MANY NEW VEHICLES FOR N. WALES OWNERS.
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Details of the Plans and Intentions of a Number of Proprietors in Seaboard Resorts.
fr Mg SUMMER thee will be considerable develOpmeMts in North Wales in two outstanding directions:— O.) The small-medium coach, ( 2) the &elem.]. bus. Already both types of vehicle have established themselves in the geed opinion of owners,gwho, whilst not despising the merits of other types, are determined to keep pace with the progressive tendencies in coach .bodywork arid chassis design.
tour of the principal resorts—Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Bangor— reveals remarkable enterprise in the matter of motorbus services. Before the holiday season commences, the Royal Blue Motors of Llandudno will have received delivery of seven new singledeck saloon buses; the bodies of which are being built on Thornycroft chassis.
They have now in commission two Thoruyeroft double-deckers and , two Thornycroft single-deckers, and the new =Chines, When put in service, 'will be on the routes of (1) Llandudno, Peganwy, Conway and Llanrwst, and (2) Llandudno, Conway,Mochdre and Colwyn Bay—both of them important. holiday routes. A new garage is being built at Llandudno Junction, which will be the headquarters of the company's motorbus activities
With regard to the Royal Blue. motor coaches. last season none of the 28seater ThomyeroftS was utilized to its full capacity—no more than four passengers were seated on each row, so that the big vehicles accommodated only 23 passengers. An order is now awaiting execution for three new Dennis 23-seaters, the seats being arranged two abreast with a gangway down the centre of the coach, which has only one
entrance, This type of coach is fitted with a unique hood arrangement, the supports being slotted into the sides of the coach and quite out of sight. When this hood is erected, the seating is completely enclosed by a canvas roof and glass windows The }loyal Blue Co. also operate a fleet of seven Thornycroft. motor coaches. The Rhyl and Potteries Motor Co.,. of Rhyl, will operate ten meter coaches this season, two of which are 33-seaters (Earlier and Daimler), four 28-seaters (A.E.C., Daimler), and four 14-seaters (Crossley and 'Daimler). " The smaller coaches are undoubtedly becoming more popular, and if we were to get new coaches they would not be 28-seaters," said a memler of the corn
pally to a representative of The Commercial Motor. The smaller coaches take the longer journeys, whilst comparatively near runs are undertaken by the larger vehicles.
Another important Rhyl coach-owning company is that of Messrs. Brookes !White Rose) Motors, who state that they intend purchasing four mare motorbuses to enable, them to work new routes in the Paestatyn and Holywell districts. They already operate five Leyland buses —three double-deckers and two single deck saloons. In addition they have 12 28-seater Leyland coaches one 38-seater Leyland, two 23-seater I:Rylands, threE 18-seater Lancias, and (me 14 sextet Lands.
All the coaches up to and including the 23-seaters are equipped with prieu
:matie, tyres; this season three of the 28seaters will be ,fitted with pneumatics— two of them with Michelin tyres and one with Bunions. •
Fares at Rhyl were rather unstable last season, averaging about, 14,11. per passenger per mile. An improvement is hoped for this year. "Eighteen to 23-seater coaches on prieu matic tyres have alWays been a speciality C4,5
with us, and if the flow of trade warrants it this season, we shall purchase additional units," stated a representative of J. Fred Francis and . Co., Ltd., of Colwyn Bay. This coinpany have, however, already decided to put additional buses on the road, and two Leyland saloon vehicles, to supplement the existing four, will soon become constituent membersof Messrs. Francis's fleet, which maintains a 20-minutes' service between Colwyn. Bay and Llandudno, and a half-hourly service to Conway.
In view of the redactions in coach faxes last year, Messrs. Francis hope, this season, that conditions will be sufficiently improved to enable them to obtain old-time pricks." At Colwyn Bay there is a strong demand for the smaller coech. To use our informant'a. own words, "The 28-seater has had its day in this locality."
All the coach owners in North Wales are puzzling their heads to discover new routes. The teritory is so well covered that it has become almost impossible to rearrange the tours without either causing duplication or detracting from the interest of What may he described as " the standard trip"
Nearly all the business is in single. seat bookings. Coach owners speak with reserve on the matter of fares, which, last season, were between lid. and 2d; per passenger per mile. Considerable advertising 'and publicity is indulged in by the North Wales owners, who are gleefully optimistic of the season's pro spects, as is evidenced by the extensive purchases they have recently made. .
Many new vehicles—coaches and buses —will also be operated by the Bangor Blue Motors, Lta., from Bangor, where they are now erecting a new garage. This company run a number of regular passenger services in the Carnarvonshire distriet and in the Isle of Anglesey, as well as a large number of motor coaches not only from Bangor, but also from about half a dozen depots in the important towns contiguous to this resort:
Space will not permit of giving more than a bird's-eye view of the pending developments in each district in North Wales. In subsequent issues, however, the programmes of the separate owners will be examined in detail.