A Colliery Company's Transport Service for its Employees
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TN the most recent issue of the Thornycroft Magazine," the works organ of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., of Basingstoke, appears an article dealing with an interesting phase of the transport activities of Hannchwood Collieries, Ltd., of Nuneaton, of which concern Mr. E. W. Cobbin'is the transPort manager.
It was in 1924 that the company decided to purchase a number of buses to convey its workmen to and from their jobs. Various makes of chassis were tested, the final selection being in favour of Thornycrofts. Five solid-tyred
JB long chassis were ordered, and these were equipped with special 50-seater single-deck bodie4. These vehicles were put into operation in August, 1924, running, over various routes, including some of the worst roads in the district.
The buses became so popular with the workmen that it isms decided to purchase two more vehicles. As the first five were giving good service, the order again went to Thornycrofts, but this time pneumatic tyres were specified. The two newcomers were used on the long-distance service (10 miles from the pit), owing to their superior speed The provision of buses to bring a large number of men from the outlying districts to work in the company's pits had proved such a success that it was decided to change the whole fleet to faster pneumatic-tyred vehicles. Again several makes were tested over the various routes negotiated, with the result that the Thornycroft BC forward model was chosen for the service. With this new fleet, which is shown in an accompanying illustration, the company
has been able to speed up the services considerably, and now it is possible to do one long run and one short run in the time it formerly took to do only a single trip.
Up to date the buses have covered, in the aggregate, 520,000 miles, carrying approximately 650 men daily, without a man losing a single minute's work through delay. Breakdowns have been entirely absent. Some of the buses have run 30,000 miles to 40,000 miles without the need for expending a single penny for repairs, renewals or tyres.
The bodies are equipped with woodenlath seats, but these are quite comfortable and, in the colder weather, tho men coming out of the pit appreciate an agreeably warm conveyance to carry them home. On return to the garage the vehicles are cleaned out and die.infected ready for the .next shift.
In exchange for a weekly fare, which works out at about three-eighths of a penny per mile, each man receives a ticket, stamped with the shift on which he is working. The services are run to a time-table,