The Motor Omnibus World.
Page 6
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The directors of the Associated Omnibus Co., Ltd., have .declared an interim dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum for the six months ending June 3oth.
The Peterborough Motor Bus Company, Limited, was registered last week with a capital of 4,5,000 in L:,t shares. he registered office is at 4, Cross Street, Peterborough.
" The Western Daily Mercury " is of opinion that motor 'omnibuses will lead to an enormous extension of the use of self-propelled vehicles for public conveyance in the immediate future.
The Urban District Council of Springhead, near Oldham, is taking into consideration the question of co-operating in the establishment of a service of motor omnibuses from Waterhead to the Star Inn.
The Southend-on-Sea and District Motor Omnibus Coinpany, Limited, has been registered with a capital of Lio,000 in Li shares, with registered offices at 105, Broadway High Street, Southend-on-Sea.
The Motorcar Emporium, Ltd., of Addison Road North, has secured the order from Messrs. Radford Brothers, of Rostrevor, Co. Down, for the whole of the vehicles to carry out the projected services between Warren Point, Rostrevor, and Newcastle.
The London and North-Western Railway motor omnibus service between Connah's Quay, Flint, Northop, and Mold is giving great local satisfaction. Five trips each way are performed daily, and both passengers' luggage, bicycles, and parcels are carried. For passengers' luggage the charges range from 2d, per package, for trips not exceeding three miles, to 6d. per package for distances above six miles. The charge for bicycles is 6d. each for any distance. There is no question that this service is only one of a number to be instituted by the L. and N.-W., and it is anticipated that the Anglesea and Carnanron districts will shortly be served in this way.
Mr. Herbert C. Webb, of 45, Horseferry Road, Westminster, S.W., is preparing a handbook to show the whole of the motor omnibus routes in the United Kingdom, together with time tables, fares, etc., and he will be pleased to receive particulars for that purpose.
There are now 84 motor omnibuses at work in London, The Road Car Company leads with 23 vehicles, but the London Motor Omnibus is a close second with zo. The third rosition is -held by Thomas Tilling, Limited. The latest addition is the Leyland-Crossley omnibus for the L.G.O.
The Thornycroft omnibus, which is working for the Midland Railway Company between St. Pancras and Victoria, via Charing Cross, and which we illustrated in our issue of July 6th, continues to run satisfactorily. A uniform fare of 3d. for each person is charged, and this development of the railway omnibus service between London termini is an interesting one. Only four journeys are being made in each direction at the present time. The omnibus leaves St. Pancras at 8.5 and II a.m., and at I.3o and 3.15 p.m. ; in the reverse direction, from Victoria, at 9.5 and 11.50 a.m., and at 2,2 and 4.5 p.m. The whole trip, including stoppages, takes tinder 40 minutes.
The Dennis omnibus, which we illustrated last week, is performing eight double trips daily between Hayward's Heath and Cuckfield. The fares vary from 2d. to 4d. per passenger.
The Clarkson bus service between Llangollen and Bettwsy-coed is very popular. Visitors and residents are using the vehicles extensively, with the result that Corwen market is doing a much larger business than heretofore owing to the influx of purchasers from districts previously untapped.
In the Leyland-Cuoasley bus, described on pages 39o-391, ball races are employed to take thrusts from the gear-box shafts. At the end of the propeller shaft is a bevel pinion, which engages with the bevel wheel bolted to the differential gear-box on the hind axle. The combined gear reductions give the following speeds :—Motor at 800 revolutions, 10.75, 6.5, and 3.25 miles per hour, Motor at teeoo revolutions, /3.3, 8.3, and 4 miles per hour.
A special meeting of the Ilarrogate Town Council was held on the 21st instant, for the purpose of licensing motor omnibuses to ply in the borough, several people having applied for licenses. Some amusement was caused by the fact that not a single vehicle presented itself, and the town clerk announced that he understood that only Messrs. Johnson and Company, of Harrogate, were getting ready to run from Low Harrogate to Starbeck, but that they were not desirous to begin operations without a promise of exclusive control of the route.
The annual report of the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., recommends a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent. on the ordinary shares. The company and its associated undertakings now operates 432 miles of track, and the traffic receipts for the past year were 471,264,061. The gross profit actually shows a decline of L29,500, the takings per route mile having fallen from L,'2,934 to /:2,926, There is an increase of ,6336,250 in the debenture debt, whilst temporary loans from bankers have been reduced by some ;6200,000. As a nett result of the year's trading, the dividends are maintained, but the amount carried forward to nett revenue account is some .23,000 less than for the previous twelve months. The passengers carried have increased from 72,025,757 in 1900 to 242,640,521 in 1904, and the company is now adding motor omnibuses to its already extensive minilications. The report points out that, as the result of experiments in this direction, the company has, jointly with the Brush Company, formed the British Automobile Development Company, with a nominal capital of roo,000, for the purpose of developing this branch of the industry in conjunction with the associated companies. It proceeds to state that it is proposed to erect suitable works for the manufacture of these vehicles at Loughborough, adjoining the works of the Brush Company, and that agreements have been made under which the new company, will acquire the goodwill of the British Electric and the Brush Companies in regard to motor omnibus transport. The reserve fund now stands at 4597,898, whilst the company's investments stand at .''4i2o3,7o8 out of a capital of X74,774,823.