PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
A 1,200-mile Demonstration Coach Tour.
A Description of the Laffly-Schneider Saloon Bus, a Vehicle of French Origin, which is at Present Touring Great Britain.
nTJRING THE present motor coach ing season, which is fast drawing to a close, we have been afforded many opportunities of observing the develop ment in saloon bus and coach body design and construction, and, omitting consideration of-the mediocre types, for which there will always be a demand chiefly on the score of relatively low initial cost, the factor which has impressed us most has been the tendency to incorporate, details which aim at providing the maximum of comfort and luxury Often regardless of the cost of con
struction. It. is not infrequent that we hear of bodies costing anything between
1,000 and £1,500, and although it is true that many of these de luxe types-and'117,13 refer more particularly to motor coach bodies—have been built to conform with the individual tastes of a particular user, it must be borne in mind that a single user may very easily set the fashion for others who are faced with similar conditions of operation.
Many of these passenger road vehicles —saloon buses and coaches alike—afford comfort which equals, and in some cases surpasses, that provided by the Pullman rail coach, and, as might be expected, they have, in the case of buses, been used almost. exclusively for private-hire work, and in tire case of coaches, principally for select touring parties. It is only natural that passengers travelling on these machines should be called upon to pay slightly higher rates than thee that generally prevail, for one can hard expect first-class road travel at a thirC class fare.
'British coachbuilders have done muc to popularize road travel in this countr3 and the progress which has been mad in body design is strikingly revealed i many of the types which have been psi into service this season. Compare som of these vehicles with the original type from which they have evolved, and th remarkable changes which have *bee made will at once be apparent Continental designers have developed th saloon bus and the. coach sirnultaneousi. with their British confreres, and aftliongi designers in different countries have t combat a different set of circumstances there is undoubtedly a marked endeavou all round to make road travelling as corn fortable as its rad-hound competitor.
That steps are being made in the right rection can be gathered from a run inch we recently had on a saloon bus French origin. The occasion was one which the Lailtiy Co. (England) invited number of press representatives and hers to take part in a tour round Great ritain extending over a period of 14 lys in a Laftly-Schneider saloon bus. Before we proceed to a description of Le bus, which is moat, luxuriously ipointed in every respect, let it be said at the tour is part of a sales campaign hich is being conducted by the constny in this country. Apart from the tsiness aspect of the trip, it should 'ovine material which will be found inauable for future guidance.
The .tour started on 'Monday of last eek after an informal lunch at the otel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue, widen, and between 60 and 120 miles being covered per day, the route
• ing via Northampton, Sheffield, York, eweastle-on-Tyne, gdinburgh, Calasgow, artiste, Preston, Chester, Birmingham, atli, Brighton, and Folkestone, a total stance of approximately 1,200 miles. The Laif-s.-Schneider .saloon bus is the !St, which; of its kind to make its rpearance in this country, and its Ivelit certainly marks an epoch in the aaution Of passenger road transport.
Taking a three-quarter front view of
Lailly„Schneider bus it possesses a riking similarity to the buses in rise on le Paris streets; in fact, the chassis nployed for the two models is identical. f course, as far as' body design is cOnaned there is little resemblance, for the AV-Schneider saloon bus incorporates finements which are not necessary for Micles engaged on public service work. s. deep maroon highly-polished coachork, surmounted by spacious plate glass indows, combine to give the vehicle a oat handsome appearance. It was built r lireteau Freres et. Cie.
The maximum passenger. seating .pacity of the vehicle is 20, and the ate are disposed in twos, three on each de facing forwards with a gangway t..vreen them, two longitudinal seats cing each other, and two which extend roes the width of the body at the rear. he seats are beautifully upholstered in serviceable shade of French grey repp
cloth, and both the back and seat cushions are deep and well sprung. Nickel plated fittings, which are used throughout, give an artistic finish, grip handles being fitted on the inside uprights of the transverse seats, ash• trays to the backs of the seats, and neat electroliers in the reef, which, unlike the usual English practice, is covered with the material used for the upholstery.
There are four windows to each side of the body, the rearmost window being the only one which is permanently fixed, as well as a large square observation window at the rear, whilst two fixed glass panels are located just behind the driver's
• cab, which is isolated from the body proper; that on the left . (the machine which we illustrate is fitted with lefthand drive), affording the driver an Unobstructed view to the rear of the vehicle. Between these two glasS panels a large square bevel-edge mirror is located which, apart from other uses, enables passengers in the interior to have a clear view of the road behind. Communication between the body interior and the driver's cab is by a speaking tube.
Immediately behind the driver's cab steps of ahlininitun on each side give access to the interior, through ordinary carriage doors. No detail seems to have been overlooked in the design of t'ne body, even a cigar lighter is incorporated, and evidence is not wanting to show that, in some respects, private car practice has been closely followed.
We had the pleasure of participating in the first da-y's run of the 14-day itinerary as far as Northampton, and, although the mileage covered was comparatively small and most of the roads fairly flat and in good condition, tho journey was sufficient to prove that a vehicle of this description provides comfortable riding which is comparable to that given by a, limousine ca,r,,the welleprung seats, chassis suspension, and large-section pneumatic tyres all contributing their quota to this end.
A ,start was made from Northumberland Avenue, London, at 2.30 p.m., and, after a stop for tea at Dunstabla, Northampton was reached dead on time at 7.30 p.m., where a stop for the night was made, The whole tour has been carefully mapped out to a definite schedule, whirls is being rigidly adhered to. The journey to Northampton was devoid of any outstanding incident; the vehicle covered the distance without a hitch of any description. The bus was the cynosure of all eye.s at the towns ancl villages through which we passed.
After a journey of close on .80 miles we felt not in the least fatigued, althoughwe have one or two criticisms to offer. For instance, it would be a great 'benefit to provide some additional means of. ventilation at the front .of Use body for, although three of the frameless Windows drop down on either side, th.e.body is so shaped at the front that air currents are deflected. In a vehicle with a fixed top, and particularly one which is lined with upholstery, •which retains the heat, it is very desirable to have adequate venti
lation. We would also suggest. that roller blinds be fitted in place of the pre sent .pull-to curtains. We realize that the bus is a demonstration model, and that as such it may not appeal to all owners of passenger vehicles in its present form, although no one could question the suitability of the Schneider chassis for passenger transport. We feel that a Word of praise should be said for the Michelin pneumatics
which are fitted, for they unquestionably. had much to do with theas.smooth running of the machine over the section of the journey to Northampton. Those on the frontwheels are singles, but twin rear wheels are fitted, all the tyres being of 955 mm. by 155 ram. dimensions, thus rendering the 'wheels in The fitting of pneumatic tyres to a vehicle which weighs with a full complement of passengers aboutt4i tons is a daring innovation although the tyres are tested to withstand a strain of -6 tons.
We should not fail to mention that the Lailly Schneider bus is fitted with the Arrow day and night-safety signal, made by the Arrota Electrical and Motor Accessories Co., Ltd.,. Charles Street, Louth, which is a device for enabling a driver ,to .disamal his intentions to ether road ussita .either,approaching or overtaking the vehicle. It is operated from a neat control box 'mounted on the dashboard, and each time the signals are operated an electric horn sounds automatically, and thus gives an additional warning. Both indicators are electrically illuminated, the front one showing a green arrow, the rear one a red arrow, the acctimulator or a dry battery providing the current for lighting.
Several of our local correspondents in various parts of the country are participating in stages of the tour, and we shall publish their'impressions as they are received. The course selected for the tour includes many parts where the hillclimbing powers of the bus will be well tested, whilst the notorious condition of some of the main roads to be traversed will provide a severe trial for the Michelin pneumatics'.
Coach Improvements.
.,A Silent Drop Window and a Detachable Top for Winter Use.
1 T IS VERY desirable on siogle-deck ' saloon buses to provide adequate means of ventilation. Some body designs incorporate drop windows which heqa towarda this end, butsthe noise which they make, due to vibration, often prevents conversation being carried on, whilst quite a number of vehicles are fitted with permanent windows.
Drop windows are a very desirable refinement for a,.saloon bus,,but they must be free from rattle, and on tnis account the drop window which has recently been designed by Messrs. Strachan and Brown, 14, Leonard Place, High Street, Kensington, London, W., will be of interest. It is of sj'ziple and practical design, and especially suitable for -public service vehicles. This new window may be adjusted to any height with a couple of fingers, since it is fully balanced, and is locked rigidly in place by depressing a small lever. Silence is ensured by a neat sliding wedge action.
The window frameis specially constructed with brass channel sides, so that the use of the full width of tho glass between the pillars is obtained. The fittings used are simple and inexpensive, and so constructed that no extra thickness of pillar is required. The window is suitable for side, back, or door lights, and for any vehicle with a full door running from floor to roof. It is, of course, also eminently spitable for taxicabs.
Another fitting which should interest char-à-banes proprietors is a detachable top, which Messrs. Strachan and Brown are now manufacturing. Now that the season is fast drawing to a close and coach owners have to think about setting aside their machines for the winter or of fitting some, form of roof as a protection against the winter elements, this detach.. able covering should prove of topical interest..
All that is required to effect the conversion is to remove the hood, leaving the body irons in position. The top i covering s then built to fitthe body without the need for effecting alterations in the coach itself. All parts are kept as light as possible, the roof corners
being strengthened with steel chann. brackets. Each door is provided with hinged window which opens in conjun. tion with, or independent of, the elm t-bancs dour. The roof boarding, whic is claimed to be unique, is about half tt weight of the usual pattern. Ventilatio is afforded by means of a large roc ventilator and hinged ventilators at tt rear. To facilitate removal of the to it is .made in two sections. It will t observed that, without any apparel weakening of the superstructure, amp: light has been arranged for, the who] of each side being formed of windoframing. This is a cOmmendabl feature.
It is -not surprising to learn that a company are experiencing a larg demand for these detachable tops, fc they will certainly help the coach own( to keep his machines on the road durin the part of the year that weather col ditions are uncertain.