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RUNNING PETROL BUSES ON TRAMWAY TRACKS.

18th April 1922, Page 19
18th April 1922
Page 19
Page 20
Page 19, 18th April 1922 — RUNNING PETROL BUSES ON TRAMWAY TRACKS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Experience of an American Company who have Converted Ordinary Road Vehicles to Run on Rails.

IS IT beyond the realise of possibility

to .predict that, at some future date, the flexible petrel-propelled read vehicle will be adapted to operate on theexisting tramway tracks of some of the towns and cities of this couetry? If the prophecy be not too bold, the time may not be far distant when the tramcar, as a passenger-earryieg vehicle, will have disappeared; at least,in areas where the paucity of traffic is against its remunerative operation.

The value of the petrol vehicle for branch line traffic on railroads is now established, especially in America, Where the scheme originated, and it has been left to our cousins across the water to experiment with this .type of road vehicle on tramway rails in place of electric trolley cars.

The scheme has been adopted by the Manhattan City and Interurban Railway Co., of Manhattan, Yeansas, who recently discarded their heavy electric ears and equipment, and are now operate brig five petrol buses manufactured by the Four-Wheel Drive Ante Co., of Clintonville, Wisconsin, four .of which are running,. (id the existing tramway

• tracks.

The excessive cost of operating the heavy electric cars, for a patronage which has decreased considerably since the war, was the deciding factor which influenced officials of the company and compelled them to turn their attention to the consideration of lighter equipment.

4t. cost between .40 and 50 cents per mile to operate the electric tramcars, and equal service to every respect is now being given to the travelling public by petrol buses at an operating cost of about 15 cents per mile. The actual saving in running costs is not the only beriehtconferred by the petrol bus, for, being of the pay-as-you-enter type, it is possible to dispense with a conductor on each vehicle. Moreover, the petrol bus eliminates the expense involved in the operation of an electrical power plant and three sub-stations. The petrol buses _make considerably less noise than the cumbersome traincars, and, as a result, lees annoyance is caused to the public; whilst, being of much lighter construction than the type of vehicles they have displaced, the buses are less destructive to the rails. It was a frequent occurrence for the tramway cars to jump the rails, but with the smaller petrol bases it is found that this risk has virtually been banished. -Apart from these considerations, the removal of the overhead trolley wires and poles from the streets has done much to beautify Manhattan.

A few years ago the idea of operating a motor lorry on rails would have been ridiiculed, yet the chaseis which are employed by the Manhattan Railway Co. are identical with the chassis used for the standardIton road vehicle, with the exception of those alterations, such as flanged steel wheels, which are necessary in order to adapt the vehicle to its new form of service. Last year, before the petrol buses were put into service, Manhattan's tramway enterprise showed a loss of 20,000 dollars. In January of this year (an average month so far ire the numbers of pesseugers carried are concerned) the buses returned a profit of 1,C00 dollars. During this period breakdowns in tha system wece. below the average, and deviations from time-table were considerably fewer.

Two of the four vehicles operate in the city itself; and COv.Or about 95 miles each per day; averaging over this dis-‘, tame some '500 stops, while the other two vehicles are used fer suburban service, and cover 150 miles each per day, during which each makes about 250 stops. The fifth vehicle, which is shod with giant pneumatics, is used for ordinary road service between Junction City and Fort Riley, a distance of 15 miles, where it runs in conjunction with an ancient type of small electric car. This bus acts as a feeder to the city and suburban hoes, end during its first two years service covered a distance of 10000 miles.

Both in Manhattan itself and on the suburban service running to Junction City there are many steep gradients and sharp curves in the tracks. At one place the vehicles negotiate a 5 per cent. gradient, which is 2,501) ft. long, whilst at another 'place there is a 3i per cent. gradient, which is 4,000 ft. long. The curves encountered by the petrol vehicle. vary from less than one degree up to a curve with only a 45-ft. rarliue.

With the load equally distributed over the four' wheels, and with every wheel a driving wheel, these F.W.D. petrel buses obtain a maximum amount of traction which renders them particularly well adapted to service over steep curves, round sharp corners and over snow-covered rails, such as are encountered in Manhattan.

Each of the vehicles is provided with a pay-as-yon-enter type single-deck body, which, apart from seating 32 e sSeegers, also has space for the acco'Inneedation of luggage. The seats are arranged in pairs, and the general arrangement conforms to orthodox prac The chassis have 13-ft. wheelbases and high-speed reverse gearboxes, which enable the vehicles: to travel as fast in the backward direction as in the forward. Electric starting and lighting devices are fitted to each. bus, end during the winter months, when the weather is intensely Cold, a heating system can be put into operation which derives its heat from the exhaust gases. LocomotiVe-type cow-catchers are fitted to each vehicle. The weight of the chassis in each case is 7,200 lb., as compared with 60,000 lb., the weight of the heavy and noisy tramcars.

The officials of the company state that the service, has been a distinct -success since its inauguration. It is quite likely that the application of petrol buses for tramway service is limited to thinly populated .areas, where the number of tramcars in use does not exceed, say, 25, and power costs are high, although it is suggested that there is no reason why larger cities should not find this

system equally profitable. The situation that forced Manhattan to consider alternative means to the electric tramcar most be similar to that faced in Mall small towns in which the tramcar is the only available 'means of passenger transport. In this case power was bought from a plant at a rate

which made it-impossible for the service to render a remunerative return. Eketric power cost the company about 1,500 dollars per month, whereas the petrol bill does not now exceed 500 dollars a month for the same number of machines, whilst the service is conducted in a more efficient manner.


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