A POPULAR LIGHTWEIGHT PASSENGER MODEL.
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One of the Latest Products of a Prominent British Company which is Achieving Much Success.
SEVERAL of the most prominent British commercial vehicle manufacturers now produce amongst their range of models a lightweight bus which is designed to comply with the proposed new regulations of the Ministry of Transport permitting a vehicle to travel up to 20 m.p.h. if its total unladen weight does not exceed 3 tons 15 cwt. and it be shod with pneumatic tyres. Amongst these are the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., whose 35-40 h.p. Renown light passenger chassis, when fitted with a 30-seater saloon bus body, is designed to come within this suggested weight limit. This model is a comparatively recent introduction and the demand for it is proving so strong that the makers tell us they are working at high pressure in order to cope with the many orders received for fleets as well as for single vehicles.
Before proceeding to a brief description of one of the latest Renown buses delivered by the company, we may fittingly refer to some of the outstzinding features in the design of the chassis. The four-cylinder power unit is of A.E.C. manufacture and has a bore of 108 ram. and a stroke of 140 ram. The driver's position is alongside the engine on the off side and, for this reason, the valves, pump, distributor (coil ignition is used, and Zenith carburetter are located on the near side, where they are immediately accessible upon raising the halfbonnet. The unit develops a minimum of 35 b.h.p. at 1,000 r.p.m. and over 45 b.h.p. at 1,500 r.p.m.
The clutch is of the inverted cone pattern, and it is connected to the fourspeed gearbox, which is three-point suspended in the frame, through the medium of flexible fabric couplings. The foot brake, which is of the internal-expanding type, is located immediately to the rear of the gearbox and the whole of the
operating mechanism is contained within the casing which houses the gears. From this point the drive is conveyed by a tubular oardan shaft with a Spicer universal joint at each end to the overhead worm-driven rear axle. The brakes in the rear wheels are of the internalexpanding type and the shoes take effect on large-diameter drums.
Seeing that the chassis has been designed expressly for passenger service, the makers have, naturally enough, given attention to those features which are likely to influence riding comfort. In this respect one can refer to the suspension system. The front and rear springs are very long and wide and rubber auxiliary springs are arranged over the rear axle in order to secure graduated suspension to meet the conditions imposed by varying loads.
The chassis is built to carry bodies which do not weigh more than 211 cwt.
and are designed to seat not more than 30 people. A type which is suitable for use with the Renown chassis is that of which exterior and interior views appear on this page. This particular bus has recently been supplied to Mr. W. aellie and is DOW on service in Ireland. The picture showing views fore and aft gives a good idea of the character of the interior appointments. The seating arrangement is orthodox in layout, but the seats themselves are built so that the utmost comfort is afforded passengers, although they be travelling long distances. The cushions are deep and, although each seat is built to accommodate two people, the back supports are shaped independently for each of them. • The interior is finished on elaborate lines, the scheme of decoration being tasteful and pleasing to the eye.
Four -windows on each side can be lowered, the only fixed lights in the side panels of the passenger compartment being the D-shaped windows at the rear. Curtains are fitted to each of the windows.
The passenger entrance is at the front on the near side, ahead of which and above the front wing is the door giving access to the driver's cab. There is an emergency door in the rear panel.
A useful fitting is a clock which is fixed in the centre of the partition separating the driver and passenger section of the body where it is on view to all passengers.
The vehicle is shod -with pneuntatie tyres of large section, twins being fitted on the rear wheels and a spare carried in a cradle at the back of the body below the frame. The body we have briefly referred to is of luxury character, but many others of what may be termed a
more workaday deScriptimi are being mounted on the A.E.C. Renown passenger model. Subject to the weight and seating limits already mentioned, saloon bus bodies of any type can, of course, be fitted to this chassis.
A Railway Company's Coaching Experiment.
The appreciation of the public for the distinctive travel facilities provided by motor coaching has been recognized by the Great Western Railway Co., who are making an endeavour to impart to rail travel the characteristic features of coaching by road motor; It is the company's intention to experiment in Monmouthshire with ran motor coaches. It has been arranged to start at Newport with an open rail motor coach and journey through the industrial valleys tothe Wye Valley.
The rail coaches will only travel at the speed at which road coaches procestl, the idea being to give equal facility for seeing the country as is afforded when touring by road. In addition, stops of from half an hour to an hour will be made at centres of interest, such as Symond's Yat and Ross-on-Wye, to enable passengers to visit attractive places off the rail route. The cost of the 'excursions will be it is said, lower than the rates pre
railing for similar coach, tours by road.
The success which may attend the company's efforts will, it is hoped, afford an indication of the possibility, of introducing coach trips by rail as a permanent summer feature in less industrialized areas, and from popular country centres. A great deal of interest is being shown in the experiment by South Wales coach and bus proprietors.
Morecambe and Bus Control:
At a meeting of the tramways committee of the Morecambe Corporation, Mr. Joseph Entwiatle, the town clerk, submitted a copy of the interim report of the Departmental Committee of the Ministry of Transport with respect to the licensing and control of publicservice vehicles in which it was recommended. that licensing should be conducted by the county council in respect of municipal boroughs, and urban districts with a population of less than . 20,000 at the last census.
It was resolved to protest against the adoption of such recommendations so far as Morecambe is concerned, anethe town clerk was instructed to write to the Ministry of Transport accordingly and also to ask for the support of all local authorities which are likely to be affected in the same way.