THE INTRODUCTION AND USE OF THE BUSVAN.
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How the Country Carrier's Business Has Been Revolutionized by the Introduction of Motor Power.
TEM PROPLEM of rural transport undoubtedly calls for specialized study, particularly where the area. to be • catered for is of a scattered nature. Some of ihe principal considerations which have to be taken into account are the varying nature and unto:int of the loads to be carried, both of goods and passengers, the necessity for the installing of an efficient service at reasoriable initial cost, with a minimum of upkeep, taking into ac,-Jount such factors as the width of the vehicle -and the weight fully laden, for the purpose of negotiating by-lanes and badroads, and a reasonable amount of comfort for any passengers carried, together with complete utility, in order to cater, for all classes of load, and more .particularly to make the service a paying proposition.
In most instances any one particular route does not warrant snore than one vehicle, consequently it must be of a size to be in the nature of a combined passenger and goods vehicle and, in order that it may instantly accommodate any class of load, no loose apparatus must be incorporated in the design, as such loose items are likely to be absent from the vehicle just when they are wanted.
One has only to recall the country carrier's cart of former days—often being a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by a couple of horses—to realize the extraordinary assortment of goods which have to be o.tered for, quite apart from the question of passengers. To all this must be added the demands of the rural population for more prompt and, speedy service, with iocreased comfort, and then one begins to realize some of the
difficulties which face the designer of a suitable vehicle for this class of service.
Probably more thought has been given to this problem in the evolution of the Garner busvan than any other rural vehicle. It was introduced three tears ago, the firSt model being described in the pages of .the Commercial Motor of July 5th, 1221. Since tha-Ctime, it has not been found necessary to make any-change in the principles underlying the Construction, as the vehicle/a put into service have proved their complete utility for the purpose for which they Were originally designed.
Busvan " was the name adopted by Henry Garner, Ltd., of Birmingham, the makers of this chicle, on account of its unique construction and its adaptability and utility .in the carrying of goods or passengers in any proportion of one to the other by the simple operation a the folding away or letting down of the passenger seats, as may be required, to accommodate the vehicle to such uncertain proportiona:of load.
In the pleasure car world. cevered vehicles are coming more and more to the front, and are being used very considerably by touring parties in preference to the Open cars with hoods and screens, and the single-deck bus, with its fixed top, is* certainly the most desirable vehicle for country work in our uncertain English climate. So, the Garner patent busvan, with its fixed roof and movable windows, is certainly well adapted for all weathers. It has found its place in the service of country carriers,, estate owners and transport owners in various parts of the country, and has proved itself beyond doubt an excellent vehicle for mixed service. It is astonishing what can be done with these vehicles, many carriers taking from the country districts loads of passengers into the market town, and, whilst the market is proceeding, making a return journey, laden with goods, ready again to accommodate the later market goers. This vehicle certainly solves the returnjourney problem. Hundreds of districts throughout the country could be better served in this way, and this will, without doubt, come about as the value of the service becomes known and the demand springs up. Comfortable and reliable intercommunication between towns and country districts will play an enormously valuable part in retaining the population on the land.
The body, placed as it is on the 2-ton Garner chassis, has been skilfully planned, and is of the owner-driver-conductor type, the front entrance door being operated by a -simple lever device on the dash, thus making it a most economical service vehicle, eliminating undue .overhead charges. The busvan has proved itself superior even on routes where there is already a passenger bus service, as accommodation allowing for packages of various dimensions can be made, whilst the seats can be either folded or let down to be adaptable to the rest of the load. The rear entrance for general goods has proved itself very satisfactory, and the vehicle can be loaded in the minimum of time.
The patent flexible windows, of which there are five on each side, are made of non-inflammable transparent material, with ventilators provided at the top of each window. They are weathertight, unbreakable, free from rattle, and can be readily adjusted to suit: the atmospheric conditions prevailing.
The driver's compartment is comfortable and free from disturbance, having a partition behind the seat. In front there is a plate-glass window with an adjustable screen in the top right-hand half. Five rows of adjustable seats are provided inside the body, accommodating -20 passengers and leaving space for hand luggage. The seats, when not in use, s:re folded -and hinged upwards to protect the windows for the carrying of goods. Should occasicm arise, all the seats are removable without difficulty, leaving a floor area of 55 sq. it. The comfort of the seating accommodation is equal to that of ordinary passenger-carrying vehicles.
The adaptability of the vehicle is snown by its arrangement for 20 passengers or 35 cwt. of goods, or any proportion, withoutthe adding or taking away of any equipment whatever. The front passenser entrance allows the driver to have complete control of the fares, whilst the rear entrance, with its cratch or tailboard, allows the handling of goods without disturbance of passengers on any part of the journey. Electric lighting is provided inside the vehicle in addition to the usual standard electric lighting equipment, and the bodywork is handsome, comfortable and substantial, whilst being of fairly light construction and allowing for gond hillclimbing and easy negotiation of ,bad roads. The dimensions of the body are :—Height overall ground to roof), 9 ft ; 'floor to room), 5 ft. 10i ins. ; length from dash, 14 ft. 7 ins. ; and width, 6 ft. 4 ins. There is no doubt the Garner besvan fills a long-felt want, having proved itself a paying proposition, and rejuvenated the old country carrier's business in many instances, and, at the same time, it has been highly appreciated by residents in rural areas.