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From Our Berlin Correspondent.

14th May 1908, Page 9
14th May 1908
Page 9
Page 9, 14th May 1908 — From Our Berlin Correspondent.
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Preparing for the Summer.

I note that the Fiissener Privet-Auto. mobil Gesellschaft (Allgua, Bavaria) has increased its motor rolling stock, and that Herr Parthenhauser, at Agathar;ed, near Hausham—also in Bavaria—has just opened three motorbus lines connecting up Schliersee with Tegernsee, Bayrischzell and Fischbachau respectively. They will run throughout the summer months.

The Italian Trials.

The Minister for Post and Telegraphy has nominated Inspector Guiseppe Creborio as his representative at the industrial trials, which will be held, over the Piacenza circuit, on the occasion of the inauguration Of the new bridge over the Po next September. I also understand that the Minister for War has despatched to the Executive Committee, at Piacenza, the regulations for the industrial trials in respect of such vehicles, wagons, and omnibuses, to be acquired by the military authorities. This Minister has decided to grant four gold medals to the best vehicles of the four categories. The successful vehicles will be purchased by the Ministry.

Foundation of a Traffic Association for Berlin and Suburbs.

With the vote in the Berlin Municipal Council, on Thursday last, whereby a substantial majority of councillors de

clared themselves in favour of a " Verkehrsverband," or Traffic Association,

for the control and development of Berlin and suburban traffic, the City documentally repudiated the right of the State officials to handle a corporate body representing a couple of millions as if incompetent to govern its own affairs.

For the source and origin of the Asso

ciation, which has been accepted in principle, one must really go to the

dispute between the Corporation and the Grosse Berliner Strassenbahngesellschaft, whose concession to work electric or other cars over permanent was in Berlin the State has prolonged from 1919 to 1949 without the consent of the Corporation, which, in virtue of contracts between itself and the Gesellschaft, claims the right to work the cars after the former date. This Gesellschaft practically monopolises Berlin, and has also secured most of the shares of suburban undertakings.

Such, succinctly put, is the situation, and I cannot refrain from asking what Berliners have been thinking about to sailer it to come to pass. Whether this somnolence is a desirable qualification for would-be managers of a traffic concern seems questionable. Nor is it quite so certain that municipal workineshould be preferred to private. Of course, the Berlin Council has its eyes on the fat profits of the Gesellschaft ; had the Gesellschaft been working at low profits, we should have heard little about the interference of the State in city affairs. Anyhow, most Englishmen will sympathise with Berlin in this fight against State tutelage,

Excessive Caution.

Despite the *opposition of horsedrawn cab proprietors, the Bern Corporation has decided to grant a provisional concession for the working of motorcabs in the city. By way of a beginning, two modern cabs will be permitted to ply, experimentally, for a twelvemonth, and upon their success or failure hangs definite concessions, or the withdrawal of the vehicles altogether. The Bern City Fathers appear to possess the bump of caution in a somewhat abnormal state of development. One might almost imagine that motorcab technics were on a level with those of the aeroplane.

Mor e MotorbusLines for Berlin.

Berlin's motorbus lines are now being increased to eight. Until recently, we had five—three worked by the Afigemeine Omnibus;gesellschaft, and two by the Grosse Berliner Motoromnibus-gesellschaft. Line " 8" is in work again ; it was discontinued in consequence of the destructive fire of the Viktoria depot belonging to the firstnamed concern. Line " 39 " (the seventh line) will connect up the centre with the south-east. Line " C " (the eighth) falls within the scheme of the • " Grosse "; hence, of the octet, five will be run by the " Allgemeine " and three by the "Grosse."

The Berlin Post Office's First Electric-driven Postal Van. That the Berlin Post Office was in negotiation for the supply of a number of electric-driven vans for the conveyance of parcels and registered packets between the Metropolitan district offices and railway stations, I reported several weeks ago, and T am now in a position to forward other information on these

acquisitions. The body of the electric van, built exactly according to the specifications of the Post Office, opens from the back, by a single door, into a space a trifle over 7 feet 2 inches long, 3 feet to inches in width, and 4 feet to inches in height. This space is intended for the reception of ordinary parcels, registered packets being stowed away in a locker beneath the

driver's seat. In rough figures, this locker—called the " Wertgelass "—is about i foot .2 inches in height, r foot 1 inch across, and has a depth exceeding 2 feet 9 inches. The battery-case hangs mid-way between the axles, under the body. It approximates 2 feet 5 inches in length, with a height of

foot 5 inches, the transverse depth nearly corresponding to that of the " Wertgelass." By turning a crank, the case can be easily let down on steelwire ropes, for purposes of inspection or change. The 40 cells constituting the battery give 195 ampere-hours, and a working radius of 47-53 miles. For a normal speed of 12 miles an hour on level roads, and a maximum of 17.5, the discharges are at 45 and 6o amperes respectively, the energy consumed per kilometre (0.6214 of a mile) working Out at 0.175 kilowatt-hour.

Before delivering the van, the Norddeutsche Automobil-und MotorenGesellschaft, Bremen, which is carrying out part of the contract, tested the vehicles, on five separate occasions, over a total distance of 625 miles of country roads in a dry state. Travelling at an average pace of 19.84 kilometres— nearly 12 miles—an hour, the watthours per wagon-kilometre and tonkilometre came out severally at 137 and 48 respectively. Krieger electromotors drive the front wheels. The tires are 9o5mm. by 75mm. by 62mm.


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