Attention to Comfort in East Kent Coach Design
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/IANY features to enhance passenger IV' comfort are incorporated in a new fleet of 40 A.E.C. Reliance 41-seat coaches being supplied to the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd. The vehicles will mainly be used on express routes to London and between main towns in the south-east. but they will also do a certain amount of excursion and private-party work.
The bodywork of the coaches is being built by Park Royal Vehicles, Ltd., Abbey Road, London; N.W.10. The company collaborated closely with A.E.C.. Ltd., and various pieces of chassis equipment were moved to alternative positions so that luggage capacity could be increased. Each body has a steel frame and measures 30 ft. long and 8 ft. wide. The electrically operated folding door was designed so that its incorporation would not interrupt the clean lines of the vehicle at the front. The door is operated from the driver's seat, and full-depth glazing gives him a clear view of the near-side kerb. The passengers' seats are mounted on tubular-steel frames with chromium-plated rug rails. The individual head-rests have plastics antimacassars, and each passenger has an ashtray and glove-net.
The seats are upholstered in moquette, hide and rep. Foot-rests are covered with rubber. Interior parcels racks have a nylon-mesh base, and at the rear is a --luggage boot with two vertically hinged doors. On the near side are two other lockers with a third on the off side.
Five opening windows arc fitted along each side of the vehicle, and the driver's windscreen panel may also be opened. In the roof are two ventilators of the type which may be opened in any of three directions.
Chassis features include Clayton R.P. automatic lubrication and a Clayton Dewandre vacuum-braking system.