The Motor Omnibus World.
Page 6
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Notice has been given to the Edinburgh Town Council by Messrs. Telfer and Cunningham, of intention to establish a bus service in the Fountainbridge district,
The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has over 60 vehicles on order from seven manufacturers, whilst the London Road Car Co., Ltd., has over so ordered from three makers.
The Oxiord Motor Omnibus Syndicate is endeavouring to secure a running ticense from the Oxford Council. It is proposed to put i6 vehicles on the service. Oxford is in the happy (?) position of relying for locomotion upon cabs and tramways, either of which might have come oat of the Ark with Noah.
A correspondent of the " Daily Mirror " says that " the petrol engines, driving gear, and tyres of a motor bus will be on the scrap heap after three years' wear, whereas there is quite 30 years' wear in an electric tram-car." This would be a correct statement of facts but for two things—motor buses do not wear out in three years and electric cars do not last for 30 years.
The latest London service is between Oxford Street and Finchley via Child's Hill. This has always been a trying road for horses, as it is uphill for nearly every yard of the journey. This service is worked by the Camden Town Om. nibus Association (a powerful federation of private bus owners), which is promised delivery of six motor buses per month for several months to come.
A novel method of taking delivery was adopted by Messrs. Laycock and Stephenson, of Keighley, in Yorkshire, for the bus built to their order by Milnes-Daimler, Ltd. A party of 17 ladies and gentlemen journeyed to London by train, and then had an extremely pleasant three days' trip from London via Hitchin, Peterborough, Grantham, and Bradford to their destination. So successful had the vehicle proved for pleasure party trips that the original intention to use it for" pick-up" work has been temporarily abandoned.
With its usual enterprise, the Wolseley Company has been recently reversing the usual order of things in the motor world by taking the mountain to Mahornet. If a firm or a corporation desires a trial trip it is customary to politely request a visit to the works for such a purpose. For some weeks the Wolseley Company has had one or two motor buses perambulating up and down the country, giving practical demonstrations to interested parties. A recent trip was from Birmingham to Shrewsbury, thence to Oswestry, where a rest was taken on the Sunday. On the Monday the journey was continued to Bettws-y-coed, on the Tuesday to Birkenhead, Wednesday to Urmston, Thursday to Preston, and thence via Skipton to Harrog-ate, reached that afternoon, where trial runs were given to a number of interested local residents.
The Tramways Committee of the Nottingham Town Council has under consideration a project for linking up Ssieinton to the town by a bus service. A satisfactory trial has already been made of a Wolseley vehicle.
The London bus horses which are being dispensed with as inechanical vehicles take their place, are finding a ready market at Bristol. These are being eagerly purchased by farmers, etc., at an average price of .*).8 each.
Balls Bros., the old-established omnibus proprietors of Brixton, have consolidated their various undertakings into a limited liability company, with a capital of £70,000, but no public issue will be made, This firm has several motor buses on order, and the bodies are already built for one or two.
We hope that a sprag of some sort will be fitted to all public service vehicles. It gives the driver an added sense of security, and although but rarely, if ever, required, it may be the means of preventing a bad accident. A recent occurrence at Compton, near Plymouth, emphasises the need for this necessary adjunct.
York is one of those cities which is on the eve of a decision either for buses or trains. It rests with our manufacturers to influence the corporation and residents by giving demonstrations on the spot of the capabilities of their differ. ent vehicles. Sending down a representative without a Vehicle to show is labour wasted.
Motor buses are literally coining money for their happy owners in London. £9 to Leo is about the maximum, one
bus earning a trifle over 12 on Easter Monday. For a horsed bus L.:2 55. is reckoned as an excellent day's takings, and as out of this It horses have to be kept, driver, con
ductor, horse-cleaners and washers paid, it will be seen what a small margin is left. The conductors are more than satisfied, as they are earning nearly L2 a week for nine hours a day on motor bus work.
Chester Town Council has had to bow to the local storm aroused by its recent decision to spend £20,000 upon a single mile of tram construction. The Tramways Committee has now passed the following resolution :—" That a special meeting of the committee be held to take into consideration the question of providing a service of buses for Liverpool Road and other districts; and that the City Surveyor, the Electrical Engineer, and the Tramways Manager oletain further information, and report thereon, as to the provision of a service of motor buses and convenient routes therefor."
Day by day the number of buses placed upon the various London routes is beingadded to. We learn of new vehicles in every direction. Messrs. Tillings, Ltd., are running eleven on the Oxford Circus-Peckham Road; Mr. Henry Turner has five and the Star Omnibus Co., Ltd., five on the same road, making a present total of twenty-One. The Tilling stud comprises ten Milnes-Daimler and one StrakerSquire. Monday last witnessed the addition of six vehicles on the Kilburn-Oxford Circus route : two owned by the London General Omnibus Co. (a Milnes-Daimler and a Straker-Squire); two Milnes-Daimlers belonging to the Associated Omnibus Proprietors and two Milnes-Daimlers for the London Motor Omnibus Company. These last bring up the L.M.O. Co.'s stud to eleven.
A pronouncement of considerable interest to local authorities desiring to run motor buses has been elicited from the Board of Trade by the Halifax Corporation. At the April meeting of the Halifax Town Council the Tramways Committee was empowered to purchase two motor buses as soon as the Corporation was authorised to run this class of vehicle, and the Town Clerk was instructed to ascertain whether the Board of Trade could grant the necessary authority without a Provisional Order. It should be explained that it was the intention of the Corporation to employ the motor buses on the road from Pellon to Wainstalls, along which they already have power to construct tramways. The Board of Trade were informed of this, and have replied that they are not empowered to give, either by Provisional Order under the Tramways Act, 1870, or otherwise, the authority required.—" Yorkshire Daily Observer."