FROM ONE HORSE TO 1,000 MOTORS
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AN interesting paper entitled "A Short History of Thomas Tilling, Ltd.," was recently read before members of the Omnibus Society by Mr. H. Webb, an official of Thomas Tilling, Ltd., who started by saying that Mr. Thomas Tilling, who was born in 1825, commenced business with only £30 capital. His first acquisition was a grey mare and carriage, and he drove his first bus on a service between Peckham and Oxford Circus.' The fare was is. 6c1., and four journeys per day were worked. On certain journeys there were regular passengers who had their allotted seats and, in some cases, their own rugs, many of these clients being picked up at their homes.'
In 10 Years Mr. Tilling's stud grew to 70 horses. In 1891 the firm arranged a tour from London to Wales and back with a coach and four horses, the journey taking a month, whilst, as an early example of road and rail co-ordination. in 1899 Thomas Tilling, Ltd., took over the Great Central Railway buses and worked them from Marylebone Station.
In 1904 the concern placed its first double-deck bus into service. This was a Milnes-Daimler vehicle with a London-built body seating 34 passengers, 16 of them being carried on longitudinal seats on the lower deck and 18 on garden seats above.
Its success prompted the company to place an order for 24 similar machines.
At the end of 1906 the bus fleet consisted of 29 Milnes-Daimlers, 6 StrakerSquires and a Dennis, whilst six Dennis vehicles with worm-drive axles and Tyler engines were on order. In 1907 Thomas Tilling, Ltd., coinmewed a 29i-mile service with 13 buses between Oxford Circus and Sidcup. This is stated to be the first "long-distance ",service in the London area, and it was followed by another between Oxford Circus and Bromley.
After numerous experiments with various types of motorbus, a petrolelectric vehicle was built, and early in 1908 was placed into service. The inventors were Mr. Percy Frost-Smith, engineer and manager of the Tilling company's motor department, Mr. Frank Brown, chairman of David Brown and Sons, Ltd., of Huddersfield, and Mr. W. A. Stevens, managing director of W. A. Stevens, Ltd., of Maidstone. The machine was known as the S.D. and S. type.
• Later a remodelled vehicle, known as the T.T.A.1 type, was built, it embodying Stevens electrical equipment. All vehicles of this type, except the first one, were built at Maidstone by the new company, Tilling-Stevens, Ltd. _
In 1909 a sharing arrangement was entered into with the L.G.O. Co., Ltd., and in 1913 an agreeinent was Made with that company restricting the London bus operations of Thomas Tilling, Ltd. Early in 1914 a branch business was established in Folkestone. Two years later Thomas Tilling, Ltd., in association with the British Automobile Traction Co., Ltd., formed the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd.
A verbal working arrangement led to the Tilling concern acquiring an interest in the B.A.T., and this, in turn, led to a merger of all the provincial interests of these companies, except in Brighton. To-day, Tilling and British
THE old established motor coach owners of Liverpool, Messrs. James Pearson and Son, were appellants at the Ministry of Transport inquiry held at Bangor on March 13th, into the refusal of Bangor and Caernarvon Corporations to grant licences for their express services to and from Liverpool. Mr. R. B. Stephenson explained that Messrs. Pearson had been engaged in passenger transport for over 60 years.
At the present time services between Liverpool. and Bangor were operated by the Crosville, Maxways and Bethesda concerns. Licences had been obtained in Liverpool, Llandudno, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfeehan. and, whilst the general-purposes committee of Bangor Corporation granted Messrs. Pearson's application, at a subsequent meeting of the Town Council the decision was net ratified. Caernarvon Council held that the route was already adequately served. Three thousand persons had signed a petition in favour of granting licences to Messrs. Pearson. He asked that the provision of bus services should not be left in the hands of just a few concerns, to the detriment of private enterprise. Automobile Traction, Ltd., controls over 30 companies, operating between
them several thousand vehicles. Directly after the war the Tilling company commenced to develop bus services in the Ipswich area, and thus the Eastern Counties Road Car Co., Ltd., was formed.
The year 1921 saw the introduction of a new petrol-electric model, designed to carry 48 passengers. Two years later a modified forward-control type was introduced. The latest acquisitions of the company are A.E.C. Regent coveredtop double-deekers. Now Thomas Tilling. Ltd., has nearly 1,000 vehicles in its London and Brighton business.
Giving evidence, Mr. Robert Pearson said that when the new Mersey tunnel was open, Liverpool would no longer be isolated from the Welsh coast because there would then be the through road. Consideration should be given to that development, which would be consummated in the near future.
On behalf of Crosville Motor Services, Mr. Taylor stated that it was doubtful if the three existing companies on the route could make the Liverpool service pay. His company had 43 licences in Caernarvon and 49 in Bangor.
Further evidence was given, and the result of the inquiry will be announced later in the usual manner.