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Notable Ideas in
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BODYWORK AT THE SHOW
Considerable Progress in Methods of Constructing Bodies for Goods and Passenger Vehicles is Revealed by the Show. Numerous Novel Features on View. Stand Numbers are Given in This Report in Parentheses
THE outstanding feature of the bodywork displayed at Olympia is the finish and equipment of the double-deckers, which are to be seen on a larger number of stands than at the previous Commercial Motor Show. One is painted white and another, which had to make a long journey by road, had its delicately toned paintwork entirely covered with a wood framework panelled in fabric so that it might reach Olympia in as spotless a condition as possible. This huge rigid-framed dust cover had a door to the driver's cabin and an opening made at the back to form a window.
It is evident that the designer of the double-decker has not only made him self fully acquainted with the details of the Road Traffic Act Regulations, but in many instances he has also striven to see how much novelty he may introduce and still keep within the law. A tour of the stands reveals the fact that the staircase may lead to the off or near side, it may be at the back or front, or even two staircases may be adopted.
Such a revolution in staircase design naturally has its effect on the arrangement of the seating plan of both the upper and lower saloons. The ratio of the accommodation of the two decks varies considerably, as also does the number of seats on the near and off sides.
Much ingenuity has been exercised in devising emergency exits. For the upper saloon, probably the hinged back window is the most favoured pattern. Although the window which is hinged on its bottom edge has its advocates, the claims of a window hinged at the top should not be overlooked, because it ban the advantage that, if accidentally unfastened, it does not fly open, but only hangs loose.
There are also emergency exits to the upper saloon, consisting of front, back and off-side doors.
The lower-saloon emergency exit is, as a rule, a large off-side door immediately behind the front bulkhead, and again the regulations governing the size of gangway leading to the exit have been interpreted in a liberal spirit.
A minor feature of the double-decker is that several vehicles are equipped with lockers for the disposal of used tickets.
Cleanliness Facilitated.
The high quality of the interior finish of the buses shown two years ago did not appear to leave much scope for additional refinements. Nevertheless, improvements have been made and in most instances the interior is easier to keep dean.
Fittings of stainless steel, chromium plate and Doverite have been efreely adopted, and the roofs of both saloons have inside panels. Leather cloth is much used as a lining material. An opening roof for the upper saloon has for some time past been tested under severe conditions and examples of this variety of double-decker are to be seem A double-decker having several novel
features that shown by John 0. Beadle, Ltd. (77), and mounted on a T.S.M. chassis. It has a wide front entrance4e with a sliding door leading immediately to the staircase. In the upper saloon there is a triple off-side seat in front of the staircase well.
The other top seats consist of seven double seats on the near side and five similar seats on the off side, with a single seat in the off-side rear corner ; this allows the centre gangway to be increased in width in order to give free access to the emergency exit with its sunk step. This door is hinged along Its top edge and, when opened, automatically brings from its recess a rear ladder.
The lower saloon of this Beadle double-decker (for Walsall Corporation) also has a back emergency door, but it is hinged in the normal manner and is on the near side. There are single seats at the wheel-arch position, also in the near-side back corner of the lower saloon.
New Staircase Arrangement.'
Another etaircase innovation is to be found on the stand of Duple Bodies and Motors, Ltd. (74). Mounted on a Dennis Lance chassis, with an exterior almost entirely painted white, this 54seater double-decker has a near-side straight staircase. The off side of the hind platform being thus left free, it is utilized for placing a unique design of back seat in the lower saloon.
This double seat is enclosed with a window on the gangway side and back, whilst it overhangs the step leading from the platform to the lower saloon.
The Duple straight staircase leads to an upper saloon where there are four rows of seats on the near side and eight on the off side, with .a back seat for five persons; this extend a the full width. In the lower saloon there are five pairs of seats forward of the staircase, a triple lengthwise seat opposite the• staircase enclosure and the back seat already described. Another straight, wide staircase, this time on the off side, is to be found on the Thornycroft 50-seater exhibited by Ransomes, Sims and deffriee, Ltd. (27). A raised landing is formed at the back of the rear platform, thus reducing the main ascent. Plenty of room is left for the staircase and the gangway beside it on the tipper deck, because only double seats are placed on the off side. The rear staircase of the English Electric 55-seater trolley-bus (53) is more or less of conventional design, but the front staircase which leads from a top off-side landing to the near-side entrance with folding door is most compactly arranged.
In the upper saloon there is room for a triple seat in front of the staircase well, also two rows of single seats on the off side. In the lower saloon of this imposing trolley-bus there is a double seat against the staircase facing the rear. The cross gangway here leads to the lower-saloon emergency exit.
A double-decker with the wheelarches almost level with the lowersaloon waist rails is sure to attract attention. This is the Gilford 56-seater front-wheel-drive low-loading bus (105) with a Wycombe body. The engine casing projects into the lower saloon. On each side of this casing there is a double seat against the bulkhead, facing to the rear.
There is also an unusual arrangement of seats at the rear of the lower saloon. On the off side, a triple lengthwise seat is placed against the wheel-arch, beyond which point there is an emergency door. On the near side, by the wheel-arch, there are two rows of single seats inclined towards the central gangway.
The tubular-framed seats of the top saloon are really comfortable in spite of the absence of the orthodox springing. Another novel feature is the upper-deck emergency exit. This is in the off hind corner, and as the cover is rounded, so also is the door.
A Smart Crossley.
The 50-seater oil-engined doubledecker on the Crossley stand (104) has a tasteful colour scheme, with walnut grained main panelling and a gold waist rail with red mouldings.
On the Dennis stand (63) and mounted on a Lance chassis there is a 48-seater all-metal double-deck bus body of special construction. This body has been built by Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage Wagon and Finance Co., Ltd.; it is designed so that the steel sheeting which forms the inner casing is riveted to the metal framing members in order to give structural strength.
The outer panelling is secured by wood screws in a manner which permits of easy replacement in the event of damage. The floor crossbars are of mild-§teel channel and the vertical pillars are of flanged box section and formed from solid drawn tube.
The 55-seater double-deck body exhibited by the Brush Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd. (52), and mounted on an A.E.C. Regent chassis has been built for Walsall Corporation. Tha easily negotiated staircase gives access to a large top landing. The upper saloon has a pronounced vee front. 'There are six rows of seats on the off side of the upper saloon and nine rows on the near side, the back seat being a single one. The emergency rear window is hinged on the bottom.
The lower saloon has five pairs of seats facing forwards and a pair of triple lengthwise seats over the wheelarches.
The Floating Dash.
A really practical job has been made of the floating dash of the 52-seater double-deck body shown by Park Royal Coachworks, Ltd. (20), and mounted on a Daimler C.H.6 chassis. The half. dropwindows are of the Beelawat pattern, over which glass louvres are fitted. The interior display is most attractive. The internal fittings are of black Doverite and chromium plate, the mouldings and fillets are of polished walnut and the lining panels are covered with seratchproof Rexine. The front of the body is bow-shaped, which blends well with the rounded front to the driver's cab and gives it a distinctive appearance. This bus has been built for Newcastle Corporation.
The Invincible 51-seater doubledecker shown by Guy Motors, Ltd. (33), has been built entirely by that concern. The special features of the 24seater lower saloon are the off-side emergency exit, and the design of the window framework of the front bulkhead, the bottom line of which forms a double curve.
A double-decker of all-metal construction is to be seen on the stand (22) of Short Bros. (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd. This 49-seater body, mounted on a Morris-Commercial chassis, has a main framing of duralumin. In order to facilitate maintenance the exterior aluminium panels are screwed to wood packing pieces fixed to the faces of the box-sectioned pillars. This bus has a straight staircase.
Off-side gangways to the upper saloon are to be found on the Thornycroft 51seater built by Strachans (Acton), Ltd. (46), also on the Guy six-wheeled trolley-bus shown by the manufacturer.
An opening roof to the upper Saloon is to be seen on the Maudslay stand (37), where the 52-seater Majestic bus has "a Dodson body with a Plein-Azur sliding roof. Park Royal Coachworks, Ltd., shows a Dennis 48-seater has a Sunsaloon sliding roof.
For front-entrance siiigle-deckers the emergency back door at the end of the central gangway is as much in favour as the off-side exit. This, however, is not always behind the wheel-arch, but is sometimes to be found also opposite the entrance. When the main entrance is at the rear the emergency exit is almost invariably an off-side front one.
Quite a new feature is the provision. of special exits to the driver's cab.
The emergency exit takes the form of a near-side window hinged on its bottom edge, and such is provided both on single and double-deckers. This is an Auster fitment.
With regard to luggage accommodation the roof is still the favoured posit*. The roof container is more elegantly shaped than formerly. Much improvement has been effected in the design of inside parcels racks. The underside of the racks is sometimes used as d lighting panel, and the supporting brackets may form a useful part of the framework reinforcement.
Au unusual variety of colour schemes is dis,played on the stand (75) of F. W. Plaxton. The Gilford 26-seater coach has grey main panels, a yellow belt panel, light blue upper parts and reef, and darker-blue mouldings and wings. The Maudsiay 26-seater coach, which has a Simsaloon roof, is painted green, whilst the upper parts and roof are coloured cream.
The Karrier 32-seater service bus has ivory panels, and upper parts and roof painted red with black mouldings and which wings. All three colour schemes are examples of cellulose finish.
These three Plaxton single-deckers have also an interesting variation of seating plan and disposal of doorways. The Gilford coach has a front entrance with the emergency exit immediately opposite. Between these doors there is an unusually large circulating area. There are four double seats on the near side and five on the off side. Behind these seats is one, placed centrally, for three persons with a gangway on each side of it leading to the back seat.
With the Maudslay coach the Plaxton body has a front and rear near-side door, as well as one in front on the off side.
The Karrier bus has a rear entrance with the emergency exit diagonally opposite. There are triple seats_ over the wheel-arches and, opposite the entrance, an off-side seat the same length.
A special feature of the Morris-CornmerciarDictator 32-seater coach shown by Midland Light Bodies, Ltd. (79), is the three-tier skeleton parcels tray which is placed opposite the front entrance.
The Bristol 32-seater service bus shown by Herbert E. Taylor, Ltd. (55), is an excellent example of Eaton bodywork. The front entrance has been
carefully designed. -ine door is hung on a continuous hinge and gives a large opening, because it shuts obliquely
across the entrance. When open it lies against the bulkhead.
The Eaton body of the Gilford 30seater coach has a Sunsaloon all-metal sliding roof and Widney-Stuart halfdrop windows. The roof does not project beyond the windscreen, but is flush, thus forming a streamline front. This style of front is repeated with the bus just described.
Apart from this distinctive feature, the cab has a Leveroll adjustable seat, and the off-side window is hinged on its bottom edge, thus forming an emergency exit.
A useful luggage rack is placed in the near-side hind corner of the Leyland 31-seater bus which is to be seen on the stand of Park Royal Coachworks, Ltd. It has a doorless front entrance and a seat for three persons, immediately opposite, faces the rear.
A striking colour scheme has been adopted for the A.E.C. Regal 30-seater coach shown by H. V. Burlingham, Ltd. (51). The panels are cream and the belt panel and wings yellow. The roof and upper back panel are black, and there is a corner panel extending for the full height of the body, also painted black. The roof has sliding sections.
Another Burlingham exhibit is a Leyland 20-seater coach. The interior is luxuriously finished. The seats have head-rests and well-raked cushions. There are parcels racks on each side, with diffused-lighting panels below, whilst the garnish rail is fully padded.
J. Heaver (78) has on view a 20seater all-weather coach incorporating a Reo chassis. As the roof is not fixed the opportunity has been taken for reducing the headroom as allowed by the regulations.
A special feature of the Commer 20seater coach with bodywork by Messrs. D. and E. Petty (107) is the mechanical operation of the front sliding door. This is easily controlled from the driving seat and the connecting mechanism is under the floor.
Thos. Harrington, Ltd. (31), has an attractive display, of three' vehicles. There is a Daimler 30-seater coach with a well-rounded back and .a toe to the front pillar. A. Guy 32seater has recessed nameboards in the side roof panels and a built-in type of luggage carrier on the saloon back. The third exhibit is a Thornyeroft 30-seater bus.
A novelty in general design is the T.S.M. 32-seater coach on the stand of Arlington Motor Co. (21). The super structure of the forward-control cab is quite separate from the sloping vee front of the main saloon. This _coach has a front sliding door and it conforms with a unique pattern of side turnunder. The belt panel is curved outwards and the panel below is shaped to a return curve.
With the Guy 26-seater bus shown by W. Mumford, Ltd. (19), the seating has been arranged so that all the passengers face forwards, and by raising the seats on a platform on each side of the gangway wheel-arches have been avoided. This concern also has on view a 1Villys 20-seater bus.
There are two well-designed vehicles exhibited by Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Co., Ltd. (47). The special features of the Albion 32-seater coach are the comfortable seating and luggage accommodation. The Albion 20seater bus is of lightweight design and has an efficient system of ventilation.
London Lorries, Ltd. (56), has on view two coaches equipped with the well-known Plein Azur flexible sliding roof. One is a Morris-Commercial 32passenger coach with interior roof luggage accommodation, and the other vehicle is based on a Maudslay chassis and has 28 seats. On the stand of Grose, Ltd. (28), there is a well-designed 20-seater allweather coach body on a Commer chassis. Of the two passenger vehicles displayed by Waveney Co., Ltd. (95), one is a 20-seater Sunsaloon coach having a Commer chassis. The sliding door is set bads opposite the second row of seats.
Admiration for the passenger vehicle must not allow the visitor to overlook the progress which has been made in the design of vans and lorries. There are many novelties in cab construction.
Many light delivery vans are shown and the general impression is that much care has been exercised to ensure an artistic and well proportioned outline. The van with its loading portion extended over the cab is now a wellestablished pattern.
The forward-control cab of the furniture van mounted on a Morris-Commercial Leader chassis and made by Midland Light Bodies, Ltd. (79), should be noted. It has a large door on each side, with winding windows, and there is a pair of tip-up seats facing one another on the near side of the engine casing. On the other side the driver has a comfortable seat with a shaped back.
Amongst the other examples of goodscarrying bodywork shown by this concern is a Morris-Commercial 4-ton plat. form lorry with stakes and chains.
The boxvan body fitted to a MorrisCommercial 3-ton Leader chassis by Normand Garage, Ltd. (49), has several constructional novelties.. The loading portion has a central gangway, and on each side there are sloping skeleton racks suitable for carrying goods made up in cartons. Here also are sloping runners equipped with removable trays, whilst at the back is a pair of bread trays.
The central gangway is accessible from the driving compartment by means
of a hinged door. The folding back step is spring loaded, and when it is 4! down " a red lamp is lit in front of the J158
driver. The interior of the van is ventilated by means of an air chute at the top of the partition. This body is Panelled in aluminium-covered plywood.
A Luton-type van is exhibited by G. Scatnmell and Nephew, Ltd. (91), incorporating a Dennis 2-ton forward-control chassis. This special body is mounted to give a low loading line, and has been built for the Gas Light and Coke Co. The body sides are of aluminium-faced Plymax and are continued below the floor level and curved inwards. The cab is separate from the loading portion and the Leon extension al3ove it is carried on felt strips. The large-capacity Luton-van body fitted to a Dennis 2-ton forward-control chassis by R.E.A.L. Carriage Works, Ltd., has several unusual features. The general outline is shapely. The lower corner of the Luton front is pointed, as also is the bottom of the front pillar of the body. The sides are extended below the top of the chassis. The body is panelled in one continuous length of waterproof ply some 19 ft long, and there is a broad moulding at the waistline.
The cab of this Luton-type body has a door on each side extending for the full length of the cab. There is a tip-up seat on the near side and the driver is accommodated on an adjustable Leveroll
seat. Above these seats there is a single folding sleeping bunk, which, when not in use, forms a padded headrest for the occupants of the cab. The Durtunin Engineering Co., Ltd. (54), shows an all-metal insulated van body mounted on an A.E.C. chassis. It may be used for carrying fromen or freshly killed meat or for the transport of livestock. The second exhibit is a Leyland van for carrying bottled milk ih crates. It is constructed entirely from duralumin structural sections and is panelled with aluminium. Of unusual interest is the travellers' showroom saloon, built by W. and T. Robson, Ltd. (71), on a Morris-Commercial chassis. When on the road with the roof closed the vehicle has the appearance of an ordinary saloon, On arrival at a customer's premises the roof is raised, giving the necessary headroom for the salesman and client
Carter, Paterson and Co., Ltd. (67), shows a detachable-container lorry with cab and tray on an Albion chassis, also a Thorny-croft 2i-ton brewer's van. This has hinged sides opening at the waist line, and the back is enclosed by means of four detachable iron rods.
Spurting Motor Bodies, Ltd. (99), shows an excellent range of goods-carrying bodywork. There is a Bedford 2-ton drop-sided lorry, also an end-tipping lorry, a boarded tilt van and a marketgardener's van, all mounted on Chevrolet 30-cwt. chassis.
A two-horse box embodying all the latest improvements, and mounted on a Bedford chassis, is shown by Vineents, of Reading (45). The Hammond-type two-stall horsebox with bodywork by Strachans (Acton), Ltd., has a groom's compartment with two side windows with lower sliding panels. There is a cupboard on each side under the mangers, also twb comfortable armchairs.
Eccles Motor Caravans, Ltd. (93), has a fine display, including a Chevrolet dual-purpose horsebox and lorry, a Bedford horsebox for, two animals and a two-wheeled trailer having similar accommodation.
Several new ideas are incorporated in the combined livestock lorry and farmer's all-purpose wagon, which is designed to conform with the regulations concerning the transit of animals. The Studebaker Pierce-Arrow chassis is well adapted for this variety of bodywork, which has been built by Herbert E. Taylor and Co., Ltd. As a livestock lorry it holds four bullocks. The loading ramp has a sheetmetal guard, which ensures that the surface of the ramp and lorry floor shall be continuous. The floor forms a gentle curve from front to back. By this means the wheel-arches are eliminated and the floor is effectively drained. The protecting sides of the ramp are of improved design. They are fixed, and when the ramp is closed they are outside the body.
The slatted top of this lorry is detachable, and the hinged sides are removable, but there is always a fixed top rail or cant-rail and cross-ribs available for supporting a waterproof sheet. The cattle truck incorporating a Guy chassis, and shown by J. H. Jennings and Son, Ltd. (110), is a dual-purpose vehicle for livestock transport and general use. The top deck is easily detachable, or each half can be folded against the side of the body.