The Motor Omnibus World.
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The Society of Motor Omnibus Enineers intends to adopt another and a lore comprehensive name shortly.
Bussing Motorbuses.
We have been asked how many of le motorbuses which are included in .1r fortnightly census have conic from le works of Messrs. Bussing, and we ave pleasure inanswering the enquiry y saying that we make the-total to be out of 67 delivered.
At Coventry.
The Coventry Motor Omnibus CoinAny, Limited, has been registered, ith an authorised capital of L5,00o in shares, with the object of carrying the business of motorcar, omnibus, in and cab proprieto.s and manufacirers, and carriers of passengers and oods in the Coventry district.
More Trials in Sheffield.
Sheffield has been the scene of many .teresting motorbus trials, during the 1st two months, and the record is that ill they come. Sir William Clegg, id various members of the Tramways onunittee, together with the tramays manager and the City Electrical ngiueer, made their latest round upon 4o-45h.p., Ryknield, double-deck nnibus, and the trial throughout was
thoroughly satisfactory. It included the Heavygate Road, of which we gave an illustration when recounting the performance of the British ThomsonHouston Company's petrol-electric omnibus (see our issues of the i3th and 20th Ultimo). It willbe remembered that the Ryknield Company was 'successful in obtaining the last order of , the Todmorden Corporation, and its directors hope to be equally rewarded • at Sheffield, in respect of ten.
Apropos the appearance of the " electrobus " in our fortnightly census, and on the streets of London, it is interesting to note that the proprietors expected to have ten of these vehicles in service early in December last. Various difficulties of organisation and licensing have accounted for the delay.
Exaggeration.
The unfortunate collision between two of the Road CatCompany's motorbuses, in the Fulham Road in the early hours of Sunday morning, has led to great exaggeration in many papers. We are pleased to be able to report that the six passengers who complained of shock, bruises, OT slight contusions, arc all doing well, though we regret to have to add that the case of one of the conductors is rather more serious, as spinal trouble is threatened. One of the vehicles was in service again within 24 hours, but the repairs to the other machine and its body took several days.
An Anti-Climax.
We seriously commend a revision of its present attitude to the shareholders' committee of the London Motor Omnibus Company, over which committee Mr. D. D. Coath, of Holyport, near Maidenhead, presides. It is of course possible that these gentlemen have some cause for complaint, and that they may regard themselves as having been affronted by Mr. A. T. Salisbury-Jones, but we fail to see how a prolongation of their agitation can have good results either for themselves or for the shareholders in the Vanguard Motorbus Company, Limited. In the absence of a sufficient and representative body of shareholders, these committees very often provide hours. of wearisome talk to no useful end. So far as the affairs of the British Motorbus Trust are concerned, we have reason to believe that they will be probed to the bottom quite apart from the action of the gentlemen who raised their voices in protest at the last meeting of the London Motor Omnibus Company last week.
Mersey Railway and Motorbuses.
We pointed out (see our issue of the r3th June, page 367) that the Birkenhead Corporation was again becoming restless in regard to the Mersey Railway Company's service in the Rock Ferry district, and we now have to record the decision of the House of Lords against the continued use of these omnibuses, it being held that they were carrying on ordinary "pick-up" traffic. The Mersey Railway Company will have to seek fresh powers, or to use its motorbuses in a more restricted manner, but we fail to see how the decision can have any bearing upon the oldestablished practice of some of the great railway companies in providing omnibus facilities from their London termini, and we shall be greatly surprised if any opposition is raised against the continued use of these Lon_ don vehicles.
Our Fortnightly Census.
Our census (page 481) shows again a reduction in the total number of motor omnibuses in commission in the Metropolis. This has occurred several times recently, and is due to the withdrawal of a good many vehicles. This week 20 Scheiblers have been withdrawn by the Vanguard Company, although some of these may come back into service if they can be made sufficiently quiet. Two of the Thornycroft omnibuses of this company are also out of service, and there seems to be some doubt as to whether they will again appear. A further reduction is due to the fact that the Associated Omnibus Company has temporarily withdrawn all its motorbuses while the directors consider their position. It is possible that these may again go into service, but up to the time of writing nothing is known definitely.
The reduction due to the above causes has been somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that the Vanguard Company is still putting on De Dion and Milnes-Daimler omnibuses, and also that the Elec.trobus has at last made its appearance in public service. Five " electrobuses " are running between Liverpool Street and Victoria Station and are doing a very good trade. Atter the Fire.
In consequence of the recent destrue. tion of the Victoria store-houses (Ben lin) by fire, which also destroyed the repairing shops and garage o: the Straussbergerplatz-Bulowstrasst motorbus line of the Berlin Genera Omnibus Company, the manager it working this route by horse-drawr vehicles. The company does not mani. fe.st any particular desire to hurry tit the re-construction of the shops or gar. age, inasmuch as the motorbuses hay( never done more than earn their work. lag expenses.
European Hotels and Motorbuses
The motor post-service in Saud Tyrol, which worked last year so sue cessfully, is being continued this yea' on a larger scale. For instance visitors get the benefit of a new lint connecting up Neumarkt or Tramir with the popular health resort o. Martino di Castrozza, and leaclin over the Rolle Pass, some 6,400 fee above sea-level. The route approxi mates to 44 miles, and passes througl some delightful scenery. Ten-sea motorbuses, in charge of men ap. pointed by the military officials, wht are greatly interested in the develop molt, work the line. The Roverato Schio line, too, has been lengthened whilst, during the summer months motorbuses will run between Trien and Madonna di Carnpiglio—a con cession obtained by the proprietor o the " Grand Hotel Trento " in till former town. There is a marked ten dency, on the part of hotel-proprietor: in the tourist resorts of Ceritra Europe, to cater for the greater con venience of travellers and residents b; the use of motorbuses.
For Egypt.
The accompanying illustration is of Straker-Squire motorbus for the Cain( Public Motor Car Company, Limited this being one of a fleet recently sup plied by the makers. The specificatiot required 19 seats, and that the completi vehicle should weigh not more that three tons. Another stipulation wa that the maximum length should not b. greater than 5 metres, and that require ment accounts for the placing of tb. driver's seat above the engine a shown. The transmission gear is o the Straker-Squire 1907 type, witl through drive on top speed, and onl two other gear ratios in addition to tin reverse. The foot-brake acts upon tw drums, one on each sprocket pinion, s. that DO braking stresses come upon th gears, whilst the Side-brake operate directly on the drums of the ro-a. wheels. Ball bearings are fitte throughout the transmission.
A receiver has been appointed on bealf of the debenture holders in the ondon Power Omnibus Co., Ltd. (Piaservices).
An application for the compulsory 3uidation of the Motor Car Emporium, united, at the instance of the London .oad Car Co., Ltd., which was down tr hearing in the High Court on Tuesiy last, was ordered to.stand over for a etk.
L.C.C. and Traffic Board.
The General Purposes Committee of me L.C.C. reported on Monday that it ad received a deputation representing le Browning Hall Conference on Lousing with regard to the urgent eed for the establishment of a Traffic oard for London as recommended by le Royal Commission. The deputaon pointed out that, in the interests I people living in and around the fetropolis, and with a view to providig a solution of the difficulty due to ,:cessive congestion of the population, nproved means of communication and se linking up of existing means of peomotion were necessary, and they rg-ed the Council to approach the overnment with a view to the estabshment of a Traffic Board on the nes recommended by the commission. he deputation laid stress upon the ict that such a board would simply zt in an advisory and not in an execuve capacity and would keep before it to needs of London as a whole, in le matter of transit. They did not ropose that the Traffic Board should
a detached municipal body, but iould be in conjunction with, and .tbordinate to, one of the public deartrnents of the State, such as the .oard of Trade. As a result of a cared consideration of the subject the :rmmittee felt that the establishment I an authority competent to deal with to question of locomotion and transart in London was desirable, though was not prepared to express any pinion as to the precise constitution f such an authority. It had been deded (subject to the usual sanction) to rrange for a deputation to wait upon se Prime Minister to urge the necesty of the Government securing the nmediate establishment of a Traffic oard upon the lines indicated in the !port of the Royal Commission. Aldershot Motorbuses.
The accompanying illustration is from a photograph of the motor stock of the Aldershot and Farnborough Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, whose registered office is at 126, Victoria Road, Aldershot. This company was registered on the s ith May, 1906, with an authorised capital of .4;3,000, the whole of which was subscribed locally by fourteen gentlemen, there being no public issue. The company's vehicles run from Aldershot station, to the Town Hall, Farnborough, and pass through the centre of the military camp by permission of the military authorities, thus avoiding a detour of an extra i mile by the main road. The company has four, 20h.p., MilnesDaimler motorbuses, one of which is seated for 34 passengers, and the other three for 28 passengers each. All these vehicles were purchased from the Hastings and St. Leonards Omnibus Company, Limited, and they are fitted with Shrewsbury and Challiner tires. The route along which the vehicles are operated had previously been served by two horse-bus companies, each running a half-hour service, and these old con cerns made a brave fight against the proprietors of their mechanical rivals, but had to throw up the contest in a short time. The double journey is 51 miles long, and the fare is 3d. each way, with a special reduced tariff for soldiers in uniform. We are glad t& note that the company is economically managed : the staff consists of one engineer-fitter, who also drives at times of pressure, one fitter, three drivers, three conductors, one cleaner, and one superintendent. Mr. J. M. Foster, who has an expert knowledge, of motors, is managing director, and is assisted by a brother director in the person of Mr. C. J. Harland, Practically the whole of the staff and officers have been with the company since it started, and we are glad to be able to record that no accidents have occurred, and that no occasion has arisen for a claim of any kind. The success of this little company, in a district where the traffic is insufficient to support a tramway, is typical, and we do not hesitate to say that much of the company's success is due to the energy of its Secretary, Mr. B. C. Keith Snagg, who is widely known in the district.