• Belgian-built psv for Africa
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TWENTY luxury coaches based on the Eagle-type built at the Bus and Car plant in Bruges, Belgium, for use in the United States, have been ordered by the tourist service of South African Railways. The $1m order is for vehicles built to a specification closely resembling the American units and includes full air-conditioning and toilets.
The vehicles will be powered by Detroit Diesel 8 VA 71N engines producing 318 bhp at 2100 rpm. Bus and Car Company, SA, was established in Belgium exactly 10 years ago when it took over the manufacture of coaches of a design which had been originated jointly by Continental Trailways engineers and Karl Kassbohrer, of Germany. An illustration of one of the Eagle coaches appeared in CM June 9.
Another African country, Ghana, has also taken delivery of a new fleet of European psv. The contract obtained by G. Auwrter, Stuttgart, of Neoplan fame, in the face of strong competition from the UK, the US, Jugoslavia and even China was for 30 vehicles each of two different types. The smaller 28ft-long units have 37 seats and
in carry 36 standing Wassengers while the rger 33ft 4in.-long buses have a total ipacity of 99 passengers (42 seated). Ithough incorporating Neoplan principles integral construction, all materials used in te tropicalized version had to comply with stringent specification in which particular .tention had to be paid to corrosion roofing of structural members.
A further requirement of the customer, rnriibus Services Authority, was the rovision of dual door framing, step wells, :c, on offside as well as nearside to allow )r rapid conversion at a later date to right and running, The Neoplan buses which ave now entered service in Kumasi and omale have rear-mounted air-cooled Deutz 6 L 413 diesel engines derated to 153 hp. The larger vehicles are fitted with dlison MT 41 transmissions.