Australian Notes.
Page 3
Page 4
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Good Work Done by a Two-ton " Commer Car."
For some years now, attempts haAti been made to work a public motor service over the very-heavy roads between the towns of Glen Lines and Inverell, in the State of New South Wales, and with but indifferent SIJCCeNS. Even when the cars used proved successful, the cost of tires invariably caused the failure of the car. At the commencement of the present year, however, the Motor Transit Co., of Australia, decided to enter into active competition with a two-ton " Commer Car." This machine was imported by Motories, Ltd., of Pitt Street, Sydney, which company, in taking up the agency-, first made the most-exhaustive inquiries in England, with the result that the vehicle was shipped prepared for its work in every way. While the body was in course of construction, the ear was used to give exhaustive demonstrations, in Sydney, to one of which reference has already been made in these columns. Soon after the New Year, the body being finished, the ear was driven by road to its destination, Glen Lines, 425 miles north of Sydney, and universal surprise was expressed when it arrived there without a hitch. It immediately took up the running, and for the next seven weeks travelled its 90 miles a day seven days in the week. Soon after it started work, I was invited by the manager of the COMpatty to visit Glen lanes and to take a trip on the car to see the kind of work it was doing, and the class of road over which it had to travel. 1 gladly accepted the invitation, and, in the course
of my travels, left the Brisbane mail train soon after eight o'clock one morning. to be welcomed at the station by Mr. Macansh, who told me that the car left at nine, so that I should have to eat my breakfast at once. It was a fine day, although rather cold, and when, at nine o'clock, I took my place on the box seat which had been reserved for me, I found that the first business was to travel round the town collecting the passengers and their luggage., and this occupied some 15 minutes.
We then started off on our 42-mile drive to Inverell, and as soon as we were fairly under way it was explained to me that Glen Tunes, which is on the main line from Sydney to Brisbane, lies 3,520 ft. above sea level, whilst Inverell, which
is at, the end of a branch line irons Moree. is but 1,912 ft. up, so that a net descent of 1.608 ft. had to be accomplished. As found that, the car was, at the time cf which I write, steadily ascending within a view of a range of hills in front. I naturally inquired when the descent began, and I found that, to start with, we had a 10-mile ascent of about 1,000 ft., so that the pull out of Inverell, on the return journey, is somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 ft—by no means an easy thing to perform every day of the week. I found that the car has accommodation for 10 passengers in addition to the driver, and ample room for luggage, ef which, at times, there is a considerable quantity to be taken. Needless to say, one of my first interests was as to the condition of the road, which ran straight across one of the famous black-soil plains. and I was told that on one occasion—when the driver left the road in passing another vehicle-20 horses had to pull the coach out of the morass at the side. It was obvious, from the first, that the road. which was intended to be a fairly-good macadamized one, suffered not infrequently through the heavy rains with which the district is occasionally visited. with the result that it is more or less liberally bestrewn with loose stones. The rains also cause parts of the road to be washed dway from time to time, and when this happens a small stretch of one or two yards will be again made up. so that one is continually either driving over loose stones or receiving a severe shock when an axle rises suddenly on one cf the newly-repaired pieces which lies from 4 in. to 6 in. above the surrounding road level. Notwithstanding the facts that the metal has been rolled in and that it provides a smooth surface, it will readily be seen that it is about as hard en springs, tires, and axles as a road well can he, although the surface throughout is a macadamized one. In addition. there are three gullies which have to be traversed, and, on the day that I went through, an unfortunate " washaway " had occurred a week previously, in wie of these, with the result that there was a deep hole, right across the road. into
which the front wheels fitted quite comfortably, although not sufficiently Our the car to fall in. This particular gully had about, the steepest descent to it. from the other side of Ally ; it must have provided, for some 10 or 12 yards, a gradient cf one in four to one in five. Furthermore, the normal buttons Is not by any means an easy one, and is more in the natnre of a " V " than of an easy curve, so that the ear is compelled to descend suddenly and to rise suddenly. thereby putting an additional strain on the entire frame. The result was that, before descending, into the gully, it was necessary to put the bottom speed into gear, and to run dowis at about 2 m.p.h., coming to rest at the bottom before attempting to drive up the other side.
In addition to the three gullies mentioned, I must not forget that there was a river to ford, and this also has to be undertaken OH the bottom gear, as. although there is really not more than 10 iii. or 12 in. of water, the bottom is covered with loose shingle and big stones. Almost the entire distance is through open country, but a half-way house is reached 21 miles from Glen Trines, and hero a halt for five miautes is usually made. The car is expected to arrive at Inyerell at about 12.30, when the passengers are distributed as far as practicable at their destinations.
The fare charged for the trip is 15s., and, when compared with fares ruling for road transport in Australia. and when the nature of the road is remembered, it is difficult to regard it as excessive. although it might probably tend to beget more custom if a reduction were made, and a reduction might very well be made. The return journey is not entered on until two o'clock. so that there is ample time for luncheon at one of the excellent hotels.
On the return rots, the car was not so heavily loaded, and it was only about ten minutes past two when the start was made: the destination was reached, without mishap. at twenty minutes to six. the rum having been accomplished in exactly 3horn's, which. considering all, must he regarded as an exceptional feat. On arrival at the oarrioe. the car was handed over to the cleaner who washes it down, fills it up with petrol, and looks round the engine and wearing parts for missing nuts and the like. By taking the trip by motor from Inverell to Glen tunes and travelling by the mail train trout there, people are saved some six or seven hours in journeying to or from Sydney. as the bus does not leave until after the arrival of the mail train from Sydney in the morning, and gets back in ample time for passengers to have dinner and to join the train in the evening. The owner of the ear has recently added a Clement-Bayard touring car, which is, if anything, almost too popular, as it does the journey in 2i hours, and is in every sense a private car. It is intended somewhat to reduce the fare charged by the bus, and to increase that charged by the private car, which should brine things on to a more satisfactory level altogether, as people at presentare rather apt to demand a seat, in the private car instead of the bus.
Before concluding, one can't help mentioning two facts: the one, that this is about the fourth attempt to work motorbuses over this road, the previous ones having been failures largely on account of the tires—the present tires have stood (up to the time of writing) Mr nearly 8,000 miles, and seem likely to cls yet more; the other, that the old horse coach, which is drawn by five horses an) is loosely suspended between the axles it leather springs, takes the whole day te do the trip, and is only able to carry five passengers. On looking at the vehicle io question. I was struck by the size of the steel tires with which each of the wheels was shod, and, on inquiring the reason. was told that even they wear out in six months. It is no exaggeration to sLy that they were 25 per cent. thicker time the tires fitted to a London horse onni.bus.
Now that matters have been undertaken in a business-like way, it is beine found that the operation of motorbuses in Australia is a practical and paying prop -sition, and it remains for enterprisine people to start these services throughoot all the States, and that as soon as pos sible. E.F.B.