The Motor Omnibus World.
Page 5
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The trial of a " Commer Car" motorbus by the Keighley Corporation, to which we referred last week (page 315 ante), was largely arranged by Messrs. Grace and Sutcliffe, of Keighley.
The alphabetic route-boards on one of the London Electrobus Company's vehicles, of which we gave particulars in No. 192, have attracted some notice, and none of it adverse. We should like to see the system extended.
The Cardiff Tramways Company, Limited, has discontinued its temporary service to and from Llandaff, owing to the action of the Cardiff City Council in refusing permission. Great inconvenience has resulted for local residents.
On the Aldershot-Ash service of the Aldershot and Farnborough Motorbus Company, children under 12 are charged 2d. in respect of a stage for which adults pay 3d. each. The Ash Parish Council is urging a reduction to 1,1d. in such cases.
We are informed by the Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club that the proposed acceleration tests for motorbuses, which it was proposed should be held on the level portion of the Brooklands track, have not been abandoned, and that the regulations are still under consideration.
Franco-British Exhibition.
Mr. Imre Kiralfy, whose general offices are at 56, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., notifies us that the site of the recent Franco-British Exhibition, at Shepherd's Bush, will next year afford him the opportunity to advertise the health and pleasures resorts of the United Kingdom and the Continent.
A Scottish Success.
The excellent qualities of Maudslay motorbuses largely account for the continued success of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., whose general manager, Mr, W. J. Thomson, controls, at e, Lattriston Street, Edinburgh, the destinies of the all-important operating side. A further dividend of 5 per cent. has just been paid.
War Office Activities.
Our three-page report of the WarleyShoeburyness tests has been much approved in official circles. We pointed Out that the possibility of greater despatch by railway was an "accidental circumstance," and we may now add that it was part of the scheme to presuppose that such normal means of communication had been interrupted.
A Use for Speedometers.
Mr. John Burns is of opinion that speedometers might usefully be employed by tramway authorities for the purpose of training motormen to judge speed accurately. Inferentially, the President of the Local Government Board would favour the same.application of approved speed-recording instruments on a proportion of London and other motorbuses.
Attempt to Wreck a Motorbus.
Robert Foster, a miner, living at Tyne Dock, was recently summoned at South Shields for having placed large stones on the highway to the danger of persons travelling on it. The evidence went to show that, on the 3oth ultimo, one of the North Eastern Railway Company's motorbuses was proceeding from West Boldon to South Shields when it ran over a large stone which caused damage to the vehicle. On investigation, the driver found no less than 17 stones, ranging in size frone 24 inches by 13 inches by 14 inches to ii inches by to inches by 9 inches. A second bus was also in danger of Being wrecked on the same road, Foster at first denied all krowledge of the affair, but subsequently stated that he lifted five of the stones off a low wall, and placed them on the road, in a spirit of mischief. Before the magistrate, he denied that he had made such an admission, and made a fresh statement to the effect that, finding the stones on the footpath, he " kicked " them on to the highway, not thinking of the danger in which the obstacles would place the vehicles. After imposing a fine of 405. and costs, or one month in prison, the chairman stated that the offence deserved a much more severe penalty.
Thames Embankment Dangers.
The article in the " Times," upon which we commented two weeks ago, seems to have had some effect already, though possibly not of a kind which its writer would desire. The dangers of crossing the Thames Embankment were specially named, and the L.C.C. Highways Committee has since decided to put down some more refuges. The proposal emanated from the Commissioner of Police, who is of opinion that the narrow refuges erected by the Council beside the tramway track have proved exceedingly useful. At the Commissioner's request, the Highways Committee will construct two more such refuges--one near Cleopatra's Needle, and the other opposite King's College. Sir Edward Henry asks, further, that refuges may be placed in the middle of the roadway at various points along the Embankment, for he thinks that some provision is requisite for persons crossing the wide stretch of roadway between the tramway track and the pavement on the opposite side. This the Highways Committee will do.
Brighton Licenses.
We observe that the Brighton Town Council, at its December meeting, re. solved to issue 29 licenses, as from the loth instant, for a period of three months, to the Brighton, Have and Preston United Omnibus Company, Limited. Formal reports were made, at the same meeting, in regard to the steps which the company had taken for the introduction of accumulator-driven omnibuses, and we would remind our readers of our references and illustrations in the issue of this journal of the loth instant.
Darracq-Serpollet Omnibus Com pany.
The death of M. Serpollet and an aggravated period of abstention from purchases on the part of omnibus companies have told adversely upon the immediate results of the Darracy-Serpollet Omnibus Company's trading. Mr. J. S. Smith-Winhy, at the recent annual general meeting, had to present a report and accounts, for the second year's operations, which showed a loss of ..17,154 for the twelve months ended the 3oth September last. The total debit balance is now -1:*
,24,449, with a paid-up capital of 4'162,514, and a
further issue of ,'300,000 in ordinary shares as "consideration " allotment. The popularity of this company's motorbuses in London, where 20 of them are, so far, owned and run by the Metropolitan Steam Omnibus Company, will, we believe, lead to the early placingof further orders, and additional sales are expected for many parts of the world, but there is a lot of leeway to be made good, and the capital charges to be met are far from light.