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Showstoppers

Two coaches top the p.s.v. stands

nNo psv manufacturers will competing with models they hope will be showstoppers at Earls Court.

One coach is the Plaxton's Viewmaster, aimed particularly at those engaged in Continental tours; the other is Duple's Italian-styled new Dominant 11 luxury coach. The Plaxtons model is on a Leyland Chassis, and the Duple on AEC Reliance.

Some interesting developments at the smaller end of the passenger vehicle range will be revealed when the Show opens. And the exhibition will provide the opportunity to examine for the first time at a major international exhibition a number of new models already widely reported, together with a number of modification or new options on well-established psv chassis.

Furthermore, the major luxury coach manufacturers will be displaying new or updated versions of their standard products.

Plaxtons (Scarborough) Ltd (Stand 35) is exhibiting three coaches. What it expects to be a showstopper is a new-style, high floor, Viewmaster body mounted on an 11-metre Leyland chassis. The body has been raised by 300mm (11 8111n) to give a flat floor eliminating intrusions by the wheel arches. The result is greatly improved visibility for the passengers and great accommodation for their luggage: locker space has been increased by about 60 per cent.

There is improved visibility for the driver, too. The driver's screen has been enlarged by 300mm and there is a newly styled driver's seat.

In the front section four standard double seats will be installed followed by eight "E" type double seats with two tables at the centre. At the rear of the vehicle will be a conference area with a special table and an "L'" shaped couch seat.

An unusual feature will be the extra low retracting step below the first entrance step. This will be automatically con trolled from the driving position in conjunction with thedoor opening mechanism.

The parcel rack has been redesigned. Of the suspended type, it incorporates twin ventilation units and a light unit recessed into the underside of the rack to give a neat appearance without protrusions. The vents are of the twist to open type.

The other two vehicles on show will be a Supreme luxury coach body mounted on a Bedford 10-metre YLQ chassis and a Supreme express coach body mounted on a Ford R1014 chassis -another 10-metre vehicle. Both incoporate the new style parcel rack, a new and larger instrument panel and an improved switch panel with illuminated switches.

Individually controlled reading lights have been recessed into the trim panels to give extra 'safety in the event of accidents and the Radiomobile public address system and radio is fitted with four roof-mounted speakers.

The 10-metre Supreme body is now of all-metal construction for greater body strength and passenger safety.

The new Dominant II luxury coach on an AEC Reliance Chassis exhibited (Stand 36) by Duple Coachbuilders is styled by Giovanni Michelotti of Turin and designed by the Duple team under the direction of John Ruddy.

The Dominant II is suitable for all underfloor-engined chassis, and features the new all-steel welded jig-built structure first introduced in 1974 on the Dominant service bus. Intended as an addition to the Duple Range, the 11-metre body features a common main structure with the Dominant I, which from this month is also to be built of all-steel framing in . place of the former composite construction, thus completing the final phase of the coachbuilder's switch to this form of construction.

Deeper windscreens, rectangular twin quartz headlamps, wrap-around front and rear bumpers covered in black rubber, a ribbed stainless steel grille, higher one-piece rear window, and a neat new moulding style are the principal features of this second generation Duple Dominant coach.

Apart from the change in structure to steel square tube sections, a number of other improvements have been made to the Dominant I coach,. represented at the show by a 29-seat model on the Bedford PJK chassis for the Whittle group. These include a completely new front grille; new wrap-round rubber bumpers, relocated indicator flasher units and red rear guard foglamps in the rear bumper as a standard safety feature.

Electrically-operated pantograph screen wipers are now standard on all Dominant coaches and buses, while internal improvements to the coaches include an improved demisting system incorporating a two-speed motor, and a new driver's seat. The latter features

kidney support panels to provide increased comfort and reduce driver fatigue

Making a strong challenge on the British psv market is Van Hool (Stands 40 and 41), who will exhibit several examples of the latest "300— luxury coaches adapted for UK operation, including some in the demonstration park. Inside Earls Court will be an 11-metre coach on Ford R1114 chassis for Waites of Altrincham, built in Dublin by Van Hool McArdle. It will have 49 reclining seats and many extra items.

A highlight of the Ford exhibits on Stand 65 will be a sectioned R-series chassis equipped with Allison AT 543 automatic transmission. This is a new special vehicle order option now available on Ford R-series bus chassis only.

On the Van Hool (Belgium) Stand will be a 12-metre "300" line coach on a Leopard chassis for Biss Bros, Bishop's Stortford. Again fitted with many extras, including 50 fully reclining seats, it is intended as a prototype of the 12 metre body later to be built in Dublin for the UK market.

Van Hool exhibits in the demonstration park will include the first 300 coach on the 12-metre DAF chassis, in the colours of Mitcham Coaches, The DAF chassis is another newcomer to the British scene, and is a standard MB200 DKL model with 140kW (192 bhp)

naturally-aspirated diesel engine and ZF synchromesh gearbox. Semi-reclining seats are fitted, providing accommodation for 49 passengers.

Van Hoole McArdle will also display the first of a new generation of double-deckers in the shape of a 70-seat front entrance, central exit model on Leyland Atlantean AN68 chassis for South Yorkshire PTE, The styling of the body is similar to that of the Dublin-built bodies on Ailsa underframes already being supplied to South Yorkshire. Special features include a large upper saloon front screen, rounded frontal styling, twolevel safety step at the entrance, improved staircase, and a blending of the rear engine compartment into the overall body design.

Finally, another new product from the Dublin plant on show will be a multi-purpose singledeck body designed for a range of chassis in the 9.5-metre class, and available with simple utility finish or normal stage service standard finish, depending on customer requirements. Clean, "purposeful" appearance is the aim of the designers, and body includes curved split front screens stepped down to the kerbside for better forward and side vision.

Turning to psv which have already received much publici ty, but are appearing at Earls Court for the first time, undoubtedly the most recent of these is the new Foden-Northern Counties rear-engined double-decker (CM May 28 and June 18). Foden pioneered the first rear-transverse-engined bus in Europe in the late '40s, and no doubt the underframe of the new model, developed in conjunction with Northern Counties, will attract many visitors to Stand 66.

Powered by a Gardner 6LXB engine with an output of 140kW (172 bhp) at 1750 rpm, the Foden features an ingenious drive-line layout, with the transmission running parallel to the transversely-mounted engine via a transfer box which makes the engine compatible with the Allison MT640 fully atuomatic transmission. Although the Gardner power-unit and Allison box are intended as standard items, the sealed, fan-cooled engine enclosure has been designed to accommodate power units from Cummins and Rolls Royce, and Voith or SRM transmissions as optional alternatives.

Other standard features include a thermostatically controlled cooling system, power steering, Ferodo air-operated, oil-cooled retarder, and provision in the frame design for varying entrance and exit locations. A fully-bodied version of the new model is to be shown on the Northern Counties stand (Stand 28) in Greater Manchester PTE colours, the single doorway body accommodating 75 seats.

Another "new" model making its first appearance in chassis-only form is a Seddon Pennine VII chassis (Stand 68), built to a specification meeting the requirements of the Scottish Bus Group: It features a Gardner 6HLXB engine mounted horizontally midway along the chassis, and ZF synchromesh gearbox.

Meanwhile, Ailsa Bus Ltd will be displaying on Stand 54 a "Jumbo" double-decker with 107-seat Alexander body, destined for Hong Kong, and an Ailsa bus frame with partlyerected Metal Sections body. The latter Will be fitted with Allison MT 650 fully automatic transmission, adding a third transmission option to the Ailsa bus range.

On the same stand will be a Volvo B58 564 11-metre coach chassis, basically to the same specification as before. New features of the chassis include an Eaton two-speed rear axle, anti-roll bar on the front axle to improve stability, and a Telmi CA 135 retarder, now availabli as a factory-fitted option.

Undoubted highlight of thi British Leyland psv exhibits wil be the B15 double-decker making its first appearance a an international show (Stanc 62). Minor "'Cosmetic' changes including the deletior of the black skirt and revisec front mouldings will mark thE difference between the 02 version recently on trial with London Transport and the 04 show version; in fact the bus will be the same vehicle, currently under overhaul al Park Royal Also on Stand 62, two Phase 2 Leyland Nationals will make their first show appearance. Both 11.3m models, one will be a two-door 44-seat city bus and the other a single-door dual-purpose express urban/ city bus with coach seating. Finally, also making their first appearance at Earls Court will be a B20 Daimler Fleetline "quiet pack" bus with Leyland engine for London Transport (Stand 34) and a Series III Bristol VRT double-decker for Lincolnshire Road Car Co (Stand 38). The former will have a 68-seat Park Royal body and the latter a 74-seat Eastern Coach Works body and Gardner 6LX engine.

Alexander of Falkirk is to exhibit two new bus bodies -the Type AL and the S Type, The AL is a 79-seater double-decker with a glassfibre forward ascending staircase on the nearside with two separate doors of the glider type that are pneumatically operated.

Aluminium alloy makes up most of the body panelling with heavy gauge light alloy truss panels on a frame of Alexander designed alloy extrusions.

The 7ft 10in pillar centre is designed to give maximum unobstructed vision for the passengers. The vehicle on show is one built to the Tyne and Wear PTE specification': The single-decker S-type bus is based on Ford A-Series running gear using the 3 5-litre six-cylinder diesel with an Allison AT 540 four-speed automatic gearbox.

A subframe carrying the power train suspension and steering consists of 17-inch deep high strength light alloy riveted assembly with continuous cross-members: The show model was bulk for the Southdown Motor Service specification but options include manual transmission coach seats and extra luggage accommodation.