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BOURNEMOUTH'S PASSENGEP TRANSPORT REJUVENATEE
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Last Year the -Whole of the Tramways of This Popular Health and Holiday Centre Were Replaced by an Extensive Trolleybus System Supplemented
by Motorbuses
BOURNEMOUTH is one of those leading centres where transport history is being made and where he tramways have been entirely superecled by more modern methods of mssenger transport—in this case, nainly, the trolleybus.
This move began when, on May 13, .933, an experimental route was Tencd between the Square and County :iates, a distance of a mile and a juarter, the vehicles employed being a ix-wheeled Sunbeam-B.T.H. four and ix-wheeled A.E.C.-English Electrics all double-deckers) and a saloon fhornycroft-Brush; These xere run successfully for several months and the results proved so satisfactory that in September of the same year the council de
Ued to replace. by trolleybuses the whole of the tramway system of the borough. The programme laid down was to complete this work in three years, but 3wing to the popularity of the early vehicles it was ac:Aerated, •and the last trolleybus route -Was completed and the last tram run on April 8, 1936, in just Over two and a half years, The vehicles finally selected were the SunbeamB.T.H., of which there are 103 double-deckers with bodies supplied by Park
Royal Coach Works, Ltd., each seating 56 persons.
At present, 17.64 route miles are equipped for trolleybus operation, but owing to overlapping at certain points the total. route length is 24miles, the longest run being 7.29 miles. Routes covered by petrol buses total 41.4 miles. Both types of vehicle are run in the Borough of Bournemouth and, to a small extent, in that of Christchurch.
Bournemouth is a noted holiday centre; consequently, the full service is required only : during the summer nibuths. In the winter only 60 trolley.. buses are operated.
A particularly interesting paint is that the whole of the conversion to the overhead equipment was effected by the corporation's own staff, special men being trained for the putpose. The work had to be done mostly at night, as the tram services were maintained alongside the projected routes in many parts.
One matter which influenced the decision in respect of the new vehicles was that the municipality has had its own generating station since 1902, and
in 1926 the equipment was entirely renewed, with two Babcock and Wilcox boilers, two D.C. generators by W. H. Allen Sons and Co., Ltd., and water-cooling towers. Last year it was decided not to install larger plant, but to add three substations, with mercury-arc rectifiers, receiving their supply from the grid, through the Binirnemouth and Poole Supply Co. It so happened that these could be installed without difficulty just where they were likely to be required. The works cost per unit generated is .70d., and the estimated cost for the additional supply is about the same.
The trolleybuses have single motors of 80 h.p., which was considered ample to meet all requirements, as there are no steep hills and the vehicles have ample capacity for speed, acceleration and power, without the acceleration being too fierce.
fhis policy has justified itself in the allin low current consumption per mile.' -Braking is on the patented, cornbined Sunbeam-Lockheed system, the main feature of which. is its exceptional safety. The Master cylinder has three chambers, and in the event of • the failure of any oil pipe, one chamber. is automatically cut out, leaving the brakes operable on the other two axles. Their power is increased by a Clayton Dewandre servo, for which a Reavell exhauster is driven from the forward end of the motor, whilst a small reservoir tank maintains a vacuum of 23 ins. to 24 ins. The hand brake and foot brake act through the same shoes, but the former on only the four rear wheels. In addition, there is an elee,trical brake which acts in the forward
• or run back directions. Oin a steep hill, by putting the reverser into a special position, the rheostatic brake controls the forward speed to 8 m.p.h. For all normal stops regenerative braking is used down to 12 m.p.h.; after that, the foot brake brings the vehicle to rest.
If the power fails on a steep gradient the electric braking prevents running back at a speed exceeding 2 m.p The system has proved most bene cial in respect of smooth decelerate and the effect upon the life of ti brake-shoe material. Results achieve already indicate a life of at lea 60,000 miles for the shoe facings, cot pared with 15,000 to 20,000 on ordinary bus. This is satisfactory another way, for a justment is require only once a week i stead of the daily a tention needed by mai buses.
Bournemouth had s double-deck petr buses with front e/. and rear entrance, t exit folding door beii under the driver's. co
trol. The , transpc committee was so it pressed by the adva ...tages of this .type th it decided upon a sin lar arrangement fort trolleybuses, at the sa rifice of four seats r vehicle, and the', i structions are that, important stops, t
passengers dismount at the front wh loading proceeds at the fear: • • In connection:with the .driver-co trolled door, the Minister of Tra,nspc insisted upon a door-interlocki arrangement by which the vehicl cannot he started with the door ope Every vehicle is equipped with
suppression device to prevent wird( interference.. This consists of-four se of chokes and condensers for all pave, circuits, whilstmain cables are ' closed in flexible metallic tubing.
A motor generator which redin the voltage from 550 to -24, provk the current for lighting purpos1 There can be 100 volts difference the line potential without any appre able variation in the lower voltai and there is no flicker when a vehii passes any insulated junction. . The light-weight boom equipment is A Brecknell, Willis make with trolley sdieels as used for trams. The disadiantage of using trolley wheels is that ;he noise, as compared with the tram;ar is practically doubled, because of :he two sets; in addition, the side movement of the vehicles causes a variation of the "swish," whilst more pressure on the wire is required, giv.ng a somewhat higher note. Experiments with more silent equipment are Deing watched with interest, as, for instance, 'in the case of the use of :arbon inserts, but it has been found that with these, in wet weather, the Life • may drop from the normal 8001,000 miles to as low as 100 miles.
Longer Life in Trolley Spindles.
Electrolytic action between the trolley wheels and their spindles used to cause much wear by pitting, and spindles had to he replaced at the same time as the wheels, i.e., at a maximum -A about 12,000 Miles. Now, the spindles can be retained up to 100,000 miles. The cure was simple. The trolley-wheel boss was reduced to allow space for fitting a flat spring washer at 3ne side between two brass washers, thus maintaining permanent electrical :santact and following up any wear. This takes the path of the current sway from the spindle.
It has been found advantageous to :hinge the profile of the trolley wheels. These were originally 60 degrees, and tfter wearing to 45 degrees had to be machined. They also had a tendency to nip and flat. The profile is now made, 80 degrees, and allowed to wear Iowa to 60 degrees.
It was also found that with the Lockheed brakes the front shoes wore mit before the trailer shoes in the ratio A two to one. To alleviate this, stronger springs have been fitted to the .eading shoes.
The dewirement indicator consists A two 275-volt neon lamps in series, ,vhich cease to glow when there is no :urrent. There is also a buzzer to give sudible warning.
Emergency Lighting.
En case of dewirement or failure at :he station, a small 24-volt battery 3rovides current for the obligatory ights and the pilot lights inside the /ehicle. Manceuvring by battery is lot considered necessary in this area.
The body equipment includes Accles ind Pollock tubular seats with Dimopillo upholstery covered in hide. The raver inside panels are covered with Rexine to match.
One of the trolley vehicles was taken lown for inspection at 90,000 miles. The only replacements were four spring ;hackle bushes, and a small bush in the iteering. Based on these results it is istirnated that complete overhauls will ae required only at 150,000 miles.
Kardex records are kept of all units, is repairs are carried out on the unit iystem. Current consumption is taken laily and proves to be about the same is on the trams, despite the greater peed and acceleration. '
Tyres average over 60,000 miles. ['hey are maintained under contract t42 and are of Goodyear, Dunlop and Firestone makes.
At the central depot every class of repair is carried out, even armature winding, although, so far, only in connection with lighting dynamos, work for other municipal departments, etc., for no trolleybus motor has failed.
The workshop equipment is exceptionally good. There are power hammers on which all the heavy overhead work is done, oxy-acetylene and electric welding devices, Sturtevant suction cleaning plant for vehicle interiors and motors, Alumite and Tecalemit greasing outfits, degreasing plant, etc.
The bodyshop attends to all repairs. and any modification required. tor example, on the new vehicles the rear longitudinal seats have been dropped 4 ins, by cutting away the inner parts of the wheel-arches and fitting brackets to carry the seat frames.
Therehave been some fare variations. When Bournemouth entered into an agreement with the Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., one thing that was decided upon was unification of all fame in the Bournemouth transport area. ThiS involved summation of all protective fares on corporation and private services. At the same time it was decided to reduce certain fares thought to be a little high. The full effect amounted to a reduction of between 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. in those particular fares.
The estimates submitted for 1936-37 showed an adverse balance: and it was decided to revert to the old tramway fares so far as possible, but as a result of the unification this did not mean putting the fares to what they were originally. On the average they are based on a figure of ld. per mile, but cheap workmen's fares are permitted until 8.45 a.m.
4,500,000 Passengers.
For the year ended March 31, 1936, the mileage and passengers carried on all services were 4,574,544 and 35,966,440, respectively. lf nits used for traction numbered 6,146,262; units per car-mile, 2.38. The average traffic revenue par mile was 12.60d.; average working expenses per mile, 10.90d.; average speed of tramcars, 8.25m.p.h.; petrol buses, 10.20 m.p.h.; trolleybuses, 9.92 m.p.h.