New Light-weight Double-deckers
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SOME interesting double-deck bus bodies for London Transport are under construction at the Addlestone, Surrey, works of MetropolitanCammell-Weymann Motor Bodies, Ltd., 12 of them being mounted upon A.E.C. Regent oil-engined chassis and the other two upon A.E.C. Q-type petrolengined chassis.
The Regent vehicles are 48-seaters of low-height construction, with Sunsaloon front sliding doors, whilst the others are 56-seaters with central entrances provided with G. D. Peters double pneumatically operated sliding doors. The latter buses are of normal height, but all are of the well-known patent M.-C.-W. all-metal construction.
Dealing first with the 48-seaters, opposite the front entrance is a wide, straight staircase, which gives access directly to the sunken off-side gangway in the upper saloon. The staircase is of particularly safe design, the bottom tread being over 30 ins, by about 11 ins., whilst the other treads are slightly narrower.
The body crossbearers are slightly cranked in the centre to provide a low gangway, so that adequate headroom may be maintained, although the vehicle is only 13 ft. if in. high overall, unladen.
The floor slopes upwards under the seats, which have Accles and Pollock steel-tube frames. Although each double seat weighs only 25 lb., it is of substantial pattern and provides adequate comfort. Dunlop latex upholstery iq used for the cushions and rubberized hair for the back squabs. The seat covering is moquette, with hide trimming.
On the off side of the lower saloon are four transverse double seats, behind which is a longitudinal seat for two persons over the wheel-arch, followed by two more double transverse seats. The seating plan on the near side is similar, except that one of the transverse seats at the front is omitted on account of the position of the door. The lower-deck emergency exit is in the centre of the rear panel. The most impressive feature of the upper saloon is its spaciousness, there being 43 ins, between most of the seat backs, whilst the gangway is wide. This dimension may, at first sight, appear to be excessive, but as the seats, which are in alternate banks of three and four, are all on the near side, ample room is necessary to permit of easy access and exit.
The row of seats in front of the staircase accommodates three persons, whilst the rear bank is for five.
Careful attention has been paid to ventilation, the Beclawat half-drop windows being supplemented by louvres and Colt devices. The Equipment and Engineering destination and route indicators are all operated from within the vehicle.
Extensive use has been made of light metals, as is witnessed by the fact that a body weight of 2 tons 14 cwt. has been obtained without sacrificing strength. The vehicle turns the scale at 6 tons 16 cwt. 1 qr., whilst a full complement of passengers, driver and conductor raise this figure to 9 tons 18 cwt. 1 qr.
The specification of the Q-type vehicles is largely similar, but the seat
ing plans are different. The wide central staircase turns towards the rear through an angle of slightly more than 00 degrees.
In the lower saloon there is a longitudinal seat for five persons over the engine on the off side, behind the driver's cab, whilst on the other side of the gangway are two transverse double seats. Behind the staircase are four transverse double seats on each side.
In the upper saloon there are three facing-forward double seats in front of the staircase on each side, whilst on the near side there is a single transverse seat and a double facing-forward seat beside the staircase well. The remaining seating consists of two "doubles" on each side of the gangway and a full row at the back for five persons.
It has not yet been decided on what route the two Q-type buses will work, although there is no question of their being operated on Green Line services. The Regents have been specially designed and will operate on the ReigateBromley route, via Redhill, Godstone, Oxted and I,Vesterham. The low bridges at Oxted have, up to the present, compelled the use of open-top doubledeckers.