PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
Page 64
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
LOWERING THE LOAD LINE.
A 26-seater Coach Provides an Example of What Can be Done by the Bodybuilder.
AN example of what the bodybuilder can do to secure a low loading line when the chassis on which the body is to be mounted is comparatively high is provided by a handsome 26-seater Daimler coach which Rimmer, Harrison and Sutherland, Ltd., of Virginia Street, Southport, has just -delivered to New Premier Motors (Southport), Ltd., of Lord Street, Southport, mainly for long-distance tours.
The trend of modern design in motor coach bodies is to build them with a loading line as low as the height of the chassis will permit. Not every proprietor of the earlier type of highClass chassis, however, desires to discard his older models and to buy vehicles of later construction merely to obtain this advantage only. In the vehicle which we illustrate, the substitution of a new body resulted in tire lowering of the load line by 5 ins.
There are two entrances to the coach, both on the near side, the driver having a separate entrance to his compartment from the off side. On the near side, between the wheels, is a luggage box, which is 4 ft. long, 1 ft. 10 ins, high and 1 ft. 4 ins, deep, whilst at the rear of the body is a locker sufficiently corn
modious for the storage of two spare wheels. The compartment on the off side of the body is occupied by the petrol tank.
The seats, which are well sprung and upholstered in antique leather, are separated by a central gangway which can be occupied in emergencies by drop seats. The seating capacity is for 26 passengers, each seat for two people being so arranged as to allow plenty of leg-room. Rugs for each seat are provided as well as ash-trays for the use of smokers.
A Lucas installation is used to provide internal lighting and there are three fixed points of illumination not disturbed by the removable hood. When the coach is in service as a totally enclosed vehicle the headroom is 4 ft.
3 ins. The hood can be quickly rolled back and the side windows lowered.
The wheels are shod with 30-in. by 6-in. Dunlop pneumatic tyres, twins being used at the rear. The body has been constructed in aluminium, and the outside paintwork, where there is any, is tastefully finished in maroon. Rimmer, Harrison and Sutherland, Ltd., is now building a similar type of body for mounting on a Halley chassis.