THE BODYWORK SECTION OF THE SHOW.
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Excellent Examples of the Coachhuilders' Craft. Ideas in All-weather Coaches. A Brief Survey of All Exhibits.
Jas. Bartle and Co., Ltd.
Stand No. 33. THREE examples of Bartle bodywork I are shown on this company's stand, these being a 30 seater bus body on an X -type Thornycroft risessis, standard lorry for the conveyance of petrol cans on ae2 ton Leyland ehassis, and a 20-seater motor coach body en the BT type Thornycroft chassis.
The bus is a particularly fine.exarnple of the advancement'which 'has been made in bus body design, and, incidentally, it serves to demonstrate the excellence of the company's productions. The body seats 30 persons in five pairs of garden type seats, all of which face forwards, accommodation for an additional seven persons being. provided in the rear smoking compa-rtment, the other three being situated beside the driver.
The 20-seater coach body is also a handsome production. It has a bulbous scuttle, the side panels being rounded over the elbow at the top, and carried across each row of seats to form a deck This body is fitted with the company's patent hood. This hood consists of a separate how to each row of seats, which. are bent to shape in a similar fashion to those of the ordinary wooden variety, and they are mounted on ingeniously shaped link plates, which are, in turn; riveted to the body irons.
The body on the Leyland chassis is one of many which have been built by the company for Shell-Mex, Ltd., for the conveyance of petrol cans.
Bayleys, Ltd. •
Stand No. 9.
THE box van body shown .here is mounted on trestles.It is constructed of oak and ash framework with Honduras mahogany panels. Although of strong build it is lightly constructed, whilst the shapely curves-and the treatment of the mouldings make it an attractive body which lends itself to advertisement display. There is a double door' at. the back with two windows, whilst across to, the-interior is by way af a sliding door in the driver's compartment.
onallack and Sons.
Stand No. 88. 01‘.TLY one vehicle is shown on this company's stand, although the type of body which is fitted virtually sertes two purposes,, i.e., a sided body or a covered-in van. The bottom frame of the body is of prime 'English oak mounted On deep 'hearers, the sides being . constructed with deep lower panels and shallow top panels. Ash hoop ,sticks, six in number, which are brought into use when the vehicle is to be covered in, are normally housed immediately behind thesdriver's cab, which has a, door an each side and isprovided with three glass.panels. The -body pillars at front and back are dovetailed; into -the bottom frame, and the body sides" are 'formed up so as to make a. strong job. The whole of the body is made. of oak, with the exception of the sides which are of
poplar. It is strikingly finished in chrome yellow lined out in black, the inSide measurements being 10 ft. 91ins. long, 5 ft. 6-1 ins. wide, and 2 ft. 4 ins. deep. The body shown, which sells at '1,712, is mounted on a 40-50 cwt. Burford chassis.
Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd.
Stand No 94.
AEROPLANE experience is undoubtedly reflected in the Bristol saloon bus body mounted on a 40 h.p. Bristol chassis shown on this company's stand. The body, which provides accommodation for 32 passengers in addition to the driver, is divided into two compartments, that at the rear being intended for the use of smokers. The back supports of the seats are of spring steel suitably tempered and connected with slats. The framework, pillars and 'hoop sticks of the body are of ash, the panels. and hoop sticks being reinforced 'by steel plates. Three electric roof lights are fitted, whilst for the benefit of staadingi. 'passengers two strong leather straps are also fitted along the underside of the roof. The whole of the panels below the waste rail are of three-ply wood, which is varnished and protected by steel tee plates.
John Buckingham, Ltd.
. Stand No. 63.
BODYWORK by Messrs. -Buckingham is well represented in the Show, for, apart from theesingle-deck bus and the motor coach shown on the-company's own stand, there are four other bodies shown on the stands of the manufacturer s of Halley, Daimler, and Maudslay cha ssis.
The 32-seater bus shown on' the company's stand is mounted on a Maudslay chassis, and, although the vehicle is in
tended for rough and tumble public service around Preston, the body is a wellfinished jeb throughout. The framework is of ash and oak reinforced with flitch plates. There are two compartments, that at the rear, which seats 10, being intended for smokers. Although the driver is virtually inside •with the passengers he is suitably screen-ed off. There are two entrances to the body, both on the near-side, that on the front being of the' ordinary type, whilst that . at the rear is of the folding and sliding type, hinged in the middle with its front end running on rails. In the front compartment all the seats are disposed transversely, but in the smoking compartment they are ranged round the sides.
The motor coach body, also on this stend, isfitted on a Lancia chassis and is a 20-seater. The body has polished
mahogany fillets, and kicking boards are fitted to the bottoms of all the doors. Refinements incorporated include rug rails and match strikers. A small compartment to the rear of the last row of seats inside the body is intended for the reception of a spare wheel.
Connaught Coach Works and Palrners, Ltd.
Stand No. 38.
A'interesting model depicting a new line of thought in all-weather coach body construction is shown here.
The frameivork for the all-weather body is a permanent structure, but it is so designed as to be able to be let down to rest on top of the waist rail, the cant rail of each pillar, as well as the pillar itself, being hinged to enable this to be effected. The ordinary twill hood is employed, and when not in use it is housed in the normal position at the back.
Chelsea Carriage Works.
Stand No. G.
Texhibit which first attracts attention on this stand is the 15seater motor coach body carried on a 13-24 h.p, Unic chassis. It is fitted with an all-weather -detachable top, which can be removed in a matter of 10 minutes. One of the aims in the construction of this top has been to keep its weight down, and the extent to which this has been achieved can be gathered from the fact that, it only weighs 1 cwt. 25 lb. The body, which is finished in a pleasing shade of Wedgwood blue, sells at £430., or, minus the detachable top,
280.
The 15 cwt. van body mounted on a 10-12 h.p. Unic chassis is the second exhibit. This framework is of ash, the panels being of. mahogany. The body is fitted with a rail round the roof and sells at £110.
A taxicab body is also shown mounted on trestles.
Chelsea Motor Building CO.
Stand No. 35
THE RE is little doubt that one of the finest bodies to be seen in the Show is that made by this company and mounted on a 25 h.p. Guy chassis. The extent to which the company's designers have been influenced by railway coach practice will be the first feature to attract the observant critic. The body actually incorporates many ideas which have proved successful in railway coach construction, the type of door lock, window and ventilator affording proof of this contention. It should be pointed out that the 25-seater Chelsea body can be -used in four different ways.
The framework is of ash throughout, the various lights incorporated being enclosed in mahogany' surrounds. The upper halves of the windows are made to open inwards, and they are held in position by special spring clips against, rubber silencers, absence. of rattle being a feature. The door locks are of the type used on the Great Eastern Railwa,y. The portion of the windscreen in front of the driver is fitted with the Folberth automatic tleaner, which is operated by the suction of the engine. This Chelsea body sells at £750, and is certainly good value for money.
The Chelsea Pullman saloon to seat 18 passengers is shown mounted on a De Dion chassis, Ten individual bucket s?ats are provided. in this body, the approach to them being, by way of a central gangway. The vehicle shown is fitted with semi-permanent top and side windows. A spare wheel is carried on the off side by means of an ingenious bracket attached to the frame member.
The third exhibit is an F.W.D. chassis with char-5,-banes body.
Christopher Dodson, Ltd.
Stand No. 16.
THE Show has brought to light several new ideas in the matter of all-weather coaches, but one of the most ingenious is undoubtedly the -Dodson body. Shown mounted on a Leyland 07 type chassis, the body combines both the features of a motor coach and an omnibus, and enables the vehicle to be used either as an open type or a completely' enclosed saloon. The driver's cab and the compartment at
the rear are permanent fixtures, and a centre rail connects the two. This centre piece houses the cant rail, to which is fixed the twill covering. When it is desired to enclose completely the top, this cant rail, which runs on rollers, is drawn over to the side, where it is held in position by three stays, which, when not in use, are also accommodated in the centre piece. The cant rail is so shaped that, when housed in the centre piece, rattle is prevented. Four detachable mahogany framed windows are used for each side, and when not in use they are accommodated in a special compartment on the off side, each window• being numbered and corresponding with a number inside the body, so that the same window is always fitted in the same position. Storm-proof curtains can be used in place of these windows, and these,-when not in use, are accommodated in a second compartment on the off side. Thozeating capacity is 32, but this can be increased to 42 by fitting tip-up gangway seats. This body sells at £575, and considering the nature of its construction, represents good value for money.
The second passenger body on this company's stand is a standard singledeck omnibus mounted on a TillingStevens TS3A. type chassis. The seating capacity of this body is 26 inside and three beside the driver.
Fry Bros.
Stand No.. 93.
piWELL-CONSTRUCTED brewer's body mounted on a 4 ton A.E.C. chassis is shown by this company. The body is constructed with oak bearers, the framework being of ash and the panels and driver's cab being of birch. The body is a strong job and is well braced. The tailboard has a strengthening piece, which extends right up the back pillar and along the rear bearer. As is usual with bodies for brewers, side entrance doors are fitted. The body floor is mounted an inch or so above the side rails, so that water, instead of rotting the wood, can drain off at the sides. At £220, the body-is certainly quite reasonable.
E. and H. flora, Ltd.
Stand No. 31.
THit E E bodies for the conveyance of goods are exhibited on this corapany's stand, these being a pantechnicon body on an A.E.C. chassis, a rimsided platform lorry body on a 4 ton Burford chassis, and an open-sided van body on a karrier chassis. This latter body is particularly suitable for the use of those engaged in the transport of bottled beer, for it is fitted with detachable hoops and sheet with front and back curtains. The pantechnicon body is of sound and workmanlike construes ion, and is fitted with a deep well at he back, full doors and a drop tailboard. The. roof is provided with Soldlng boards, so that additional luggage an be carried on the top, the underside of the roof being well braced for this purpose. The platform lorry has hinged detach.. title sales arid a tailboard, and is inished in the natural wood.
Tom Johnson.: Stand No. 37.
MR. TOM JOHNSON, of 75, Westgate, Bradford, specializes in the 3onstruction of furniture bodies, and two examples are shown on the stand, sne being mounted on an A.E.C. chassis so the order of Messrs. Harding% of Birkanhead, the other, being a. separate sling body. The mounted body is of capacious proportions, its dimension being 15 ft. 6 ins. long, 7 ft, wide, and 7 ft. high. It is built of mahogany, the framework being of ash and oak, A double door is provided at the rear, also a dropdown tailboard and a deep well. The other body is a standard production built of red deal, the framework being of ash and oek.
J. Liversidge and Sons, Ltd.
Stand No. 83
THERE aro three ex13413its on the stand of this company, these being two box van bodies and a commercial traveller's brougham, the latter being mounted on a 15 cwt. Star chassis. The smaller of the box van bodies is mounted on a 1 ton Fiat, chassis. This body is fitted with an all-weather front.
Louis Maffre and Co.
Stand No. 43. 9-4:-IE commercial traveller's saloon body shown by this company is Framed up in well-seasoned ash and panelled with C.R.C.A. Motor body sheet i
steel. ' The driver's compartment s provided with full length doors which are fitted with drop-down mahogany framed windows and slam locks. A wide single door is 'provided at the back onthe body shown, but a double door can be fitted. A feature of the body is the steel sheet with thumb-screw attachment which is Rtted to cover the inside of the windows, Ind which serves as a guard against theft.
Mayrow Steel Carriage CO.
Stand No. 97a. THIS company intended to show a single-deck bus body in skeleton :orm to demonstrate the Mayrow system sf•steel construction for passenger vehicles, -but up to the time of closing sus report the body was not on view. We understand, however, that the system consists in forming tubular mem3ers from special sections of thin strip ;tee! joined together by pneumatic iveting.
W. and T. Robson, Ltd.
Stand No, So.
CLOSE on 100 years of coachbuilding experrence are behind the three mdies shown on this company's stand, /ne is a box van body mounted on a i0cwt. Albion chassis, the second, a ilt van body on a 30 cwt. Vulcan chassis, the third being an independent body suitable for Ford or other light chassis. The tilt van body is fitted with hinged tailboard, above which is mounted a pair of doors. These have mahogany panels. Access can be had to the interior through the driver's compartment, the upholstered back rest being hinged in the metre for this purpose. The box van body is tre'md in a striking shade of yellow outlined in black, and is for Bryant and May, Ltd.
W. Shepherd. Stand No. 71.
FOUR separate __bodies are shown on this stand, these being a wagonette, and a hearse for the Ford standard model, a "bus body for a Ford tonnes, and a bus body for the Ford chassis, as well as a Dodge with wagonette body. The Dixie convertible bedies, by which name these types are known, combine seven distinctuses in a single design.
J. Sankey and Sons, Ltd.
Stand No. ;9.
THE SANKEY 30-seater body ,shown on this stand is an excellent example of single-deck bus construction, and to outward appearances the vehicle certainly bears a striking resemblance to the private limousine. The body exhibited is mounted, on a Guy chassis, and has three frameless windows on each side, which are arranged to drop level with the top of the waist rail.These windows can be adjusted to any height by means of the Perfect regulator. The body is fitted with polished mahogany garden-type seats, and these are readily removable. There are seven pairs of seats facing forwards, with a gangway between them, a full-width seat backing on to the driver's partition, and another running the full length of the back behind the passen gers' entrance on the near side. This door is fitted with special cranked hinges, so that the entrance is very' accessible.
Sankey bodywork is also represeeted in the Show by a 20 seater coach de luxe and a douide-purpose body, bath of which are fitted to Guy chassis on the makers' stand.
Stracban and Brown, Ltd. Stand No. 39.
T11E most interesting of this conepatsy's exhibits is undoubtedly the 33 seater bus body mounted on a Tilling-Stevens chassis, the 12 drop windows with which it is fitted being a special feature. This new window may be adjusted to any height with a couple of fingers, since it is fully balanced and is locked rigidly in place by depressing a small lever lying snugly' at the back of the garnish rail. This body is fitted with a very safe entrance, in which access to the main interior is by way of the driver's compartment, a door at the rear only being used for emergency. All seats on this body face forwards with the exception of those which back on to the driver's 'compartment. The smaller body has seating accommodation for 20 persons, and is fitted on a 2 ton Republic chassis. It has eight drop windows, which work on the same principle as those fitted on the larger model. Both bodies are of strong construction, but unnecessary weight has been
eliminated by the use of steel channel roof corner brackets, W. and F. Thorn, Ltd Stand No. 27.
LONDON-BUILT bodies by this company are displayed on the Dodge 15 cwt. chassis, on the Federal 2 ton chassis, and on the 30 cwt. Republic chassis. The top half of the delivery . van body on the Dodge is painted white, the lower half being lined out in black and white alternate stripes. The driver is in the body itself, and the padded back rest to his seatis built to slide out of grooved blocks. --A 'double door is provided at the back with a mirror in each half. The sided lorry body on the Federal chassis is a strong Job, and is well braced by body irons. This body
has a •loading space of 120 ins. The 50 cwt. van body is a workmanlike job.
United Automobile Service, Ltd. Stand No, 40.
ONLY one vehicle is shown on the stand of this Lowestoft concern, It is a newdesign of body, and the details incorporated in its construction are very largelY the result of experience which the company has had in operating motorbus services for many years past. The laxly is of the " pay-assyou-enter" type, in which the 'driver also acts as conductor. The only means of entranee is at the front, and 'the door is hinged in the centre and 'set slightlyat an angle to the body side, thus making the entrance a particularly safe cue. The seating accominodation is for 26 passengers, and.the seats are all disposed transversely, there being five rows of two on each aide with a central gangway, a seat at the rear which accommodates five, and a hinged gangway seat M the fifth row. The body is built up of English oak framing, strengthened with ditch plates, and the side panels are -adequately
braced. Two windows on each side . of the boay drop down, and all the windows are bedded in rubber channel.
The body is delicately finished in white, the panels being neatly lined -out in-black, The price-of the..standard body is .350, at which figure it presents a re
markably good investment. .
Westminster Coach Works, Ltd. WE illustrate elsewhere the 14-seater, allsweather body fitted on the Fiat chassis, which is shown by this concern. The windows are all detachable, and those over the .doors are so arranged that they open with the doors. The second exhibit is an 18-seater bulbous coach fitted on a De Dion chassis. Each vehicle is fitted With a One-man hood: . The bodies are bah handsome producs kens and up to the gen'Oral standard of this company's work. .
.• Willowbrook. Motor Co. • Stand No. 2.
ToTHERE are two bodies shown on this I, stand, the 14-seater coach being fitted on a 1 ton G.M.C. chassis. Each exhibit is of the convertible type. The coach can be converted into a lorry hi a few moments by the withdrawal of six bolts, the fixed lorry platform serving as the coach floor.
The bus body seats 14 people, and all the seats are .readily removable on a skeleton frame.