The Motor Omnibus World.
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St. Pancras Borough Council has come into line with a number of other London borough councils, and has agreed to a halving arrangement with certain motorbus companies. This plan for avoiding litigation is generally beneficial.
The service of omnibuses, from High Street, Hampstead, to Oxford Circus, which has ceased in consequence of the competition of the new Hampstead tube, is one that was conducted exclusively by horsed vehicles, and not by motorbuses.
" Ours is a penny bus," remarked a shareholder at one of last week's meetings in connection with the Vanguard amalgamation. We heartily agree, and we cannot understand why some sections of the Press believe that the penny fare will disappear. The penny stage can never disappear from London, but its length can become more in consonance with a fair return to the proprietors.
Another Order.
The Ryknield Motor Company, Limited, of Burton-on-Trent, has received an order from the Todmorden Corporation for a standard, doubledeck, 4oh.p. motorbus, for immediate delivery. This order has been taken in competition with many leading makers, and it was specifically given to the Ryknield Company after a severe 30-mile test over the most hilly routes in the Todmorden district. Our sundry advertisements page notifies the intention of the Town Council of Haslingden to purchase a singledeck motorbus. The decision to have ample power will be noted, and tenders must be lodged not later than the 17th instant.
" The Daily Mirror " reports that twelve dukes, four marquises, sixteen earls, six viscounts, and twenty-two barons have signed a petition, which is almost ready for presentation to the Home Secretary, on the subject of noisy motorbuses and traction engines.
Through Bookings.
Negotiations are in progress, between the Ley ion Urban District Council and the London General Omnibus Company, for through bookings between the electric tramcars in Lea Bridge Road and the company's motorbuses which run through the City to the Elephant and Castle. One of our business representatives,. while at I.incoln last week, took several trips in the 24h.p. Straker-Squire omnibus, an illustration ot which is given herewith, and which vehicle was in charge of Mr. W. M. Jenkins, who now occupies a responsible position on the commercial-vehicle side of the StrakerSquire business.
Good News.
The recent announcement of the President of the Board of Trade, at the opening of the new Hampstead tube, that the Government intends to take action in regard to the establishment of a traffic board for London, has been received with much interest in motorbus circles.
Cubette Paving at Barnes.
With reference to a letter which appeared in our correspondence page in last week's issue, it is interesting to note that one portion of the particularly had stretch.of roadway mentioned, near Barnes Church, is being paved with small setts. As an experiment, a thousand yards from Kitson Road towards the Red Lion Hotel, are to be dealt with the setts being made of Leicestershire granite. This particular style of road surface is known in England as " Cubette " paving, and those who are interested in the subject should refer to an article which appeared in the issue of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " for the 26th of April, Igo6. Regular passengers on the buses which ply on the Barnes route will also be pleased to hear that the whole of the road from the Red Lion Hotel to Hammersmith Bridge is to be paved with wood blocks; which it is considered will form a much cheaper and better road surface than the macadam at present laid down. It is hoped to make a start on the relaying of this part of the road towards the end of the month. The need of improvement in the surfaces in question has been badly felt by residents in this particular district.
Voluntary Liquidation.
The London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, the London and District Motorbus Company, Limited, the Motorbus Company, Limited, and the London and Provincial Motorbus and Traction Company, Limited, are to be wound up voluntarily. This is the natural order of events, having regard to the purchase of the four undertakings by the Vanguard Motorbus Company, Limited, and the issue of shares in the last-named company as purchase and bonus considerations.
Restrictive Action.
Mr. Danckwerts, KC, has informed the Legal Committee of the Paddington Council that there is great, if not insuperable, difficulty in undertaking any proceedings as for a public nuisance in regard to the motor-omnibus trallic, as any nuisance is caused by the conjoint traffic of more than one company or person acting independently of each other, rather than by the traffic of any particular company. -Mr. Danckwerts is of opinion that the only practical course is for the council to leave itself in the hands of the Commissioner of A Demonstration Run.
The extremely cheerless and wet Midsummer's Day which we have experienced this year was chosen by Mr. Julian HaHord, of Commercial Cars, Limited, to commence, by a run to Lincoln, a demonstration .tour with one of its 28-seated, 3611.p. chars-abanes. The route taken was via Hatfield, Hitchin, Buckden, Stamford and Newark, and this was accomplished in a very creditable manner when one takes into consideration the very bad state of the roads on the day in question. A number of passengers were carried, together with baggage, although the vehicle was, naturally, not working up to its maximum load. During the Royal Agricultural Society's Show at Lincoln, it was kept running in the town, and it is now embarked on a demonstration tour to the company's agents in the provinces.
Part of its route will lie through the Lake district, in which the hilly state of the roads is welt knc.)wn. The Commercial Cars gear is giving every satisfaction, we understand, and the running of the vehicle generally was very smooth. The distance between London and Lincoln was covered at an average speed slightly in excess of 15 miles per hour..
Estate Waiting-rooms.
It will probably not be •long before a large number of estate owners follow the example of the Burnham Beeches Estate Company, Limited, by the provision of waiting-rooms in connection with motorbus services. The development of Farnham Common, near Burnham Beeches, as a residential neighbourhood, in conjunction with the Great Western Railway Company's motor service to and from Slough, has been augmented by the construction of a waiting-room by the estate company named, with satisfactory results.
Four motorbuses belonging to the Great Western Railway Company carried no less than 6,o83 passengers during the four days of the recent Royal Counties Show at Maidenhead.
Birmingham's Motorbuses,
The Watch Committee of the Birmingham City Council has renewed the local licenses for a period of six months, and these licenses include two motor chars-h-bancs. The chief constable's report showed that there had been only too cases of breakdown during the six months under review, compared with 207 in the preceding six months, whilst only 12 buses had been sent off the road by the police for noise, comiiared with 39 cases during the six months ended 12th December,
• 1906. It was also stated that the number of complaints about motorbuses had been fewer, and the Judicial Subcommittee of the Watch Committee expressed the belief that the vehicles were more satisfactory than heretofore. It was resolved that the enam advertisements on the vehicles should be discontinued, owing to their having proved to be a source of noise and annoyance.
At Worthing.
The motorbus services run by The Sussex Motor Road Car Co., Ltd., of Worthing„ have been much improved under the management of Mr. Douglas Mackenzie, M. I . A.E. , A. 1\1 M ech. E., who is this company's consulting engineer and general manager, in addition to his acting in similar capacities to the Isle of Wight Motor Express Company. A representative of this journal recently paid a visit to the Worthing company's depot, and found that eight out of a total of ten buses were in regular service one was held in readiness for emergencies, and the remaining one was being overhauled. The company runs an hourly service between Worthing and Brighton, and two other services — Worthing-Puiborough and Worthing-Littlehampton and Arundel-are also in operation. Only three journeys have been lost during the last eight weeks on the combined services, and these were occasioned by tire troubles. All the vehicles are 141ilnesDaimlers. Our illustration on page 446 shows the spare bus leaving the depot for a short test run. Mr. A. E. Cannon. the engineer-in-charge of the depen, will be seen at the wheel.