6o B.U.T.
Page 31
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Trolleybuses for Johannesburg
A FTER waiting over eight years, 1-1 owing to the war, Johannesburg Municipality, South Africa, will now be able to take delivery of British trolleybuses, An order for 60 8-ft.-wide trolleybuses placed by Johannesburg with British United Traction Co., Ltd., Kingston, has just been completed. Fifty-nine chassis have been shipped, whilst the first complete trolleybus with 70-seater body, built as a prototype on this order, has recently made its final test run on the Hampton Court route of London Transport.
The test of this six-wheeled 70-seater, known as model 964T, was witnessed by Mr. H. D. Ward-Smith, advisory engineer to the High Commissioner for South Africa, who rode in the bus, accompanied by officials of 13.U.T. and other manufacturing companies. The test runs demonstrated the general efficiency of the machine and particularly its rapid acceleration without wheelspin, made possible by the rear bogie and radius arms to counteract torque. The benefit of the four air-pressure braking cylinders on the rear bogie, one cylinder for each wheel, was mined during the braking tests, which confirmed a figure of 19 ft. per sec, per sec. from 30 m.p.h. Forty-four M.C.W. bodies will go in sections to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where they will be assembled by Bus Bodies (S.A.), I.td. The remaining 15 bodies will be Park Royal/B.M.S. built in South Africa,