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NO MORE TRAMWAYS ?

3rd May 1921, Page 22
3rd May 1921
Page 22
Page 22, 3rd May 1921 — NO MORE TRAMWAYS ?
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The Recommendations of a Southend Deputation after Inspection of the Trolley Bus Systems of Rotherham, Bradford and York.

THE Southend Corporation recently appointed a deputation to observe the working of the trackless trolley bus systems of Rotherham, Bradford and York, and after an exhaustive inc, liry into the respective systems it has returned to recommend the installation of a similar system at Southend instead of extending the existing tramway services. As the Committee reports' the systems in Rotherham and Bradford were amongst the first to be operated in this country, the Bradford system being one of the largest, whilst that at York is of more recent date. The sub-committee has prepared a tabulated record comparing the results obtained in each of the three towns, which it is thought will enable the Corporation to form an opinion as to the utility of the trolley bus system. The respective details are as follow :— Rotherham and Bradford being old systems, and the rolling stock of the earliest type, -with complicated machinery, the cost of upkeep is heavy. In hothtof these towns, however, it is proposed to scrap the existing rolling stock, and to build entirely new and up-to-date vehicles in the near future. The engineers in charge of each of theseAsyste 15 believe that when this is done it will be possible to operate the undertaking at a profit, and to provide an efficient and regular service.

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At Bradford the sub-committee inspected plans of the new vehicles which are to, be constructed, the dimensions of which are as follow :—

The Bradford Corporation is running as an experiment a double-deck vehicle with a seating capacity of 57, the weight of which is seven tons unladen. The experiment has been successful, and the Corporation proposes to construct and put into service 12 similar machines. The Southend deputation observed that the, districts served in Rotherham and Bradford are of such a character as would not justify the heavy expenditure of laying down a system of light railways. With regard to the York di,

tricts, the deputation reports that the services run through a network of narrow streets, the width of which, by reason of the ancient character of the city, would not permit of a light railway being installed. They 'were impressed with the manoeuvring capabilities of the trolley buses in these restricted areas.

The entrance to the buses in service in Rotherham and Bradford is by is door at the rear of the vehicle, and each vehicle carries a conductor in addition to the driver, but. in York the cars are

of the pay-as-you-enter type. The deputation favoured the former type on account of the " rush " traffic which has to be dealt with at Southend.

As a result of the exhaustive information furnished by the engineers responsible for the working of the three systems referred to above, and their own observations, the sub-committee, after careful consideration of the whole matter, are convinced that this system of transport would be very suitable for internal communication between train termini and upon routes where it would not be possible or desirable to install light railways, or where the cost of laying down permanent way (the present cost of a double track being approximately £54,000 per mile) would be prohibitive, and the volume of traffic to be catered for would not justify the enormous capital outlay required for extensions of light railways.

The sub-committee have, in their report, enumerated a number of routes upon which it is expected the vehicles would be found satisfactory, and they conclude their observations by a statement to the effect that it should be noted that the cost of power for driving a trackless trolley car is 1 I-7d. per mile as compared with 6d. per mile for a petrol-driven machine.

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Locations: York

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