Glasgow Adopting C.I. Gas Buses
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AREPORT on the development of the propulsion of buses by producer gas as an alternative to liquid fuels has been submitted to Glasgow Transport Committee by the general manager of the transport department.
In his statement, the general manager said that the experiments made by the department have proved so successful that the Ministry of War Transport has expressed a favourable opinion of the scheme. Whether it will be approved for general application in oil-engined public service vehicles remains to be seen.
The department has been carrying on research work since 1938 and has evolved the new method after trial of trio or three other systems. The first experiment was made with a bus converted from petrol to gas Owned by the Highland Transport Co., Ltd. It was not considered satisfactory for operation in the city, because of poor acceleration and lack of power, coupled with the disadvantage of storage and handling of the solid fuel. In 1940, an .experiment was made with a producer unit applied to a compressor-ignitionengined bus . converted to spark ignition and having a reduced compression ratio. This also proved inadequate in respect of performance for the specific operating conditions.
The decision was then taken to experiment with ignition of producer gas by oil injection, and practical experience of the scheme has been obtained and development effected in the operation of buses on one of the less important routes.
This installation in its latest form was inspected last week by Sir Alfred Faulkner, Director of Producer Gas Vehicles to the Ministry, of War Transport, and his technical adviser, Mr. H. D. Greenwood.
Glasgow Corporation nos* proposes to convert the Croftfoot-Govan Cross route to gas-driven transport. The buses will be operated from Larkfield Garage.