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A Leyland Route Round Table Mountain.

1st February 1912
Page 12
Page 12, 1st February 1912 — A Leyland Route Round Table Mountain.
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Your readers will probably be interested in some photographs and a brief description of the three Leyland motor chars-a-banes we have now got out here in the service of the Cape Electric Tramways. [We reproduce the photographs below.—ED.1 Each char-a-bancs was shipped out, complete with its body in position, in a large wooden packing case ; one of these is shown in the photographs ; the bus was taken just as it was landed on the quay from the steamer. Another picture shows the top being taken off one of the cases.

In one instance, the case was landed on the dock side one afternoon at 2 p.m. We unpacked it, filled up the radiator and the petrol tank, switched on the accumulator ignition and started up in about half-a-minute, the engine giving no trouble at all after its six-thousand-miles journey. By 4 p.m. I had driven the vehicle up to the tramway station, about 24 miles away. It caused great excitement on its way through he city, as it was the first motor chara-bancs that had been seen in Cape Town.

The only trouble we had was with the magneto, which would not spark owing to the fact that the make-and-break rocker was stiff. The fibre bush had swollen a little owing to the dampness on board ship, but., when, the motor arrived at the train station, I put this right in a few minutes. This identical fault generally occurs after a long voyage. I noticed it in South America as well as on the machines sent out here.

Each engine is a 55 h.p. fourcylinder on a three-ton Leyland chassis. The bodies are of the torpedo type, with seating accommodation for 15 passengers in addition to the driver. Each is lighted both inside and outside electrically. The work that the first machine is doing at present, is to convey people round the foot of Table

Mountain to flouts Bay, a delightful sea-side place about 15 miles from Cape Town, and back again round the other side of the mountain. The road surface is very fair the gradient being from 1 in 20 to 1 in 12i. The side of the mountain is on the near side, and there is a sheer drop down into the sea on the other.

On the return journey, one obtains a beautiful view of the sea and the mountains across the bayand onwards through long avenues of trees in the late Cecil Rhodes's estate. The total distance is 33 miles ; including a stop of half an-hour at Houts Bay for refreshments, the time taken is exactly hours. A more delightful ride could not possibly be found as the scenery is magnificent.

The chars-a-banes are exceedingly popular, and there is every indication that they will do very well indeed. Two of the photo graphs show a motor on the route. H.P. (Cape Town).

Tags

People: Cecil Rhodes
Locations: Cape Town

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