PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
Safety Locks for Coaches.
THERE have been one or two regrettable accidents during the past motor coaching season as the result of pasee.ngers uowittiugly operating the locks fitted to the doors; to that it behoves proprietors to pay attention to these fittings during the close period, Locks of the single-acting type are not suitable for motor coaches any more than they are for railway oarriages.; and, in feet, a good lesson can he learnt from the practice of some railway authorities in this matter. The door locks which are fitted to the bodies built by the Chelsea Motor Building Co., Ltd., are of a simi. lar type to those used on the Great Eastern Railway rolling stock, which are made by Carter and Ayneley, Ltd., and prevent the doors from being opened accidentally.
This lock is operated with inside and outside handles, and, in conjunction with the striking plate, berme a safety catch. The safety catch (or striking plate) is so constructed that, providing the lock and striking plate are fixed in their relative positions, it/ is impossible for the door to be released until the main' bolt is drawn back to its fullest extent,. the safety catch projecting sufficiently to catch the bolt where not fully drawn' back while opening the door.
The lock i5 eutomatically locked by clesing the deer, the main bolt being released by coming into contact with the striking plate. Duplication of springs to teeth main and trigger bolts prevents the possibility of %Tatty action.
The method of fixing this type of-lock obviates the need for cutting away the door, which overcomes the attendant weakness resultant upon the adoption of suels EL method. Moreover, it eaves considerable time in fixing the lock, sad, what is more, it can be added after the
coaehwork•is completed. • • This type, of lock is extremely safe,. and; although its initial cost is greater,. it will outlive the cheaper type, and it. wild certainly commend itself to those proprietors who treasure goodwill and have the. interests of .their passengers at heart. •
A One-man Hnod for Small Coaches.
I T IS A FAR easier problem to design
• a hoed for small coaches then it is for vehiclee of largercarrying capacity, for the longer the body 'the Oet-eater the need for intermediary supporting members. A number of small coaches which have been in use this season have been fitted with a type of one-man hood, which was introduced 11 years ago epecifically. for touring ear use. We refer to the, Kopalapste, which is made and odd by Donne and Wiliam, Ltd.., a 29a, Gillingham Street, South BeTgravia, London, S.W.
It will be seen from the accompanying illustration that the hood is entirely supported, either when closed or open, at the rear of each tide of the coach. The most important feature of the •hood hew in the method of sop-porting the forward portion, which is carried on what may be termed two outrigger sticks connected to the foremost side of the forward
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main stick through the medium of a system of levers or extension pieces. These fittings do not projectbelow the velence of the hood, so -that when the hood is raised or lewered the maximum headroom is provided at the doors to enable passengers to enter or dismount in' comparative ease.
The hood is assisted to the vertical position by a strong spiral spring, and, once' it is partially raised, only a slight Ann on the front of the hood is necessary tb extend it fully.
The beet way to attach the front end of the hood is by special fittings fixed to. the upper ends of the windsereen supports, although, if preferred, the fixing may be made by means of the usual straps. The hood can be raisedor lowered in 3 very few seconds, and when not in use it folds down into a compact. form and is almost level with the rear row of seats.. Furthermore, the construction of the hood is such that the rear sticks, while possessing the necessary aelditioeal length when the hood is raised, do not, when it is-folded out -of use, project beyond tho_other sticks, all the sticksfailing 'into line and making Wvery neat and compact -accommodation forethe fitting.
As at present made, the hood is only suitable for the smallest types of motor coaches, but, so far as we can see, there is no reason why its general principles should not be embodied in a type of hood which is suitable for covering the larger, types of vehicles. Certain difficulties in regard to weight distribution
may present, themselves, but these ean. probably be overcome by -the use of supporting. stanchions.
Balancing Up.
Blackpool Owner's Review of the Season.
tHAT sort of a. season have you
V had?' " This was the question which a representative of The Conway601 M6gor pot to Mr. William Marshall, of William Marshall and Son, coach proprietors, of South Shore, Blaelepool.
" Well, although we have_ carried as many passengers in proportion to the number of vehicles that we have, as anybody in Blackpool, it will take us. practically all our time to make ends meet, but there are some owners. in Blackpool who will not be able to do. that by le long way," said M. Marshall.
This, he said, was due to the cutting of the local rates, which headmitted were ridieulorraly low. His company operated four 28eseater Maudslay coaches shod with solid tyies. • Mr. Marshall views -with disfavour. plieumatic-tyred coaches, following an unfortunate_ experience" on one of his long-distance tours to Scotland, when in aes outlandish district about 310,. miles from . Olean" and twenty miles from anywhere trooble with the tyres was encountered.. The passengers yore delayed several hours and eventually had to travel by railway to the hotel at which accommo• datien was booked, arriving there aft: twn o'clock in the morning.. The trouble and expense to which he was put,. Mr. Marshall added, decided him in favour of. ..a iightly-sprung coach on BOW- As' for the. facilities for the carrying of luggage on these long-distance tours, Mr. Marshall explained that. 'personal luggage was strietiv limited; attache eases, etc., could. he put in the space underneath the_ skirts, .whilst, at _ the rear of the coach -there was a large box, under the vehicle, for bulkier articles.
'Owing to insufficient patronage several of Messrs. Marshall and ,S-on'e long-distance tours did not take place, but their programmefor the season just ended included (1)a two-days' motor evach tour-every week-end in the Lake District (including table d'hôte and bed and breakfast), visiting Lanca.ster, Kendal, Windermere, Troutleeck, Kirkstone Pass, Brothers Water, Patterdale, Ullswater, Keswick, Bassenthwaite, Thirlmere, Withburn, Grassmere, Ambleside, etc., for £2 10s.; (2) a five-days' tour through North Wales, including meals and hotel accommodation, 1st day Llangollen, 2nd day Barmouth or Plarjech, 3rd day Carnarvon, 4th day Llandudno or Colwyn Bay, 5th day home, for a sum of 26 6s.; (3) a seven days' tour to London, 1st day Warwick, 2nd day London, 3rd, 4th, and 5th days in London, 6th day Matlock, 7th day home, the fare being only £3 10s.; (4) a nine days' tour to Scotland, 1st day Carlisle, 2nd day Glasgow, 3rd day Oban, 4th day Dunstaffnage Castle, 5th day Trossachs, 6th day Edinburgh, 7th day in Edinburgh, 8th day Keswick, 9th day Lake District and home, the charge being £12 12s., incited.
ing meals and hotel accommodation; (5) a 12 days' tour in Devonshire, 1st day Warwick, 2nd day Bath, 3rd day Ilfracombe, 4th day Ilfracombe, 5th day Newquay, 6th day Penzance, 7th day Torquay, 8th day Torquay, 9th day Bourneinouth, 10th day Bournemouth, 11th day Worcester, 12th day home, for an inclusive sum of £16 16s.; (6) a nine days' tour to Devonshire, 1st day Warwick, 2nd day Bath, 3rd day Torquay, 4th day Torquay, 5th day Bournemouth, 6th day Bournemouth, 7th day Oxford," 8th day Derby, 9th day home, the charge being £12 12s.
These extended tours were boomed principally in the spring and autumn seasons, and passengers in each case had the option to book for the drives only if they so desired. Intending passengers on any of the routes were picked up by arrangement.
Long-distance tours have not taken so well this year as they did last season, owing to the scarcity of money, and Mr. Marshall expressed the view that if they could get the requisite number of passengers at the scheduled fares, these tours would pay better than did the 'day tours from Blackpool, run, as they were, at very low rates. Coaches had gone on extended tours with as few as 12 passengers and as many as 25. The organs
zation of them, flowerer? involved "a great deal of trouble, but less difficulty bad been experienced this season.
Mr. Marshall said that when he arranged his first. Scottish tour three years ago, he was obliged to write no fewer than 132 letters to book accommo dation at seven hotels. He had now alternative hotels, and it was his practice to write to them three or four days before the party was due and confirm arrangements by wire or telephone. Be complained of excessive hotel charges at some places, where they had had to pay between 17s. and 18s. 6d. per passenger for bed and breakfast.
As to the day tours, Mr. Marshall said that the highest rate they had been able to get this season to Winderraere—a 120-mile run—was 9s. return, but since September the fare had been reduced to 7s. Last year they were paid 15s. a head.
Asked what he thought were the re cord lowest fares of the season from Blackpool, Mr. Marshall mentioned that passengers had gone to Windermere for . 5s. a head and to Morecambe, 68 miles, and Sonthport, 75 mile& (return), for 2s. 6d.
"Of course," he added, "no one can make business pay at these rates, for we reckon it costs us is. 6d. per mile to run a coach."
Most of the 250 Blackpool coaches are now garaged for the winter. There is very little haulage work to be done, and, what there is, is not worth having atthe low rates which are in vogue.
Messrs. Marshall and Son ran their first motor—a Daimler, with tiller steering and tube ignition—in 1902, and this was followed in 1907 with a Scribler 32seater on a bus chassie The Matidslaye now in use were delivered hi 1912.
Ninety-six Mile Winter Tours atId. per Passenger per Mile.
FINE of the firms of Blackpool kJ' motor coach owners to continue their winter day tours is W. C. Sanderwick a view of whose garage and street
stand is given. Mr. Standervriek is believed to have run the first public motor coach in Blackpool—an ArrolJohnston 16-seater—some 15 years ago. His present fleet consists of seven 28seater Tilling-Stevens, and one 16-seater Vulcan.
Of course, trade is very quiet now, but fares are exceedingly attractive. It will be noticed that a return trip to Blackburn is advertised at. 3s. ,6d. The train fare is 8s. 6c1. The run to Liverpool is#announced a,te6s. By train the journey would cost 13s. 9d. The distance is about 48 miles.
Coaches in Scotland.
ASECTION has been formed in connectiart with the'Glasgow and "West of Scotland area of the C.M.U.A. for the greater protection of .motor char-h-basics interests, and at a meeting of the motor coach members held recently, the following sub-committee was elected :—Messrs. Robert, Scott,‘Caledonian Auto Services, Ltd.), A. K. Stevenson (Blythswood Motor Transports, Ltd.), N. Sanderson (Sanderson,Bros.), E. T. Harvey (Bryson Bros. Motors, Ltd.), James Peterson (Motor Tours Scotland, Ltd.); T. Along with other, matters the char-ibanes section is devoting its attention at the. moment to the inquiries 'in, connection with the proposed closing of „several important roads du the counties of Dumbarton and Perth to heavy traffic (incleding chars-a-banes) and the proposal of the Glasgow Corporation. to run motorbnses outsidesthe city area. Motor Coach Shopping Trips. A FIIIV WEEKS ago we referred' to rt the commendable enterprise on the part of A. W. Gamage, Ltd., of London, who „inaugurated a series of char-a-banes services in connection with their autumn clearance sales These trips proved so' successful that, the company have decidedt-upon a second and more comprehensive series. Thettrips will take place during the Christmas shopping season and will be spread over a. period of three weeks. As before, the charges for the trips by road will be considerably less than themeisting rail fares. There are indication's that increasing use is to be found'-for motor coaches in connection with shopping expeditions; for instance, last week, in connection with the Stratford Shopping Week, a number of special coach trips wereirun from districts so far away: as Vange, Orsett, South Ockendon, High, Ongar, Abridge, Little Thurrock, ' Thurrock, Grays, Weet Thar-rock.: Monetnessing, Shenfield, !Blackmon% Navestock, -and Lambournia The runs were so, organized that three separateltrips.were made on different days from each of the villages concerned " 'The services provided by the motor coaches were well advertised and notices were eehibited at the village inns. The Most interesting' part of the organization was that the coach runs were virtually:provided free. -A "char-abanes coupon was issued, and upon production of it the conductor, was instructed to give-a free pass to the holder to Stratford and back upon paying a deposit of 2s. 6d. This sum was refunded to'the shopper by -any of the tradesmen concerned in the scheme so soon---as the shopper had expended 10s. or over for goods. The motor7coachem which were used for the purposes of the expedition were run by the Stratford Motor Transport Co. (1919), Ltd., 2, Martin,Street, Stratfond, London, E.Tags