AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

The Motor Omnibus World.

3rd September 1908
Page 7
Page 8
Page 7, 3rd September 1908 — The Motor Omnibus World.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The general manager of the Bolton Corporation Tramways, Mr. Arthur A. Day, has sent a letter of testimony to the good running of a" Commer Gar " motorbus. The text of this will be found on the page facing our leaders.

"London General" Accounts.

The report and accounts of the directors of the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, for the year ended the 30th June last, were issued to the Press on Monday last. Hitherto, for a long period of years, such reports have appeared half-yearly : the exigencies of the situation created by the recent amalgamation, as our readers will appreciate, explain the change on this occasion. We have extracted from the latest statement, from earlier ones, and from our own records of motorbuses "in Commission," the figures which enable us to present the above comparative table for the past three years. We do not give details of the expenses under the various heads, because the directors continue to group them so that nothing of value shall be disclosed; for example, one item of 4'263,049 in the latest accounts, in which the maintenance charges for the motorbuses are secreted, is " Omnibuses, harness, yard stock, and fixtures." This is truly illuminating, but we doubt its wisdom. The shareholders' meeting is to be held, on Tuesday next, at Salisbury House, E.C. Will the chairman, we wonder, deal with the matter of depreciation?

The Bath Company's Excursions.

The Bath Electric Tramways, Limited, whose motor department is efficiently and successfully controlled by the company's manager and engineer, Mr. W. E. Hardy, has been running a wellarranged series of "pleasure tours by motor omnibus " since the ist of June, and these trips are to be maintained until the end of the present month. Much beautiful scenery is thus brought within range of the visitor to Bath, and at modest rates; in fact, a full -day's enjoyment-from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.is provided for a round fare of five or

six shillings. Any trip may be arranged for any date other than those advertised, provided not less than 16 fares are guaranteed.

We have received from Mr. Hardy an admirably-compiled handbill about the six tours which are undertaken, but want of space prevents our quoting from the summaries. They must be greatly appreciated by tourists who travel to Brockley Combe, Stonehenge, Wells, Glastonbury Abbey, Cheddar Gorge, Marlborough, Alfred's Tower, Malmesbury, or other places of natural and historic interest. We illustrate one of the company's Straker-Squire omnibuses, en route from Stonehenge.

One of the many informative para

graph's in the circular reads : " Baskets of .'cold luncheons (exclusive of wines, ale or mineral water), price is. ; 9d. each, can be supplied, if ordered not later than the day before the tour. The menu can be seen when booking seats. Chocolates, sweets and mineral waters can:always be obtained from the conductor. . . . Ladies are. reCOmmended to wear motor caps and veils." There may be a suggestion, here, upon which other owners of country motorbuses might act with advantage, in order to add further to their receipts. Isle of Wight Licenses.

The St. Helens (I. of W.) District Council, notwithstanding the fact that horse-drawn coaches are allowed to ply locally without let or hindrance, at its last meeting decided to give seven days' notice to the proprietors of certain motor coaches to the effect that applications for licenses must be lodged.

G.W.R. Services.

Commendable activity and a desire to take advantage, to the full, of the flexible characteristics of motor traffic, are the dominant features of that portion of the traffic department of the Great Western Railway Company, which controls its large fleet of motor vehicles. Good business is reported on all sides, as the result of the successful season which has been experienced at most -of the seaside resorts served by the company. This summer's extensions of motor-served routes in Cornwall and Devonshire include regular journeys from St. Austell to St. Denis, and to Pentewan and Charlestown.

Round Minehead.

Western Motor Coaches, Limited, appears to be having a very successful season in the neighbourhood of Minehead, where it is now employing three Milnes-Daimler motor coaches. A time-table service has been instituted between Dunster, Minehead and Porlock Weir, and another between Minehead Pier and Alcotntie. Excursion trips are run to practically the whole of the beauty spots ire the neighbourhood of which we may quote Cleeve -Abbey, Over Dunkery, Bampton, Homer Woods, Watchet, Wootton Courtenay, Winsford, and Holford Glen. One of the most successful departures is the institution of a Sunday service to link Minehead with Taunton, whereby a connection to the London express is given for the first time, and this extra convenience is greatly appreciated. The Prevention of Overdriving.

We have, on numerous occasions, drawn our readers' attention to the large amount of harm that is being done to the industry, and the damage to the machinery of the vehicles, through the over-driving of the latter on the streets and highways. Many suggestions for the prevention of this evil have, from time to time, been put forward, Only to be discarded on account of some inherent evil in their functions, or the disadvantageous position in which they placed a vehicle to which it was fitted.

The accompanying illustrations show the latest of these speed-regulating devices which has been brought to our notice. It takes the form of a centrifugal governor, which is mounted on, or driven from, one of the rotating shafts behind the gearbox, and, therefore, its speed of rotation always bears a fixed relation to that of the road wheels. The device is the invention of Capt. Beattie, M.I.A.E.,.and Mr. R. J. Sully, M.I.A.E., and is handled by Sully's (Cardiff), Limited, of Penarth Road, Cardiff. One of the 4oh.p. Dennis buses run by the Cardiff Tramways Company, Limited, has been fitted with one of these speed controllers, and in a letter which we have received from Mr. R. B. Goodyer, the manager of that company, we are informed that it " has proved very satisfactory."

As fitted to this Dennis vehicle, the governor is timed to ring a bell, and thus to give audible warning, as soon as the speed of the vehicle reaches 12 miles an hour, and, when a speed of miles an hour is attained, the governor cuts out the engine until the speed has been reduced. The operation of this controller is totally unlike any ordinary form of governor. As illustrated, the governor shaft is driven by spring belts from a split puller that is mounted on the cardan shaft; at rest, the weights of the governor lie close to the shaft on which they are mounted, but when the shaft is rotated they are thrown outwards, by the centrifugal force, to positions determined by the speed of the shaft. The weights are connected up to a sliding sleeve, and this in turn is connected by a fork to a small contact spindle. As the latter spindle slides along, it first makes contact with a spring plunger, which closes

an electric-bell circuit, thus giving audible warning to the driver of the attainment of a pre-determined speed ; further movement of the plunger causes it to make contact with an adjustable stop, through which the current from the ignition battery, or from the magneto, is " earthed." The circuit is again opened, as soon as the speed of the governor shaft is sufficiently reduced. The tension on the governor spring can be adjusted to suit any required vehicle speed, but the whole device is enclosed in an oil-retaining case, and this is locked up. in order that the driver cannot tamper with the details or adjustment, but we cannot see what is to prevent him from removing the driving belt should he feel so inclined.


comments powered by Disqus