Passenger Bodywork at the Show
Page 91
Page 92
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THE report by F. K. Moses on the Show in your
October 2 issue was somewhat inconsistent. On page 136, centre column, he was critical of the Sheffield Atlantean for having shallow upper saloon windows. Then, in the next column, he considered that the. Northern Counties Atlantean had too deep upper saloon windows. In fact, his report on the latter vehicle missed a lot of important and functional details in preference to criticism of appearance.
He obviously did not realize that the type and shape of windscreen avoids internal reflections on the driver's screen during evening and early morning service or even in fog. Also, the angle of the destination indicator made this the most easily read destination display in Earls Court. Did he notice ease of access to the destination gear, also to the demister and electrical equipment?
Other points which he might have noticed were: 1. The glider doors provided handrailing right to the edge of the platform whilst offering almost uninterrupted vision on that side to the driver. The nearside blind spot is an absolute minimum.
2. Extra luggage accommodation could be made available by folding the nearside front wheelarch seat squab over the cushion, creating additional space for push chairs, and so on, on off-peak journeys to boundary housing estates.
3. The heating equipment is all contained within the lower saloon and arranged so that no " boxes are fitted on the floor under seats; also, being below the engine cylinder head level will reduce heater troubles caused by air locks.
4. The upper and lower saloon windows are of a standardized size providing exceptional visibility from both saloons.
5. Headroom of 6 ft. is provided in the upper saloon, a rarity in double-deck bodies, but allowing men a comfortable walk along the gangway. It also creates a greater volume of air in that saloon and improves the ventilation. It was most noticeable at about 5 p.m. that this upper saloon was the least stuffy at Earls Court. Perhaps the " contra-flow " upper saloon air extraction
system was not obvious to the casual observer.
These are only a few of the carefully designed features on this vehicle which would be well worth a second and more detailed examination by Mr. Moses.
Coachbuilders and operators are frequently criticized for being too conservative in their conception of buses and also for not giving sufficient attention to detail. Almost every feature incorporated in this Northern Counties body
on the Atlantean chassis was very carefully considered and designed in conjunction with the operator to produce a very comfortable vehicle for both passengers and crew, whilst being extremely easy to clean and maintain.
Stapleford, Notts. JOHN A. LOWRIE [F. K. Moses comments: There is a happy medium to everything, and whilst 20 in. is too shallow, in my opinion, for upper saloon windows, I think that 27 in., as on the Notting-. ham Atlantean, is going to the other extreme. Mr. Lowrii may have noticed that 1 commend the Aldershot and Distric M.C.W. body for having 23-in, deep windows in each saloon personally I would specify 24 in. if I were a bus builder o bus operator.
" I am well aware of the many good points on the Notts bu -witness 6... it is a bus full of good ideas . .' and so on Had space permitted I would have elaborated further, and was so impressed by the entrance doors that I included close-up photograph of them on page 139 of my bodyworl review. Mention of the non-reflecting windscreens was madi in this journal's stand-by-stand review included in till September 25 issue. I feel sure many enthusiasts will agro with me that the overall appearance of the Notts bus although striking, was rather disappointing when compares with Northern Counties' normal standards ".