BOURNEMOUTH COACH 0 S AND THEIR . ITINERARIES.
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A Wonderful Coaching Centre—The All-weather Coache; thing Season—Large v. Small Vehicles— Coach Proprietors Say.
BOURNEMOUTH has always been one of the most popular centres of motor coaching. This is not surprising considering its situation as a south coast seaside resort and as a convenient starting point for either short or long tours to places far-famed for their beauty and healthgiving properties. It is conveniently situated practically in the middle of the pine country, and halfday return trips can be made to such well-known beauty spots as the New Forest, Lu'worth Cove, Cdrfe Castle, Wimborne, etc., whilst whole-day excursions can be made to Salisbury, Shaftesbury, Stonehenge, Swanage, Winchester, and dozens of other placee of beauty and interest. Long-distance touring by motor coach is also well catered for during the summer season. For instance : there are mid-week or week-end trips to London, and longer tours to Devon, Cornwall, etc..
Bournemouth is one of the fortunate places which can boast of having a winter coaching season, and out of the 90 or so coaches licensed in the ,town about 20 have been in service throughout the winter, and some of these have been plying for hire in the Square almost every day, wet or fine. Naturally, . the vehicles do not always carry their full complement of passengers, but, on the whole, winter coaching has proved successful and well-known proprietors have informed us that they have been able more than to cover their expenses, instead of having to lose money by paying overhead charges on idle vehicles.
Although the 28-seater is still the favourite type, the smaller coaches are coming into prominence, and most of.the larger users have purchased at least one coach of a smaller seating capacity to use in conjunction with their larger vehicles, or for small private parties. Bournemouth, fortunately, has a very equable climate, so that the need for all-weather vehicles has not been accentuated and there is only one example of a detachable winter top in the town, this being used by Mr. C. Pounds. In addition to this vehicle, however there are two saloon coaches employed by Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., whilst,several of the other vehicles are povided with
waterproof side curtains containing celluloid windows, and in at least one instance a vehicle equipped in this manner has beeti fitted with electric light, aa 18 c.p. bulb being suspended from a special bracket screwed to the central hoop stick. During a recent visit to this famous watering place, we interviewed the majority of the coach proprietors. Our first visit was paid to Mr. W. Whitelock, who runs the " Shamrock " coaches. His fleet-consists of two Leylands on special passenger chassis, and one Thornyeroft, all being 28-seaters, which he has found to be the most popular type. Chatting about tyres, Mr. Whitelock gave it as his opinion that pneumatics were too costly, and that there is nothing in them as a paying proposition.
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He eaid "We punish tyres severely and we often grumble at the solid tyre makers, but really we should be satisfied." All the vehicles are provided with Bartle-built bodies' with luggage compartments at the rear capable of holding seven or eight suit cases; in addition, room is provided under the seats for other cases. Turkey carpets, rug rails, an from 12 to 18 fine, soft rugs per coach contribute to the comfort of the passengers, and the bodies are so built that the seats are in tiers. Two of these vehicles have been in service all the winter and have visited the Square every fine day, and very often also on wet days, as Mr. Whitelock believes in keep lug the vehicles before the public eye, even if the finanCial inducement on -wet clays is net considerable.
As regards the programme for the coming season, the short tours run last season will be recommenced, and also whole-day excursions to the New Forest, visiting the Rufus Stone, and stopping at beautiful Lyndhurst. Day tripe will also be made to the Cheddar Caves, Bristol, Bath Abbey, etc. Great improvement is to be noted in the attitude of the Licensing Committee. They now meet the coach proprietors on fair and square terms. A few of the proprietors object to the limiting of the hours during which they may ply for hire in the Square, but the public has been educated up to know when the trips commence), and when they take their seats in the vehicle they know it will not be long before a start is made, as the vehicle must leave the Square whether or not the full complement is on board.
Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., are by far the largest proprietors in the town, their fleet consisting of 50 vehicles, including the two saloon coaches already mentioned. Of this fleet, 4.4 are of Daimler make and six are of A.E.C. make. • Six new machines were put into service at the end of last season to cope with the London traffic, on which, by the way, as many as 27 vehicles are often engaged in a single day, although the average number is eight each way. The saloon coaches seat 32 passengers all facing
forward, the majority of the others are 28-seaters, but there are a few vehicles seating 18 and 22 passengers respectively.
All the large vehicles run on solid tyres, as Mr. W., G. Clothier,'whc■ received US on behalf of the com
pany, informed us that they are not yet convinced of the merits of the pneumatic. To increase the comfort of the passengers, there are warm mats on the floor and blanket rugs are provided, these being carried on rug rails behind the seats when not required.
On the shorter tours, a certain amount of luggage can be carried along the sides of the vehicles in extended boxes fitted between the steps ; there is also .room under the seats. For the Devon and Cornwall banns, lasting a week, a special luggage carrier is fitted at the rear of the coach, supported by extension girders bolted to the frame and by strong clips under the hood, rubber buffers between the carrier and the back of the coach preventing damage to the paint work. Access to this box is obtained by a door at the near side.
Practically all the proprietors in Bournemouth now belong to a special .sectiOn of the Chamber of Commerce, and this Chamber fixes the fares to be charged for the short trips, and for the long tours fixes the rate per mile. Fares were so much reduced last Season that it has not been considered advisable further to reduce them, and in the case of Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., in some instances, the fare for 150 miles is 15s., whilst during the winter an excursion rate of 60 miles for 4s. is in vogue. The only fly in the ointment at present is the Ministry of Transport's threat to close certain roads. The company consider that this would exclude many beauty spots and rural districts which give much of the charm to the trips. They look forward with every confidence to the 1922 season, and believe that this will be even better than the record progress made during last season. During the winter the company issue a spacial weekly programme, and, as an example of the ground covered, we quote from that which ended on Sunday, February 19th. This contained, amongst others, par fielders of special daily tours to Winchester Cathedral, Ramsey Abbey, Salisbury and Stonehenge, round the New Forest ; morning tours to Wimborne Minster and Canford model village, and afternoon drives to LuIworth Cove, Swanage, and Corte Castle, whilst there were special cheap excursions to South; arapton and Salisbury. Lovers of sport were not forgotten, and there were drives to the various meets, including those of the New Forest staghounds, South Dorset foxhounds, and the Ringwood beagles. During the coming season, their well-known trips will be carried out, and, in addition, there will probably be several special tours. New routes have also been opened up, and these will embrace a radius of 100 miles round Bournemouth. Of course, the now well-known service of " Royal Blue" coaches between London and Bournemouth will be running again, for :which special luggage arrangements have been made by a system of collection and delivery by vans. Mr. Mark Briant is another well-known proprietor. He has a fine fleet of six coaches of Daimler and A.E.G. make, all 28-seaters, and of the open type. -He does not believe in the canopied coach, as he says tho canopy acts as a sounding board and accentuates all noise. Asked his opinion as to the ideal coach, he said : " The, 20-seater, extremely well upholstered, with big footrnats, and pneumatic tyres, either giants
or Michelins." He is now running one set of giant pneumatics, but is not yet prepared to say if they are successful, but states that they certainly reduce noise and vibration. One interesting point raised by
is that he has been told by many passengers, especially those on long-distance tours., that they object to armchair seats, as these enforce a cramped .7,osition and the passengers are not able to move 'bout and sit sideways, as they sometimes wish to do. , Mr. Briant's opinion as to hoods was most emphatic. He does not think that any of the present types will survive; in practically all of them it is necessary. to turn the passengers out or get them to help in order to put them up. He has his own idea as to a suitable type, hut as this is not yet protected we cannot do more than refer to it.
He has put his coaches away for the winter, but is restarting in March. In his own words "Football contracts at suicidal prices do not appeal." The runs which he will then undertake will be practically the same as last year.
Both Mr. Briant and other proprietors are strongly against the principle adopted by local authorities in certain towns of making charges of 2s. for every coach which stops for more than a few minutes. He mentioned the Cathedral Square at Wells as an instance. This is sub-let by the Corporation to a private garage owner—a procedure which certainly appears to be without' precedent, and somewhat irregular. The appeal from some quarters for lower coaches does not please Mr. Briant. He says that low, coaches do not pay where high hedges obstruct the view, and this is one reason against the use of small _ coaches in Dorset and other parts of the country where such hedges predominate.
The average mileage performed last season by' each coach was between 1,200 and 1,500, and he said that with one of his Daimler 28-sa,ters, on solid tyres, he obtained 10 m.p.g. At present he is not satisfied as regards tyres, and said that with five different makes the tyre inileage.s ranged between 4,000 and 6,000. He mentioned that last year Bournemouth coach. proprietors ran one party of 944 people, accommodated in 34 coaches. The party had two trips round the town in the morning, and a trip to Swanage ip the afternoon.
At the garage we noted that Mr. Briant had in:. stalled a Bowser 2,000gallon petrol storage installation, with which he expressed great satisfaction.
Next week we will deal with the coaches run by Messrs. C. Pounds, A. h. Ransom, R. W. Symes and Sons, Rattew and Marks, A. E. Taylor, Logan and Courtier, E. P. Gates, and others.