bus company will, at the end of one week, itself take steps for the removal by sending out a sufficient number of buses and men and lop the trees wherever necessary. The clerk to the Isle of Wight R.D.C. has publicly stated that anyone has .a right to remove an obstruction, and that if the bus company takes the course proposed, it will be acting within its powers.