“Country Lorry” Services.

In the successful combating of road competition, the Great Western Railway is an acknowledged leader. This line was one of the first to realise how rapidly road transport was destined to expand, and in addition to being the pioneer of railwayowned road motor vehicles, the Great Western has probably advanced more than any other system in the direction of acquiring financial and working interests in the leading road transport undertakings.

Apart from the ordinary town collection and delivery services by road motor, the Great Western operates a most successful “railhead distribution” service, to which previous reference has been made in these pages; and an elaborate interlinked “country lorry” service, under which remote villages are given daily road connection with the railway. “Country lorry” services are now established at 115 centres, while a number of special page 23 collection services for milk have been inaugurated in the West Country, in one case involving the collection of 7,000 gallons per day from 600 scattered farms. In the city collection and delivery services, the Great Western have largely replaced horses by nine horse-power petrol tractors, running on three wheels. These have proved most economical, and exceptionally convenient for movement in congested streets and works premises.