News from Central Europe.
Page 18
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More Daimlers for Vienna--Advertising the Hungarian Subsidy—The Handicaps. ef Berlin's Electric Taxis—" Underground" Motorbuses for Berlin. _ 2.
From our Resident Correspondents in Paris, Berlin and Vienna.
Continental Makers.
The great automobile and truck show at Prague will be opened on the 12th April, and amongst the exhibitors of commercial models it is interesting to notice that the following firms will stage examples : Adler, Aries, Bayard, Benz, Bussing,baimler-Marienfelde, AustroDaimler, Austrian F.I.A.T., Ford, Graef and Stift, Kan, Laurin and Clement, Panhard and Levassor, Phaenomen, Praga, and Walter.
At three Levels.
At the beginning of April the Berlin Electric Elevated cumUnderground Railway Co. will inaugurate their "feeding" system by means of motorbuses, putting on 60 doubleedeckers to begin with. The Gesellschaft purposes working motorbus lines between its stations and various points of Gross-Berlin, and issuing tickets for completing a journey by either system. The N.A.G. and the Marienfelde branch of the Daimler Gesellschaft have secured most of the orders.
Daimlers and De Dimas in Vienna.
Besides those Coventry-Daimler buses which are being run by the Municipality of Vienna, a private concern which up till now has only run the Paris type of De Dion, has now taken several Daimlers into its service in order to try them. While prospects in Vienna with regard to the wholesale introduction of motorbuses are not entirely definite, people all over Austria are endeavouring to secure State concessions for local lines in places where there are no railways. The soldiers in charge of the lorries belonging to the Prussian Army have instructions to add 40 per cent. of glycerine or alcohol to the cooling water when frost sets in, and, where benzole is used, to mix with this 25 per cent, of petrol or at least 15 per cent. of tolu oil.
As a result of a circular inquiry in Germany, of 06 cities with a population exceeding 80,000 each, only five were without municipal automobiles, and one of these had a vehicle on order. The number of vehicles: varies from 1 to 52 od capita, with a total of 590 ; 249 fail to the share of the fire-brigades, 113 being used for cleaning and watering the roads, and 54 serving for ambulance work.
Staff Changes in German Works.
It is announced that, at the end of March, Technical Director Wolf, of the N.A.G., will take up a similar post at the Daimler Gesellschaft's Marienfelde branch. Herr Wolf has, we believe, been connected with the Oberschoneweide Co. since its foundation. Engineer Urtel takes his place at the N.A.G. works. Head engineer Winkler, also of the N.A.G., goes to Brunswick, having been engaged by Messrs. Bussing.
Popularizing Subsidy Models.
The general commanding the Budapest Army Corps of Hungary has arranged for a display of subsidised commercial models, in order to give prospective civilian users a chance to familiarize themselves with these special models.
There arc at present but two concerns manufacturing commercial motors in Hungary that are entitled to subsidies: the Da.nubius works, of Ganz and Co. (made under Bussing licence) ; and the " Raba " of Gyor, which is the same as the
Praga."
Vacuum Brakes for Road Train.
With further reference to the II ew petrol-electric road train with which experiments are being tried in Vienna, and of which we mademention in our last issue, we learn that the braking throughout these six vehicle trains is by the vacuum system. The roar car has an arrangement for reversing the drive, and this is so contrived that the whole. of the train may easily be steered from the last wagon should it become neoessary to do so in emergency. It is reported that theAustrian W.O. intends to hire out, such trains to big users.
Equality of Treatment in Fares and Colour for Taxis in Berlin.
The. wishes of the Berlin owners. of electric taxicabs to be placed on an absolute level of equality with the owners of petrol cabs. as regards both fares and body colour are likely soon to be realized. As the case now stands, electric taxis must be painted white (or what passes for it amongst the coachbuikling fraternity) to dis tinguish them from the rival category of self-propelled cabs. Fur
ther, the hiring of them involves a higher initial fare, namely, 80 instead of 70 pfennigs for the first. 000 metres. Although the difference amounts to but a small sum, there are, it transpires, plenty of users who object to this extra charge. As to the colour, owners raise objections on two grounds. First, it costs too much to maintain bodies sl painted in that spick-and-span condition upon which the Berlin police insists ; secondly, the distinction tends to keep the electric cabs idle on the ranks, Berlin users having a strong prejudice against this type of vehicle because of their experience with the vehicles of a cab company that went into liquidation. The second reason is hardly compatible with commercial ethics, the ownere wishing to appear in the guise of their successful rivals ; but the first rests on a sound basis, those who work "elemtrics " being placed at a disadvantage, in respect to upkeep expenses, with owners of cabs with dark-painted bodies.