THE PROGRESS OF A MUNICIPAL BUS UNDERTAKING,
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After Certain Tribulations the Bus Department of the Wigan Corporation is Achieving Successful Results and the Outlook is Excellent.
rilHE Motor Bus department of the _IL Wigan Corporation had, in its early stages, a somewhat chequered career, owing to road adaptation troubles. The bus department's services were withdrawn on the Skelmersdale, Billings and Westhoughton routes in January, 1922, the Aspull service being continued.
On November 30th, 1924, a service to Beech Hill was inaugurated. It was also the intention of the department to open a service to Golborne, but not being able to obtain a satisfactory settlement of the road question, the service was not actually commenced.
An independently owned bug commenced to run on the Aspull route about August, 1923, but in the summer of 1925 the corporation sold its oldAype machines, bought busesof a modern type, and the independent vehicle was
removed. Since that date rapid arid successful progress has been the keynote of the corporation's services.
The Haigh service has been extended to Blackrod, whilst the Aspull services were extended onwards to Dicconson Lane, together with a new service to Horwich. Another service was opened on February 4th, 1926, to "Pony Dick." An attempt was made to open up a route to Abram, but here again trouble was' experienced and the service was withdrawn to Bickershaw Lane Ends, to which point it still continues.
The progress with the bus activities is best shown by the following results :— Year Ended Bus Miles Passengers March 31st. Run. Carried For the last financial year there was a net profit of 11,245, in addition to" which £1,928 was placed to the reserve and renewals fund. ft will thus he seen that the "finances of the buses are now on a sound basis. The services now being operated will enable the mileage to reach half a million per annum.
As regards the rolling stock, of the 19 buses now employed 17 are Thornycrofts and two Tilling-Stevens petrolelectric, the latter having been in service since the early days and are still to be classed as good, serviceable vehicles.
Owing to the difficulty of the tramway layout, the route really being a series of "dog legs," and the cost of reconstruction, the Platt Bridge tramway route is being abandoned as from about the middle of July, the necessary arrangements having been made with the district councils, when a service of buaes will be instituted. For this purpose nine buses have been ordered, and it is interesting to note that of these three are six-wheelers.
Success With Sentinel Rail Coaches.
Having demonstrated by means of exhaustive experiments the value Of Sentinel steam coaches for branch line work, the London and North Eastern Railway Co. is introducing this type of vehicle in increasing numbers on its system. One of these coaches which has been working over the NewcastlePonteland section for some time past is giving extremely efficient results, anti now another Sentinel is to be introduciAl on the West Tyne branch line in an effort to recapture business which has drifted to the road in the past four or five years. By means of the Sentinel. the company will be able to run .10 additional trains each day to various stations along the line.