THE TREND OF COACH DESIGN.
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Lighter Types Becoming Popular. More Comfort for the Passengers. Concealing and Supporting the Hood. Winter Tops. Carrying the Spare Wheel. The Latest in Hoods.
T0 all appearances the heaviest types of motor coach are gradually going out of fashion. It is seldom that one sees a new vehicle of the 33-seater type. At present the most popular seating capacity is probably the 28-seater, but increasing numbers of 18and 23-seaters are being produced. Many of the vehicles show that it is being recognized that five people cannot comfortably be carried side by side, and in some of the latest types of bodies separating arms are provided for the seats, so that more than four people cannot be accommodated, and these have the added advantage of comfortable arm rests. In others, amongst the latest machines, the single door and central gangway are conspicuous, whilst in one example shown recently at the Glasgow Exhibition the floor behind the driver's seat is raised some 16 ins. or 17 ins., thus dispensing with the need for wheel arches and giving the passengers a clear view of the front, over the driver's head. There is only one adverse criticism we have to offer regarding this vehicle, and that is, it would appear to raise the centre of gravity of the whole vehicle, although whether
this is important enough materially to increase the danger of overturning is questionable. The restrictions which are being brought into force regarding some of the Scottish roads have already produced at least one coach which will fulfil the requirements (which are a maximum weight of 3 tons and a maximum width of 6 ft. 3 ins.). The particular vehicle to which we refer is a B.T. type Thornycroft with a folding lower step and an entrance to the rear seats through the centre of the penultimate row ; incidentally, the rear row of seats can be folded up so that this rear portion of the vehicle forms a useful luggage compartment when required.
The weight of the ordinary type of hood employed on coaches is considerable, and unless adequate support is given to it, a• great deal of strain is thrown not.. only upon the hood itself but upon the rear portion of the body. We are pleased to note, however, that in several instances efforts crowned with success have been made not only to take the weight of the -hood, but also to conceal this -somewhat ugly, though necessary, fitting ; in fact, in one case the hood is completely concealed ; this is on the TillingStevens . petrol-electria coach with an 18-seater ;bulbous coach body which was shown by David CarIaw and Sons, Ltd., at the Glasgow Exhibition. In another vehicle which *as shown at the same Exhibition by Guy Motors, Ltd., there is a large luggage compartment with double doors at the rear, the top of this compartment forming a rest for the hood, the top of which is approximately level with
the sides of the coach. • A particular feature of the Exhibition was the number of motor coaches mounted on pneumatic tyres ; quite 75 per cent. were so equipped, whilst of the rest a number was fitted with the new Dunlop and Clincher super-resilient tyres, and some of the smaller vehicles had Macintosh N.A.P. cushion tyres. All-weather coaches are still receiving much attention, and a certain amount of popularity is being gained by the detachable saloon top, which can be utilized in conjunction with the ordinary type of open motor coach. A very satisfactory top of this type is made by Strachan and Brown, Ltd., whilst a more recent type, and one which presents certain unusual features, is that made by Republic Trucks, .Ltd. In this latter device the top is made in two portions, either or both of which may be removed. thus, with only the rear portion removed, the vehicle presents much the same appearance as some of the partially enclosed vehicles used at Nice, in which the more robust passengers can enjoy the benefits of the open coach whilst the others receive adequate protection.
With the advent of the pneumatic tyre, the necessity has arisen for making due provision for the ,spare wheel a n d tyre. In scarne coaches this ia partitioned in a locker under the rear of the coach, but in this position it unfortunately does away with what might otherwise form a useful luggage compartment. In one type of body made by Pe ter Crerar, of Crieff, of Scot
land, the off-side running board forms a combined toolbox and a spare wheel carrier of very neat
design. Lifting up the board exposes the toolbox, and permits the wheel to be slid right under the body. In the small Albion coach the spare wheel is mounted on a special carrier at the off side of the vehicle, no attempt being made to hide it from view; but, seeing that this is seldom done, even in the ;private vehicle, there seems no necessity to do it on the coach.
• The question of improving the old-fashioned and cumbrous type of coach hood has been receiving considerable attention, and several designs, which are certainly vastly superior and which can really be classed as one-man hoods, have been evolved. Of these, the Bartle seetional hood, the Karrier sideway folding hood, and the Leyland model, in which the loose material is drawn over tubular tensioning brackets, form three distinct types. There are others, but few have as yet proved their capabilities, and these three represent the latest in hood design. In the original Bartle hood each seat had its separate section, which folded down at the back ; when joined up, it formed a continuous hood, with gutterings to prevent ingress of water. In the latest type, however, the sectioning is confined to what might be called the hoop sticks only. These actually consist of brass tubing, one hoop being provided with tubular brass bows mounted on ingeniously shaped link plates, the latter being secured to the body irons. When not in Use, the lsowsrare accommodated at the back of each row of seats. The hood twill is in one piece instead of being sectioned, and is housed at the back in a special tray provided with drainage holes. The Karrier hood is particularly interesting ; it is supported by two sets of triple arms, which fold down at the back of two of the rows of seats.