WHEELS OF INDUSTRY
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"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by an difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John 13eattie Crozier.
Progress with London's New Coaching Station.
Work in connection with the building of the great coaching station in the Clapham Road, near the Oval, proceeds apace, and the general layout (If the depot can be understood from a visit to the site. The construction is a venture of the directors of Blue Belle Motors, Ltd., a company which operates many coaching services from Londou.
The station is to consist of a covered parking house, 650 ft. in length and about 80 ft. in width, and a large forecourt, which will, he bordered by booking offices, refreshment and waiting rooms and shops; adjoining the main section will be a works capable of dealing with complete chassis overhauls.
In the main building there will be four roadways separated by paved platforms, so that two lines of vehicles may be parked facing in each direction. The building, which, incidentally, has a single-span roof with glass lights, will house over 100 coaches. The parking and departure of the vehicles will be supervised from a control box at the entrance to the forecourt. It is hoped that the station will be ready for service within two or three months.
Safety Catches for London Taxis.
We understand that the Commissioner of Police has made an Order to the effect that a safety fitting must be attached to the locks of the doors on London taxicabs. This safety fitting takes the form of a metal attachment over the handle catch of the door, the object being to minimize the possibility of the door catch accidentally being released.
A Newcastle-Dundee Route Opened.
An interesting addition to the extensive chain of long-distance services worked from the Newcastle area is that which has been launched by Messrs. Thomas Allen and Sons, of Blyth, between Tyneside and Perth, Stirling and Dundee. a route not previously worked. This should provide remunerative business, particularly in the matter of summer holiday traffic. The fares between Newcastle and Dundee are 16s. 6d. single and 26s. return.
Annual Conference of the I.P.C.
The 1929 conference of the Institute of Public Cleansing is to be held in Blackpool from June 3rd to 7th. The meeting will be one of importance to all municipal engineers and there will be opportunities for discussion upon many problems in connection with the administrative, technical and economic aspects of public-cleansing work. Arectors of public cleansing in Germany, France, Austria, Hungary,
Czeeho-Slovakia, Luxembui g and Holland have expressed their intention of attending, so that the conference will be an event of international importance. There will be an exhibition and demonstration of the latest municipal vehicles and appliances, these features being on a flinch larger scale than usual.
In a Line or Two.
A new company has lately been formed in Nice, with the title La Compagnie des Taxi-Transports, to run goods-delivery vehicles fitted with taximeters.
The watch committee of the Carlisle Corporation has appointed a sub-committee to consider the question of the provision of a suitable parking place for motor Vehicles.
The trainways committee of the Oldham Corporation is to arrange for a bus service to operate from Oldham to Manchester.
The tramways committee of the Afanchester Corporation has decided to use double-saloon motorbuses in lieu of tramcars for the all-night service on the Levenshuhne and Chorlton routes.
We learn that Elephant Motors, Ltd., Elephant House, 97-103, Newington Causeway, London, S.E.1, has purchased the entire stock of spare parts and replacements for Donnet commercial vehicles.
We regret that in our issue dated April 16th, owing to a clerical error, ibe name of Mr. George -Monro, C.B.E., was incorrectly spelt as "Munro," In order thoroughly to try out the vehicle, one of the new Been 40-50-cwt. lorries has for some time been making three trips per week from Dudley to London with a load of 52 cwt., the mileage being 238 per day of ten hours,
A Bus Licensing Crisis in South Wales, The Ogmore and Garet. Urban District Council has refused to accept the decision of the Ministry of Transport on the appeal recently made by South Wales Commercial Motors, Ltd., the facts of which were briefly referred to in the issue of The Commercial Motor for' ast week. The council has ordered the company to remove from the roads the extra buses put into service in conformity with the Ministry's decision and, in addition, has appointed a deputation to wait on the Ministry with the object of explaining its refusal.
Vulcans for Scotland and Ireland.
The Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co. (1906), Ltd., Crossens, Southport, has just received an order for a fleet of Prince 32-seater motorbuses from Messrs. Steel and Ferguson, of Glasgow, who are large bus operators in the north; the business was negotiated on behalf of the company by its distributor for west and north Scotland, P. G. Black, 20, Abington Street, Glasgow.
Messrs. H. DI. S. Catherwood, of Belfast, the well-known bus operators, are buying a fleet of Vulcan 30-cwt. general-purpose lorries, the order having been secured through the chassis maker's Belfast depot manager, Major Lecomber.
Gilford Developments.
Hitherto the Gifford Motor Co., Ltd., has concentrated on the production of chassis which are intended for passenger carrying but, in the course of a few weeks, interesting developments are expected to take place in connection with the company's intentions so far as the goods-transport market are concerned. .Its plans in this direction are possibly foreshadowed by the new chassis which is described in this issue, this being suitable not only for 20seater bodies, but also for fast goods transport. The company has made considerable headway in the passengertransport field.
Liverpool Coach Owners' Meeting.
-To discuss matters of common interest, Mr. C. F. Rymer. of Liverpool, convened a meeting of the .motor coach and motorbus proprietors, which. was held at Liverpool on April 16th. This was the Second conference arranged by Mr. Rymer, the attendance at .the other being confined to undertakings engaged or interested in daily long-distance each services, especially between Liverpool and London. The meeting was attended by local operators and they discussed the standardization of prices for certain . local journeys and the desirability of arranging for floating policies to cover motor-coaching risks.
A further conference will be held towards the end of this month, and the main item to be considered is the desirability or otherwise of Liverpool and district motor coach and motorbus owners forming a section of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.
Personal Pars.
Mr. J. S. McCarthy, the manager of the Melbourne branch of Leyland Motors, Ltd., is expected to arrive in England, towards the end of mar, for a stoy of about three months.
We are interested to learn that Mr. F. M. Carson has just been appointed a Justice of the Peace for Kent. Mr. Carson has many friends in the motor industry by reason of his long associa:
tion with Cocker Bros., Ltd., the spring-making concern, of Sheffield, and the Societe Anonym° des Acieries ci(levant Georges Fischer, automobile fuunders, of Switzerland.
The Institute of Transport Congress.
The eighth congress of the Institute of Transport will take place at Harrogate from May 9th to May 11th, Meetitigs being held at the Grand Hotel. Papers of interest to readers of this journal will be as follow :—" Influences Affecting Transport Development and Efficiency," by Major E. G. E. Beaumont, 0.B.E., on May 9th; "Trade and Transport Prospects on the Northeast Coast," by Mr. R. Bell, C.B.E., on May 10th. Visits to various works will take place, among these to be inspected being the premises of John Fowler and Cu., Ltd., Leeds. There will also be several social functions. Requests for application forms should be sent at once to Mr. A. Winter Gray, secretary of the Iestitute, at 15, Savoy Street, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.2.
A Popular A.E.C. Chassis.
The latest passenger chassis produced by the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., is the Reliance, and this particular model has already created a good impression in commercial-motor circles. The chassis is one which has been designed solely for use as the basis of light, fast, single-deck buses-or coaches and it is arranged for forward con
frel. The main coestructional characteristics of the chassis are clearly enumerated in a catalogue which the company has just published, wherein one also finds a number of illustrations of the chassis, these being taken from different angles.
It is a wise plan for the company to set out in this catalogue a list of its branches, together with the names and addresses of its sole distributors and authorized dealers, as well as its overseas branches and distributors.
The drawings which are included, showing the arrangement of the chassis, should be found of particular value by bodybuilders.
An Opportunity for Sales in Norway. His Majesty's Consul at Bergen reports that a Norwegian tramways company is desirous of purchasing four motorbus chassis. British manufacturers who with to tender should apply, for further particulars, to the Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1, quoting reference AX7798.
Bus Employees' Wages in Derry.
Mr. H. at. S. Catherwood has arranged to pay the following scale of weekly wages to members of the Derry municipal staff, who have been taken over along with the municipal bus service:— Drivers, 12 10s.; conductors, 12 5s.; in
specters, /3 10s.; cleaners and greasers, £2 1s.; head mechanics, 14 10s.; other mechanics, 13 Ss.
These rates of pay are below those which were paid by the corporation and, at one time, it appeared that the reduction from the old rates might lead to a hitch in the transfer of the service. Recently, however, a conference between Mr. Cathertvood and representatives of the bus staff met under the presidency of the mayor, and Mr. Catherwood promised that a zealous and able worker would soon regain his former wages.
Success of Steam Six-wheeler.
We learn from the Sentinel Waggon Works, Ltd., that Tarmac, Ltd., ot Wolverhampton, recently placed an order with the company for six doable. geared, rigid-frame six-wheelers fitted with three-way tipping bodies; the machines being capable of handling 12toil loads. A picture which we publish on this page shows the machines, which are familiarly known as DG6.Ts., paraded outside the company's works at Shrewsbury prior to being delivered.
We are informed that Tarmac, Ltd., obtained such satisfactory results from the operation of the first of these vehicles that it has now placed a further order for wagons of the same type.
It is interesting to learn that the demand for the Sentinel DG6 steam wagon has been so active during the past few months that the company's works are kept in operation day and night in order to cope with the increasing number of orders in hand.
British Motors at a Spanish Fair.
The Barcelona Fair, which promises to rival the British Empire Exhibition, at Wembley, in size and splendour, will be opened by His Majesty the King of Spain on May 19th, The British section has received -considerable support and we learn that certain motorvehicle manufacturers in this country will have examples of their products on view. As a matter of fact, we deal
in this issue with the exhibits which will be staged by one well-known concern and we are told that at least one other commercial motor maker is likely to be represented.
A Lanarkshire Bus Amalgamation.
It is stated that J. W. and R. Torrance, Ltd., of Hamilton, and Messrs. William Baxter and Sons, of I3lantyer, both of whom run bus services between Hamilton and Glasgow, via Cambuslang, have amalgamated, and 40 buses are now under their control. Petrol Tenders for Merthyr Tydfil Buses.
Merthyr Tydfil Corporation has conpidered tenders for the supply of about 75,000 gallons of commercial-grade spirit for the current year, the tenders submitted being as follow :—Russian Oil Products, Ltd., is. lid per gallon ; British Petroleum Co., Ltd., Shell-Atex, Ltd., Glico Petroleum, Ltd., AngloAmerican Oil Co., Ltd., all is. iv. per gallon; National Benzoic Co. Ltd., for mixture (80 per cent. petrol and 20 per cent. benzole), 1s. 41d. per gallon.
The tender of the Russian Oil Products, Ltd., has been accepted. The rebate allowed by this company for the purchase of quantities is 2d. per gallon the normal price in the district for lt.O.P. commercial spirit being 1s, 31d.
A Railway Application to Myth.
The London and North-Eastern Railway Co. has notified Blyth Corporation that 47 licences, instead of 37, have been found necessary to enable services to be operated on five routes between Blyth and Newcastle instead of on four as previously arranged. The licensing committee recommends that the railway company be granted 10 licences for the purpose of operating two services per hour on a specified route.
American Makers Prefer Demonstrations.
By a recent American mail we learn that the motor lorry manufacturers belonging to the American National Chamber of Commerce have decided unanimously to recommend a joint sales-promotion programme, instead of a national motor-lorry show.
An Unusual Bus Situation in Newcastle.
The Gilbertian situation which has followed the opening of the corporation bus station in Marlborough Crescent, Newcastle, continues. Whilst the station is being used by vehicles employed on long-distance services and by the buses engaged on a number of local routes, the Blaydon Motor Omnibus Proprietors' Association declines to move from its private station in Neville Street, and the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., has now returned to its original standage in Bewick Street. Further to complicate matters the Newcastle Corporation buses are now worked from a terminus in Neville Street, immediately in front of the
Biaydon owners' station, instead of the former site at the top a Bewick Street. The municipality is now lowering its fares to the level charged by the Bittydon Association.
Bradford Corporation's Bus-service Purchase.
It has been disclosed that the Bradford Corporation paid a sum of £22,500 for the assets and rights of the Calder Bus Co., of Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse. The -buses on the route between Bradford and Brighouse have been withdrawn and all the vehicles of the company sold for £5,000. This purchase was made to enable the Bradford Corporation to run a service between Bradford and Huddersfield, and arrangements have been made for the respective corporations and the Hebble Bus Services, of Halifax, to run a joint service. New Long-distance Services from Glasgow.
Preparations are now in progress for the opening up of several new longdistance road services to be operated from Glasgow to Liverpool, Manchester, London, the Lake District, Blackpool gud Scarborough. The plans are well advanced and it is expected that a start will be made on one or two routes in the course of a few weeks and on the remainder by the end of May.
A large English motor-coach company is named as having the scheme in hand. The latest type of coaches will be used and the services will start from the Travel Bureau at 263, Hope Street, Glasgow.
Equipment for Garages.
The Layeock Engineering Co., Ltd., Victoria Works, 31illhouses, Sheffield, has just prepared a catalogue which gives details of the company's range of garage equipment. It includes one, two, four and six-gun high-pressure vehicle washers, hydraulic jacks, steering locks, tow poles and engine-sump drainers.
Rotherham and Railways Confer.
It is understood that the Corporation a Chesterfield is in negotiation with the Rotherham Corporation and the East Midland Motor Services Co. in connection with a proposed bus service between the two cities, but that at present the matter is in abeyance pending the result of certain communications with railway companies. The Problem of the Highways.
At the 42nd annual meeting of the Roads Improvement Association, which wa.s held at the Surveyors' Institution, Great George Street, London, on April 170, the annual report of the Association was presented. The Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley, G.B.E., occupied the chair, and he was supported by other impohant persons interested in the improvement of the highways.
The report has been prepared at considerable length and deals thoroughly with the ettensive work upon which the• .Association has been engaged. Much propaganda work has been done with a view to ensuring the maintenance of the Road Fund and the exclusive use a it for the purpose of improving the roads. In this connection a statement setting
out the present position of road finance has been circulated by the Association to all local authorities and to all chambers of commerce and large industrial organizations.
At present the Association is engaged upon the preparation of a comprehensive memorandum on this subject, which will be circulated to members of Parliament, to candidates for the forthcoining General Election and to the public generally. The four main features of the memorandum deal with roads as a public service, the effect of roads upon British trade, improvements that are required in the highway system of this country and the difficult question of road finance.
It is stated in the report that Mr. W. Rees Jeffreys, the chairman of the Association, will represent the members at the International Road Congress, which is to be held at Washington, U.S.A., during October, 1930. The questions to be discussed at the congress include thn use of artificial paving in methods of road construction, the most recent practice in the use of tar, bitumen and asphalt, the construction of roads in new and undeveloped countries, ways and means for financing highway construction and maintenance, co-ordination of highway transport with other forms of transport, and the regulation of traffic in large cities.
The report includes notes on the work done by the Lancashire and Cheshire; the Midland, and the Leicestershire and Rutland branches of the Association; which show that these branches have actively pursued the policy laid down by the national council.
The statement of accounts for the year 1923 shows that the total income, which is received mainly by way of donations, amounted to £1,442.
Harrier's Latest Six-wheeler.
Recently added to the Harrier range of six-wheelers the KW6 8-tonner, made by Harrier Motors, Ltd., of Huddersfield, is a large capacity vehicle capable of maintaining high average speeds over all classes of road surface. The power unit employed in this chassis is the same as that used in the company's H-type chassis, and it develops 60 h.p. at a normal speed of 1,000 r.p.rn. Interesting deliveries which have recently been made of this particular model include a. 2,000-gallon tank wagon supplied to the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., and a platform lorry supplied to a haulage contractor of Aberdeenshire. In this model the driving position is, of course, well forward, but both vehicles have been provided with a full-width cab. These machines are illustrated on this page.
A Salisbury-Wes-mouth Service.
It is reported that the watch committee of the Weymouth Corporation has granted an application from the Wilts and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., for licences in connection with a service from Salisbury to Weymouth, subject to the condition that a minimum fare of is. 6d. be charged in the borough.
With reference to the paragraph entitled "A Progressive_ Oil Cempany" which appeared in our issue dated April 2nd, we have been asked to point out that Sternal, Ltd., did not take over Sterns, Ltd., but only that part of the business dealing with the manufacturing and retail distribution of its products in Great Britain and the Dominions.
Special Tappet Spanners.
A properly designed tool for any particular task can generally be used more effectively than can one built for all-round application. Especially is this so with a tappet spanner which has to be operated in a confined space, where hot parts are the rule rather than the exception and the range of movement is limited, in most cases, by the adjacent tappets.
.Made in chrome vanadium is the special Bonney tappet wrench with au 8-in, handle which allows easy working away from the heat. One jaw opening is straight, the other set at 221 degrees to the handle. With two of these wrenches in one hand, they can, by reason of the head angles, be used like a pair of scissors to lock or unlock the adjtister nuts, the other hand being used to control the tappet itself. The retail prices range from 6s. 9d. to 95. each. A range of the popular sizes is stocked by Fredk. 1. Gordon and Co., Ltd., 92, Charlotte Street, London, W.1.
Blackpool Coach Traffic Rules.
During the months of June, July, August and September and in Whitsun week all motor coaches or motorbuses entering the borough of Blackpool must be loaded in a garage and not upon the public streets, where, in fact, they may not stop for longer than is necessary for expeditious uploading.
Improvement of Middlesbrough's Bus Station, At Middlesbrough, where the volume of traffic exceeds 1,000 bus journeys per day, the corporation has prepared plans for the extension and improvement of its small existing bus station at a cost of 12,000. The scheme provides for additional platform space and the erection of waiting rooms.
The Economy of Mechanical Gullyemptiers.
In respect of an inquiry made by the -Wandsworth Ratepayers' Association, Mr. E. J. Elford, the borough engineer of Wandsworth, reports that the use of mechanical gully-emptiers has reduced the cost of emptying gullies by nearly 50 per cent, and, moreover, that it is now done much more effectively than by the superseded method. L.N.E.R. Coach Tours.
The London and North-Eastern Railway Co. is arranging a number of interesting tours for parties of 12 or more, the journey being by rail to Alnwick and by coach to various beauty spots in Northumberland.
'A day tour includes a journey by rail to Alnwick, proceeding from that point to Bamburgh by motor coach, then on through Wooler, Ford and Belford, returning to Alnwick via Lucker. Afternoon tours may be instituted for parties of 20 or more, it being possible to arrange these journeys on any week-day, during the months of April to October, from any station where the train service permits.
More Sidecar Outfits for the R.A.C.
The Royal Automobilo Club has recently taken delivery of a fleet of 18 new 5.57 h.p. model-1129 de luxe E.S.A. motorcycle combinations, which are equipped with the Club's specially designed box bodies. The tanks and bodies are finished in an attractive shade of blue and the outfits should prove most serviceable additions to the large fleet of machines already in use by the Club's touring guides. All the outfits are equipped with fire-extinguishers and each box body contains a can of petrol, oil, tools, first-aid equipment, puncture-repair outfits, maps and a supply of carbide.
More Municipal Buses for Birmingham.
When the Birmingham City Council meets early next month, it will have before it a proposal for the abandonment of the tramways on the Efagley Road and Bolton Road routes and the use of motorbuses in place of the tramcars. The scheme has already been approved in principle by the tramways and omnibus committee of the corporation. The traffic on the Flagley Road route has been falling for some time, whilst, in the case of the other route, the cost of working has,, it is said, never been covered by the receipts. Bus Working in Wales.
In the working yeas recently concluded a deficiency of nearly 13,000 has resulted from the operation of the bue services of the West Monmouth Joint Omnibus Board which controls the municipal service owned, jointly, by the Bed wellt y and Mynyddislwyn Urban District Councils. The loss will be shared by the two municipalities, as have the losses incurred annually since the inception of the services. Members of the Bedwellty Council are considering whether it would be better to leave the provision of travel facilities to private enterprise, abandoning the joint municipal service.
Lowestoft to London Services.
The licensing committee of the Lowestoft Corporation has granted licences to Pullman Lounge Coaches, Great Yarmouth, and United Automobile Services, Ltd., Norwich, for vehicles to ply for hire on routes between Lowestoft and London.