Motorbus World.
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Next week's issue will contain our usual monthly chart of London motorbuses, showing the variation since the beginning of the year 1905.
The Mexboro' Motor Bus Company has christened its vehicle the " Pickme-up," which is certainly appropriate so long as the bus does not break clown.
New Mills Urban District Council has decided to approve the granting of a license to a motorbus company which desires to extend its services in the Peak district.
The Great Eastern London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, continues to " cut " fares in the East End, and this is principally in opposition to the electric tramcars belonging to the West Ham and East Ham Corporations, which last-named undertakings are losing money heavily.
Dennis Chars-a-bancs.
New Zealand and Australia are following the home lead, and are purchasing motor chars-h-bancs. A 28h.p. Dennis vehicle, one of an order for eight, is illustrated herewith, and it may be noted that this has an extra large radiator to snit the conditions of the service. This radiator is of the horizontal gilled-tube type. All the wheels are shod with " K.T." pneumatic tires, which the makers have guaranteed for 10,000 miles on Australian roads, and they have been found to give most comfortable riding dur ing the trials. There is a powerful acetylene search-light at the front of the canopy, placed high up, and a capacious luggage boot at the back of the vehicle, which will be called upon to perform long journeys into the in
terior. The whole car can be completely enclosed, so as to make it specially comfortable for such journeys.
Autommixte Buses.
The long-expected advent of the Auto-mixte motorbuses, from the Coventry works of the Daimler Company, appears to have suffered still another postponement. as we have reason to believe that the vehicles cannot comply with the Wi-ton limit of unladen weight. The company which was formed to put these vehicles on the road, the Gearless Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, is therefore confronted by a somewhat awkward circumstance.
Berlin Losses.
The Berlin General Omnibus Company is having relatively as bad a time as the London General Omnibus Company experienced until the amalgamation was effected. The adverse balance at the 31st December, 1908, is no less than :£95,700, but this is extinguished hy a transference from the company's reserve fund, which still stands, after the transfer, at £129,000. The company is very greatly handicapped by having a large number of motorbuses on hand which it cannot use as publicservice vehicles.
Caucasian Projects.
In the British annual consular report for Batoum (Russia) and district, it is pointed out that several persons received permission during 1908 to establish motor traffic on various roads in the Trans-Caucasus, but that owing to lack of funds none of the projects was carried out. It appears, writes the Consul, that these permits are granted to people without means, and who have not the slightest intention of carrying out the concessions ceded to them, their sole idea being to sell the same at a large profit to other speculators. The only motorcar services at present existing in the Trans-Caucasus are between Evlah and Nouha, and Tiflis and the summer resort of Kodjor. Some Frenchmen took over the first concession, but the results are reported to be unsatisfactory. The vehicles were not adapted to the bad roads, and there was a lack of proper organisation. As to the second route, a motorcar passenger communication was maintained during the last summer. doing the journey in an hour.
An Edinburgh Promotion.
Arising out of the promotion and liquidation of the Edinburgh and District Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, of which Messrs. William Roberts, John Wilson and Norman MacDonald were directors, an action by two dissatisfied shareholders, Colonel A. Hercules Mayhew, and a Mr. Habgood, occupied the attention of Mr. Justice Ridley and a special jury, in the King's Bench Division, for two days last week. The plaintiffs alleged that certain statements in the prospectus were misleading, and sued for the return of the money which they had subscribed for shares.
The evidence showed that the Motor Car Emporium, Limited, which had in the interval gone into liquidation, contracted to supply 150 omnibuses. but it was subsequently found that this company's issued capital amounted to seven shares. It was maintained, in these and other circumstances, that the directors had not exercised ordinary business discretion. Evidence was called for the defence to show that the Emporium Company, far from being a " bubble " undertaking, had a very big turnover in the year 1906, and was in a position to carry out the contract quoted. In the end, a verdict was given in favour of the plaintiffs, and a stay of execution was refused. A Strange Accident.
A remarkable accident was reported, in the Daily Press of Monday last, in respect of the accidental loss of control of a motorbus near the Mansion House, A fast-driven motorcab caught. the off-side front wheel of a motorbus, as the driver of the latter vehicle was getting his machine under way, with the declared result that the steering wheel was knocked out of his hand. Whatever may have been the real cause of the accident, the fact remains that the bus badly damaged a motorcab which was standing by the kerb, and was itself run into from behind by a couple more motorcahs. We have often pictured to ourselves the possibility of such a motor 71416e, and it is fortunate that there was no injury to the person. This recent mishap reminds us of the occasion on which, when a motorbus had suddenly come to a dead stop owing to a collision between itself and two vehicles in front. a following motorcar swept the staircase clean off the onmibus. So intent were the motorbus passengers upon what was happening in front of the bonnet, that the driver of the motorcar, slipping in his reverse gear, disappeared before anybody realised what had taken place. It must have been amusing to see the top-deck passengers getting down, and the conductor's face when he missed the stairs.
In Hilly Country.
A motorbus, or a char-a-bancs, offers, to large or small parties of pleasure seekers, the best means of seeing the country through which they may wish to travel, and we are frequently receiving information of fresh country services which are opened up by railway companies, either as feeders to their main lines. or entirely pleasure trips. The hillier the country, the more suitable are such vehicles.
One of the latest ventures to be brought to our notice is that of a service which was inaugurated several weeks ago, between Grasse, on the Paris-Lyon-Marseilles Railway in the Alpes-Maritimes district, and Thorenc, In addition to the motorbus service, a motor-wagon service, for the conveyance of luggage, has proved to secure good support.
Successful Leyland'.
The motorbus "in the eye " of the London public is unquestionably the Leyland. The consistent and reliable running of these vehicles, along the Kingsway route, is admitted by all critics, and there is no question that the manufacturers have reached a stage of constructional perfection which is in keeping with their long experience. We have reason to believe that these vehicles are being run at as low an inclusive figure as are any other omnibuses in the Metropolis. and it should certainly not be long before additions to the fleet are made. Results fully justify an extension. but the recent order of the Chief Commissioner, in regard to the 3-ton limit of total unladen weight, may defer such extensions until next spring. One of the outstanding features of the Leyland motorbus chassis is the clean design of each of its units.