PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
MOTORBUS DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTRAL CHESHIRE.
Remarkable Growth of an Enterprising Company Who Pay Special Attention to Passengers Needs.
yiANY of the large passenger-carrying undertakings of the present day have sprung from small beginnings, and, although most of them have been associated with the passenger-carrying movement since its earliest °days, these are other companies who have only been. in existence a few years and-have made considerable progress by inaugurating services in districts hitherto only inadequately served by. the railway or by road motor.
A ease in point is the Altrineham District Motor Bus Services, Ltd., who are owned and controlled by John W-ood and Son, Ltd., and with the object of showing what they had done to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the district which their vehielee served, the company recently conducted a demonstration run over the major portion of their regular, routes.
It was in August, 1921, that Joins Woodand Son, Ltd., put their first; vehicle—a Karrier—on the road on a service to Hale Barns, which is a few miles from their headquarters. In October of the same year a second Ranier vehicle was put on the road to serve Baguley, which is a similar distance from Altrin cham in another direction. Early, in 1922 two new Leyland buses were added to the growing fleet, and services to Knutsford and Lynim were opened up.
These services were maintained until March, 1922, when the Altrincham District Motor Bus Services, Ltd., were formed to control the bus services of the company, and shortly after their formation is further two Leyland buses were delivered and the service to Wilmslow inaugurated.
The demand for the vehicles in Whit sun week, 1922, so far exceeded the anticipations of the directors of the company that, had it not been for the fact that Leyland Motors, Ltd., were able to supply anotherbus from stock, it could not have been met. This vehicle brought the fleet up to seven at that date, and in December of last year three small Oldsmobile buses were acquired
these being put into service on the Arthog Road (Hale) and Partington routes. In February last. another Leyland bus was added to the fleet, which
now totals 11 vehicle-R. Of the six Leyland buses four seat 32 passengers; and two, of the latest type, 40 passengers.
The whole of the vehicles are engaged on a. regular service and cover a good portion of the districts located in central Cheshire. When one consider's that
these buses operate from a little town with a population of only 15,000 inhabitants and that they carry approximately: 360,000 persons a year, one is compelled to appreciate the value of the services to the cent-inanity.
The demonstration run, to which we have referred, was carried out to celebrate the adeption of Maciritosh-N.A.P. tyres on the buses. All the director attended on this occasion, headed by Mr. A. R. Ireland; who is not only chairman of the company, but is the Mayor of the Court Leet of Altrincharn, an office that dates back to the 13th century, whilst Mr. Fred Wood, the managing director, was responsible for the. arrange»lents
In the past we have had many opportunities for testing the worth of cushion tyres on passenger vehicles, and our experience on this occasion only coat-mod our view that these tyres provide extremely safe and comfortable riding.
The outward run from Altrincham was by wayof Hale Barns and Ringway, route on which 1,000 tickets are ordinarily issued every day ; this route gives residents in the districts a service that no railway has ever ventured to supply, and weekly packages of tickets, can be issued to travellers, which virtually
make them contract holders. This is only one of the localities served, others to which regular services are run being Tireperley and Baguiey, Fartington and Dunham Town, Sale, Hoe Green and Enutsford via Rosstherne, and Lymm and Warrington, the last-named place being /7 miles from the company's headquarters.
The company's time-tables are already popular local publications and are eagerly bought every month, for they riot only include a time-table for the buses, but give a selection of country walks which, can be taken from convenient points to pick up the bus at others. .. The Altrincham Dietrict Motor Bus Services, Ltd., are well managed, and. the vehicles are kept in good trim—a very important matter in a select residential district such as 'Altrincharn, southern suburb of Manchester.
‘The many parish councils through whose areas the motorbuses pass regularly have facilitated their passage, and in several' places short stretches of roads are being straightened to expedite traffic. It is reconmized, too, that the services are likely to encourage the building of houses.
The vehicles generally have run without a, hitch, and records in connection v:;th three of the Leyland buses show that in an aggregate mileage of 90,000 there have been only two involuntary stops, both duo (as Mr. Wood appaeciatingly remarked) to minor troubles with the magnetos. The low cost of operation altd the excellent appearance of the' Leyland; buses have been great factors in the success of the services; and already the company is being asked to open up other districts. The whole country from Altrincham and 30 miles into Cheshire is
an'opert residential one, and those who previously wished to get across country have had to take detours of several miles, often into Manchester, to make their journey by train. The company have favoured the employment of disabled ex-soldier, arid the one-armed conductors have been able to compete in efficiency with those not disabled.
It should be mentioned that the vehicle of which the company have only recently taken delivery possesses one or two outstanding features, notable amongst which is its convertibility from a closed vehicle to an open-type bus. To enable this change to be effected, the vehicle is provided with a wooden roof, which can be readily lifted. Should it be necessary to provide a temporary covering for passengers a special type of hood can be run along brass rails, which are internally supported. The 'hood is divided in two." and, when brought lute operation, half of it is drawn from the front and the other half' from the rear.
The internal electric lighting is arranged in duplicate, one set being flied' In the wooden roof, which can easily be lifted by the removal of two plugs, the second set being carried below the brass in the fleet shall have a thorough overhaul after it has done 30,000 miles, and they speak very highly of the Leyland vehicles, which, after having run this. distance, have not averaged more than £7 10s. per bus for replacements.
The operations of the buses are controlled from the Stamford New Road olfices, which are opposite Altrincham Station, and the vehicles are garaged at ()Afield Road.
From the same garage John Wood and Son, Ltd., who have long undertaken furniture removal by road motor, also run a number of char-à-bancs services, mainly with 14-seaters, which they find are appreciated by the county people and gentry of the district for private picnic parties and the like. Their motor coach fleet at present consists of four Karriers, two Fiats, and a Guy, and they Make a special feature ot runs in
Cheshire, which, with its old-world hamlets and historical halls, has many attrac tions for the sightseer. These social runs have as their objective a hostelry known as "The Swan," at Bucklow Hill, the proprietor of which has secured the allocation of part of a field opposite the house for the purpose of parking the vehicles which come that way. These Cheshire runs will be carried out daily from May tat.
The company gave our representative to understand that this' year they are omitting from their programme longdistance trips, such as to 13.1ackpool, Southport, etc., and that they propose °
confinim, their enerk,ries to conveying passengers to the various beauty spots in Cheshire, .and __accordingly they have organized a series of SO-mile circular runs at the modest return fare of 53. pet passenger.