OPINIONS and QUERIES The Rail v. Road Situation in 1904.
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The Editor LIE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4053] Sir,—Appended is an extract from "Steam Carriages and Traction Engines," by W. Fletcher, publiShed in 1904. This is interesting in view of the present road-rail situation. O. H. LOADER. London, Ni.
"The railway interest is very powerful in the country; and this gigantic system is gaining possession of waterways and is seeking to gain power over the roads. One large railway has already forbidden traction engines to run over their bridges. The roads were free for all kinds of traffic before the railways came into existence. If the railway company cut one of these roads they must provide a bridge strong enough to carry all loads. The railway companies surely possess no right to interfere with the users of the roads; their duty is to carry freight and passengers, and not to interfere with pre-existing rights as they are now endeavouring to do. We must retain our roads for the free use of the people, and not allow the railway cornpanics to have any control over them whatever."
Combustion with the Comet Head.
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4054] Sir,—Replying to Mr. Goddard's letter, No. 4041, published in your issue of April 14, I have not been misled with regard to the " Comet " head. The entire combustion takes place in the main combustion chamber.
As regards comparative consumption figures. Has not Mr. Goddard got his figures the wrong way round in the last two lines of his third paragraph?
Manchester. T. D. WISHART (Chief Designer, Crossley Motors, Ltd.).
Municipal Motorbus Services—Economy and Increased Employment.
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4055] Sir,—A study of the very valuable statistics on municipal motorbus working, which you published in your issue of March 17th, combined with a knowledge of the great progress which has been achieved in the past two years or so by the high-speed oil engine, both for goods and passenger vehicles, prompts one to suggest that there is now available a great opportunity in the municipal world for economy in working costs, which would also bring in its train a very considerable increase in employment.
Your statistics show that there are 5,679 buses running 164,561,300 miles. The average traffic revenue is given as 12.61d. per mile, and the average working costs as 10.26d. per mile. This means that the costs are
813 per cent. of the revenue Tt can be shown that the costs can be reduced to 8.66d. per mile (average), and thus the percentage can be improved to 68.67 per cent. which would produce a total economy of nearly £1,100,000 per annum. This economy is based on an optimistic estimate of 6 m.p.g. for a petrol bus, at is. 2d. per gallon, and a conservative estimate of 10 m.p.g. for an oil bus at 4d. per gallon. We know that the best oil engines can show far better figures, but for this purpose one has to work on averages and include the good with the bad. An allowance of 0.33d. per mile has been made for extra depreciation and interest, the net gain per mile being then taken as 1.60d.—a very conservative estimate.
The conversion of over 5,000 buses would entail a vast increase in employment, and would be of invaluable help to the oil-engine industry and allied trades. The capital invested would show a greater return than If invested in any other manner.
The great economy of over one million pounds, whilst perhaps not large enough to pass on in the form of reduced fares, can most certainly be passed on in the form of relief of rates, and thus benefit each municipal district in due proportion to its size.
The lengthy experiments which have been carried out in Sheffield (the pioneer town) and Leeds for nearly three years have proved beyond any doubt that, provided that the authorities select the right engine, there is nothing to be said against the proposition of wholesale conversion of fleets of motorbuses to the oil engine. On the contrary, there is everything to be said in its favour, and with suitable engines there is even more economy to be attained than that shown above. We have now arrived at the stage at which this proposition can and should be seriously considered.
Leeds. W. H. GODDARD.
The Danger of Exposed Petrol Tanks.
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4056] Sir,—I have just enjoyed a good read of your number dated January 27, 1933, and ;:un surprised to note from illustrations on pages 817, 821 and 843 that British commercial vehicle manufacturers are allowed to hang fuel tanks on the side, outside of the-frame of the vehicle proper.
In January, 1932, there were two terrible accidents in my home town (Chicago, U.S.A.) which would have been only minor affairs had it not been for side-mounted fuel tanks. It was rather odd, too, that the two tragedies occurred within a week of each other and only a mile apart. In one case a street car (electric tramcar as you call it) struck broadside a fully loaded 8-ton truck which had just arrived in Chicago from some distant point in charge of a driver who knew neither Chicago nor its traffic rules and signal lights. Anyway, through some misunderstanding of these lights, the truck started at the red light. It was struck amidships and immediately the truck and the street ear were enveloped in flames. The driver of the truck, his assistant, the motorman of the street car, a policeman and a lady passenger on the street car were burnt to death in less than half a minute.
The other accident, a week later, was exactly of the same nature. The motorman of the street ear was hornt to death—trapped in the front of his car and showered with burning gasoline.
The result is that Chicago now has a law prohibiting the use of any motor vehicle with side-mounted fuel tanks. All tanks must be arranged inside the Vehicle frame in such a manner that they will not be crushed in any ordinary accident. About 12 states in the U.S.A. have similar laws, but they are becoming unnecessary in a way, for all of our American manufacturers arrange their fuel tanks "within the frames." The only violators now are truck owners who like to provide a spare tank of fuel for long-distance haulage. In New Jersey, I understand that the driver gets one year in jail, whilst the owner suffers loss of the truck by confiscation if the rule is disobeyed. This may strike readers in England as being somewhat severe.
A timely comment in your columns about the danger of side-mounted fuel tanks may correct this careless oversight by your British builders. I hope they won't wait until some loss of life and subsequent legislation forces them to act.
Now for something comical. The front-page ad: vertisenaent in the issue before me is by "John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., Thornycroft Rouse, Smith Square, S.W.1." Who, except an Englishman or other national who knows of this English peculiarity, would know where " S.W.1. " is? I would not care to risk a letter so addressed. It would almost certainly be returned with the indication "For better directions" or "Insufficiently addressed."
Canton, China. J. J. KERRIS.
When is an Occasion "Special" and a Coach Party a "Private" One ?
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4057] Sir,—May I ask if you will give me an authoritative opinion as to whether a road service licence is required in' the following circumstances. In the opinion of my committee it is definitely a "private" party, being conveyed on a "special" occasion, which can be defined as contract under the Road Traffic Act, 19:30. This definition in the Road Traffic Act has always been a difficult one for operators and their lawyers to interpret, and the opinion of your paper will be greatly appreciated.
Party consists solely of Welsh-Americans and WelshCanadians who are returning to Wales for the occasion of the Royal Welsh National Eisteddfod which is being held in Wrexham during August, 1933.
Bookings take place only in the United States and Canada, and no one will be conveyed, except four conductors or guides, non-fare-paying, unless he has booked with the organizers in America or Canada and has travelled by the steamer specially chartered for the occasion.
Fares are paid in Canada or America to the organizer before start of tour, and include steamer travel, conveyance from Liverpool and back to return, hotel charges, tickets and seats for all Eisteddfod attendances, gratuities, a series of sight-seeing tours in North Wales during the stay, etc.
Payment for road travel is made to the coach owner en this side by the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, througIi the organizer, who accompanies the tourists from Canada, and covers supply of coach, or coaches, according to the number pre-booked, gratuities, drivers' meals and hotel expenses for one night spent away from home (at Aberystwyth), garage and cleaning charges, etc.
In view of the circumstances given above it will be 3342 seen that the party is definitely " private " and closed to the general public, also that the occasion is "special" and not likely to recur for many years. I would be much obliged for your opinion as to whether I am correct in assuming that the operation of this tour is included in the " contract " terms of the Road
Traffic Act, 1930. OWNERS AsSOCIATION. Wrexham.
[In the first place, we would point out that the High Court is the only body which is capable of giving an authoritative opinion on any question relating to the construction of the provisions of the Road Traffic Act. An individual can only form an (minion of the view which the Court would probably take if the particular question had to be decided upon an appeal from local magistrates. There can, however, be no real doubt but that the Welsh National Eisteddfod is a special occasion within the meaning of the section which deals with contract carriages.
The difficult question is as to whether the party in question would be held to be a "private party" within the meaning of that section. The view which the High Court would take on the point is not at all free from doubt, as there is a number of arguments which can be advanced from each side, but, on the whole, and having regard to the particular facts of the case, we have formed the view that although the party will not be a private party at the time of its inception, yet by the time the party makes use of the motor coaches it will be a private party within the meaning of the section.
At the present time there are only two reported cases in which the question of a private party has been raised, and only one of these affords any assistance in considering other cases. That is the one where an arrangement was made under which members of the public could be conveyed by certain railway companies for the purpose of inspecting the Cadbury works. Part of the journey wag by rail, but the latter part was by motor coach. Apart from the fact that the Court did not regard the occasion as being a special occasion it held that the party was not a private party, and it appears to have come to that conclusion owing to the fact that the party was brought together by means of public advertisement, and to have been influenced by the fact that there was nothing to prevent anyone who bad not made the train journey from joining the motor coaches which conveyed the members of the party from the railway station to the works. That decision is not necessarily binding in any other case, as each case must be decided upon its own particular facts.
We do not regard the fact of the party consisting of Welsh-Americans or Welsh-Canadians as being sufficient to make the party a private party, as, apart from any other consideration,. we assume that no steps will be taken to ascertain the descent of each member of the party. We assume that the party will he formed as the result of public advertisement, and we therefore consider that at its inception the party will not be a private party. We have some doubt as to whether the mere fact that the party will come from America in a specially chartered steamer will constitute it a private party, but we consider that this, coupled with the fact that the party will presumably stay at the same hotel in Liverpool, and that no one, apart from necessary attendants, who is not a member of the party will be allowed to travel in the motor coaches, will constitute the party a private party within the meaning of the section.
We have considered this problem from every possible point of view, and the question as to whether other parties of a somewhat similar nature could be held to be private parties. For example, if the L.M.S. Railway runs a special train from Scotland to London for the purpose of bringing a party of Anglo-Scots to Twickenham on the occasion of an England and Scotland Rugby match, and provides motor coaches to convey the party from London to Twickengam, would it be held that the party so constituted was a private party? Our present view is that the answer is in the negative. On theother hand, if the persons staying at an hotel in Bournemouth hire a motor coach for the purpose of driving to Southampton on the occasion of the opening of a new dock, we consider it probable that it would be held that the party was a private party. One of the difficulties with regard to the facts which have been submitted to us is to say at what point the party, which at its inception will not be a private party, will become one, so as to come within the terms of the proviso relating to private parties.—En.]