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PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.

26th April 1921, Page 16
26th April 1921
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 16, 26th April 1921 — PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World,

Interchangeable Coach and Lorry Bodies.

ASYSTEM for quickly changing char-a-bancs and lorry bodies has recently been perfected by Thomas Pass, Ltd., of Coventry, the coach and lorry bodies with the necessary platform, which remains fixed to the chassis, being priced in the neighbourhood of £500.

The flat platform and front driving seat remain fixed to the chassis in each case. Four detachalle rollers are fitted flush with the platform, two Oil either side, and the char-a-bancs body, when trestled up to the correct height, is then slid from the back over these rollers and along the platform. As will be seen from one of the illustrations, the lower sides of the coach body fit over and round the edges of the platform, tho body being secured in addition by a, screw bolt fitting into the near side of the front driving {mast.. Several plugs, used for registration purposes, slide into holes in the sides of the stationary front seat. The body is then finally secured to the platform by means of eight bolts, four on either side, the whole operation of rolling the body on to the platform occupying two or three men half an hour.

To remove the coach body special bolts are used, which, when screwed up from the under side, force the body out of engagement with the flat, platform. The four bolts on either side are then un. screwed, and a couple of men can push the body on the rollers back on to the trestle, leaving the platform clear again. The two sides of the char-a-bancs body are braced together by the seats them selves and by three cross planks spaced equally.

There is no floor to the body itself, as the stationary platform on the vehicle serves this purpose. There are tliree separate sets of steps on the near side of the vehicle, the centre and rear lets being quickly detachable, as the removal of a few bolts allows the brackets hold ing the steps to be slipped out of the retaining clips, the steps obviously not being required when the vehicle is used as a. lorry.

To convert a chassis into a lorry a, fiat back is added to the driver's seat and a separate hood is fitted, which, together with the char-a-bancs hood, is included in the price. The lorry body framework consists of one fixed side and a number of cross beams attached to it. The whole is then slid into spaces pro' vided ,in slots under the main platform, in which holes are drilled to register with plugs on the inner face of the nearside member; the latter, when pushed right home, projects a few inches above the flat platform. The other side member is a separate unit, and is next fitted to the off side, where it is secured to the platform and cross ineinbers Which pass underneath it.

An interesting point in the design of the platform is that the wheel arch has . been eliminated by cutting away the wooden structure at this point, and the substitution of a thin, flat piece of metal in its place. Both bodies are substantially made, and .the operation of changing from one to the other Is quickly done, the balancing of the char-I-banes body being arranged in such a manner that it is just tail heavy,.and thus takes the weight off the front part when the pressure is applied to push it off the platform.

Landaulets for Coach Parties.

WE HAVE often referred in these pages to the motor coaching. activities of the .Lancashire United Tramways, Ltd., Of Atherton, who are one of the largest and most enterprising coaching concerns in the worth. They have undoubtedly done much to popularize the char-a-bancs in Lancashire, as is adequately shown by the 1920 traffic statistics, which they have incorporated in a booklet of tours arranged for 1921 It is no mean achievement to carry more than 100,000 passengers in a season, whilst the fact that 3,291 trips were successfully executed in 1920 bears witness to the extent of their efforts to meet the constantly increasing demand for road tours to such resorts as Llangollen, Southport, Blackpool, Buxton, etc. Quite a new departure in the way of catering for coach travellers lies in the acquisition by the company, for the 1921 season, of two Austin landaulets. The famous Austin Twenty chassis is utilized in conjunction with a wellfinished body in the latest style. The uses of these two landaulets, which, by the way, will be supplemented by others, should they meet with the success anticipated, in connection with motor coach traffic, are manifold. In the case of large parties where several coaches are engaged, it will be possible to arrange for one of these landaulets to accompany the party for the use of the leading officials. whe will thus, by reason of the greater speeds which can be attained by these vehicles, be able to keep in touch with all the coaches-during the journey.

To those who have had the responsibility of conducting large parties in the past this advantage will, especially appeal. Again, in many cases parties too large for a 14 -seater coach may not wish to go to the expense, or to travel at the lower speed of the 28-seater, and two 14-seater coaches will provide an excess of seating capacity. For these parties a 14-seater and a landaulet will: provide the ideal equipmeat, since they can travel at the same speed. For the small parties there is nothing to equal these private cars, since they are Suitable alike for open touring in summer time and for the long or short journey m winter, as they can be totally enclosed.

It isecontidently anticipated that these cars will fill a definite need in the district in which they are situated, and

their availability for general hire by the public will, it is hoped, lead to a very considerable extension of this branch of the fleet.

The LancaShire United Tramways, Ltd., were running three coaches in 1914, and such was the tremendous growth of this branch of the company's activities, that 60 vehicles were in regGlar employment during the major part of last season. We do not for the moment, know whether or not additions have been made to this extensive fleet for the forthcoming season, but we suspect that, as this number was found insufficient during the peak period of last year, the limit has not yet been reached. The company cater for all classes of coach traffic, including half-day trips, extended tours, race meetings, etc. Employment is found for some of the vehicles during the winter months, contracts being held for the conveyance of football teams and their enthusiastic followers to the scene of football matches.

The coach season in and around those resorts toswhich the company run their vehicles actually opened at Easter, but althooghithere have been several warm, sunny days since then' and some business has been done, the demand for tours is not likely to become brisk until about Whitsuntide. All the vehicles which are used for extended tours are fitted with luggage carriers, rugs, side curtains, and, of course hoods, whilst arrangements are also made for the electric lighting of the interiors. The company operate 14-seater Fiat and Unic coaches' which are shod with pneumatic tyres; 23-seater Daimlers: Dennis 28seaters ; and entirely-enclosed A.E.C. 29-seaters. It will thus be seen that their vehicles cover a wide range of capacities, which, with the Austin 1andaulets mentioned before, place them in the fortunate position of being( able to eater for parties of any size, without the need for running coaches which may be only half-filled.

Huge Trolley Bu* for Leeds.

.THE.7111E DIFFICULTIES which beset responsible for the tramway undertakings of the country has been re• ferred to in the pages of The Commercial. Motor on several occasions recently. One of the latest authorities to tackle the problem has been the Leeds City Tramways Department, and, as in the anajority of cases which have been instanced in These pages, the line of thought runs in the direction of trolley buses rather than motor omnibuses. Leeds has been using trolley buses for a number of years, but up to the presentdt cannot be said• that the services which have been in operation have been an unqualified success, in views of conatant breakdowns and irregular running. The impossibility of renewing track at the present time has led the committee to favour the production of whatanight almost be described as a super-trolley bus, and a Gargantuan vehicle is being constructed to carry 50 persons.

The new trolley bus will resemble a tramcar of the ordinary type, but a novelty will be introduced in the form of a front-wheel drive. There will be an

upper and a lower deck, and it is said that this will most likely be the largest and heaviest trolley bus in existence. Yet, in spite of the weight, arrangements are being made to equip the new vehicle with pneumatic tyres. The power will be produced by electric motors of 26-30 h.p., similar to those fitted to tramcars, and working with direct current at 600 volts. High hopes are expressed as to the running eosts, which, it is be. lieved, these vehicles will maintain and the road equipment is estimated at onesixth that of a, tramcar.

The tramways department evidently means to go most, thoroughly into the matter, and the roadway along the route of the new vehicle will be specially prepared. The surface will consist of a specially-prepared bituminous concrete, similar to that in use in one of the principal streets of the city, and this new road cruet will be put on the top of the existing road surface, the paving and existing tramway track being buried and allowed to make a foundation for the new track.

The Leeds Tramways Department is already constructing a ballast tramway track along the side of the existing road from Roundhay to Earehills, this being found cheaper than relaying the existing track in the roadway, and plans are made for the provision of a sleeper track tramway to the council's new housing site at Middleton, the prclinary road. traffic in this case passing along each side of the tram track.


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