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A 37-SEATER BUS WITHIN PRESCRIBED LIMITS.
Page 78
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Securing the Greatest Possible Seating Capacity Whilst Conforming to the Projected New Public-service Vehicle Regulations.
IICIEDIATELY after the war, the chief engineer and his staff of the Birmingham and Midland Omnibus Co., Ltd., sought for a chassis which should be specially designed for provincial bus work, as the bus built for the L.G.O.C. was constructed specially for work in London. Manufacturers. however, were stocked with components for the 3-4-ton chassis, of which many thousands had been manufactured for war service. By 1922 provincial omnibus traffic had increased enormously in volume and the incursion of light fast buses on American chassis and operated on pneumatic tyres compelled the "Midland" Co. (as it is so generally called) to construct a • chassis whith was styled the S 0 S (at the meaning of which term those outside the directorate of the company have only been allowed to guess Lightweight throughout, the chassis components were seenred hy careful design
and, with the reduction of weight in the engine reciprocating parts, a .better power output was obtained. Bodies were considerably reduced in weight by the use of light timbering and of sheetmetal brackets, the cutting down of the size of the under-framing members, pillars and roofs. The buses seated 32 passengers (with an additional eight allowed to stand).
The recommendations of the Departmental Committee on the Taxation and Regulation of Motor Vehicles introduced a new problem in that it foreshadowed faster speeds for buses which
weighed no more than 3f tons unladen and were mounted on pneumatic tyres. It was seen that much scheming and planning would be necessary in order to give sufficient seating capacity on the scheduled overall length. However, sustained effort Has at last euabled the engineering department to produce such a bus and to provide seats for no fewer than 37 passengers-39 seats facing forward,, oneseat being behind the driver . and so arranged that the passenger can sit facing backwards or looking out to
the side: We are not able yet to describe the chassis or bus fully, as the
vehicle is first to -undergo a series of real tests in service and the mattes of durability has to be determined. But it is possible to say that the chassis frame is straight and without any arching over the rear axle, and the height of the floor of the body is such thatthe passengers can see over the tops of the hedges on country roads without the appearance of the vehicle being spoiled by undue height. Our photographs give a good idea of the appearance of the bus.