Motorbuses Couple up Berlin Tramway Lines.
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The Grosse Berliner Strassenbalin's big project for supplementing its street-rail traffic by.motorbus lines has, as will have been noted by our illustration of last week, been inaugurated. The following report, from our Berlin correspondent, was held over for want of space :—
On the 16th instant, a few days prior to the opening of two lines, the directors invited representatives of the Press to make a trial trip, and to inspect the rolling-stock in the Belzigerstrasse, where the " fleet" was temporarily drawn up. Six vehicles, an N.A.G. and five Daimlers, were placed at the disposal of the party for the run, four standing ready on Nollendorfplatz, and the others on Biticherplatz. As soon as the latter had brought up their contingent to Nollendorfplatz, Herr Stavenow, chief inspector of traffic, seated himself by the driver of the leading omnibus, which happened to be a 28h.p. Marienfelde, and away the lot went in the direction of the Grunewald, where they doubled for the depot in the Belzigerstrasse.
As to the chassis chosen by the " Grosse," these makes are far to well known to call for any description here. Sufficient to say that they are the very latest types from the Daimler and N.A.G. works, but, on the body and general fitting-up, just a few words. Many, many months ago, when the scheme had not yet emerged from its embryonic state, Herr Stave now observed to me in the course of a chat on the subject : " We hope to learn something from your London mechanical traffic, but our vehicles will be fitted up
a little more tastefully than yours." in this respect he has kept his word, Director Meyer and his colleagues have given Berliners veritable Pullman cars —beautifully-polished woodwork with brass fittings, electric lamps in roof and front panelling, and 16 sofa-seats upholstered in grey-blue, beflOwered plush Nor do inside passengers sit in two longitudinal rows and, per favour of the people opposite, and oft-times under a presumption of " staring," catch fitful glimpses of the flowing traffic : no, excepting the cross-seat for four at the head, which takes up the width of the body, seats, arranged singly or pairwise dos-a-dos, stand square with the gangway running down the middle, and passengers can face engine or conductor, whichever they choose (ceteris .paribus). On each side, too, a large central window can be let down, so that, if desired, the omnibus becothes practically an open vehicle : a perfect boon in the -oppressive heats of summer. And what about the 18 outside passengers? Well, they come in for third-class treatment in comparison, and the reason must be strong indeed that would, induce anyone to climb to the barren heights, and to leave luxuriously soft seats going a-begging. Nothing but hard wood on the " upper deck," nor can I hold out to outside passengers any prospect whatever of protection from rough Weather, for Herr Stavenow tells me the Berlin bridges are too low to admit of a canopy in the French style. Besides sitting accommodation on roof and inside, there is standing accommodation for three on the rear platform ; each
vehicle, therefore, carries 37 passengers.
At the yard in the Belzigerstrasse, 35 spick-and-span omnibuses, mostly from Marienfelde, were drawn up. My photographer, unfortunately, had to operate before they could be wheeled into line, and, consequently, the picture (page 291 in last week's issue) does not present them in the imposing crescent they assumed afterwards. Herr Karl Otto, chief engineer, showed us some of the models used in instructing the " Grosse's " drivers; and, stimulated by questions from journalists athirst for knowledge, delivered quite an interesting little lecture on the internal-combustion engine. He added, too, that he had placed an order for a petrol-electric omnibus, also for a purely electric vehicle, and these are to be tested most carefully. "-We want to get something really flexible, so as to get rid of a lot of intermediate gear," he informed us. " Meanwhile," he went on, "the company has acquired some of the very best material on the market. In a short time we shall have do buses, 40 from Daimler and 20 from N.A.G."
A fel:low-journalist, who is a shareholder in the company, asked Herr Otto whether he thought the new venture would pay. The engineer candidly replied that big profits were certainly not to be expected, and, turning to another, who referred to the unfortunate experience of the Berlin General Omnibus Company, Herr Otto rightly remarked that the " Grosse " began the motor traffic under much more favourable conditions. "Not only do we begin with higher tariffs, but we have a trained staff of engineers, with every facility for effecting repairs, and are accustomed to dealing with mechanical traffic; whereas the omnibus company was handicapped with lower fares, and adopted the motorbus without having had any experience of mechanical traffic. Still, it will not do to be over sanguine." For the issue of the 27th March, I supplied full particulars of the " Grosse's " six motorbus lines : of these, however, only two—Hallesches Tor to Stettiner Bahnhof and -Hallesches Tor to Alexanderplatzwill be opened at once. Ten vehicles are working them. Other lines will be opened as the remaining buses on
order are delivered, and the new depOt and the arrangements for the subter ranean storage of petrol reach completion. For the present, the directors do not propose to have fixed stoppingplaces; indicated by pillar and plate : these will come later. Special attention is to be paid to theatre traffic, and on Sundays and public holidays excur sion buses will run to popular places of resort, round Berlin, on a basis of 5 pfennigs per kilometre, or o.625d. per 1,093 yards. Further,.the directOrs intend to let out buses to private parties for do-kilometre trips. Henc.:_!, what with one enterprise and another, the directors Mean business, and' will leave no stone unturned to Make the departure a success.