New 61-Passenger Single-deckers
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RECENTLY, two 61-passenger crushload single-deck buses of LeylandM.C.W. lightweight construction were placed in service by the Mexborough• and Swinton Traction Co., Ltd. They have seats for 32 passengers and standing room for a further 29 (The Commercial Motor, November 30). Mounted on Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC.1/1 chassis, the bodies are 30 ft. long and 8 ft. wide.
To give performance and strength commensurate with vehicle capacity, the chassis has been modified. Engine capacity has been increased to 375 cu. in. and the unit now develops 110 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. The frontaxle weight limit has been increased to 41 tons by using a special axle beam and fitting 12-ply tyres.
Coach-type rear springs are employed to withstand capacity loads and the Eaton two-speed rear axle, has ratios of 5.62 and 7.81 to I. The chassis is automatically lubricated by a Syndromic lubricator.
M.C.W. Mark VI patented metal construction is used for the body, which has tubular steel pillars, the waist rails and other longitudinal rails being of aluminium-alloy extruded sections. Alloy sheet is employed for most of the panelling, but the front and rear corner panels are of plastics.
Air-operated sliding doors are used for the 3-ft.-wide near-side front entrance. Three Airvac vents are fitted, whilst the front bulkhead has a hit-andmiss intake and a pivoted ventilator over the near-side windscreen panel. There are two Clayton S.12/8 interior heaters, one under the first and the other below the fourth off-side double seat. A Clayton (HD/3 demister with four outlets is also provided.
All the seats are trimmed in moquette A34
and leather material, having latex-foam cushions and Hairlok squabs. Their backs are covered with leather cloth. The,first six near-side and first two offside seats are single-width; doublewidth seats are used for the remainder. Standing passengers are accommodated in the centre gangway which varies in width from 4 ft.. 7 in. to 1 ft. 9 in., the principal standing area being 3 ft. 2 in. wide.
A single lightweight luggage rack on the off side of the saloon carries the conductor's locker at its forward end, and acts as a• handhold for standing passengers.
Cronapress contact strips secured over the near-side windows and under the luggage rack operate the signal bell.
During a tilt test, the body was inclined to 46°. with a corresponding chassis angle of 35°. The unladen weight is low at 5 tons 17 cwt,