The Motor Omnibus World.
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The Southampton Town Council has declined the offer of the London Electrobus Company, Limited, to initiate a service of accumulator-driven vehicles in the town.
Mr. Leonard K. Clark, the head of the public-service department of the New 'York Transportation Company, advises us that the de Dion-Bouton A.ehicles are still exclusively used by his company. Notwithstanding excellent results from trials of another make, Mr. Clark thinks it best to keep to one model.
The "Norfolk" Estate Car.
Commercial Cars, Limited, of Luton and London, is finding brisk enquiry for its " Norfolk " ear. This vehicle is designed for alternate use : (1), as a station omnibus to carry passengers, servants and luggage; (2), as a wagonette, to which a canopy can he fitted; (3), as a shooting brake, with special fittings of gun racks and space for cartridge lockers; and (4), as an estate lorry. One of these vehicles will be on exhibition at the forthcoming Olympia Show, owing to the fact that it appeals largely to country gentlemen.
London Service Numbers and Routes.
A complete list of the "General, " "Road Car," and " Vanguard " service numbers will interest many readers of " The Motor Omnibus World." The L.G.O.C., so far, is maintaining the old names, and returning the traffics separately, although the amalgamation has been effective for several months.
The list is :—No. Cricklewood and " Elephant and Castle "; No. 2, Child's Hill and Pimlico; No. 3, Croydon and Oxford Circus (vi A Exhibition); No. 4, Wormwood Scrubs and Herne Hill ; No. 5, Ilampstead Heath and Victoria ; Y. fi. Kensal Rise and Liverpool Street; No. 7, Wormwood Scrubs and Liverpool Street ; No. 8, Seven Kings ;it'd Shepherd's Bush; No. 9, Shoreditch and Shepherd's Bush; No. to, Leytonstone and " Elephant and Castle; No. ii, Barnes and Liverpool Street ; No. 12, Willesden and Victoria; No. 13, Shoreditch and Hammersmith C Exhibition); No, 14, Putney and Stratford Broadway ; No. 15, East I lam and Shepherd's Bush; No. 16, Victoria and Cricklewood; No. 17, Ealing and Plaistow ; No. 18, Leyton and Bank; So. 19, Clapham Junction and Highbury Barn; and No. 20, Tulse Hill and 1 lanunersznith (Exhibition).
Other companies' routes are :
The Great Eastern London Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. : Upton Park and Charing Cross; Leyton and " Elephant and Castle "; Ilford Broadway and Shepherd's Bush; Leytonstone and " Elephant and Castle "; and Lev ton and Oxford Circus. The Metropolitan Steam Omnibus Co., Ltd. : Barnes and lammersmith ; and Barnes and Piccadilly Circus. The London Electrobus Co., Ltd. : Victoria and Liverpool Street; and Brondesbury and Law Courts. Thomas Tilling-, Ltd. : Peckham and Oxford Circus ; and Sidcup and Oxford Circus. The Central Lon
don Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. : Chalk Farm and Camber a ell. The Amalgamated Motorbus Co., Ltd., has a ithdrawn its live vehicles.
North Wales Tours.
Air. Thomas Foster, Secretary to the
Llandudno Motor and Garage COMpany, Limited, of Argyll Road, Llandudno, in forwarding to us the illustration from which the accompanying block is reproduced, and which photograph we regret came to hand too late for inclusion in our recent special issue on the subject of motor hiring and contracting, advises us that these vehicles frequently take tours of as much as miles at a time. The machines are 3 of Dennis manufacture, and, owing to the fine weather which prevailed until the middle of the current month, the tours have been continued at full pressure until quite recently.
Tire Points.
The Gummifabrik G. Polack, of Wal
tershausen, made, for its first year's trading as an incorporated company, a nett profit of -L-23,150, after having written off or placed to reserve a total sum of 4;10,000. The directors report large business on the books, and that they look forward with confidence to another good year. Apropos this company's progress, we illustrate a competing vehicle in the recent Italian Trials, this being one of the ten successful vehicles, out of a total of 18 which gained prizes, which were fitted with Polack tires.
The Shrewsbury and Challiner Tyre Company, Limited, of Ardwick, Manchester, makes an interesting announcement on another page in this issa Nobody can peruse such records of the company's " Giant " and " World" tires, without feeling great confidence in the excellence of their manufacture, and in the long life which may be expected in service. Personal.
Mr. Harold H. Carter, A.M.'. Mech.E., who was at one time on the staff of the Vanguard Motorbus Company, at Walthamstow, and who more recently was the London representative of the Atlas Engineering Company, has starred an engineering and motor repair business at Gloucester Green, Oxford. Mr. Carter's experience with the G.W. Railway, Crossley Brothers, Limited, and John L Thornycroft and Company, Limited, added to his Vanguard experience, should recommend him to all users of commercial vehicles in that district.
More Contemplated Conversions.
The general manager and engineer, Mr. P. Ellison, of the Eastbourne Corporation motor omnibuses, has reported to his committee that there are de Dion and other chassis for sale in different parts of the country at less than half first cost. Iie requires about four more vehicles for next season's service, and, as de Dion chassis lend themselves very readily for conversion into electric onmibuses, if required, he suggests that he should be allowed to secure full particulars. The committee has granted the desired permission, and purposes to purchase four chassis if so advised hereafter.
S.E. Railway and Motorbus Competition.
Acting, on the obvious intention of meeting motorbus and tram competition, the S.E. and C. Rh... has just put On a new steam rail-car service, between Dartford and Gravesend, at intervals of an hour. A good deal of complaint, however, is being heard anent the uncomfortable travelling of these rail cars, that on the BeckenhamCrystal Palace service being instanced. The car starts and stops in jerks, the jolting en route is bad, and the springing of the car seems indifferent. Added to this, the top speed is about to to 12 miles an hour. The " Bromley Times" of the 24111 instant says of this car : '=-Thetravelling to persons not in good health is terrible.' Evidently, the company will have to put on something better if it is to meet road-motor competition successfully.
Commercial Motors in Bavaria.
The British consular report on the trade of Bavaria, .which has just been issued, says the Administration of the Royal Bavarian Mail was the first in Germany to use motorcars largely. It now owns 28 motor omnibuses, and at many trucks to be attached to them ; the former cost about Li,000 each ; the latter -.4,250 each. The fares for passengers vary from id. to TO., and the total expenses are 2.4d. per English mile per passenger, but mails. bring other revenue.
-L.G.O. Mechanical Staff Dinner.
On Saturday, the 24th instant, the second annual dinner of the mechanical staff of the motor department of the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, was held at the " Horseshoe' Hotel, Tottenham Court Road. This function was originated, last year, by the staff of the machine shop at the Cricklewood works, and it was so successful on that occasion that this year arrangements were .made to include other sections of the company's motor department. It is anticipated that, in future, the dinner will become an annual institution which will include the whole of the engineering staff of the new amalgamation. Mr. Frank Searle, the chief engineer of the company, was in the chair last Saturday, and, in the course of his post-prandial remarks, he referred to the coining transference the whole of the actual engineering works department to Walthamstow, front Cricklewood and other centres. Reference was also made to the satisfactory organisation in the machine all other shops, for which Mr. A. Green, the works manager, who was in the vice-chair, is largely responsible. The subsequent varied musical programme was in the able hands of Messrs. Avery and Curson. Messrs. F. J. Field and Arthur W. Windsor were present as guests of the chairman.
Obstruction Due to Tramway Tracks.
We have had occasion, recently, to draw attention to the serious increase in the congestion of the principal Metropolitan highways, and this is a slate of affairs which we have felt justified in attributing largely to the monopolistic attitude of the London County Council with regard to the wholesale installation of tramways on thoroughfares which should afford common faci. lilies to all. Ocular demonstration is riot wanting, in a +Atm' different business districts of London, and, indeed, in other towns, that the procession of a number of huge railbound tramcars, along, the middle of all the chief thoroughfares, is causing serious hindrance to the free circulation of all other classes of road traffic. The tramway vehicles themselves, however, do not constitute the whole nuisance ; it has, probable, not occurred to many of our readers, to what an extent the conduittrack system itself is responsible for traffic dislocation in London. On' a recent morning, within a distance of throe miles on one of the principal South London tram routes, at no less than thirteen places was the permanent-way staff at work on the track. In each instance, the scene of operations was flanked' by small danger flags, and not only was the tram traffic held up at intervals at each place, but, as a consequence, the progress of all other users of the road was checked. It 'appears that the setting of the slot rail is peculiarly liable to sink, and such is the nature of the construction and design of this feature of the London tramways that frequent recurrence of such subsidences necessitates...the constant employment of a large staff of permanent-way men, • Whose Operations must, in the nature of things, tend further to hinder the legitimate progress of all other vehicles, horse-drawn or power-driven, on public thoroughfares, over which every possible facility should be afforded to all and sundry for right of way. The promoters of tramway enterprises have always adopted, as a firm plank in their platform, the statement that disturbance of the road surface would only occur during construction. This, with the exception of a complete renewal of the track every seven or eight years, is approximately correct in the case of overhead trolley systems, but does not apply to London's conduit system.