56 Years in Municipal Transport
Page 55
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DURY Corporation's transport under taking has had an interesting history extending over a period from September, 1880, when the town council first gave attention to the subject of municipal passenger transport. A few months later consent was granted to a scheme for operating steam tramways by a private company, known as the Manchester, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Co., Ltd., and the first line was opened between the Market Place, Bury, and Blackford Bridge in September, 1882.
The first suggestion of the corporation taking over the tramways was made in 1896, although statutory powers to do so were not obtained until 1899.
Since the undertaking was inaugurated, the inhabitants of Bury have travelled in vehicles propelled by steam, electricity, petrol and, more recently, by oil. The bus services have been developed on a highly efficient basis, under the management of Mr. C. P. Paige, M.Inst.T.
In 1929, trams were operated over 23 miles of route and carried 19,000,0IXI passengers a year. The buses carried only a little over 3,000,000 passengers. Recent returns show a complete reversal of the position, for the buses now operate on 23 routes and carry over 15,000,000 passengers a year. The tram route-mileage has been reduced to 41 and the number of persons carried has dropped to 7,000,000 a year.
A.E.C. vehicles are prominent amongst the various makes of bus operated by the corporation, and have been in service since 1930. The fleet includes 11 A.E.C. oil-engined doubledeckers with hydraulic transmission systems and preselective gearboxes, as well as a petrol-engined single-decker. Bury's first A.E.C. bus is still giving good service, despite its advancing years and a useful mileage of nearly 300,000.
The efficient general maintenance scheme is based on the view that it is preferable to give regular and careful attention at fairly frequent intervals rather than to attempt to obtain big mileages between docking and overhauling operations. The ,former practice is found to be more eeonomic..
All maintenance work is conducted at the original tramways depot in Rochdale Road, where a fine range of machine tools is installed and where arrangements permit the docking of 12
buses at a time. • One of the prominent features of thu bus-repair section is a modern system of inspection pits, consisting of six separate pits with a communicating pit, which is provided with benches and comprehensive equipment. Twelve mechanics can work in this section, under efficient supervision.