Hastings Trolleybuses Go: Fares Cut
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AFTER 28 years, trolleybuses ceased service-in Hastings and Bexhill Iasi Sunday, and .Leyland Atlanteans took over on Monday. The last trolleybus to run carried an official party from Bexhill to Hastings at noon on Monday.
Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., who provide public transport in Hastings, have introduced 37 Atlanteans, most of which seat 78 passengers, whereas the trolleybuses seated only .54 or 56. Drivers have taken easily to the Atlanteans, with their semi-automatic Pneumo-Cyclic gearboxes and centrifugally operated clutches.
The change-over has enabled certain economies to be made, and reductions affecting.more than 1,000 fare stages have been introduced. '
• Fourteen of the buses are low-height 73-seaters with bodywork by Weymann, Ltd. They are operated on the route passing under the Sackville railway bridge, where the road has been towered. In the past single-dedkers have had to bc used on the route under the bridge.The normal-height 78-seaters have bodywork by Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co., Ltd., and weigh 8 tons 14+ cwt.
Twenty-two of the Leylands are based at Sillier Hill depot, where the trolleybuses were stationed and maintained, nine at Brick, Street, and six at Bexhill.
[The plans for the change-over were fully described in The Commercial Motor on March 6.1 .
C LICENCE •EXCHANGED FOR B TO CARRY OIL CONSUMPTION of home-heating oil was -increasing -rapidly, stated Mr. J. A. Dunkerley, before the North Western Licensing Authority, Mr. F. Williamson, at Blackburn, on Monday. The Licensing Authority was hearing an Application from. Hargreaves: (Lancashire), Ltd., Blackburn, who -wanted. a 34-ton tanker on B licence to distribute kerosene, diesel and fuel oils within 50 miles of base.
At present the vehicle was on C licence and was being used to distribute Esso home-heating oil to domestic consumers. Previously the vehicle had belonged .tb the Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd., and in the summer, when the demand for heating oil dropped, had been used to carry kerosene, diesel and fuel oils. Hargreaves wanted to continue this out-of-season
traffic. .
Mr. E. R.ollinsori, an Esso traffic superintendent, stated that they had used Hargreaves as a distributing agent for home-heating oil, but this was only a seasonal occupation. They wanted Hargreaves to carry small loads of diesel and fuel oil in addition to other traffic.
Mr. J. Kershaw, objecting for British Railways, said he would he satisfied if a condition stating that the applicants were allowed to carry only for Esso Was attached to the licence. Mr. Dunkerley agreed with this, and Mr. F. Williamson granted the application.