SALFORD'S SIX WHEELED BUSES.
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Brief Details of the Chief Features of the Karrier Rigid-frame Vehicles Now Being Put into Service.
IT has been known for some time past that the municipal authorities at Salford had iecided upon the use of certain rigid six-wheeled motorbuses, ' and that Kerrie: Motors, Ltd., Karrier Works, Huddersfield, had received an order to supply a small fleet of vehicles of this type. The first of the buses was recently completed by the makers, and after the chief officials of the tramways department of the corporation had participated in a trial run, during which they expressed their satisfaction with the all-round capabilities of the vehicle, it was placed in regular service.
The new bus is one of four similar vehicles ordered by the Salford Corporation, and it represents a type which is fast finding favour with local authorities. Amongst other municipalities which are buying Earner. sixwheeled passenger models can be mentioned those at Manchester, Leeds, Halifax, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
The Salford-type six-wheeler is a 32-seater and the basis of the vehicle is the Karrier WL6 chassis. This has already been referred to in our' columns, and our readers may recall that it incorporates in its design a sixcylindered engine having a bore of 100 ram, and a stroke of 140 mm., which develops 50 hp. at a normal speed of 1,250 r.p.m. The clutch is of the cone type and the gearbox provides four speeds forward and a reverse. The drive is taken from the gearbox to the forward rear axle by a tubular driving shaft fitted with two star-type roller bearing universal joints and a splined plunger joint protected by a sliding muff. The drive to each rear axle is by underneath worm and the gearing of each is mounted in a self-contained member which is readily removable from the pressed steel, banjo-type axle casing.
Between the two worm housings is a torque member, which is of the slidingsleeve-type with a gland mounted at the end of the outer sleeve. This torque device prevents rocking of the axles, but it does not prevent their moving out of parallel with each other. The distance between the axles is controlled by two ball-ended radius rods, which are carried above the rear springs and
connect the spring brackets as between axle and axle.
Another outstanding feature of this chassis is the braking system. Pneumatically operated brakes of the internal-expanding type are fitted to all four driving wheels and are operated by pedal. The air pump is driven from the gearbox lay-shaft through a clutch and is arranged to be automatically thrown out of action when the required pressure is reached. The hand brake is also of. the internal-expanding typo and it takes effect on the transmission.
The body is particularly well appointed and the whole of the space to the rear of the engine is available for carrying passengers, for the driver is accommodated in an enclosed cabin on the off side of the power unit. The interior is arranged to seat 32 people, transverse seats facing in the forward direction at the front end accommodating 19 passengers, the other seats making up the full , complement being disposed in saloon fashion at the rear of the body. The seats are built up of well-sprung casings upholstered in red leather.
The body is mounted on outrigger brackets extending well beyond the chassis side members, and is free of the dashboard and the enclosed driver's cab, except for a flexible leather screen, which is used to exclude draughts.
The floor of the driver's section is constructed of steel plate in two portions, on one of which the driving scat is mounted. These plates are bolted to angle irons, thus making for stability,
ensuring freedom from rattle and providing an easy means for reaching the chassis parts which they cover. The floorboards of the passenger-seating compartment have a number of readily removable trap-doors, which ennble access to be had to the various components of the chassis likely to require Periodic attention, and they are so arranged that those parts requiring lubrication are easily get-at-able.
The bus is provided with two doors on the near side, that at the front being intended as an entrance and that at the rear as an exit. They are both pneumatically operated and may be controlled from either the driver's come partrnent or from the rear of the bus, the latter being under the control of the conductor. A hinged step tread inside the body serves as a means for the automatic opening of the door, which is accomplished when the weight of a passenger rests upon it. In order that this operation can be easily carried out, the doors are mounted on ball bearings instead of the usual hinges. A further feature of this equipment is the interconnection of the controls which Makes it impossible for the doors to be epened until the vehicle is brought to a standstill. This elect:en-pneumatic door-cantrolling system is the design of G. D. Peters and Co., Ltd., and the body was
constructed by Hall, Lewis and Co., Ltd. Special attention ha 8 been given to the questions of interior lighting and ventilation. So far as the former is concerned, 12 lights of the Fullolite pattern ensure that ample illumination is available at night. Five Autovac roof fittings attend to the ventilation of the interior in normal circumstances, and there is no possibility of the passenger compartment becoming unduly
hot in the summer, because certain of the lights at each side can be lowered.
A Godin windscreen is fitted to the driver's cab, and this is so designed that it gives adequate protection to the driver when open. It is made in two Sections, and the hinged portion of the screen shields the lower glass when closed, thus giving clear vision in bad weather. A sun vizor is fitted in line with the driver's position.
There are certain other interesting
features about the bus which are deserving of special mention, these including the use of low-pressure tyres, a Motometer temperature indicator on the radiator cup, Protectomotor air filters fitted to each of the two carbuietters, Hele Shaw streamlined oil filter incorporated in the lubricating system, and an additional reserve petrol tank with a capacity of two gallons, this being so mounted as to give gravity feed in the event of the main fuel supply running short.
We have already referred to the interior lighting, but we should add that as these buses have been designed for use on fast suburban services, special care has also been taken to secure powerful exterior lighting at night. The 32-volt electric side lights are practically equivalent to the headlights used on many buses, and only powerful and high-grade private ears possess headlights of the size and power ere ployed. In addition, a green headlight, mounted at the side of the radiator, is fitted to show certain information in respect of routes.
It has been the aim of Mr. J. S. D. Moffet, the tramways general manager and engineer of Salford, to establish a new standard in paSeenger road trans. port by the use of six-wheeled buses, and his object certainly appears to have been accomplished by the purchase of Karrier vehicles of the type we have described.