Single-deckers for W. Hartlepool to come from Strachans' New Works
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NNOUNCING that its works and ri offices have been transferred to Hamble -Lane, Hamble, Hants, with effect from July I, Strachans (Coachbuilders) Ltd. has made it clear that it intends to become one of the largest coachbuilders in the United Kingdom, with a target output of more than 40 vehicles a week.
A sales office is being opened at 76 Marylebone High Street, London. W.I, for customers' use when necessary.
The new works is at present divided into two aircraft hangars with pillarless floor areas, the main one covering 66,000 sq. ft.. the other 21,750 sq. ft.
A further building of about 22,500 sq. ft. will be erected directly in front of the main hangar and will accommodate 16 paint spray booths. each 16 ft. by 44 ft. A special section of the main hangar is to be devoted entirely to experimental and design work, mainly in the field of glass-fibre, which Strachans consider a particularly important function at present.
The construction of double-decker buses is already well under way at Hamble and this is being supplemented by several export single-decker bus orders. Six 36-ft. Bedford VALs with dual-purpose bodies for operation in South America are currently being framed-out, and these will be followed by nine special coaches for Cyprus. The latter will be only 26 ft. long by 7 ft. 6 in. wide, seating 35 passengers, and will be mounted on short-wheelbase A.E.C. Reliance chassis. All the coaches employ an unusual double cant-rail construction giving a distinctive appearance to the exterior, with a " peak " effect all round the body.
Strachans intend to break into tiw municipal bus-building field, and in this direction have just secured an order from West Hartlepool Corporation Transport for five 33-ft. bodies on Leyland Leopard chassis. These will scat 43 passengers and carry 15 standees on one-man operated services„ and employ a dualentrance layout.
Although ideally suited for municipal bus services, the first double-deckers nearing completion at the new works will be delivered to the Ayrshire Bus Owners group (Al Service) in south-west Scotland. They are conventional 27-ft.-long highbridge bodies with rear entrance incorporating p:atform doors, three mounted on A.E.C. Regent V chassis. and one on a Leyland PD2 chassis. The first front-entrance double-decker from Strachans (apart from the unique Dartford tunnel vehicles) will be a 72-seat vehicle on Arab V chassis for demonstration duties with Guy Motors (Europe) Ltd.
Meanwhile work on commercial vehicle bodies continues in a big way, and currently building is a wide range from such vehicles as battery electric milk-floats and personnel-carriers (25 of the latter for UNICEF) to platform wagons on A.E.C. chassis for British Road Services. Specialist bodywork is also undertaken, and nearly completed is a totally enclosed double-deck racing-car carrier, complete with spare-parts store, which is built on a Thames passenger chassis.
Work being undertaken in the design department at Hamble suggests that some very interesting and attractive vehicles are likely to emerge from Strachans* new F.K.M.
works.