THE ROAD MOTORS OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.
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This great company, which is one of the best managed and most progressive of British railway companies, received delivery of its first purchases—two second-hand Milnes-Dairnler vehicles— in August, 1903. There is not space at our disposal, apart from publication of the up-to-date and revised list of services which has been furnished to us by the head of the company's road znotor department, Mr_ F. C. A. Coventry, to give details of the growth of tht motor plant to its present total of 89 vehicles. It must suffice for us to state that the totals at some intermediate dates were :-3ist December, 1904, a total of 34; 3oth June, 1903, a total of 56; 3 rst December, 1905, a total of 72; and 31st December, 1906, a total of So. These records are for passenger vehicles only, and do not include the company's steam wagons and tractors.
When possible, seats are reserved for through passengers, and bicycles are carried, if there is room, at a minimum charge of one shilling, but dogs and fish traffic are not carried. Passengers' hand luggage is conveyed free, with the customary railway limits, and parcels, for either local or subsequent rail conveyance, are accepted at low rates. Books of tickets may, in most instances, be purchased at a discount of about 12 per cent, off the single-trip rates. No bookings beyond the bus terminus can be made on the vehicles.
Passengers may join the company's road cars at any points en route, on payment of the fare from the previous fixed stage, if accommodation is available, and if the car is not ascending a steep hill when it is signalled. Where composite vehicles, or single-deckers with roofs and side-rails are employed, consignments of goods are received, subject to the condition that any con signment in excess of scwt. may be split up for separate conveyance at the company's convenience : special luggage and goods cars have to be pressed into service, on occasion, during the height of the tourist season, the fluctuations in this connection being rather awkward of assessment. The usual " luggage in advance " terms (Gd. per package)
apply on some of the routes, but packages ex the railway end are only taken for delivery at recognised stoppingplaces, and on the condition that somebody is there to receive them.
People are tempted to travel on market-days by the issuing of cheap return tickets, and these concessions extend to through bookings to stations on the company's system in certain instances. The response has, on the whole, been very satisfactory, though the facilities are not yet in universal force throug out the services. Certain reductio: are also granted to students and pui teachers, whilst special car S are pr vided to order, for the use of priva parties, a branch of the work which steadily increasing.
The fares range from id. per mi for through passengers on the long-di
tance trips, which reach as much z 20 miles, to 1.5d. per mile for sh.orte trips of 3 to to miles, whilst short-di: tance passengers, pay on the basis of f: least 2d. per mile. A number of route are circular, and some are arranged i conjunction with " round" pleasut trips by road, rail, and river.
Mr. Coventry advises us that tb company's additional services for th summer will be :— (i)—Between Fahnouth, Redrutl and Portreath, a distance. of 14 mile:
(2)—Between King-sbridge an Dartmouth, via Slapton.
(3)--Special excursion trips frot Aberystwyth to neighbouring plac( of interest.
The Great Western Railway Con pany's motorbuses include 67 iNflilne Daimlers and five Wolseley-Siddeley The various centres are worked, so as the mechanical details are concerne( by a leading driver, who is responsild for the maintenance and good runnin of the cars, the traffic arrangements b. ing left to the stationmasters and loc; agents. There is, of course, a prop( rota of travelling inspectors and thei are excellent repair depots and stores Penzance and Slough. No working costs arc allowed to trat spire but, so good has been the con pany's experience on the maintenanc side, that the general manager, M: James C. Inglis, has decided to charg the road-motor account with depreci tion at the rate of only 121 per cent. pc annum. The G.W.R. motorbuses hal, run upwards of t,600,000 miles, an have carried more than 3,500,000 pa: seng-ers.