A Long Tour in a Taxicab.
Page 14
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Eight Hundred Miles of Comfortable and Economical Running in Eight Days.
By Henry Sturmey.
The motorcab has achieved such universal popularity for short-distance runs in London, that it is sure to be equally popular in the Provinces when once fairly introduced; but prejudice and conservatism die hard, and, what with exacting police requirements and doubts as to profitable working, this type of vehicle has yet, although there is no reason why its operations should be confined to the immediate neighbourhood of any one locality, to become properly appreciated outside the limits of the Metropolis. Not long since, a taxicab in Coventry was hired for a trip to Carlisle, and, when substantially-built British vehicles are put to cab service, there is no reason why such journeys as this may not be taken in them, or why extended business tours may not advantageously be carried out.
Coventry to York.
As a proof of the practical value and usefulness of the motorcab, I recently took the opportunity of paying a number of business calls in different parts of the country, employing a two-cylinder, two-speeded, British-built cab for the purpose, and covering, in the eight days I was out an average of about too miles per day. Starting on Bank Holiday, a few minutes before eight in the morning, with my luggage and that of the driver carried on the baggage platform in front—which left the interior of the vehicle entirely free for comfortable occupation—I made for Nottingham, For the first hour or so, the engine was pulling poorly, until a loose trembler blade was located, but she then went ahead with delightful vim. Passing through Nottingham, Mansfield and Worksop were traversed, and Doncaster was reached for lunch, after which, having a call to make at York, we directed our wheels thitherwards, keeping a wary eye open for the long-distance police trap we were informed was in operation between Selby and the cathedral town. It was intensely hot, and the roads were extremely dusty, but I was surprised at the comparative paucity of motor traffic—seeing that it was Bank Holiday. The roads, however, were swarming with cyclists, and special care and patience in drivingwere frequently necessary.
Enquiry concerning the motorcab situation in York disclosed the fact that everything there is hung up by the attitude of the licensing authorities, Who refuse to license any motorcab to run at a greater fare than the Sd. per mile obtaining in London. This impossible attitude is stated to have been induced by the ill-considered action of the London agents of a well-known foreign car, who, some months since, applied for permission to run taxicabs in York on the London scale of charges, and, although they did not carry their scheme any further, it gave the police their cue; it is now argued that newcomers should be able to do what one firm offered to do, but, as may readily be understood, the local cab interests can see no chance of making both ends meet in a country town on London rates of payment.
Tire Troubles.
Having another business call or two to make in Newcastle, although it meant close on 200 miles for the day's journey, I pushed on with that city as my objective, and we should have got in comfortably before dark but for a puncture which occurred at Rushvford. This was repaired, but, the cover being weak, was followed by a bursting a mile later, The repair then effected, after an hour's delay [Where was the Stepney wheel ?—ED.] proved insufficient, for, running out of petrol and having to fill up from our spare can in the middle of a dense crowd of holiday makers at Ferry Hill, we found the tire as flat as it was before, so we trickled into Durham on the cover, and found good and comfortable quarters there. I had naturally reckoned upon obtaining a replacement in the county town, but to my surprise discovered no tire stock was held there ! I ascertained this over-night, but all attempts to get on par telephone to the Newcastle garages failed, so the chauffeur was sent forward by an early morning train in search of
the needful. This and the labour of putting on the new cover delayed us till noon the next day, and I found myself making my first call in the coal metropolis a few minutes before one, when I had the pleasure of inspecting the new garage which Mr. Frank Little is erecting, mainly for the needs of commercial vehicles. At present, the walls are hardly finished; but, when completed, it will be one of the most commodious garages in the north.
Local Sales and Conditions.
Mr. Little, I may add, informed me that he had sold close on so commercial vehicles in the last two years, so that motor agents will see there is a large field open for their energies if they will only tackle the business in the right way. Too many motor agents, however, soon cease their efforts on behalf of commercial 'vehicles, because the orders do not immediately materialise. Enquiry in Newcastle concerning the motorcab idea found the local jobniasters doubtful of their ability to make both ends meet. The particular stumbling block is now the question of return journeys, for they cannot help thinking that half their running time will be return-journey work, for which they will get no pay, but it will be costing them as much per mile as if they were fare carrying all the time. It would be interesting if any provincial readers of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " who have had experience in motorcab running can let us know about what proportion of empty running may in their experience be reasonably expected.
Across the Border.
These conversations detained me until 2.40 p.m., and, as I wished to reach Edinburgh that night, and to reach it before dark, we wasted no time on tea, but kept pushing forward. We were warned of a police trap at Seaton Burn, by the drivers of two cars who had evidently been caught in it, and we found no less than four officers engaged on it, though we escaped their attentions ourselves, because, I suppose, being a cab, we were not travelling greatly beyond the legal limit.
In Berwick, we lost our way and took about in minutes retracing steps and finding it again. Northward, the miles were regularly ticked off, over the long stretches of deserted road, in about 2.20 to 2.25, and over one lonely and almost level stretch we just touched 2.15. For the roost part, the going was excellent, and the scenery along the coast very fine, so that the drive was most enjoyable, and a pleasant interlude to business. I had anticipated much traffic crawlbig through Musselburgh and Portobello, but was immensely surprised to find that, although the roads here are tramlined and stone-setted, they were very broad, with quite passable surfaces, and with very little traffic, so that we ran under the clock at the top of Princes Street at 8.14 p.m.. having covered the 122 miles in a few minutes over hours, stoppages included. I may add, for the information of those who have had no experience of a two-speeded vehicle, that, with the exception of about 20 or 3o yards to top the crown of an occasional rise, we only had to use the low gear upon the steep ascent out of Bedford.
In Edinburgh.
I garaged the cab with Messrs. Croall and Sons, the Castle Garage, and for the next three days she was doing the equivalent to regular cab work about the city, running roughly about 40 miles per day, and making ten or a dozen calls in the neighbourhood. Here, too, I made careful enquiries concerning the motorcab situation, and found that the few taxicabs running about are in constant request and doing well, so far as takings are concerned, though a winter season has not been experienced : doubts were expressed, by some, as to whether the receipts would be maintained during that period. The cabs which are in use there have fourcylinder engines; there is baggage accommodation on the roof, over the driver's head, but I was given to understand, by those responsible for running them, that they had arrived
at the conclusion that—as I wrote in these pages a few months back-the "baggage on the roof " idea is not altogether a desirable one, whilst the opinion was also expressed that, if any more cabs were put on, they would be twocylinder vehicles, an opinion, also, which I have before now advanced in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
The taxicab owners appeared to be quite satisfied with the takings, but found their upkeep expenditure on the cabs employed rather high, and the view was expressed by one of the competing firms in the horse-cab line that, by adoption of the taximeter, they had " put themselves out of court," so to speak, in regard to special prices for special journeys, which is the custom in the horse-cab line. Indeed, the taximeter idea did not appear to be at all in favour, and more than one expressed the intention that, should they set up a motorcab, they would keep it for ordered service, or, at any rate, would run it without a meter. This may or may not, however, have been only the innate conservatism of the horse-cab proprietor, who has not yet grasped the advantages of the taximeter from the public point of view.
Edinburgh to Preston.
As I had still another appointment to keep, I did not start on the return journey first thing on the Saturday morning; the business in hand kept me occupied until ii, when we once more set our faces homewards, this time taking the western route. Travelling by Biggar, we made Abington for luncheon, and then, seeing nothing except its commencement of the m-mile trap reported to be working near there, and hence travelling circumspectly, after making a call at Fcclefechan, I reached Carlisle in comfortable time for dinner. Here the coffee room was full of motorists returning from Scotch tours, and they were greatly interested in the cab; indeed, throughout the journey, whenever we met motorists, I generally noticed a half-interested, half-amused sort of expression on their faces, as if the idea of a taxicab's getting as far north surprised them greatly. The next day, for example, a motorcyclist who was " pottering " having been overtaken, he immediately quickened up and rode alongside for a few minutes taking stock of us.
The run from Carlisle to Penrith is over a series of rather
steep grades, but, for the most part, with excellent surfaces, and, as on the northern journey, the low gear was occasionally required to top the summits. I was looking forward with a considerable amount of interest to the longer climb to follow, over Shap Fells, but it was not until the caution-board on the moors was reached that any low-gear was required, and a couple of hundred yards of this sufficed to take us over the worst part of the range, and enabled us to get into top gear again. The run down on the other side, where the hill-climb in the first t,000-mile tour of Iwo took place, was very fine, and the sharp rise from Borrowbridge, half-way down the descent, proved to be about the steepest grade encountered on the journey, calling for the low gear practically throughout the short climb. After travelling something like 20 miles without meeting a motor at all, we came across a Panhard laboriously climbing, with a tri-car and two motorcycles, all within too yards, and the run from Penrith to Kendal was made at just on even time. From Kendal to Lancaster, the roads were frightfully dusty, and on leaving Garstangwe were stopped by the police, who were taking names, numbers and addresses, and inspecting licenses of all cars that came .by, though they would give us no reason for doing so, except "instructions." From here to Preston gave us very good running, with no hills to worry about, and nothing in the way of incidents, and I found the Park Hotel (L. and N.W.R.) provided excellent quarters. Next day, the last of our run, we started out in a heavy downpour, by way of a change from the persistent fine weather we had enjoyed till then, and, after a business call in the town, ran over dry roads from Euxton to Wigan, where, however, the rain, which had evidently fallen earlier in the day, had made the stone pavements intensely slippery ; having only smooth tires, we were like a cat on hot bricks, and driving had to be exceedingly carefully done, until we got on macadam again. Then, through Warrington, steady rain set in, and kept coming remorselessly down till after luncheon at the Crown Hotel, Stone, from whence on we had fine weather free from dust to Coventry, finishing up a trip, which approximated some Soo miles, and making close on 40 business calls en route. This experience, I think, very clearly shows the usefulness and capacity for adaptation of the " common or garden " taxicab.