A SPECIAL-PURPOSE SALOON BUS.
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Details of a Dennis Municipal Vehicle with Several Interesting Features.
AN illustration which we produce on ,..this page shows an interesting special-purpose passenger vehicle which has just been supplied from the works of Dennis Bros., Ltd., at Guildford. The chassis is an example of the company's 4.1-type, which is a low load-lire model, designed normally to take a 20seater body. In this case, however, the seating is arranged so that 24 children can be carried. The bus is one of two similar vehicles being supplied to the municipal hospital authoritiesof the Willesden Urban District Council, and, as we have indicated, it is expressly intended for the conveyance of crippled children —a fact which also explains the reason for the low overall height of the machine; t h e interior headroom is actually 5 ft.
The body, which is a product of Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., of Ipswich, is of the s:ngle front-entrance type, and it has an emergency exit in the rear panel. The interior of the vehicle is finished in natural wood, which is varnished, and the upholstery
is carried out in brown. A gate at about the heightof the waist-rail prevents the occupants of the bus from interfering with the driver in the execution of his work.
A feature of interest is that Safetex
FtRTHER ambitious motorbusstation projects are now being brought to fruition in Newcastle, where, as was mentioned in last week's issue of The Commercial Motor, the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., has made preparations to erect a huge station in the centre of the city at a cost of about £25,000.
The latest development in thie connection is the approval, in principle, by the Newcastle City Council of a scheme, which was 'first mooted eight or nine months ago. for the construction of three extensive stations on convenient sites within the city, to act res the ter 1340 splinterless glass is employed for the lights throughout. There are two drop windows at each side, which, together with the opening afforded by the upper half of the windscreen, which opens for its full width, provide ample ventilation in hot weather, whilst two ventilators in the roof ensure that fresh air reaches the interior when the windows
are closed. There is a sliding panel to the right of the driver, so that he can indicate his intentions to other traffic OD the road.
The bus is finished in the colours of the Willesden Urban District Council, and its crest, which appears en each side, is a good example of hand-painting.
minal points for all licensed services working to and from Newcastle. Each site is within five minutes' walk of the
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city's chief shopping thoroughfares, and the selection of the location is such that they will form almost ideal centres upon which to concentrate the traffic rowing into Newcastle from all parts of the surrounding countryside.
The proposal of the corporation is that a charge or rental should be levied upon each bus undertaking or private owner using the stand, the charge to be in proportionto the number of vehicles engaged on services working to Newcastle. By this means, the station New Bridge Site : The actual site hoe not yet been definitely selected. This station will deal with bus traffic coming into the city via the New Bridge from
the south and south-east. The proposed new "Northern General" station will be within two minutes' run of the bridge, which is to be opened in the closing months of this year.
Atthe last meeting of the city council instructions were given to the watch committee and the estate and property committee to meet and prepare for submission to an early meeting of the council a joint report upon the exact sites of these stations, the necessary traffic-control arrangements, costs of erection of the three stations, and an estimate of the yearly expenditure and income in respect of each of them.
Since the raising of the question of the need for the provision of station accommodation in Newcastle for bus passengers, Tyneside bus owners have seen the possibilities of these establishments for further perfecting road travel facilities. In several qvarters negotiations are proceeding -with a view to obtaining central sites or buildings which are capable of conversion into up-todate stations. It is gathered that one big group of premises, of about 4,000 square yards, has just changed *hands. LEThAND MOTORS, LTD., reeently shipped to its Cape Town depot a Leyland Titan double-deck bus complete and, although it was despatched uncased, it had been so well stowed in the vessel that it was driven from the docks to the Leyland depot, where it was received without having suffered a scratch of any kind. It was decided to show this vehicle at the Agricultural Show at Johannesburg, but, owing to its size, the railway officials refused to undertake the transport of it, so that it was necessary to send the bus by road.
One of the company's representatives, Mr. S. W. King, and two assistants, with a Trojan car set out, as scouts, on the journey, although it was the rainy season and the roads in places were hardly negotiable. Smooth progress *as made until the gains Kloof 'Pass was reached, where the famous overhanging reek was encountered. The Titan's overall height (12 ft. 101 ins.) was known,, but the height of the rock from the road was an un known quantity. It was necessary, therefore, for one of the crew to climb up the sides of the cliff to see whether there was sufficient clearance for the bus to pass under the rock. On the other side of the road was a steep drop and failure to pass under the rock meant the use of an alternative road involving an extra 92 miles travelling.
Although the Titan was as near to the edge of the road as possible, at least 2 ft. of the rock projected over the roof of the bus. To avoid the risk of accident, it was decided that all stones and loose material on the road would have to be removed so that the bus would not be lifted to any extent. The vehicle was then driven forward at a very slow pace until it eventrially cleared the rock by lj ins.
Apart from the vehicle becoming bogged in the bed of a river, the rest of the journey was completed without untoWard incident. The total distance Covered by the machine, which weighs over six tons, was 968 miles, and it completed the run in good style,