PROGRESS IN PASSENGER TRAVEL.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
The Semi-saloon Coach.
A Type of Vehicle which is Very Popular in France.
IN OUR ISSUE for May 17th, we &scribed, at some length, the network of motor coach and bus service which is operated in Franco and the French Mediterranean Colonies, and on that occasion we pnlifished a number of pictures illustrating the various types of vehicles which are employed. These illustrations showed that the saloon type coach is exceedingly popular, and that very few of the generally recognized English. type of open-air touring coach are in use: The type of coach wilich is finding increasing favour among coach and bus owners in "France is the semi-saloon type' in which part of the vehicle is open and the remainder totally enclosed. Such a design is illustrated on this page, the 29-seater body of the roach shown having recently been constructed in the works of M. Simon Fralavorio at Lyons. The vehiele possesses several novel features. There are six rows of seats rising in tiers, from each of which passengers can obtain a clear view ahead. With the exception of the front row— in which acconimodation for the driver and three passengers is provided—each row of seats holds five passengers. Doors are fitted to each row on both sides of the body. The last two rows of seats are completely enclosed, and the roof of this compartment is provided with a luggage rail for the carriage of light packages.
An unusual development will be observed in the construction of the hood. This is built in a similar manner to that of a private car, and, it is said, can be easily raised and lowered by one man. When not in use, the hood covering falls backagainst the front of the enclosed compartment without interfering in any way with the view of the passengers occupying the rear seats. It will be noticed that there are no side sticks to support the hood, with the result that time and inconvenience are saved when" the hoed is being erected. The windscreen supports are specially strengthened, and the front of the hood is secured to them by a thumbscrew-on each side. Side curtains with mica windows are provided to protect the passengers during inclement weather. The windows, of the enclosed compartment can be eaised or lowered in a similar manner to those of a railway coach, and all doors are fitted with slam locks.'
The chassis on which this interesting body is mounted is a 30 h.p. Iterliet char-a-banns model, fitted with Michelin detachable wheels and pneumatic tyres (which are exceedingly popular for passenger work in Franco), twin tyres being fitted. on the rear wheels. The final drive is by roller chains, and small doors are provided in the valances of the running boards to facilitate adjustments of the chains. Other details of the chassis are a four-cylinder engine of 110 mm. by 140 mm. bore and stroke, which is governor-coatroiled. A multiple disc clutch transmits the power to a four-speed-and-reverse gearbox, the casting of whieh also contains the differential and jack-shafts. Two
braites are fitted, the pedal-operated foot brake working on the jack-shalt, whilst the hand brake operates in drums on the rear wheels. Semi-elliptic springs are fitted to both front and rear axles. The steering gear is of the worm and nut -type, and is situated on the right-hand side of the chassis.
The total weight un.ladert of the complete .vehicle is in the neighbourhood of 75 cwt. Provision is made for fitting electric lighting, but this item does not form part of the standard equipment.
Selling Property by Coach.
American Estate Companies Use the Char-a-bancs as an Aid to Business.
TTIE MOTOR COACH, as we know it in this country, is a vehicle built and used expressly for the conveyance of passengers bent on seeking_pleasure and recreation, although in America it is put to other uses. The Americans are reputed to be astute business getters, and certain trading concerns across the water have not overlooked the opportunity afforded by the motor coach of attracting possible purchasers, as is evidenced by a number of estate companies who having land for disposal in Southern find that motor chars--ii-bancs are proving of inestimable value as an aid to the sale of this property. Every day witnesses a large number of these vehicles engaged in carrying full complements of passengers to the tra-cts where houses, industrial and building sites are in the market for sale.
_ The most interesting feature of this service is that all passengers are carried free of any charge whatever.
To possess a full appreciation of this umnsual employment, of motor coaches, it Must be explained that in some respects Los Angeles differs -from other American cities in that it is a favourite place with tourists. If is the tourists who are the principal passengers in these free excur sions ;_ fact, the estate companies regard -every tourist as a potential purchaser who may decide, after having seen first-hand the inspiring charms of the city, to make his home in Southern California.
The operation of these free excursions has grown remarkably under the stimulus of keen competition amongst a large number of estate concerns. In many cases the, excursionists are given more than a free ride. When the round trip occupies four or five hours a hot luncheon is sertred, free of charge.
These methods may appear to the average Britisher to be unsound and extravagant from a business point_of view and open to imposition, but a little consideration of the facts will reveal that Such is not the case. For instance everybusiness, house of any size spends each year a certain amount of money on various forms of advertising in order to interest the public in purchasing goods
and property offered for sale. While printed advertisement is the orthodox method of publieity, Californian estate companies have concluded that in their particular line of limsiness " seeing is believing," and that the only way they can get prospective purchasers to see their property is by providing the means -whereby they can travel free of all Cost.
The vehicles used on these daily runs vary in seating capacity from 20 to 50, and the trips. which they make extend from 25 to 75 miles. The competition to secure passengers for the excursions is amusing, although the fact that: most concerns run regular daily trips is an indication that they are profitable. The means which are employed to attract the passer-by is to draw the coach up alongside the kerb at a busy point of the city, large and impressively worded signs announcing the destination Of the run, the starting time,' the fact that everything is free, etc., being hung from tho coaches. These signs are not the only means relied upon. Standing just within the inner edge of the sidewalk (so as to be within the private property boundary and not on the public streets) is a man—the Amerkans call him a solicitor—who offers tickets to passersby which entitle the owners to a free excursion on any day they may choose, The testimony of many who have participated in these excursions is that they are treated with every courtesy whether they manifest an interest in property which is politely brought to their attention or nut.
The excursion trip to the new Los Angeles Harbour may be taken as typical of the successful efforts of using motor coaches as an aid to the disposal of property.
The coach starts about410.30a.m, and arrives at San Piedro, as the harbour region is called, about noon. The excursionists are given a hot luncheon which is soMetimes served in a tent, and are then invited to an illustrated lecture by a well-informed speaker who talks on the commercial future of Los Angeles, and particularly of the harbour district on which the harbour authorities have expended several millions in recent years. Stereoscopic slides are used to show the contrast between conditions as they are at present and as they were six or eight years ago. The 'guests " are then invited to take a inc-tor boat trip round the harbour, following which they are escorted to the various tracts of land which are offered as residential and industrial sites. At the close of the day the excursionists are brought back by the motor coach to the starting point in Los Angeles.
Chester Coach Regulations.
Corporation Modifies the No Street Loading By-Law.
THE CHESTER Corporation has amended its. proposed motor coach regulations, which in their original state -evoked strong comments from coach (psalms. The amended regulation provides that drivers of chars-a-banes or omnibuses (not licensed to ply for hire within the city) entering the city shall, after unloadina''' the vehicles, drive off immediately toa garage. parking ground or private yard. No such Vehicles shall be permitted to remain in a' street longer than is necessary for the expeditious unloading of the passengers or
cause an cbstrectioe in any street. The proprietor or other person in charge of the vehicle shall cause the vehicle to be loaded at a garage, parking ground, or private yard, and not in any public street or place, provided always that the regulations shall not apply to any vehicle, the passengers of which remain one or more nights in the city, which vehicles _May load at the premises at which the passengers are accommodated.
This amended regulation, the city buthorities point out, is a more generous eincession than was asked for some time ago, and would fully meet, the wishes of caterers, who had, requested that ember coaches should be permitted to stand for five minutes in the streets to unload.
It was stated that the original regu'etion could not be entirely defended. Ile chief constable submitted a report on the probable motor coach traffic at the end of last year, and recommended the provision of a parking ground on the Little Roodee. This was agreed to, and the improvements committee, in making the provision, incurred considerable expense. In controlling. the traffic of the city, the pollee experienced the greatest difficulty when the motor coaches were leading up ,prior to departing from the city. The parking accommodation which had been provided by the 'corporation, it was hoped, would be appreciated by the-public, and would be made full use of by the motor coach owners.
Sir John Frost said that visitors who formerly arrived in Chester by the failway were now landed at the various points along the roads. By the time this article appears in print the parking ground •at the Little Roodee will be 'ready for use, and work is now proceeding on the provision of lavatory accommodation for coach passengers.
A New Coach Body.
A Design which Incorporates Rotatable • Armchair Seats.
THE SOCIAL amenities which the motor coach Offers have not been ,overlooked by body designers, and evidence is not wanting to show that some proprietors are paying particular attention , to the needs of parties of tourists and pleasure seekers. The number of coaches which are now fitted with a sociable compartmenf, in which is often incorporated a card table, is an indication of the trend of design.
The two illustrations which, we reproduce on this page show a further .development in this direction. The body of the vehicle (which is a Palladium, by the way), was built my ,Messrs. Tom Johnson, of Addison Works, Bradford, to the order of the Al Transport Co., of the same city. It will be seen from the semi-plan view of the coach that the body is fitted with rotatable armchairs, which can be turned round in any direction so as to make up little groups of
seats for parties. The back compartment is a well-upholstered lounge which forms an enclosure in itself. -Whatever position the seats may be in, there is always plenty of room left for passengers to move about the coach. The front seat is a fixed one, which extends right access the body, width. The coach is fitted with four doors only, three being situated on the near side and one for the driver on the offside.
Ample provision has been made for the accommodation of passengers' luggage, and besides the compartment at the rear of the vehicle, portmanteaux can be stored on the offside of the vehicle in a receptacle which extends the length of the running boards.
The vehicle made its initial trip quite recently, when a tour was conducted to North Wales. During the journey the vehicle ran without a hitch, and the comfort afforded by the body was favourably commented upon
Coaching 'Items.
In the clity of Liverpool, with its population of three-quartere of a million, there are only two motor coach stands— one at the Pier Head and the other in Lime Street.' The enterprise of coach proprietors in turning out their vehicles to deal with the passenger traffic consequent upOn the curtailment of the tramway services made the. inadequacy of the stand accommodation at once apparent, and it is now probable that an endeavour will be made by the local coach owners to obtain from the local Watch Committee the right to use certain street Stands.
There seems to be much misapprehension its the minds of motor coach drivers when they arrive in Blackpool as to the regulations which deal with the loading and unloading of vehicles.
The position at the moment is this :— When parties travelling by motor coach have arranged to have their meals 'at a particular cafe or hotel, the coaches may be unloaded at any period of the day, but in order to obviate obstruction in the public thoroughfares, drivers must make arrangements for the loading of passengers for the return journey at one of the recognized garages. These, it is pointed out, tare located in all parts .of the town, and are very accessible to the prornenade.!
Motor coach proprietors speak of this season's passenger rates with a certain amount of ieserve, and owing to the lac 'e of organization amongst owners and the>1.-:reva1ence of competition in rates, they .seem more vigilant of what the other man is doing than is their wOnt. The manager of a big fleet declared to a representative of The Commercial Motor the other day that nobody could :say what level Would be ;reached an machine fares. His firm were out to get the best rates they could, but what they would ultimately be would depend upon the Circumstances in the particular area in which his company's vehicles operated. An economic rate they certainly wanted, but if other concerns were instituting cat rates it would be necessary to de likewise. Their business then would not he how much they could make, but how much they could save. They were out te maintain their business connections' and, repute at all costs.
The Motorcar Committee of the Southampton. County Council recalls that some months ago it recommended application to the Ministry of Transport for an Order prohibiting the driving of motor chars-a-bancs on various roads in the Christchurch, Fondingbridge, and New Forest Rural Districts. At the suggestion of the council, the committee has since reconsidered the matter, and been in communication with the district council a which had applied for the closure of the roads to such traffic. In the case of Fordingbridge and Christchurch, where the length of roads Was considerable, the district councils have, after further investigation, decided to modify their applications, Before making any definite recommendations, the metorcar committee now suggests that the most satisfactory course, and one that will probably save trouble in the end, will lao for it to arrange a conference with the local representatives of the 'Motor Traders' li,seociation.