1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
SERVING THE SUBURBS BY TROLLEY-BUSES.
Page 139
Page 140
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
, Brief Description of a Type of Vehicle which the Nottingham Corporation is Using on a Route Running Out of the City.
OST of those municipal authorities XL which control tramway systems of sue size now realize that they have in • trolley-bus a type of vehicle which furs many of the advantages of the amcar without possessing its aditted disadvantages. This is particurly the case in those areas where the amway systems have been established ✓ many years and renewals of track id other equipment, involving big ipital expenditure and often a further irden on the rates, have become .cessary.
Although the trolley-bus derives its )wer from overhead wires in the same ay as most of the tramcars in use in .ovincial towns, it has the great pull at it does not run on fixed lines, and, saordingly, it has a degree of flexibility at the tramcar cannot claim. Its cerement in relation to the overhead ires is, naturally enough, limited, but is sufficient to enable a vehicle to be adily manoeuvred in traffic and to
• aw into the kerbside when discharging picking up passengers. Furthermore, one or more vehicles should break >vim or be involved in an accident, the hole passenger transport system is not Lrown out of gear, as is unmistakably e case when a tramcar is disabled or lother road vehicle impedes its proess through breaking down on the amway track.
These factors properly considered, ith others that we need not now ress, it is not altogether surprising at a constantly increasing interest is dng displayed in the trolley-bus by al authorities, particularly for link
g up suburbs with, the city or town ntre.
One of the most recent additions to the it of those municipal bodies operating Dlley-buses is the Nottingham Corpora)n, which has recently inaugurated its
Initial service by such vehicles. The
route chosen for this service extends for about 2i miles from the centre of the City to New Basford, a north-western suburb. Generally speaking, the route is well populated, and it is undoubtedly this fact which led the authorities to purchase a fleet of covered-top, doubledeck trolley-buses. Actually, 10 vehicles have been purchased, the chassis being the product of }tailless, Ltd., of London and Rochester, and the bodies being built in the shops of Short Bros. ,(Rochester and Bedford), Ltd.
A glance' at the illustrations which we publish is sufficient to show that the type of vehicle adopted is certainly representative of modern bus construction. In designing the chassis, the main object was to keep the weight down to the minimum, in order that a larger type of body could be employed without adding materially to the gross weight and without reducing the factors of strength and safety.
The electrical equipment consists of two English Electric D.K. 99A motors, each of 35 hp. and arranged in tandem, together with foot-operated controller, reversing gear, line contractor and circuit breakers, all of the same manufacture. Starting and shunting resistances have been supplied by the ElectroMechanical Brake Co., and the disposition of these resistances presents a new feature in RaiHess car design. By fixing this equipment under the vehicles there is always the possibility of trouble on account of water and mud being thrown up from the road surface. If placed on the rear platform or under the driver's cab the resistances are often inconvenient For these reasons the space behind the destination-box on the canopy top is utilized for carrying the double-bank resistance in a water and dustproof case. The drive is transmitted from the motors through a propeller shaft, having Spicer universal joints, to a David Brown overhead worm gear contained in Kirkstall double-reduction rear axle. 'Aluminium alloy road wheels are used, and these are fitted with Dunlop tyres, twin air cushions being employed on the rear wheels and single solids on the front wheels.
The braking system includes a set of four-wheel brakes operated by lever and pedal, either independently or together. The second set takes effect on the rear wheels only, but on separate drums. All the brakes are of the internal-expanding type and the brake shoes are faced with Ferodo.
The form of suspension employed for the motors and the position in. which they are mounted permit them to be readily removed. The necessary cabling between the various units of the equipment is carried in a trough slung under the off side of the frame.
As we have already said, the type of body used is the product of Short Bros., Ltd., and the design makes provision for the accommodation of 26 people in both the lower and upper saloons. The seating is arranged on conventional lines, the seats all being of the transverse type on each side of a central gangway, excepting in the case of those over the rear-wheel arches in the lower saloon, where longitudinal seats for three people are provided on each side of the body. At the forward end of the lower deck there is also a seat extending across the body, which faces to the rear and accommodates four people. A good-quality green leather with an antique finish is employed for upholstering, and this, in conjunction with the natural grain of the wood and a white enamel finish, gives a pleasing appearance to the interior of tlie lower saloon. Natural light-grain woodwork is utilized in the interior of the upper deck.
The rectangular ventilators in the lower deck are placed above the fixed side lights and are made of green-tinted opaque glass, whilst three hit-and-miss type ventilators are fixed in the front bulkhead. Three windows in each side of the top deck are arranged to be lowered, and these are operated by Laycock fittings. Special attention has been given to the question of lighting and all interior lamps are enclosed in frosted shades of pleasing design set in oxidized-bronze fittings. The handrails and grips used throughout are covered with Doverite, thus ensuring the utmost cleanliness and giving efficient insulation.
The trolley gear which is employed in the Nottingham vehicles is of amentirely new type and takes the form of short, vertical twin standards. The standards have been specially manufactured by Railless, Ltd., and during tests which were carried out with the gear it proved most efficient. We are told that it displayed no likelihood of dewirement at any speed or angle, in spite of its delicate balance. All working parts are completely enclosed, and inspection of the swivelling gear may be carried out by the remcival of a waterproof cover.
A deviation indicator has been proTided for the purpose of assisting the driver when negotiating traffic. The actual indicator is fixed on the inside of the dashboard in the driver's cab and takes the form of a box numbered in feet from the centre to the left and the right. As the vehicle is made to deviate from the centre of the trolley standards a light appears in a particular portion of the box and indicates the extent of the deviation. The operation of the indicator is governed by electrical connections in the trolley standard.