Welded Body On Finnish Chassis
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A MOST interesting exhibit on the riLstand of Weymann's Ltd. at the forthcoming Commercial Motor Show will be a 41-seat single-decker on the Sisu B76 left-hand-drive chassis, suitable for city, rural or feeder services, and employing a high degree of welding in the structure. The body is designed to form an integral unit with the chassis, using main body bearers of single steel channel section welded to chassis brackets. Special steel section pillars are connected to longitudinal rails by pressed steel gussets and brackets welded to the outer end of main floor bearers and designed to take spot-welded interior stress skin of 20G steel. The waist rails are of 16G pressed steel section to provide for spot welding of interior and riveting of exterior panels, and the bodysides are designed to form a stiff beam and take a major part in the load carrying.
A Leyland 0.400 engine is mounted vertically at the front of the Sisu, and the overall dimensions of the bus are 10.66 m. long by 2.5 m. wide (34 ft. 11.75 in. by 8 ft. 0.5 in.), with an overall height of 2-83 tn. (9 ft. 3.0625 in.). The entrance door is immediately behind the front axle and all the 41 seats face forwards. A large luggage locker is provided at the rear of the bus, whilst two roof ventilators can be fully opened in case of emergency, The new bus, known as the Jason II, is available for both home and export markets, the model to be exhibited being destined for Oy Suomen Autoteollisuus AB, Helsinki, Finland.
Salford Atlantean Alongside the Jason bus will be a 76-seat Atlantean double-decker in the colours of Salford City Transport. Although basically the standard M.C.W. group body, which has been in production for several years, the frontal treatment has been modified to give a radius across the front panels, and a rather greater slope to the front profile. A two-piece curved windscreen is fitted, although the upper saloon window design has not been altered. The staircase has also been redesigned, to provide a straight flight of five steps between two passing platforms, and a recess is cut out of the luggage platform beneath the stairs to allow the conductor to stand clear of the lower saloon gangway.
Two buses will also be exhibited on the stand of Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd.—a 68-seat, forward-entrance double-decker on a Dennis Loline chassis for the Aldershot and District Traction Co. Ltd., and an M.C.W./Leyland Olympic Series III model FL.45 single-decker designed for the South American market.