Manchester London in 51hours with a bang!
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T" journeys a day each way between London and Manchester on new fast services introduced by the North Western Road Car Co. Ltd., last Thursday, are claimed to be the• fastest scheduled journeys yet on this run. An overall Lime of five and a half hours, including stops, compared with 10 hours before the motorways were opened, is the aim of the 7.45 a.m. and 5.15 p.m. departures from Manchester, with corresponding departures from London (Victoria Coach Station) at 8.30 a.m. and 4.45 p.m.
The new timetable includes five services each way throughout' the summer (with an additional one each way on Fridays and Sundays) which takes a little longer to complete the journey because of extra intermediate stops. By taking the first departure from either end, it will be possible to spend at least nine hours in London or Manchester, on a return fare of 38s. For example, the 7.45 a.m. from Manchester arrives at Victoria Coach Station at 1.15 p.m., whilst the last departure from London is I L341 p.m., giving one 101 hours in the capital.
Last Thursday 1 went along to watch the first coach on the new journey arrive at Victoria. It was at one minute to one (16 minutes early) that driver Ronnie Cook, of Manchester, swung his vehicle into the arrival bay at the station, after what he described as an uneventful journey. I asked him if the schedule was a tight one to keep, and if he had made a special effort to make record time, but he insisted it was just a routine trip comfortably completed. Certainly the passengers seemed quite satisfied. The only serious delay the .driver had encountered was a wide load which slowed up the coach for about 10 miles after coming off the M6.
Mr, Cook's coach was a duplicate vehicle, which actually set off from Manchester two minutes early, and stopped for a 30-minute refreshment and toilet stop at the " Blue Boar ". When they left this stop, the scheduled vehicle was also ready to leave, and its nonarrival at Victoria by 1.15 p.m. began (Above) The driving cab of the scheduled coach, with its carpet of glass.
to cause a little concern, Two minutes later the reason became clear, as the coach pulled into the station with its windscreen completely shattered. The driver, Mr. J. Crowther, explained that soon after joining the MI, and at a speed of about 65 m.p.h., the windscreen had "exploded like a bomb ". Fortunately the road was clear, and the driver was able to pull into the slow lane, and finally on to the hard shoulder, where Mr. Crowther satisfied himself that the passengers were all right. The glass had blown straight into the coach and showered upon the front passengers, but fortunately no one was hurt.
Allowing for the reduced speed necessitated by this incident, the arrival only two minutes behind schedule was very creditable. The passengers seemed none the worse for the experience, and were full of praise for the driver. To compete with the gale coming in the front of the vehicle, he had switched the airconditioning system over from cooling to heating, and I must say the passengers seemed very unruffled. However, this was not the first coach windscreen to shatter at speed, and i wonder if goggles should be part of the equipment for motorway drivers. The coaches used on the new services are part of a fleet of 30 Leyland Leopards with 49-seat Alexander coach bodies, and officially christened " Travelmasters " by the North Western company. Equipment includes a full air-conditioning system with fixed fixed windows and individual jet %.
F.K.M.
Rural Bus Experiments
AREAS in Lincolnshire and Westmorland have been selected by the Ministry of Transport for the first practical experiments in improving rural transport. This week, consultations have begun with local authorities, local organizations and bus operators to determine the exact nature of these experiments, The aim is to examine local travel facilities and any unmet needs in selected rural areas and to consider what improvements are needed and how best they can be secured. The Minister will consider any recommendations emerging from these consultations, but hopes that first priority will be given to practical experiments that could be put in hand at once within the present legal framework.
Most of the Westmorland area, and the whole of the Queolnshire area concerned were covered by a factual survey last year.