The Motor Omnibus World.
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The Birkenhead Corporation is now turning its attention to the development of motor omnibus services in conjunction with the southern ferries on the River Mersey.
The directors of the Mersey Railway Company, Limited, have arranged for a service of motor omnibuses to and from the company's stations in Birkenhead, and this will shortly be inaugurated. The Aldershot Town Council continues its discussions Upon the question of a motor omnibus service to Farnborough. The electric light committee has been entrusted with further investigation.
The offending bough upon a tree on Mr. W. A. Glynn's estate, which was recently before the Isle of Wight Bench, has been removed by the owner, who has wisely decided not to proceed with an appeal.
Mr. Frank Searle, consulting engineer, of I, Upper James Street, Regent Street, W., acted as consultant to Messrs. Balls Brothers in connection with the Turgan omnibus which we illustrated last week.
The two four-cylinder Ryknield motor omnibuses for the Leeds Corporation will be delivered during this month. They will accommodate 34 persons, and the bodies have been built under the direction of the tramways department of the Leeds Corporation.
The motor omnibuses which are to be employed by the Mersey Railway Company, of Liverpool, have been ordered from the Motor Car Emporium, Limited. Mr. R. Bowman Smith, the traffic manager of the Mersey Railway Company, advises us that the service and routes have not yet been definitely fixed.
At the half-yearly meeting of shareholders held in Glasgow recently, the chairman of the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Company, Mr. Patrick T, Caird, stated that the directors had come to the conclusion that motor omnibuses could be usefully and profitably run in certain districts to act as feeders to the railway. Acting on this belief, they were about to order a number of these cars, which they hoped to have delivered and in use by the Spring of 1906.
Messrs. Andrew W. Barr and Company, chartered acccaultants, of I, Queen Victoria Street, London, LC., have been appointed auditors to the Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers. The Sussex Motor Road Car Company, Limited, has now completed the purchase of the Worthing Motor Omnibus Company, which arrangement, naturally, is more conclusive than any amalgamation. The importance of mechanical lubrication, or other means of exact control in motor omnibus lubrication, is emphasised by the imposition of a line of aos., with 235. Costs, upon Mr. Henry Turner, of Camberwell Road, at the Lambeth Police Court last week, The 1:1 fully-paid shares of the London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, now stand at 30s. 6d, in the miscellaneous market on the London Stock Exchange. It is expected that an interim dividend at the rate of five per cent. per annum will shortly be declared. Messrs. Tomlinson and Sons, and Mr. Reuben Thompson, who are large job-masters and omnibus proprietors in Sheffield, have been discussing the prospects of the motor omnibus with a representative of the " Sheffield Daily Telegraph." Both these companies found their business returns seriously depleted by the Sheffield electric tramcars.
The East Kent and Heroe Bay Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., has been registered with an authorised capital of ,:;5,000 in LI shares. The offices are located at Bank Chambers, High Street, Herne Bay, Kent. An interesting commentary on the previous effort to secure a motor service for the Herne Bay and Canterbury district is provided by the meeting of the creditors and shareholders under the winding-up order recently made against the Automobile Corporation, Limited. This concern came to grief when it sought to float the Herne Bay and Canterbury Motor Service Co., Ltd., with an authorised capital of £12,000, of which the promoters were to take ,C.,3,000 in cash and shares. We are pleased to know that the new company has a sound local backing and much more real prospects.
Our contemporary " M.A.P.," in its issue of last week, contains a brightly-written article by Mrs. T. P. O'Connor on the subject of a motor omnibus trip. This talented lady observer concludes :—" I can honestly advise any reader of M.A.P.' immediately to book a front scat for Brighton."
Mr. John Kent recently presided at a meeting held at the Star and Garter Hotel, Kew Bridge, when it was resolved that steps should be taken to form a limited liability company, with a capital of £5,000, for the purpose of instituting a motor omnibus service between Chiswick and Grove Park.
At the recent annual meeting of the Iron and Steel institute, held in Sheffield, a paper was presented from the pen of Dr. Leon Goutlet, of Paris, dealing with the subject of steel for motorcar construction as employed in France. In the course of his paper, Dr. GuiHet remarked that the wide scope of the motor industry, the marked difference between the cost price and the selling price of the vehicles, the heavy responsibilities which surround it, the abnormal working to which metals are sulljected in use, and the lightnesst which is an essential quality, were all circumstances calling for the most exacting investigation as to the quality and the properties of the metals employed. He considered that the demands of the industry would inspire the creation of new products of still greater strength and wearing qualities.
Since our last fortnightly census the only change in the routes of the London motor omnibuses has been a slight extension of the " Victory " service, which now runs to the Eyre Arms, instead of stopping at St. John's Wood Road Station. This can be more accurately described as St, John's Wood than could the temporary terminus. On Monday last 130 motor omnibuses had been put to work within the Metropolitan area. The companies which have put them on the road are as follow :—London Power Omnibus Company, to; Thomas Tilling, Limited, 13 ; Birch Brothers, 4 ; London General Omnibus Company, 1 2 ; London Road Car Company, 32; Star Omnibus Company, 3; London Motor Omnibus Company, 37; Henry Turner, 2 ; New London Suburban Omnibus Company, 3 ; French, Limited, ; Associated Omnibus Company, 4; City and Suburban Motor Omnibus Company, ; Midland Railway, 2 ; G.E. and Walthamstow Tramway and Omnibus Company, 2 ; Garle,
; Jennery, I ; Victoria Omnibus Company, 2. The " Vanguard " route is served by 28 of these vehicles, whilst zo are on the Hammersmith and Oxford Circus line.
At the last meeting of the Oxford City Council, the general purposes committee submitted the following report of the tramways committee„ which was adopted :—" Your committee submit the draft agreement for the purchase of the undertaking of the City of Oxford and District Tramways Company, Limited, as finally settled between the parties, and recommend that the same he approved and sealed by the Corporation. Your committee also submit—
(1) Mr. Stephen Sellon's report dated August 5th, tgo5;
(2) letter from the Town Clerk to Mr. Sellon dated August 14th, rgos; (3) further report from Mr. Stephen Sellon dated August r7th, lgos; (4) Mr. Worby Beaumont's report dated August gth, igos; (s) letter from the Town Clerk to Mr. Worby Beaumont dated August 14th, loos; (6) letter from Mr. Worby Beaumont dated August 161.11, 1905; (7) supplementarv report of Mr. Worby Beaumont dated August 6th, its; (8) letter from Mr. Worby Beaumont dated August 25111, 1905; (9) comparative statement of estimates. Your committee are of opinion that a system of electric tramways of the best modern construction, such as is recommended by Mr. Sellon, is the best mode of traction for the city of Oxford. The general purposes committee recommend that the report be approved, and that the tramways committee be authorised to consult counsel as to obtaining the necessary poxers to carry out the resolutions adopted by the Council." This decision is dealt with editorially.
Proceedings Soc. M. 0. Eng.
The third meeting of council of the Sociely of Motor Omnibus Engineers was held at the registered offices, Hotel Cecil Chambers, 86, Strand, W.C., last, week. Mr. F. C. A. Coventry (Great Western Railway Company), chairman of the society, presided, and there were also present Messrs. R. Bell (London Motor Omnibus Company), vice-chairman, H. P. G. Brakenridge (London Road Car Company), K. H. Buchanan (London Power Omnibus Company), and W. Flexman French (Sussex Motor Road Car Company); also. in attendance, Mr. Charles E. Esse, secretary. Letters of
apology for non-attendance were read, and the principal business transacted included the following :—
Form o] Application for Emp1oyment.-1nstructions were given for a comparison between the various forms now in use by members, with a view to their unification.
Associates.-Additional firms and companies were approved for enrolment as associates of the society, these being the North British Rubber Co., Ltd. ; James and Browne, Ltd.; the Sirdar Rubber Co., Ltd.; the Motor Omnibus Construction Co., Ltd.; the I lartridge Tyre Syndicate, Ltd. ; and the London Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd.
Opening General Meeting.—The arrangements for this meeting, which is to take p/aCe at the Hotel Cecil on Monday, October 9:11, at S o'clock, were discussed. It was decided that there should be a general discussion on the programme of the society, to be introduced by the chairman, Mr. F. C. A. Coventry. It was also decided that the arrangements for carrying out the meeting should be left in tile hands of the secretary. Affiliation :villa Motor Ilnion.—A proposal that the society should become affiliated to the Motor Union of Great Britain and Ireland on special terms was, after full discussion, adjourned sine die. Auditors.—On the motion of the chairman, seconded by the vice-chairman, Messrs. Andrew W. Barr and Company, of 1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., were appointed auditors to the society. Following the council meeting, an in camera meeting of members was held, when an interesting paper entitled " Present-day motor omnibus construction from the operating engineer's standpoint " was read by Mr. R. Bell (London Motor Omnibus Company). A prolonged discussion ensued, and this was adjourned, at to o'clock p.m., to October 23rd.