The Motor Omnibus World.
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The Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers, both members and associates, will visit the Swindon Works of the G.W. Ry. on the 29th instant.
Fixed Stopping Places.
Mr. R. B. Goodyer, manager of the Cardiff Tramways Company, Limited, advises us that, as a result of the substitution of motor omnibuses for horse omnibuses outside Cardiff, his company has introduced fixed stopping-places over a distance of some three miles, terminus to terminus. This decision to allow the motorbuses only to stop on request, for picking-up and settingdown purposes, is a very wise one.
Size of Motorbuses.
Adverting to the French journalistic report of the interview acoorded by Sir E. R. Henry to members of the Paris Municipal 'Council, and which we reported in our last issue, we are authorised by the Commissioner of Police to state that it is not proposed at present to make any alteration in the regulations in respect of motor omnibuses, This information has been communicated to us in reply to our application for confirmation or denial of the portion of the report named above, which stated that the seating capacity of double-deck omnibuses has to be reduced from 34 to 28.
Erroneous Statements.
Extraordinary rumours have been airculated by certain parties in regard to the sudden disappearance of a large number of Milnes-Daimler motorbuses from the streets of London, these idle rumours being in respect of vehicles awned by the Vanguard Motorbus Company, Limited. The explanation is that, in order to comply with the technical requirements of the. Metroaolitan police as to ownership, the retent amalgamation of certain London Jompanies has necessitated the relicensing of the whole of the motorbuses in the name of the new company. The opportunity was therefore taken to carry out other small overhauling operations, in conjunction with the necessary repainting and various minor repairs before presentation.
Traffic Receipts.
By the inadvertent transposition of figures, an error occurred in the traffic receipts pubished to the credit of the London Motor Omnibus Company, 1:imited, in our issue of the ,8th instant. As a matter of fact, these figures for the week ending the 30th March should
-1.ave remained stationary, as published in the preceding issues, because no fresh traffic receipts were published by the company in question earlier than to allow of their inclusion in our issue of the 2nd instant. Proceedings connected with the re-licensing of its rolling stock, to which we have already referred, account for the apparent stagnation of receipts, but we have wery reason to believe that the aggrersate results will be not far short of 8,000 weekly as soon as the normal total of motorbuses in effective service is re-established, if not in excess of that amount. •
Before the Hastings Borough Bench, on the 2nd instant, the London and Westminster Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, was summoned, at the instance of the Hastings Corporation, for failing to pay for electrical energy supplied to the extent of .1.5 175. 6d., between the 1st October, 19°6, and the r7th April, 1907. The defendant company did not enter an appearance, and judgment was given for the Corporation with permission to levy distress.
More Municipal Motorbuses.
The King's Norton and Northfield Urban District Council's Bill, which seeks inter alia to empower the Council to run motor omnibuses in its district, was before the Police and Sanitary Committee of the House of Commons last week. The Bill provides that the Council may run motorbuses in connection with the tramways, when the running of trams is impracticable, or during reconstruction, alteration or repairs of the line, or for the purpose of connecting any of the tramways, and also for testing the amount of traffic along any route.
The Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Carrie Grant) asked how it was proposed to finance the buses. Mr. Hutchinson, for the promoters of the Bill, said they would spend the money out of revenue, and then raise a loan on the rates. He thought, personally, that, as the buses would merely be a temporary expedient, and an adjunct to the tramways, they were tramway plant and should come. out of the tramway undertaking.
The Chairman said that was a question where they would probably come into contact with the auditors.
Mr. Hutchinson said they were content to take that risk, and the clause was then passed, the Council's operations being confined to its. own area. Mr. W. 0. Spiller advises us that he has resigned his position as general manager and engineer of the Gearless Motor Omnibus Company, Limited. It will be remembered that Mr. Spiller acquired his experience of motor-omnibus construction and operation with John 1. Thornycroft and Company, Limited, and the London General Omnibus Company, Limited.
Another Railway Order.
Apropos our illustrated reference to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's Milnes-Daimler motorbuses Last week, we are pleased to be able to announce that a repeat order for the same make of omnibus has been placed during the last few days by the London and North-Western Railway Company. Delivery of the vehicle in question will be given about a week hence.
Berliet Successes.
A 4oh.p. Berliet omnibus obtained first place, and a 5-ton, 22h.p. Berliet lorry second place, in recent trials organised by the Lyon-Sport, on the Cheres-Limonest Road. The course included a hill some 2i miles long, with an average gradient of about 6 per cent., and steep pitches much in excess of this, J. and E. Hutton, Limited, of Si, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W., holds the English agency for rierliet vehicles.
Testing a Non-skid.
The Borough Engineer of St. Marylebone, Mr. J. Paget Waddington, recently made certain tests of a nonskidding device, at the request of the Metropolitan police. His report states that, so far as the experiments witnessed indicated, he observed no apparent objection to its use on wood paving, and this opinion, which may help forWard an extensive use of the device in question, has been communicated to the Chief Commissioner. Metropolitan Changes.
The fortnightly census of motor omnibuses in commission in the Metropolitan area shows a further reduction of 31 on the last returns. In point of fact, there have been 48 omnibuses withdrawn from service during the past fortnight, but this is partly counter-balanced by the fact that 17 new omnibuses had succeeded in passing the drastic ordeal to which the Noise Committee subjects them, and had been seen in actual service on or before Monday last. The reduction is due to the total withdrawal of the Clarkson steamers of the Road Car and London General companies. This is largely owing to their very high cost of upkeep, and is not to be used as an argument that steam as a power has proved a failure in public service. An improved design of engine, which Mr. Clarkson has already completed, as the result of late experience, should quickly have told in the reduction of maintenance costs. There are a number of Darracq-Serpollet chassis on order for London service, and, when these are on the streets, it will be seen if the external-combustion of fuel is able to hold its own under the severe conditions of public service.
The only steamers now running are three of Burtwell Brothers, Limited, which are at work as" pirates "on the Cricklewood and Elephant and Castle route.
The Ryknield omnibus has completed its trial for the L.G.O. Company, and the chassis has been returned to the makers pending the company's decision as to the placing of an order hereafter. The trial has proved very satisfactory. Close upon 9,000 miles of running was completed. The Straker-Squire omnibuses belonging to Thomas Tilling, Limited, have been withdrawn, and three of the zoh.p. Mill/es-Daimler chassis have been fitted as mail vans, all of which means reduction in the number of public-service vehicles. This company has fitted a 28-3oh.p. Milnes Daimler chassis, of the pressed-steel type, with a very handsome body for private parties, and it will not be used for public service. The number of orders for this class of work has justified the setting-aside of a special vehicle for the purpose.
A modification of the original " Arrow " service has been made, as frorn the 6th instant. IIalf the omnibuses now run between Barnes Common and Bethnal Green, and the other half, as before, between Putney Station and the Bell, Shoreditch, all the omnibuses taking the same route between Putney Bridge and 13ishcpsgate. The new service is made up of " Pilots " and "Vanguards," so that there is a curious mixture of styles and names on this route. The " Arrows " and " Pilots " will all be repainted as "Vanguards," as opportunity occurs. The exact colour and style are still unsettled, but it will probably be blue with the name in large letters, instead of on a coloured stripe. Several have already been thus painted experimen tally.