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" The wheels of wealth will be slowed by ail difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier, Tramways Managers' Conference.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week the 26th Annual Conference of the Municipal Tramways and Transport Association will take place in the City Hall, Cardiff. The members will be informally received on this (Tuesday) evening by the president, Mr. R. L. Horsfield, M.B.E., general manager of the Cardiff City Tramways, and to-morrow (Wednesday) morning a meeting of the council will be convened at 9.45, to be immediately followed by a civic welcome to the Association in the council chamber by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. The president then delivers his address, following which a paper will be read by Mr. L. Mackinnon, general manager of the Glasgow Tramways, on the subject of "Minimum and Maximum Fares," this paper being followed by a discussion. In the afternoon Mr. A. R. Fearnley, honorary treasurer of the Association and manager of the Sheffield Corporation Tramways, will introduce the subject of "The Co-ordination of Road Passenger Transport Services," a discussion following and being resumed on Thursday after the general meeting of the Association, which will occupy the whole of the morning.
The -Lord Mayor's reception takes place in the City Hall on Thursday evening, to be followed by a dance. Friday will bei devoted to an 'excursion by steamer to Weston-super-Mare, and thence by coaches (provided by the Bristol Tramweys and Carriage Co., Ltd.) to Cheddar Caves and Cheddar Gorge, whilst in the evening arrangements have been made for the visitors to see Tintern Abbey by moonlight. We hope, in our next issue, to deal with a. portion of the discussion on the paper dealing with co-ordination of road passenger transport services.
Splashguards Compulsory on • Heavy Motors.
At its recent session the Paris Municipal Council, roused by the protests caused by the mud-splashing by motor vehicles, voted credits for. the Seine Prefecture and Prefecture of Police to' the amount of 900,000 francs to be spent on splashguards for vehicles coming wider these two administrations. The council also repeated its previous requests that the Prefect of Police should issue` an order' enforcing the use of Splashguards mi all motor Vehicles. After 'obtaining the opinion of the Couseil d'Etat, the Prefect of Pollee has just Signed an order which makes it obligatory for users of -vehicles weighing when loaded 3.000 kilos. (about 3 tons) and over' to be fitted with suitable guards.
Exhibiting Inventions.
At the last Commercial Motor Show at .Olympia there was ,very _interesting section .devoted to inventions, where several promising . and interesting novelties were shown. We are„sorry to hear that this section will not be repeated at the forthcoming Commercial Motor -Show at Olympia in
November. Sheuld any inventors be B20
desirous of bringing their ideas before the notice of the public, we should recommend them to apply for, space at the International Exhibition of Liven.; -dons, to be held at the Central Hell, Westminster, from October 12th to October 22nd inclusive. The exhibition
is organized by, Institute of Patentees, 39, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1, lo which all applications for space should be addressed. • At the ethibition held by this institute last year there were several isivcn tious which were described, at . some length in The Commercial Motor, and of which we had fully expected to hear more.
Sir Vincent Caillard Resighs.
We understand that Sir . Vincent Who for 27 years has been a (Erector of Vickers, Ltd.,' and who was mainly instrumental in arranging for
the recent reconstruction of the company (which is now . practically completed), has tendered hie resignation as from September 1st.
Traffic Arrangements and Army Malunuvres. ,
As our readers will be aware, Army manceuvres are being held from September 17th-25th in the area bounded by Aylesbury, Bieester, OxfOrd, Chievley, Reading, Maidenhead and High W ycotnbe. The Royal Automobile Club is co-operating with the military authorities in regard to traffic arrangements during the manceuvres and has issued a map showing the roads which will be, affected by the, operations. Special notices, bearing the words, "Army Manceuvre Area," will also be posted on all roads leading into the area. A force of R.A.C.road guides With motorcycles will also be stationed at Wallingford— which is•the military G.H.Q.—available for instant despatch to such roads as the authorities decide are temporarily closed to ordinary traffic.
Although the actual manoeuvres do not 'start until September 17th, troops will be concentrating in 'the Area and minor operations will be in .progress front .,September, 5th. During' the manceuvres themselves road usersare advised to avoid the area as much as possible, -especially at night-time.. The roads will, be congested with troops "and tra4SPort and drivel's are liable to be delayed for many hours, or -even turned back altogether.
Parking Places in London : New Regulations.
Only a few of the parking 'places in London are used by motor coaches, and in each case special arrangements are made in order to secure a longer standing time for such vehicles. Therefore, the new regulations which are proposed' by the Minister of Transport to supersede the London Traffic (Parking Places) Regulations, 1925, do not particu/arly concern owners of •commercial vehicles. It is, however, important that the general practice in connection with parking places should be understood by readers of this journal. .
An' effert• has 'recently' been made" to secure an extension of the' waiting -period which, according to the piece, may be of one hour to two hours' duration, but it is Pointed out that the parking of vehicles in a public street is a privileged use of the highway and should, so far as it is permitted, be confined within the narrowest possible limits, whilst the establishment of parking places for vehicles can only be justified in so far as they provide accommodation for vehicles the drivers of which would otherwise have no alternative but to leave their machines standing in busy thoroughfares, thereby inconveniencing traffic.
The Minister, therefore, has not agreed to extend the waiting period amid he proposes in the new regulations to stipulate that the entrances to any buildings, gardens or courtyards shall not be obstructed by vehicles in a park, that no person shall use such vehicles in connection with the sale of any article to persons in the street, that vehicles bearing limited or general trade plates shall not be left in parking places, and that a driver of a vehicle shall not use the same parking place again for a period of one hour after departing therefrom.
A certain number of parking places has now been abolished, but in their place there is a number of new ones which greatly increases the parking capacity of London streets. Certain complaints which arise out of the usd of parking places have been considered by the Minister and some of them are dealt with in the regulations, whilst, in' the case of others, he makes recommendations to drivers.
One point is made clearer by the Minister, vix., that, as a parking place ' does not cease to be a public road, the general law with regard to the carrying of a white light in front and a red light at the rear applies, but he points out that it is quite unnecessary to leave headlights full on.
An Owner-drivers' Association.'
We understand that a new associalion.' is to be formed under the title of the Owner-drivers' Protection Association. A meeting will take place at 'an early date and owner-drivers are asked to communicate with the seep-tary,' at -the temporary offices of the association, 163, Hornsey Road, London, N. The objects of the association should interest all owner-drivers in the haulage business.
A New Bus-control System.
The departure of General motorbuses from the Victoria Station forecourt is now being regulated by means of light
• signals controlled. from the -tower which is shown in_ an illustration appearing on this page. The control tower is -a glass-sided steel cab'.n. about 28 ft.
high, and it provides the official in charge with • a clear view of the five . long platforms at which the buses draw up to discharge and take on board their . passengers.
The new signalling system, which is now in use, operates as follows :—Conductors upon arriving in the forecourt clock in, whilst (Trivets remain in their seats :so that buses can move forward as those at the headcif the line depart. When the signal lamp on the platform shows an orange light the driver of the firat bus prepares to start and the conductor clocks out. After 30 seconds the orange • light is automatically OXtingoished and a green light appears, this being the gignal to start. The green light goes out after. 10 seconds.
At the present time there are 21 bus services starting from Victoria Station, • and over 200 vehicles leave and enter the forecourt every hour.
Fire-brigade Equipment Ancient and Modern.
The recent delivery of a motor fireengine to the order of the Southmolton Town Council and Rural District Council was made the occasion for an interesting and instructive spectacular display by the members_ of the brigade, who drew the attention of the public in a striking manner to the wonderful progress which has been achieved in organized fire-fighting. Before a _large attendance of townspeople and visitors, the brigade, under the superintendence of its captain, Mr. J. U. Bulled, Who has been associated with fire-brigade work for almost half-a-century, gave a display of fire extinguishing with the apparatus and appliances used in the Devonshire town from early times.
Harwich Ferry Scheme.
Further conferences have • recently been held by the local authorities concerned in connection with a proposal for the establishment of a vehieular ferry between Harwich and Felixstowe.
More Tractors for the.G.W.R.
The Great Western Railway Co. has lately given out orders for 12 additional Fordson tractors and trailers to meet the requirements of the increasing cartage traffic with which the-company is now dealing.
A Ban on Coach Streamers.
The London County Council has recently made a by-law, which is now in operation, under which a penalty of £5 may be imposed if any streamer, balloon or similar article be attached to a motor coach or similar conveyance so as to cause, or be likely to cause., danger or obstruction to traffic or any person using the highway.
Value of Shops on Wheels.
The Long Eaton Co-operative -Society has two motor vans from which butcher's meat is sold. From one, sales of £2,049 were made in the past half-year, a profit of 1506, or s. 11td. in the £, being shown. The use of the othou vehicle was responsible for sales amounting to a,019 and a prat of 1249, or 4s. 10Id. in the was recorded. This rate of profit proves that the mobile butcher's shop is as profitable as the Axed One and can reach people who would otherwise be unable to trade with
the society. This is proved by the fact that at the central store the extent of the butchery transactions was £254.5, the rate of profit was only 4s. id. in the 1, so that the motor vans yield a higher rate of profit.
Guy Bus Chassis for Brazil.
Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, has just delivered 10 Guy bus chassis for carrying 30-seater bodies, which constitute part of a repeat order received by the company from the Rio de Janeiro Tramways Co.
for 99 vehicles. The chassis are of the low-loading type, having sixcylindcred engines, front-wheel brakes, bumper bars fore and aft and pneumatic tyres. The chassis recently travelled by road to the docks for shipment to Brazil. The first order received from the company was for 28 Guy buses, so that very soon it will have a fleet of 127 passenger vehicles in use, including a number of sixwheelers,
Sugar Beet Traffic in Ipswich.
East Suffolk County Council has prepared a scheme for the reconstruction of Sproughton Road, Ipswich, and the construction of a new bridge in place of the existing timber structure at an estimated cost of £.12,750. The scheme has been rendered imperative as a result of the heavy traffic to the Ipswich sugar beet factory.
Another Toll Abolished.
We learn that the toll on the RyeWirichelsea road has now been abolished and the road itself has also been improved. The Automobile Association has played an active part in con nection with the removal of the toll.
Official Orders for July.
Amongst the orders for motor vehicles given out by Government departments during July last were the fallowing: by the Crown Agents for the Colonies, one for vans to MorrisCommercial Cars, Ltd., another for motor road rollers to Barford and Perkins, Ltd., and a third for lorries to the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd. By the War Office one for vans to MorrisCommercial Cars, Ltd., .another for bodies for six-wheeled chassis to Vickers, Ltd., one for six-wheeled chasSis to the Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co., Ltd.; and afourth for medium-capacity six-wheeled lorries to Karrier Motors, Ltd. By the Admiralty, one for six-wheeled vehicles to Morris-Commercial Cars, Ltd. By the Air Ministry, one for motor road rollers to Barford and Perkins, Ltd., and another for vans to Morris-Com
mercial Cars, Ltd. By the G.P.O.
authorities, one for vans and chassis divided between W. Harold Perry. Ltd., and Morris-Commercial Cars, Ltd.
Carrying Raw Materials for Making Margarine.
In our last week's issue we published a brief description of a special tank wagon which the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd., of Higher Liam, Manchester, has recently put into use. We stated that the vehicle was to carry margarine in a liquid state, but it should have been made clear that the tank is used for carrying the raw material for the making of margarine.
A Big Order for Thornycrofts. One of the largest and most
impant orders pecently received by John .... Thorn yeroft and Co., Ltd., is that from the. Southern Railway Co. for 36 typeA2 two-ton lorries which are to he used for express parcels delivery. The company's South Wales agents, Hall, Lewis anti Co., Ltd., of Cardiff, has recently placed orders for eight type-A2 long J32.2 passenger chassis and three type-Al 30cwt. goods chassis, for which it is supplying suitable bodies.
The company has a numller of other vehiclesi passing through its works, these including several subsidy-type lorries, a motor horse-box and a six-wheeled box van for a Newcastle user.
Overseas orders recently to hand for various types of Thornyeroftvehicles include one for eight from Singapore, another for five from Australia, a third for two from New Zealand, as well as two for the Sudan and one for Chili.
Royal Arsenal Co-operative Traffic. The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society had receipts of £5,647 from its motor coaches for the half-year which
ended in July. The expenses were £2,079 and there was a balance of £2,627, which worked out at 9s. 3d. in the The society's motor vehicles
have been depreciated at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum until they now stand at only £24,933 in the balance sheet, although £19,286 was expended ' on commercial vehicles in the past halfyear and £51,451 previously.
Shields Traffic Communications. In connection with proposals for the provision of better means of communication between North and South Shields, the Tynemouth Corporation has asked the borough engineer to Prepate plans showing the converging roads and where be recommends a connection should be made to link them up. it is suggested that an expert should be engaged to advise as to the hest means of communication between the two boroughs for all kinds of traffic.
British Road Rollers in Austria. We learn that motor road rollets on the Burford-Perkin.s system are now being built under licence in Austria by the Sefia Gesellschaft of Vienna.
Recent Garner Deliveries.
Two interesting vehicles which have recently been completed in the works of • Garner Motors, Ltd., of Tyseley, Birmingham, are shown in accompanying illustrations. One vehicle consists of a 30-35-cwt. chassis fitted with an endtipping body operated by a single vertical screw. The body is lined with sheet metal, has fixed sides and a top-hinged tailboard. The length of the platform is 9 ft., its width 6 ft. and the height of the sides 1 ft. 4 ins. The vehicle has just been supplied to the Camberwell Borough Council
The other picture is of a special vehicle which has been. built to accommodate long lengths of iron and steel, for carrying which open=ended trays forming extensions of the sides are fitted alongside the cab, other trays mounted above the front wings giving further support to the lead. This vehicle has been supplied to the order
of Messrs. Adams and Richards, of Wedne,sbury. The sides and tail-board are hinged and stanchions with crutch chains are fittod at the rear. There are also hinged bars which fix the hinged sides to the cab. The door to the driver's cab folds inwards. A sturdy timber bolster is built in with the driver's cab, In this vehicle the length of the platform is 12 it, and its width 6 ft. 6 ins.
Automotive Spares Removal.
We understand that Automotive Spares, Ltd., will shortly be removing from its present address to 164a, King's Road, Chelsea, London, SW. As many of our readers will be aware, the company markets a wide range of replace. moot pkrts for. a number of different types of Vehicle, some of these being of foreign make for which spare parts are
difficult to obtain. .
A Booklet on Renold Products.
Hans Renold, Ltd., Burnage Works, Didsbury, Manchester, has just issued a new price list of its products, for some of which certain price reductions are announced. Our attention is drawn to certain new products added to the company's range, these including multiple-bush roller chains, bush chains, conveying and elevating chains, chain couplings and cutting chains. The booklet contains many illustrations of the company's various prod-acts, together with a brief description of their uses.
In his latest annual report the county surveyor Of Pembroke mentions that the council's steam • wagons were employed 530 days and the total working expenses, including fuel, repairs, wages and interest and depreciation upon their presumed reduced value of 1846 amounted to £1,641 19s. 9d., or an average cost per working day of 13 1s. 11-id. The tonnage carried was 8,472, and taking the average journey at 5 miles the cost per ton-mile was 9.30d.
On Fuel Transport Abroad.
We reproduce on this page an illustration of a pair of , type-Al 30-cwt. Tbornycroft vehicles recently supplied to the Asiatic Petroleum Co., Ltd., by the Cairo branch of the makers, One of them being equipped with a tank body. it is interesting to learn that an increasing number of Thornycroft vehicles is being used for .goods and passenger transport in Egypt, and the Cairo branch of the company has been successful in securing contracts for . a number of other Thornycroft products.
Diamond Jubilee of a Busy Highway. • On page 71 of this issue we publish an interesting illustration of the High Street, Guildford, which'is largely used by road users of all classes. The sett paving of this thoroughfare, which carries ' considerable traffic • between London . and Portsmouth, was laid in 1867, the final setts being placed in position on November 28th of that year. The Guildford Corporation is to consider a Suitable celebration of the diamond jubilee of its main roadway, which iS now carrying some 9,000 tons of traffic every day.'
The setts were laid on the steep part of the High Street, in order to give horses a foothold, and nowadays it is said that they prevent the possibility of heavy types of vehicle skidding. The only repair work which has been carried out on the road during the 60 years was undertaken about 12 years ago, when the setts were reversed.
Six-wheeled Buses Popular.
It is a generally known fact that municipal authorities have lately given much attention to the aix-wheeled motorbus, and it is not altOgether with surprise that we learn that Karrier Motors, Ltd., Karrier Works, :Plodders field, has supplied vehicles of th.3 desmiption to 14 British municipalities which are operating over 70 such vehicles. That six-wheeled buses have achieved success. under service conditions is proved by the fact that the company has received repeat orders from the authorities in Liverpool, Salford, Portsmouth and Halifax.
The range of Karrier passenger six
wheelers is quite comprehensive " and comprises the CL6-type for 32-seater. bodies,. the WL6-type for 37-seater bodies, the WL6/1-type for 40-seater bodies and the WL6/2-type for doubledeck bodies seating 64 -people. We learn that the company will be demonstrating one of its .WL-type buses On the occasion of the Municipal Tramways and Transport Association Congress.
" Military Lorries for Turkey.
It is reported from Constantinople that the Turkish-Ministry of Defence. will shortly be in the market for the supply of a number of military motor
lorries. • Buses and Coaches in Isle of Man.
According to returns furnished by the .Isle of Man highways board 50 per cent. of the motor traffic now using the insular roads comprises coaches and buses. Figures are quoted to show that the amount of traffic on the roads to-day is approximately 25 per cent. More than in 1923. The number of horse vehicles shows rapid diminution,
German. Industry Busy.
It is said that the automobile industry in Germany is certainly benefiting from the improved economic conditions in the country, but there are other reasons for the fact that the leading works possess a good stock of orders. In the first place, the amount of motor traffic in Germany is small as compared with
other countries and, consequently, the introduction of motors to replace horse. drawn vehicles is proceeding apace. .
The position of the automobile industry has also been greatly improvcd by the concentration and rationalization of production, which is still taking place. Attempts by German makers to bring their prices into line with those of foreign manufacturers are said to havn made . further conSiderable progress, although foreign competition is still very dangerous for the German industry, which is clearly strewn' by the foreign trade figures.
"A 508-mile Bus Route.
In our isste for July 19th last wo published .a description of a new type of passeng,ei vehiclebuilt for use America, one of the outstanding features being that the vehicle was controlled from an upper-deck position, the enclosed 'driver's cab being mounted above the front end of the lower saloon. We now learn that the Vehicle, which is in use on a regular 500-mile route between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is equipped with Firestone low-pressure tyres of 38-in. by 9-in. dimensions.
Commercial Motors in New South Wales.
According to figures which have recently been issued, the number of commercial motor vehicles registered at the end of June last in New South Wales was 29,352, the total being made up of 26,912 lorries, 1,927 vans and 514 motorbuses. The figures for vans and buses apply only to the Metropolitan Traffic District, as outside that area such vehicles are registered as berries or ordinary motorcars.
Exhibiting at Olympia.
To the list of exhibitors at the forthcoming Commercial Vehicle Show at Olympia, which we have already published, the name of Halley Motors, Ltd., of Yoker, Glasgow, should be added. This Company will be exhibiting a range of its products on Stand 69. American Exports Growing.
Motor vehicle products are now the most rapidly growing item in American export figures. The Department of Commerce places the total value of lorries, cars and automobile materials shipped abroad during June At 80,640,149, an increase of nearly 29 per cent. on the figure for the same
month: last year. The June figures were more notable for the reason that the month is usually a dull one for exports, as a result of the trade practice of introducing new models during the summer.
Double-deck Buses in Sweden.
Hitherto only single-deck motorbuses have been used in Stockholm, but, as in other cities, the problem of dealing with increasing traffic, especially in the central portion of the city, is one that is calling for solution. One proposal that hat recently been put forward is that of teducing the number of buses in use and of employing double-deck vehicles having much greater seating capacity, similar to those in use in London.
A Bus Experiment at Chesterfield.
Chesterfield Watch Committee has agreed to a scheme for centralizing in Markham Road all the omnibus services radiating from Chesterfield (except the .Barlow and Cutthorpe services) as an experiment for a period of three months, after which the chief constable is to report thereon to the committee.
Renault Vehicles in Hungary.
It is reported that a large Hungariau iron and steel_ maker has secured a licence from the Renault Co., of Paris, to build Renault-type lorries and buses for the Hungarian market in works to be established in Budapest.
Nottingham's Congested Traffic.
The Nottingham authorities are experiencing grave difficulties in relation to their central thoroughfares. Schemes of one-way traffic have been adopted which have partially helped to relieve growing traffic congestion, but something much more comprehensive being required, the corporation is now engaged in carrying out an important project for the construction 'of' a new arterial highway, leading from the centre of the city in Lower Parliament Street to London Road. This road will provide an excellent alternative route for motor vehicles entering from the Mansfield Road and Trent Bridge sides and proceeding , northwards or ethrthwards, thee obviating the necessity for traversing congested central Streets. Most of the properties needed for the purpose on the new line of route have already been acquired and the work of demolition is in hand.