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Rear-engineo puternaster at Earls Court Next Year ?
Page 58
Page 59
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BY F. K. MOSES IT is not beyond the bounds of pos1 sibility that a rear-engined version of the familiar London Transport Routemaster will be exhibited at the Commercial Motor Show next year. Indeed, this would be a logical development if experiments with front-entrance, rear-engined double-deekers due to be carried out in London later this year are successful.
Such a possibility is supported by the remarks made to the Omnibus Society in London last week by Mr. R. M. Robbins, chief commercial and public relations officer, London Transport, who said that he believed the possible permutations of the original 64-seat, rearentrance, open-platform Routemaster double-decker had still not been exhausted. Mr. Robbins, who is the Society's president for 1965, was describing the new types of bus to be experimentally introduced by London Transport later this year (see The Commercial Motor, last week). These include 50 Atlantean and eight Fleetline rear-engined double-deckers which, by all accounts, will feature the square and upright frontal profile associated with this type of bus when first introduced in the late 1950s.
Asked by a member of the Society why this design was to be employed when more attractive versions were now being built, Mr. kobbins replied that the new buses were being introduced for experimental purposes only, and should they be a success, a more satisfactory design would be employed for London Transport production. He admitted that the appearance of the buses now to be introduced by London Transport left much to be desired, but thought that it was the rear of the bus which was offensive. Hence, no doubt, the welcome screening of the engine compartment which is to be employed.
Whilst this is not the most convincing of reasons, particularly when the same supplier of bodywork now produces a much more attractive design, at least there is some consolation when looking to the future. And, tying this in with the Routemaster hint, the strong possibility of a rear-engined version of the latter.
Later in his address, Mr. Robbins laid bare a strange anomaly. He said that it was in the interest of bus operators to provide the type of vehicle the public wanted to ride in, and passenger reaction to the front-entrance layout of the rearengine(' bus, with platform doors, would he closely studied by London Transport. I cannot help feeling that public reaction would be far more favourable if a more modern frontal appearance were employed. Certainly the rear-engined buses cannot be expected to be as economical as the front-engined RML buses to be tried on the same routes, when one compares the estimated unladen weight of 8 tons 18 cwt, against the actual unladen weight of 7 tons 11 cwt. of the long Routemaster. I trust this difference will be taken into account.
Avoid Further Staff Trouble
Elsewhere in this issue, we report yet another ominous threat of labour trouble from the London Transport platform staffs. Everyone is heartily sick of reading and hearing about these disputes. The image of the men (and women) in the eyes of the public has now fallen to a very low ebb. One almost approaches a London bus with apprehension, expecting to find a surly, unhelpful crew, with all the cares of the world on their unwilling shoulders. A singularly unfortunate image, since it is rarely a true one.
I have travelled fairly widely on public transport, and feel bound to remark that I have found London bus crews as friendly and helpful as any. Believe it or not, courtesy and service do not belong only to the past where London bus crews are concerned. Naturally there are a few exceptions, but it is time the militant minority realized that it is the image of the more ready majority which is suffering. Conditions have improved considerably during the past year, and the public cannot be expected to bear with the busmen much longer.
One-man buses
Last week I travelled on route 251 on the first morning of one-man operation. The journey was made from Amos Grove to Burnt Oak, leaving Amos Grove just after the morning peak period. The first mile or two paralleled a doubledeck route, and there was an absence of warning notices at bus stops—indeed there seemed to be an absence of such notices at all stops. Only indication that the 251 had gone over to one-man operation was the "Pay as you enter" sign on the front of the bus (though full publicity abciut the impending change had been carried in the local press). Several passengers boarded the bus, to be confronted by a "Please pay the driver" notice, if not a verbal request from the driver. A little fumbling followed, but, surprisingly, not much.
For most of the way the bus was slack, until we reached the Mill Hill dishier, where a steady stream of shoppers was picked up over the last mile or so of route, again a section also covered by double-deckers. At one particular stop, nine people boarded, but there was no real delay. The driver told me that things had gone quite smoothly that morning. There had been slight delays, and one or two passengers expected the driver to change ten-shilling notes—which he did-but he had been able to maintain the
schedule. Most of the buses on the route are newly overhauled .RFs, fresh from Aldenhain, so' that to "compensate" for the lack of a conductor, passengers get the advantages of a bus with power doors (instead of an open entrance) and two saloon heaters. The remarks of two women boarding our bus amused me considerably. "A new bus—the fares will go up!" was the reflex action. of one of them. "_Don't be ,silly ", replied her friend, "it is. a driver/conductor ". The public have got the .rnessage, which Makes the whole experiment worth While!