Yorkshire Country Bus Services )eveloped by Motor Enthusiasts
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From an Early Interest in Motors, Dating Back Nearly 40 Years, Two Brothers Have Established a Progressive and Efficient Passenger vehicle System Based on Pockling ton WAY back in. the early days of the present ,century two brothers owned the first motorcycles to be seen in the country town of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. and as a result of their interest M. such machines one ofthem opened-up about 38 years ago a motorcycle and cycle business in that town. Those brothers are Messrs. Sydney and Irwin Everingharn, now of Everingharn Bros., .'Ltd., operator of E.B. Motor Services.
During the 1914-18 war, Mr. Sydney Everingham (now an F.I.M.T.) took a commission in the Tank Corps where he obtained a certain amount of experience with A.E.G. chars-&-bancs. After leaving the Army, in 1919, Mr. Everingham, together with his brother, decided to purchase. an A.E,C. YCmodel 3-tonner, thereby getting in early on a rising industry. By means of a convertible body they obtained the hest of both spheres of activity, using, the machine for haulage in the week and for passenger services' to seaside resorts at the week-ends. Round trips with passengers extended to about 70 miles, whilst complete journeys on haulage sometimes went above the 200-mile mark.
Another YC-model was acquired in 1920 and rather a speciality was made of livestock transport from the district to the various Yorkshire Shows, Again, with this machine passengers were carried at the week-ends, seats for them being provided by forms borrowed from the local Congregational Chapel!
The following year saw the commencement of three stage-carriage services, each being run twice weekly between Pocklington and York but using different routes—direct, through Wilberfoss, 13+ miles; the northern; through Bishop Wilton and Gate
Helmsley, 21 the. southern through Melbourne, Seaton Ross and
Elvington, 24 miles. These services were operated by one of the A.E.C. machines which had been provided with permanent passenger bodywork.
Thereafter followed the acquisition of vehicles of various makes and types.
In the first days of the PocklingtonYork services the return fare was Is., whilst of late years it has been stabilized at 2s. 3d. (25. on Saturdays). During the most disastrous days of unrestricted competition, however, a stage was reached when passengers often had the opportunity of doing the single journey for the nimble sixpence. At that time Mr. Everingham sent copies of " The C.M." costs articles by " S.T.R." to local operators, in an endeavour to prove that they must be working on an uneconomic basis. • By 1924, the stage-carriage services were each being operated daily and the following year they were increased to two-hourly, then, later, to hourly frequency. • The 42-mile service from York to Bridlington was opened up in 1928, being followed by a number of short-distance routes that were mainly intended to act as feeders.
From 1924 onwards, Everingharn Bros., Ltd., relied on Barnaby's Motor Bodies (Hull), Ltd., for coachwork ;construction and repairs. Consistently
satisfactory service has been received from this company, and in recent years the Barnaby works have carried' out under contract all painting of the fleet.
The haulage side of the Everingharn business was finally dropped in the early 'thirties, but a most .extensive
parcels system is still operated. In years gone by it was not unknown for it to be necessary for a goods vehicle to b,e run in conjunction with the morning service on York market days, the object being to carry the large quantity of produce that farmers would bring with them for sale.
Stepping forward to the present day, it is interesting to note"that war-time restrictions. have resulted in heavier parcels traffic, the buses often carrying retailers' consignments that-would previonsIy have been sent quite long distances by van; theY include groceries,
meat, laundry and other commodities. In addition to the parcels office in York, the Everingham undertaking has 52 parcels agents on the various routes over which it operates.
The stage-carriage services continue basically as already described, being operated by a fleet of 27 vehicles, apart
from hire cars. The transport fleet now comprises eight A.E.C. Regals, three other A.E.C. machines, four Albion Victor 20-seaters, two Commer Invader 20-seaters, a Comtner NP model, a Thornycroft BC-type, a Thornycroft 20-seater, a Leyland Tiger, a Maudslay MIX machine, a Dodge 20seater, and three Bedford. 20-seaters, The Thornycroft BC and an A.E.C. Reliance would normally have been dis,:arded, but owing to the war they have been reconditioned in order to be used on workmen's services.
Lengthy routes necessitate tickets of various values, but many difficulties have been overcome during the past few years by the employment of Antomaticket machines. As many readers will know, tickets issued by this system are marked in pencil through a small aperture, on the top of the machine. As the reverse side of the ticket is marked in indelible carbon with particulars of stage, fare and route, any. alterations could be detected without difficulty.
Sound Maintenance System
Engine overhauls are performed by the A.E.C. depot at Bradford, but a careful maintenance plan is followed in the company's own garage at Pocklington. Oil is changed every 5,000 miles, and only high-grade lubricants are used. A Stieamline filter is kept in constant employment and engines are replenished with 25 per cent. filtered and '75 per cent, new oil.
Once a week each unit of the fleet is greased throughout and nozzle pressures are tested every fortnight. Fuel pumps are overhauled by the maker at 60,000 miles. Oil engines, together with gearboxes and rear axles, are normally overhauled at 100,000-mile intervals, Petrol engines ordinarily come in for decarbonizing at 15,000 miles, with overhauls at about 75,000 miles.
A notable feature of the maintenance system is a " see everything at a glance" docking sheet which is kept in respect of every vehicle; a specimen sheet is reproduced herewith. Over 40 maintenance items are listed and against each are 12 spaces in which the amount of attention given in each month of the year can be noted. Therefore, if, say, clutch trouble occurs it can be seen at a glance precisely to what extent this difficulty has existed in the past. The main garage is equipped with a comprehensive range of modern appliances.
One valuable feature at both the main and secondary garages is the installation of electric heaters, which ensure a constant supply of hot' water for filling up and cleaning, either by day or night.