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They've Thought of Everything

22nd October 1965
Page 52
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Page 52, 22nd October 1965 — They've Thought of Everything
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By DEREK MOSES

APIONEER in the design of

" new look " rear-engined "'"double-deckers, Liverpool City Transport is now taking delivery of 120 Leyland Atlanteans with 78-seat bodies by Metropolitan Cammell Weymann Ltd. which not only incorporate most of the features introduced on the city's first batch of 200 Alanteans, but also introduce many new ideas. Most notable of these are the extension of the wheelbase from 16 ft. 3 in. to 16 ft, 9 in. and the fitting of the engine compartment almost literally " behind " the body. A redesigned engine bulkhead provides an additional 31 in. saloon space behind the rear axle, thus extending the overall length of the lower saloon by 91 in., whilst the overall length of the bus becomes 6 in. longer at 30 ft. 6 in.

The purpose behind the new design was discussed in The Commercial Motor of July 10, 1964, when the then existing Liverpool design was described as a " design bristling with new ideas, better looking than anything produced up to that time in the rear-engined bus field, and with an interior trim which was both de-luxe and thoroughly practical". Probably readers are quite familiar now with the new shape and standards that Liverpool introduced into the bus body

C 14 field, and I propose to concentrate on the differences from the first batch in describing the new, modified " Liverpool Shape ".

By extending the effective length of the lower saloon it has been possible to provide slightly increased seat spacing, with more space between the rear-facing transverse seats over the rear wheel-arch and the rear bench seat. More space has also been provided at the front of the saloon for luggage capacity, and a springloaded folding conductor's seat has been fitted ahead of a double bench seat over the front, nearside wheel-arch.

It was Liverpool Corporation that introduced a step at the front of the lower saloon, thus providing a level floor throughout the saloon, and eliminating the multitude of projections above the floor encountered in step-free, rearengined double-deckers. On the latest buses I-1in. has been taken off the height of the step, and a stanchion provided in the centre of the gangway, immediately behind the riser: London Transport, which has adopted the Liverpool floor and staircase layout on its experimental rear-engined double-deckers, also employs this stanchion. Nobody can deny the advantage of increased circulation space at the front of the lower saloon that the step and higher floor provides.

Externally the most noticeable—if not startling—difference front the first batch is the rear-end treatment, which has been adopted to provide a clean line from the roof peak down to the top of the engine compartment, thus eliminating the dirt and dust trap beneath the now absent canopy. Liverpool City Transport holds firmly to the belief that the engine compartment should be " outside" the body, both from the accessibility and sound reducing point of view. Last year I said that I would reserve judgment on the appearance of the new Atlanteans from the rear until I saw them in the flesh. They look unusual—but then so did the

,t on the first rear-engined doubleTs, and I think that; in all proba, as one gets used to the new design, ipearance will become quite accept

e arrangement adopted at the front Et lower saloon is neither of the two were discussed in this journal last although it is based on the latter

Liverpool hoped to employ a twouggage compartment over the front, ide wheel-arch, with a double, trans

rear-facing seat immediately behind )rivers objected to this layout on rounds of reduced visibility to the nearside, when approaching the neck " Y " junction from the right, if the ge container was full.

tead of the bench seat for three ngers proposed in the alternative [gement, with a single offside seat g the gangway, the bench seat has shortened, to make room for the uctor's seat already mentioned. The ng capacity has been maintained by ng up the offside seats a little (there 11 ample space between them) and a double transverse seat facing ards immediately behind the luggage )artment. "Toe room" has been ided for passengers sitting in this seat, and is quite adequate.

many details have been streamlined so much thought put into the design he new hoses by the engineerine

department of Liverpool City Transport that it is impossible to enumerate them all. Some of the points are illustrated here, and others will be familiar to those who are acquainted with the earlier Liverpool Atlanteans. One new feature worthy of mention is a moulding strip fitted to the exterior of the buses at waist and cant-rail level. This has been done so that slotted masking can be fitted to the moulds to facilitate respraying. It will be recalled that the livery of the Liverpool Atlanteans is green. with cream window surrounds on the sides only.

Another 130 Leyland Atlanteans are now on order for the Corporation, and in common with all those delivered or on order they will be fitted with bodies to Liverpool design built at the MCW Elmdon works, it will be interesting to see what further changes are incorporated in the design of these latter vehicles, and also to see if the present style is adopted by other operators.

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People: DEREK MOSES
Locations: Liverpool

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