A Perilous Char-a-bancs Trip.
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Being an Amusing Account, by Mr. J. Graham Reece, of What is Believed to have been the First Organized Outing of the Kind in the North.
It was on the 29th July, 1906, that. IS members of the Liwpool Bowling Club left Birkenhead for what was, I think, one of the first organized motor char-h-bancs trips of any distance in the North of England.
We were mounted on a, 14 h.p. four-cylinder James and Browne chassis, horizontal engine with automatic inlet valves, four-speed gearbox, chain drive, solid rubber tires all round with single back tires—and of a small size at that. The body. consisted of five seats, each holding four passengers. She was very fast, and on the top gear we could get about 25 miles an hour out of her.
There were probably many points about the car that, in the face of present experience, would he considered capable of improvement.
At that time the Liverpool Automobile Club had not agitated for the running of luggage hoats on Sundays, so that we had to send the car over on the Saturday evening, the passengers meeting at Birkenhead Ferry,whence the start was made at 9.80 a.m. Several horsed chars h banes and wagonettes started shortly before us, their destination being Chester, whilst we, 0.2
with our more up-to-date means of progress, being more ambitious, were bound for Llangoli en, which was 40 miles away. -W e very quickly overtook the horse conveyances, fluoccupants of which greeted us with loud cheers.
We did the firstthree of four milss in splendid style, and had passed the, Suniight Soap works when the engine stopped. The horizontal engine being under the seats, the bottom boards had to be taken lip, so that the passengers were obliged to descend. It was found on examination that an automatic inlet valve had broken, the head of the valve dropping to the bottom of the cylinder and getting under the bead of the exhaust valve, which latter was bent and had to he replaced by
TleW one. Now it was by no means an easy operation to take out the old valve, mid it was about an hour before we got moving again. In the meantime the horse vehieles passed us, whilst their drivers kindly slowed down so 'that, their passengers might enjoy to the full the breakdown of the rival conveyance, and listen to the sparkling witticisms of the funny men of their
parties. We took it all in good part, however, and promised to see them again before long, which promise, we faithfully kept.
Shortly after this a nicely-kept pair-horse four-wheel dogcart made its appearance, containing no less a. personage than the president of the Bowling Club. Nothing would suit him but that he should stop and take photographs. However, our skilled driver set her moving eventually, and we got away. We reached ...Wrexham, having, much to the delight of our party, passed a small two-seater on the way up Marford Hill. A halt was made at Wrexham, the driver replenishing the radiator and the passengers taking a little liquid nourishment, during which time a huge crowd had gathered around the first motor char-h-bancs which had been seen in the district ; in fact, so much interest was taken in the machine that upon regaining our places we found someone had taken one of the rugs as a souvenir of the occasion.
Proceeding through Rua.bon, we were within about three miles of Llangollen when the engine gradually began to slow down. Upon investigation we discovered the water pump had evidently been disconnected for some time. The pump was driven by means of a. chain from the shaft driving the two-to-one gear, and this chain had come off and was lying loosely on the shaft.
We waited awhile to allow the engine to cool, put plenty of lubricating oil into her, and utter the necessary adjustment we were able to resume, arriving about one hour after scheduled time at the Royal Hotei, Llangollen, where we all, needless to say, did justice to the good lunch which the proprietor placed before us.
The afternoon was spent in various ways, most of the members of the party taking exercise in the shape of a climb up to Crow Castle. The return trip was commenced about s p.m., and the interest of the residents and visitors of Llangollen was evidenced by the crowd which saw us off and the cheering which accompanied our departure. We had telephoned earlier in the day to Chester to prepare dinner for us, and we had gained such confidenee in our mount that we fixed 6.30 as the hour. The pump chain, kowever had evidently got some sort of a twist the first time it came off and gave us a great deal of trouble, coming off several times during this short journey. Finally it broke, and we had to make frequent stoppages to allow the engine to cool, each time having to flood. her with a large quantity of lubricating oil.
The manner in which these old horizontal J. and B. engines could drink lubricating oil was something astounding. It is no exaggeration to say that on this trip of less than So miles we used two gallons ; NVhen the power of the vehicle is taken into consideration this may surprise my readers, many of whom may have ouly the experience of a ehar-h-bancs which would probably do 500 miles to one gallon.
Our president with his pair-horse dogcart had put up there for the night, his total run for the day being 19 miles, whereas we had enjoyed all the varied scenery of a trip into Wales, and were bubbling over with enthusiasm about the glorious views of Welsh mountains and the Vale of Llangollen with the sun shining on it, the weather conditions having been simply perfect the whole day.
Our president entertained us right. royally, several bottles of champagne were opened and toasts were drunk, and plans wEire made for a number of similar trips. The time passed quickly, until about 10 o'clock when we were all ready to start on the last lap of the return journey. Our mechanic driver having repaired the chain and made the necessary adjustments, we did not expect any further trouble in that quarter. The scene. at Chesetr, even at so late an hour was remarkable, the street was thronged with people, and the customary cheers raised by the crowd were responded to in no half-hearted manner by our own optimistic party. So we left Chester with considerable enthu
siasm and with a sort of heroic feeling swelling our breasts.
elide comes before a fall: Our first stop was about to miles out, and was owing to the fibre washer behind the clutch sleeve burning out. On this account the clutch could not be withdrawn, and consequently the gears could not be moved. The passengers all alighted to have a smoke, and await the repair which we had no doubt could be performed satisfactorily by our driver. This trouble being attended to, we proceetred once more on our journey, but before another mile was covered, just as we had ascended a hill, and Were changing from second to third there arose an ominous creaking, and. we came to stop.
On getting out to examine the cause of the trouble, to our consternation we found that the chain ring which was bolted to the back wheel by means or a bolt through every alternative spoke had broken eah of these spokes to which it was bolted, so that there weie only half the -Spokes left whole. We broke the news as gently as possible to the members of the party, and it was decided to leave the machine in the nearest field for the night ; so with a will we all pushed her along and through the gate of a field close by and then proceeded to knock up the farmer to inquire about the nearest railway station. He very kindly told us a train left Molling-ton Station at 11.35, so we tramped to catch the train, just having about time to reach there.
On arrival at the station, however, we found no one about and the place in darkness. We went to the stationmaster's house, which was close by, and on waking him up were told. that the 11.35 train ,did not run on Sundays, only on week nights. He also conveyed to us the joyful tidings that there were no more trains that night, end it would be Y1 CeeSSRTY to walk back to Chester. Very little discouraged, we started on cur journey back to Chester, and as we had several firstclass singers, this walk was made really enjoyable for the first two miles, by glee-singing under unusual conditions. We ultimately got a train from Chester at 3.30 a.m., and boat from Birkenhead.
Upon arrival at Liverpool we found two hansom cabs waiting to pick up night-birds, so 14 of us divided up—seven in each hansom, and we commenced a weary journey of three miles, during which we never exceeded the legal limit, and might very easily have been locked up for furiously loitering.
We arrived at our respective homes somewhere in the region of 5.o'cloek ; most of the wives of the members of the party were waiting up, as the whole journey was looked upon at the time in something the same light as a similar trip by aeroplane would be looked upon now, and there were many forebedings during theelay in the homes of the brave men 'who were considered to have been so reckless as to start on such a trip.
But when we all met that evening at the premises of the Liverpool Bowling Club, it was agreed to have been the most enjoyable trip ever experienced. The true sportsmen who had been on the trip had no recriminatory speeches to make, and instead of complaints a vote of thanks to the writer was unanimously passed for providing such a fine day's outing. Certainly one of the party who happened to be a bank manager and in the ordinary run of conditions led a quiet methodical sort of life, did suggest that he had had as much incident in one day as had covered any other week so far as his memory carried.
This trip was followed by several other similar excursions later on, the vehicle we adopted being a. 16 h.p. Albion carrying 18 passengers (driver included). Never afterwards had we any breakdowns, however4lthough the members of the 'club visited Rhyl, Barmonth, Bettws-y-Coed, and other plaees.