Tower of strength at Blackpool
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Regularly updating and developing, always on the look out for new business, Noel Wilier believes that Duple will stay Dominant by name and nature in the UK bus market
BLACKPOOL has been associated with coaches and coachbuilding since the first charabanes took day trippers from Northern industrial cities to breathe in the ozone.
Today it is not only a traditional destination for almost every coach in the country at least once a year, it is also the home of one of Britain's largest producers of coach bodies.
Duple Coachbuilders Ltd is the descendant of Duple Bodies and Motors Ltd which was founded in London just after the first war. The name Duple derives from the type of bodies originally built — dual purpose ones that enabled a touring car to be changed into a small lorry in less than 30 minutes by simply swopping bodies.
Today, life is not that simple and the bodies serve a variety of needs as diverse as the passenger transport industry itself.
Since 1960 Duple has been a major employer in Blackpool where the current coach range is produced. Designed by Duple's technical director John Ruddy, the present Dominant range is one of the most comprehensive in the history of the company. Introduced as the Dominant 1 in 1972, it marked a departure for Duple. It had an all-steel load bearing frame with body pillars pitched closer than in previous designs to increase tensional stiffness of the body.
Since the Dominant 1 was introduced it has been subject to constant improvement and four years later was complemented by the successful Dominant 2. A
higher-floor version known as the Goldliner was developed in 1975, but such was the success of the Dominant range it never needed to go into production.
Since the introduction of the Dominant range, Duple at Blackpool have grown stronger and have been able to work to capacity producing about 1,100 coaches a year.
But the speed and depth of the current recession hasn't by passed Duple — the Blackpool coachbu i Id i ng company has been forced to make some re dundancies, and at present production is restricted to only three days a week.
Despite this, during a recent visit to the company I found no sense of despondency. Indeed, the latest Mark 3 and 4 versions of the Dominant have been ss well received by the industr there's a feeling of confidenci about the future. ,
, As a matter of policy, Dupl, decided not to exhibit at thi year's National Exhibitio, Centre Motor Show and insteai invested in three of its ow, Duple minishows up and dow, the country.
Duple invited its customers dealers, suppliers, and potentis customers to display the nev enlarged body range and sinc these shows has reported a, upsurge in orders.
The Dominant 3 and 4 rang are both eye-catching an controversial. They are speciall designed with a minimum c side mould!ng to enabl operators to take advantage c the more adventurous liverie now fashionable.
With free competition now ii existence following the Trans port Act, the coach itself mor than ever needs to be eye-cat& ing and attractive to the public.
To help operators in thei quest to attract business, Dupl offers a series of paint scheme;
known as Duple Stylelines which are specifically designe, to harmonise with the lines c the new body styles.
Most controversial of the ex tended Duple range is the Dom, nant 3 with its small slantin, side windows. I remember fron my own coaching days tha American tourists alway seemed to be impressed witl the large windows of Britisl coaches, but I also remembe the rays of the sun making big windowed coaches like green houses, condensation, an, heating problems.
With the Dominant 3, Dupli offers bronzed glass and doubl, glazing which removes the hea and condensation problems. I also makes the coach quiete and warmer in the winter, an though passengers vision i more restricted than with a con ventional coach their view is sti adequate.
The Dominant 4 retains th, familiar curved windows use, continued overlea m earlier Dominants though the vaist rail has been raised by 51/2 riches (after all passengers ion't have eyes in their elbows) md, like the 3, it is available with iouble-glazed side windows.
Other innovations Which make he vehicle more attractive, the iew models includes revised amp clusters and bumpers (+Mich all contribute to the rehicle appeal.
Despite current clouds on the Thancial horizon, Duple is con:inuing to conduct experiments to check roll-over strength to improve the safety of bodies. Much of the work is still secret, but technical director John Ruddy told me that he found the proposed new regulations a stimulus for improving the body range.
The higher window line of the latest vehicles in the range also contributes to the strength of the structure in roll-over type accidents.
The complete range offers a wide choice of equipment to give operators anything from a basic coach to a top-class luxury coach with every conceivable extra. An SD111 version of the Dominant 4 incorporates a large number of extras, including wheel discs and double glazing, usually optional extras within the standard specification.
Duple Coachbuilders also produce a service bus version of the Dominant body, and this is the subject of an increasing number of new orders. A lowfloor version on the new Dennis Falcon underfloor rear-engined chassis is currently being built. Duple produces coaches in Britain on most chassis currently available. The majority are on Bedford chassis with Ford, Volvo and Leyland in that order accounting for a major segment of the rest.
The company builds around 1,100 coach bodies a year, and about 80 per cent are supplied through Duple dealers with the rest delivered direct.
Duple has invested £17m in its main production plant at Vicarage Lane, including the acquisition of a factory next door.
This has been converted to a modern service department which has allowed the previous service centre to be converted into new spray painting facilities for the new Styfeline paint finish.
The company has also recently invested in a new parts and service centre at Barhead in Scotland, and part of the original Hendon Duple factory also provides equivalent facilities in London and the Southeast.
In the past Duple Dominant Bus and coach bodies have been exported to Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Denmark, Hong, Kong, Sweden, and Nigeria. But in the current economic climate every possible market must lo( investigated, so welcome indeec must have been the announce ment that parent compan) Duple International has acquire( from Tubes Investments th€ T1(Metsec) bus body business This takeover could herald nes() overseas outlets for the range.
D,uple (Metsec), as the corn pany is known, produce: aluminium-framed double-decl bus bodies and steel-f ram( single-deck bodies in kit form fo export.
With sales staff and manage merit constantly overseas, thc opportunities for them to offe completely built up Dominan buses in addition to the kits mus be an advantage.
Similarly Blackpool can assis Duple (Metsec), which is base( at Oldbury in the West Midlands in developing its own range.
Duple International therefor( includes two bus building corn panies with ranges that comple merit each other while not en croaching on each other': territory.
One is particularly strong ir export markets and one stronc at home, which angurs well fo the future and gives the impres sion that the Duple coach an bus body range produced a Blackpool will continue to b( "Dominant" in the British bu: market.