PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
MOTOR coaching appears to be anything but out of season in certain quarters, judging by the activities of Mr. J. Bracewell, who has his headquarters in. the sister towns of Colne and Nelson, in Lancashire, Mr. Bracewell was one of the earliest owners of motor coaches in this busy industrial district,and he now runs several all
weather Maudslay coaches. They seat from IS to 29 passengers, and are all fitted with luxurious bodies on low. loading chassis. Entrance is effected by two doors on the near side, with a door to the driver's seal: at the forward end of the off side. The upholstery of the wide seats is in leather, and the fittings are nickel plated. The vehicles are fitted with fixed windows, but the tops are detachable and thus provide open coaches in summer, whilst giving the cunvenience and comfort of saloons in winter.
The business was established by Mr. Bracewell's father 50 years ago— with horse-drawn vehicles. At the present time the carriage business is still carried on, hut the majority of the firm's activities are connected with motor
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coaching. At ills time of the year, an interesting feature of the work is in connection with pantomime trips, and from Coln% Nelson, Ihirnley and Acerington a large number of coaches is now running regularly to the pantomime presented at the Leeds: Theatre Royal, one of the leading theatres in the North of England.
On the occasion of a visit of a representative of The Commercial Motor all Mr. Bracewell's coaches were occupied on these trips, and every seat was engaged, either by parties which had booked one or more vehicles, or by individual bookings at either the Caine or the Nelson headquarters of the concern. The bookings come very largely from clubs and other institutions' but we
the told that nearly all e vehiclea would be engaged every Saturday until the end of the run of the pantomime.
In addition, quite a satisfactory number of trips to the theatre is run on Tuesday afternoons. These excursions have enjoyed much popularity in the district and all arrangements are made for patrons, a fee of 14s. being charged for the run, inclnding admission to the orchestra stalls and supper on the return journey. Passengers are met at a convenient place in either Come or Nelson at about I pm. and travel to Leeds, which is about 30 miles distant from both towns.
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that this is a service with which the railway companies cannot compete as the journey by rail to Leeds from either Colne or-Nelson is so circnitous, the distance to he travelled being much greater than by road.
Some time is provided for sightseeing in Leeds, but passengers make their own arrangements for tea, after wards proceeding to the theatre. Mr. Bracewell has an arrangement with the proprietors of the theatre whereby a certain number of the best seats in the house is engaged and retained until Wednesday for the use of his patrons. Any tickets not booked by then are returned and, presumably, they are sold at the theatre box-office.
After the show the passengers return to the coaches and the first •part of the return journey is commenced. A halt is made at the White Bear inn at Eastburn, approximately half-way home, and here supper is partaken' of, the meal being ready for -serving immediately the coaches draw up. Notification concerning the number of meals required is, of course, made to the management of the hotel, and the arrangements are invari
ably carried out without a hitch.
The homeward journey is not completed until about 1 rum, but the 12 hours of enjoyment are only made possible by means of the motor coach. Moreover, the joint arrangement with the theatre proprietors and the refreshment caterers provides business for all coi*erned and gives an opportunity for the owner to find work for the vehicles at a time when it is usually difficult to get business.
Mr. Braceivell is a firm believer in keeping, his fleet up-to-date in order to encourage custom,, and none of his vehicles is more than 18 months old.
TH"name of the Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., is particularly well known to those engaged in the passenger-transport industry., for the company has been established a number of years and has built up a comprehensive netWork of meterbas service8 which connect several large Centres, including Aldershot, Farnborough, Bagshot, Sunningdale, Beading, Basiii,r'stoke, Liphook, Winchester, Gnildford,Wolting,. Horsham and other important,ploces in Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey'.
The company is a large user of Dennis. vehicles of different types and has recently placed au order for Ill
machines of this make. Twelve E-type and seven G-type chassis are being purchased and, on four of the latter, 20seater bus bodies, arranged for one-man control, will be fitted, the remainder carrying coach bodies.
In the ease of the E-types the bodies are constructed to accommodate 35 passengers and the seating compartment is reached through a single door at the rear. The driver is accommodated in separate compartment at the off side of the vehicle, but he can communicate with the passenger section through a hing'ed window. Although the driver's compartment is well protected, space above the door is not glazed, so that the necessary task of signalling to oncoming traffic is tot impeded. Four drop windows are fitted on each side of the body, and at the rear is a ladder whieh leads to a wired-in luggage carrier on the roof.
The G-type bus which we illustrate in company with one of the larger vehicles is one of a previous order placed by the Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., and, in this case, the body is fabric-covered. This type has a twopiece folding door at the front for passengers' use, this being under the control of the