Some Successful Styles of
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26-seater
How the Best Results may be Obtained from the Careful Planning of the Seating and Other Arrangements of the Passenger Vehicle for 26 Persons
ASEATING capacity of 26 represents the maximum for a bus or coach embodying a rearcontrol four-wheeled chassis if all the passengers are to be accommodated in comfort and the overall length is to be kept within 26 ft. It
• is a size of vehicle which was much in demand before the introduction of the forward-control type of chassis, and it is still in favour for town and inter-urban services, as well as for long-distance coach work.
An overall length of 26 ft. is sufficient to give scope for varying the number and position of entrances, especially if space be economized by due attention being paid to the position of the front axle and the length of the driver's compartment.
With one chassis the front wheel may project several inches in front of the radiator, whilst in another instance there is no projection, or even a small recess, which allows some S ins. or 9 ins, to be saved. The difference in length between two drivers' compartments may be from 3 ins. to 6 ins., according to the rake of steering column.
Advantages of Forward Control.
It is, therefore, possible, without exceeding the overall length spedfied, if the design of the chassis be favourable, for an extra doorway to be added without detracting in any way from the comfort provided by the seats.
If a forward-control chassis be preferred because it provides an additional means for saving space, then it may be utilized to allow more comfort to be given within the overall length of 26 ft This will be an attractive proposition to a coach proprietor. Additionally, this type of chassis may 1)4 adopted in order to reduce considerably the overall length of the vehicle, so that as a service bus it is more easily handled in dense traffic or in narrow thoroughfares.
The chassis with forward control, however, must have a bonnet long enough for the proper setting out of the steering column, with about 1 ft. 6 ins, behind it for the driver and the back-rest of his seat.
Assuming that the length of the bonnet and radiator is 4 ft. 3 ins., the overall length of a 26-seater forward-control bus may be reduced to about 21 ft. The first two rows of seats face one another, the first row facing the rear and being the full width of the body. These two rows of seats measure, overall, 4 ft. 8 ins.
Some Important Dimensions.
The next two rows of seats face forwards and occupy a further 4 ft.
8 ins, of the body length. Then there is a triplewheel-arch seat on each side, for which 4 ft. 2 ins, is allowed, and, finally, a back seat for three passengers. This, with the space behind it and the end of the wheel-arch seat, takes up 2 ft. 8 ins. of the length of the body.
This bus has a back entrance. A vehicle of about the same length may
have a front entrance, and even if two doorways be provided the vehicle may still be some 3 ft. shorter than one of the same seating capacity embodying a normal-control chassis.
If the vehicle be a trolley-bus there is the opportunity for varying the design of the front entrance. It can be placed forward of the front wheel and the entrance vestibule may be arranged beside the off-side cabin. If one-man control be desired the driver is then exception
ally well placed, because a paywindow may be inserted beside him.
The driver also has the passengers in full view as they arrive or depart. The door may be a., hinged or sliding one hung on the front bulkhead, or the usual style of folding door May be provided.
The coach which has a seating capacity of 26 May vary considerably in overall length, because this measurement depends On the distance between the seats, also upon the design of the seats themselves. Another factor to be considered is whether all the seats face forwards or whether longitudinal seats be used over the wheel-arches. The length is also determined by the presence or absence of luggage or other special compartments.
Comfortable seats suitable for long-distance work may be only 2 ft. 5 ins. apart. In this instance the backs must. be well hollowed in order to give the utmost amount of knee-room behind them. Moreover, the thickness of the padding must be restricted. In contrast, the luxurious seats of a combined day-andnight coach may be 3 ft. apart.
For pleasure trips consisting of rims of 30 miles or 40 miles out and home the coach requires only a wellarranged seating plan. For longer
journeys, however, where many of the passengers will be. making use of the coach instead of the railway, the question Of luggage disposal must be considered.
Many long-distance vehicles have 30 or more seats, and the space under the floor and part of the roof is used for carrying baggage. The success of such an arrangement depends on the average quantity of luggage carried and whether the chassis be really long enough for the number of seats.
A full consideration of the problem will probably lead to the conclusion that if adequate seating and luggage space is to be afforded, and if a lavatory is to be provided, from 24 to 26 seats are the maximum. The Ideal is to select the longest chassis
possible, to restrict the number of seats and to set these out to the greatest advantage, utilizing the remaining space for a easily accessible luggage compartment.
A 26-seater coach incorporating a six-wheeled forward-control chassis will have a body space of about 22 ft. 6 ins. By raising the floor about 8 ins, above the chassis seven rows of seats may be set out on the off side and six rows on the near side, leaving the front entrance free from any obstruction, as seen above. Disposal of Luggage.
Allowing 3 ft. for the front seat and 2 ft. 6 ins, for each succeeding row, the main saloon occupies 18 ft. of the body length and leaves 4 fL 6 ins, for the disposal of a luggage compartment on each side of the central gangway, unless one side of the back of the coach be devoted to .a lavatory. A back entrance is situated at the end of the central gangway.