HOUSING AND SERVICING THE MOTOR COACH.
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Some Useful Notes on the Advanced Design and Equipment of Motor Coach Stations and Garages.
IN these rapidly moving times the novelty of to-clay is the common-place of to-morrow. The mistakes of the past serve their turn for the future to guide us into safe lines of action. Efficiency is the key-note to-day in the design and equipment of motor-coach garages mid stations; which terms are used in their more exclasive sense, " garage " to mean a temporary place of storage with any, or all, of the following facilities adjacent :—Washing, oil and petrol filling, conveniences for rapid inspection under the chassis, and means for carrying out adjustments anti light repairs, also heavier repairs if a central depot, operating for a group of garages, be not available, or if the maker's service depots be distant A coach " station " is taken to mean a terminal or calling point, as in the case of railways.
In considering questions relating to design and equipment it is essential to take note of a number of salient factors. One has to look as far ahead as possible and endeavour not to be too insular. The possibilities of motor coach and goods transport services appear to be immense, for it is difficult to see hew legislation can restrict any means which are likely to bring about a general lowering -of cost to manufacturers and the travelling public alike, despite the heavy vested interests of the railways, for it must be kept in mind that the duty of the Royal Commission appointed to investigate this question will be to keep the interests of the nation to the fore-front, and not the individual or any corporate body.
The Mammoth Machine of Motor Coaching.
With motor-coach services spreading their net over the whole country a mammoth machine is being set in motion 'which, gradually gathering momentum, must be adequately controlled, and this can only be achieved by organised and concerted action. Imagine a railway with trains owned by innumerable interests, and running times and maintenance arranged independently! Picture the chaos. A decided tendency already exists to pull together. However, neither this factor nor the possibility of restrictive legislation need deter private enterprise.
Now, there are two vital factors which will have a bearing c28
on the future pooling of interests: the design and the equipment of garages and stations, which brings us back to our starting point. For greatest efficiency, associated, or corporate bodies, must have everything alike, which evenincludes the type of vehicle, a third factor, about which something will be said later. Of course, this is a millennium which we cannot hope to attain under existing conditions. Nevertheless, something can be achieved and, if broad principles are adhered to by the individual, the chances are that be will find his possessions of greater value if he eventually becomes associated with other interests or wishes to sell outright. The question of garage and station design is, of course, a very big one and can be only lightly touched upon here. The present system of parking vehicles here, there and everywhere, with time limits in some cases, will soon become quite impossible and local authorities will want them "off the road," when at rest, at all centres; furthermore, with our inclement weather, outside parking will not cull favour with the travelling public.
What is the Ideal Coach Station ?
It seems fairly evident that the coach station will take as its prototype the railway station, complete with lowlevel platforms, booking offices, waiting-rooms, parcel, post and telegraph office, bookstall and buffet. Let it be hoped that these places will conform to the verve and brightness of the motor trade. According to local conditions, stations will be combined with garages or will be quite separate. In the former case, however, it will be necessary to arrange the garage quarters so as not to interfere with the station activities. The most central position possible is, of course, that desirable for a station, and the more central the position the more difficult will it he to acquire a suitable site.
Since the station will take up considerably less room than the garage, it will be as well to have the garage quite separate and, possibly, some distance away, unless, of course, the intention is to spread upwards. A further reason for having the garage separate is that the local restrictions will be more severe with the garage than with the station, and insurance would be higher in a central position than
outside. Agaj,p, it may be possible in the early stages to make use , of Iocal garaging facilities, at least until such time as the movement grows to a considerable extent and co-operation renders it essential to have spacious, centralized accommodation.
The station should have a free run in and out and, if possible, the entrance should be quite separate from the exit, the vehicles coming in at the rear, for example. If they cannot enter at the rear and the frontage is too narrow for a clear run in and out, whilst turning inside is impoSe sible, one or more turntables can be employed—they are not costly. To reverse in to permit driving out the right way, or the converse, is most undesirable.
In garage design and equipment `we have many important questions to consider. Design has taken on a new note and equipment has vastly improved. Firstly, are the vehicles to be kept on one floor or on several? Coach owners do not seem to favour any ramp system, lifts appear to be preferred. Another point related to design is whether to make the petrol and oil-filling equipment available to the motoring public. This decision must be controlled by several factors of the greatest • importance. If it be intended to build a combined garage and station and it be desired to give public service, the petrol-filling facilities will have to be remote from the station entrance, or exit, and will probably have to be in a side or back streets, for it is unlikely that the authorities will permit petrol filling where streams of people are to pass. Furthermore, the forthcoming Board of Trade Rules must be taken into consideration, for, under the new Act of Parliament, all apparatus utilized for selling petrol to the public must be of an approved pattern. We do not consider it advisable to try to cater for everybody.
The Desirable Layout and Equipment of a Coach Station.
We will now consider the layout and equipment of what is, probably, the most desirable scheme, to wit, the station situated centrally and the garage situated remotely if there be not room for it adjacent to the station. The station is a comparatively simple matter and we need not add more here to what has already been said, except, perhaps, that the space should be entirely covered in with a glass roof, or at least the platforms well planned and really ample artificial lighting provided for the dark hours.
It is important to make certain that there is ample headroom for the highest vehicle likely to be used. Possibly it will be necessary to garage a number of covered-in, doubledecker Mises with pneumatic tyres. This factor applies more particularly to the acquisition of existing premises, for it is a costly matter to have a substantial concrete floor torn up and lowered for the sake of only three inches. Have as few supports as possible ; this gives good free manceuvring space. In planning layout, keep in mind the " continuoussequence-of-events " method.; "in one end and out of the other." If the vehicle be not due for repair, let it go straight to the filling point for petrol. Usually, according
to local regulations, This has to be situated in the open. If allowed inside, so much the better, it appears that in districts under Liverpool's jurisdiction the nozzle must fit snug to the tank with a pipe to carry the vapour outside. If 25 gallons are required, the replenishment should not take more than 21 minutes. The vehicle then proceeds to the wash, which, being a comparatively slow service, will require say five minutes for a town vehicle and perhaps ten minutes for that on a country service. Oil is taken on board while the washers are working up from the rear. From here the vehicle may proceed to its berth, where it is leathered and polished according to circumstances.
A Practical Layout for Bays.
In considering the layout for bays, accessibility is the most important factor. The most effective system is doublestaggered lines with an avenue down the centre. A vehicle can then back out to the avenue and proceed ahead to the exit, or if a common entrance and exit be obligatory, four lines of vehicles can be arranged with an oval avenue.
In selecting an architect, it is vital to find one who has had previous experience in this work, because it is specialized and decidedly out of the usual architectural run. If it be possible to find an architect with specialized knowledge on equipment so much the better. A little money spent in this direction at the beginning may save much later. Now a word on fire brrteautions. The best-known fire insurance companies have fire surveyors in different districts who will carry out an examination and give an estimate for the premium. All things being equal, premiums will often vary with the location. Sprinkler systems may reduce the premium by between 12-i per cent. and 35 per cent. Local authorities will require a minimum number of fire-fighting appliances, as will the insurance people, but the requirements are not likely to vary much. These will be ; water facilities for wood, etc., and chemical and, possibly, foam apparatus for petrol and oil. The materials from which the building is constructed have an important bearing on premiums, and the use of best-quality fireresisting materials will pay for itself in the long tem.
One of the difficulties of to-day relates to not being able to guarantee seats on a return service, except at a specified time. With national terminal stations and garages in constant communication, with spare vehicles to hand, run under an organized system, extra coaches can be brought out, much. in the manner a railway company attaches an extra carriage to an overf till train. Furthermore, breakdowns can be efficiently catered for and all vehicles can be taken out of service at freeuent periods for minor examinations.