PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest, Doings and Developments in the Bus and coacn World.
• REBUILT BUSES FOR LONDON SERVICE.
A Brief Description of the Work Carried Out on an Ex-W.D. Chassis to Adapt it for Regular Service on the Streets of the Metropolis.
THOSE OF our readers Who have had associations in any way with the passenger transport mevement,in•London will be fully cognizant of the stringent regulations, framed by the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police and administered by the Public Carriage Department at Scotland Yard, with "which road rnotOr vehicles intended for passenger carrying have to comply. It is vital for the public safety that such regulations should exist, for they not only call for a high measure of efficiency on the -past of the maker, but also help to promote a sense of security in the mind of the, everyday' traveller.
Those individual owners of buses who
seeking to obtain on the streets' of the Metropolis a share of the public's patronage will appreciate to the full the stringent supervision exercised by the police authorities in considering types of' buses suitable for service, and it may come as a surprise to them, and to others of our readers; to learn that a rebuilt chassis equipped with a double-decker bus body'has recently passed the neces sary tests imposed by the authorities. Let it not be thought that the passage was an easy one, for Mr. J. M. Roberts, of Cathnor Motor Works, Cathnor Road. London, W.12, who tarried out the alterations to the ex-W.D. Y-type Daimler chassis submitted for inspection, had many, difficulties to meet and to Overcome before his enterprise and perspicacity reaped their due reward. Moreover, the authorities had to be convinced that the work carried out on the chassis had been so. effected as to leave no doubt concerning the suitability of
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the Vehicle and its safety for public service. That. it satisfactorily passed the official tests is testimony to the manner in which the chassis had been rebuilt at Mr. Roberts's works, and is not without its reflection on the quality of Daintier design. .. • The official tests of the bus were carried out on Putney Heath, and here the vehicle satisfied the noise committee and gave evidence of its hill-climbing ability and the efficiency of its brakes. . Let it be understood by anyone who is sceptical of the ability of a rebuilt chassis to stand up to arduous public .service, that practioally 'sill wearing parts throtwout the chassis have been mite-Wed, In fact, 75 per cent, brand
new parts have been embodied in the
design. Certain structural' alterations have been. carried out, -chief amongst which are the lengthening of the wheelbase by 1 ft, -3 ins., the lowering of the frame by 6 ins, and the use of new channel members of deeper section. The frame was lowered by reducing the bend of the.fron't dumb-irons and by the use of shorter spring brackets, and this modification has had the .effect of reducing the slight angularity of the propeller shaft when the vehicle .is loaded, thus making for a straight drive and avoiding undue whip of the shaft and stresses on the universal joints. • • The use of deeper channels for the frame was called -for by the authorities, who also insisted upon the extension of the deepest section, i.e., ins., to beyond' the front bangers of the rear springs. Certainother chassis modifications were undertaken, amongst them being the adjustment of the position of the front
wheels so that their track corresponded with thatof the rear wheels.
The hest way to indicate the amount of work carried out on the chassis is to detail briefly some of the new parts and components employed. So far as the engine is concerned, the cylinders of 0040 h.p. engine have new sleeves, and, although the crankshaft has been reground., it has been fitted -with new bearings throughout. A new Zenith' carburetter has been incorporated as well as a new Simms magneto. . New gearwheels and shafts are used in the original gearbox easing, whilst the lengthening of the chassis has necessitated the use of a longer propeller shaft and new universal joints. The differential gearing has been renewed, as also have the anchor brackets for the springs. The ball and roller bearings throughout the chassis • have, of course, been replaced. It will thus be seen that no effort has been spared in order to adapt the chassis to meet the exacting requirements of Scotland Yard and to uphold the reputation that Daimler products have achieved amongstcreiners of goods and passenger vehicles. It must be clearly understood that the alterations made in the design have been effected to meet a definite need, and that they have been deemed essential on account of the length of service -already standing to the credit of the ehassis.
The body fitted to the chassis passed by Scotland Yard is a 42-seater made by Messrs. Hickman and Co., 8, Grove Road,. l3alharn, London, S.W.12, 20 people being accommodated inside and 22 outside.
The first, rebuilt Y-type Daimler bus to pass the authorities, which is illustrated on this .page, has been delivered to Mr. R. R. Powell, 21, ,Percy Road, Goodmayes, Essex.The price which is being asked for a double-decker Daimler bus of this type is L1,450, a. figure which • includes fareboards, C.A.V. lighting outfit, and Dunlop solid tyres of 1,020 mm. by 120 mm. dimensions. Such buses can be purchased from Mr. J. M. Roberts on the deferred payment system, a email deposit securing delivery of the vehicle, after which the balance is payable in monthly instalments spread over a con
venient period. •
It might be mentioned, in conclusion, 'that' Mr. Roberts is paying considerable attention to the', needs of.small bus owners operating in London. "He knows that many'of these men have difficulty in securing proper accommodation for their vehicles when, Off service, and, in Order to assist 'them in this matter, he proposes erecting a Service depot on a space of about 2i acres in Laysfield Road, which is adjacent. to his present factory at Cathnor 'Road. It is intended to •provide accommodation for about 50 buses and to arrange" for a staff of Men te• carry init work in connection with the maintenance and repair .of the vehicles. This •service, which willbe given at a nominal cost, will include nightly cleansing and other work Which is essential to maintain buses an regular service in the best pos.sible condition.