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EDINBURGH'S BUSES
By J. D. McLintock VISUALIZE a graph of the operating expenses of Edinburgh Corporation's buses from 1919 to the present day. Across the top are the years which included boom, slump and the Six Years'. War. Down the left-hand side are units of money from £70,000 to £500,000. The black
silhouette representing operating costs rises from left-hand bottom corner to top right-hand, steep and jagged like the city's Castle Rock. Peaks jut upwards in 1922 and 1939, and the shadow stretches upwards in 1946 and disappears off the page.
Above the dark profile, however, is a hovering black line, which represents total receipts for each year. It is good to see that the line almost follows the contour of the black cliff. True, it starts off dangerously near it, and actually touches it at 1925; it also flirts with the expenditure shadow in 1936, and appears to be drawing near it as they both go off the picture in 1946. But, as graphs go, and as business goes, the picture is a most satisfactory one, reflecting great credit on the transport department of the Royal Burgh.
There might be some who would immediately say: " Ah. yes, but look at the luck that Edinburgh has had. No blitz, not much seizing of transport for this and that, and precious little alteration of industry or population." They would be only half-right. They would not know, perhaps that the number of passengers per mile increased by a third during the war; that more people were travelling in fewer buses over less mileage; that the staff was less expert; and that not only were old buses kept on when they should have been renewed, but that new vehicles were practically unobtainable.
They would be producing one or two excellent fortuitous reasons why Edinburgh has kept its head above water during the war, without giving it credit for sound finance at all times and first-classmanagement in administration and engineering.
If a fleet looks right, it usually is right, and the Auld Reekie buses look right. They are smart and clean in their maroon and white, and go about their business smoothly and efficiently, often in spite of what must be considered fair age. Of the 194 buses, 94 are oilermined double-deckers, comprising 67 Daimler, two A.E.C., one Leyland, one Bristol and 23 Guy_ Singledeckers number 100, there being 20 I3edfords, 77 Daimler oilers, two Tilling-Stevens and one Bristol (all oil). Sixty double-deck and 20 single-deck buses are on order; of this total, 10 Guys and 10 Daimler chassis are at the depot, but bodies are still being built.
The oldest vehicle in the fleet is a 1932 Daimler single-decker, which has completed 522,000 miles. The newest is one of the recently acquired 12 Guy Arab double-deckers, of which the department speaks highly.
s32 As regards operation, figures read easier than words. and there is much information awaiting translation from t h e accompanying diagrams. It is worth mentioning additionally that scholars' permits are available for children up to 16 These allow travel during school sessions over any distance in one tram or bus for d. Transfer tickets can also be obtained on the permit, for broken journeys. In the past year 4,608 such permits were issued.
Other tokens give cheap travel to sports grounds and for apprentices attend ing technical colleges in the evening. Free passes can be obtained by blind persons and ex-Servicemen who have lost a leg in either war. Of these, 1,204 and 270 respectively were issued last year.
At the end of 1920, combined revenue for buses and trams was £510,600. By May of 1946 it was £1,724.071.
In the same period, passengers increased from 79,000,000 to 265,000.000, which is equivalent to 564 jonneys per annum for each member of the population. Mileage run increased from 5,750,000 to 20,000,000.
Edinburgh is, of course, proud of its trams. They are efficient, well kept and still economically sound.
That is why they are retained. Eventually they will go the way of all trams, but until then they share with the buses the glory of an efficient transport system.
Buses were introduced as a complement to trams in 1919, when 12 were put on the road. The first service was between Abbeyhill and Ardmillan Terrace. Now there are 21 services operating over 20 routes and
covering 72 miles. Buses of the • Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., also operate in the city, but there is an agreement in force as to fares and routes.
The fleet had increased to 215 by 1939, but was down to 185 buses during the war and now numbers 194.
The main reason for the operation of 100 singledeckers is that there is a number of low bridges which cannot, apparently, be made higher because of drainage problems. A plea to lower the roads at such places is being pressed.
Coach tours, popular before the war, were discontinued during hostilities, but have now been resumed on a limited scale and will be extended next year. Each tour lasts about 1 hrs. and costs Is. 6d. Comfortably and cheaply, the Sassenach and the provincial Scot may see the interests and beauties of Duddin,gston Loch. Craigmillar Castle, R. L. Stevenson's country, Hunter's Tryst, Fetes College, Corstorphine Zoo, and many
other places. ' • Edinburgh Castle can be reached by the ordinary buses from Princes Street and all central parts.
Fares on the buses were increased just after the war
started, because of reduced revenue and inflated costs, .and .to allow for deferred maintenance. The present minimum and maximum fares are 14d. and Md. respectively, the latter offering a maximum'of 11 miles' travel.
Traffic peaks are between 8.30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4.30 p m. and 6 p.m. Industrial traffic does not predominate in the Royal Burgh. There are biscuit factories, a large rubber company, many printing houses and the industry of Leith Docks, but none is a giantscale enterprise.
There is no bus station, neither are there many bus shelters. Supply and demand, it is considered, are sufficiently fluid for a bus station to be regarded as unnecessary. The provision of shelters is being considered.
Mr Robert McLeod, M.Inst.T., transport manager, favours 8-ft.-wide buses, but so complicated are the formalities involved in putting them on the road, and such is the difficulty of obtaining them from the manufacturers, that he does not expect them to be put into service in great numbers.
A Large Size in Garages
The central garage of the undertaking, where considerable running repairs are done, is on the site of the old Industrial Hall, originally built for exhibitions, etc. This the department purchased in 1926 and extended. The present area is about three acres, all under one roof. A site for a new garage has been obtained in the Stenhouse area, but a long time may elapse before this is built. However, the existing garage is a fine, large building and meets present demands.
In the garage—so big that the far end seems misty— there is continual activity. Buses come and go, to and from their carefully marked-out bays. Just before peaks there is always a big exodus, and just after peaks a corresponding influx. Away from the bays, to one side, are the pits, in groups of three, with sunken
benches. Minor overhauls and running maintenance are always going on. Tyres, and even springs, are changed There are a degreaser and a Stream-Line oil reclaimer. At the other side of the garage is the pumpcalibration room, with a normal layout.
This garage, reminiscent almost of a hangar, is, in spite of its size, kept reasonably warm by a steamheating system and complementary unit heaters.
The method of refuelling is novel. From the bulk tanks, fuel is pumped up to metering rooms just below the roof and above the main entrance. From there it is piped out across the roof to points above the refuelling bays marked on the ground. Six hoses, suspended from the pipelines, take fuel down to filler-cap level. The metering staff in its " aerie " knows just what is going on, for each bus has its number in large letters on its roof. All major jobs are done at Shrubhill
engineering depot. It is here that is shown the great advantage given to the bus fleet by the existence of a machine shop equipped also for tramway maintenance. Machine tools include a Churchill cylinder grinder, two Ward turret lathes, six centre lathes, four Archdale drilling machines, two wheel lathes (enormous instruments), two shaping machines, a brass finisher, a universal milling machine, an automatic pin machine, a brake refacer, and two hydraulic presses, one of 50 tons and the other of 100 tons. Most have self-contained drive.
To. attempt to enumerate all the jobs that can be done, and have been done, with such equipment would be too big an order. The following is a short list of parts that have been made: Gudgeon, camshaft and spring-shackle bushes; engine-mounting bolts; brakegear fork ends; starting-handle bushes; water pipes; cylinder-head studs; throttle brackets; hub oil-retaining rings; body support brackets; selector shafts, and valve inserts.
Complete water pumps have also been made and various radiator parts cast. Casting, forging and welding are well within the scope of the shops, and work in all non-ferrous metals is done on a fair scale'. Remetalling and stelliting are common tasks. In fact, as much work is done as possible to make the big machines pay their way.
The unit repair shops have their own machines, including a Newton line-borer and big-end tool, Van Dorn Valvemaster, a connecting-rod aligner and a machine not usually seen—a valve-spring balancer.
There is also an I.C.I. hot degreaser. .
Maintenance is called for, in addition, by automatic ticket machines, and six men are kept constantly busy maintaining about 30 machines a day. Spares arc difficult to obtain. Also at Shrubhill are the body and repaint shops, large in extent because trarns have to receive attention as well as buses. There is a staff of nearly 200 on body work. The labour problem has, to all intents and purposes, resolved itself, but there are still grave shortages of materials, such as.timber, glass and steel.
Maintenance is carried out on the mileage basis. At 15,000 miles there is a general examination and checkover, with whatever small replacements and adjustments may be necessary. At 30,000 miles comes a top and bottom overhaul, including ienewal of rings and 'whatever else may be necessary. Another examination and check takes place at 45,000 miles, similar to that at 15,000.
An additional 15,000 miles brings the mileage to 60,000, when a semi-overhaul takes place, with the replacement, in most cases, of cylinder blocks by rebored units. Blocks are bored to 0.030 in. in the first instance and further wear is counteracted by fitting liners. Thus, a stock of standard and 0.030-in, oversize pistons can be held.
From 60,000 to 120,000 miles the various stages are repeated, the latter mileage demanding a complete overhaul. All individual components are numbered and a careful record is kept of their histories.
Body Overhauls Attempts are made to coincide the body overhaul with the main vehicle overhaul, but opinion is not firm on this matter, and, indeed, it is difficult to see how coincidence can always be desirable or, for that matter. possible.
Over and above all the foregoing, there are overnight docks of 15-20 vehicles at a time for minor checking.
It has been stated that the fleet is smartly turned out. This is largely due to the well-organized washing system, by which .the whole fleet passes through the wash each night and is thoroughly cleaned inside and out. For the exterior bodywork, special brushes are used of the type in which water passes through the long, tubular handles to the perforated mops. Mains pressure is sufficient, being unusually high in Edinburgh. The department mixes up its own liquid soap solution in bulk.
Edinburgh Corporation transport department, then, can be said to be run with foresight and efficiency_ Nevertheless, it is anxious to improve its .serviceto the citizens of the Royal Burgh, and it looks forward to the time when it may implement its plans for progressive reorganization.