PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
A COACH FOR PASSENGERS AND MAILS.
Designed to Carry 14 Passengers, Apart from the Driver, and, in Three Compartments at the Back, Large Quantities of Mails and Luggage.
WE RECENTLY examined at. the works of Messrs. Strachan and Brown an interesting type of combined passenger, mail and goods coach, to the design of Frank Hopper and Sons, Ltd., 36, Smith Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow. It is mounted on a 2L-ton W. and G. chassis, and the body%has been built by Messrs. Strachan and Brown.
This coach should certainly meet the requirements of services operating between rural communities and small towns. It is of the one-man-operated type, and is permanently enclosed, except for the prgvision of three Strachan and Brown balanced drop windows at each side and a side sliding •window at the right of the driver.
As is usual in such vehicles, the single door at the front near side can be opened and closed from the driver's seat. To effect this, a lever, operating horizontally, is pivoted to the cover of the petrol tank carried on the dash at the left of the steering column. The door is of the -folding type, with rack and pinion ar rangement between the halves. Attached to -the bracket. of the lever and to the lever itself is a small but Powerful
spring, and when the lever is pushed to either side it immediately lucks itself in position by the pall of the spring after it has passed the central position. At the door are two steps leading up to the floor level.
The inside of the coach is finished in varnished natural wood, the seats having polished wood backs with padded rests. Internal lighting is by two staggered lamps, and the C.A.V. switchboard is situated on the dash at the ri-ght of the steering column. .
The windscreen is made with adjustable upper portions on each side. The seating is arranged with a gangway at the near side, this being provided with two or three folding seats. The driver's saat is of the rotatable bucket type, mounted on a pedestal. There is also a luggage rail round the roof, access to this being obtained by four steps at the rear off side.
To increase the strength of the body the frame cross-members are fitted with special steel flitch plates; this also applies to the roof. sticks. The roof is also slatted at the top to prevent tearing of the moleskin covering by sharp corners of parcels, etc.
A very unusual feature is the provision aE the front of the vehicle of folding 021 luggage carriers or platforms, which, when net in use, are retained against tbe outside of the dash by • means of spring clips, and, when in use, rest. on trie tront wings and brackets between these and the frame.
The outside of the vehicle is finished in heather colour up to the nikist line, with white window linings and white roof, and Royal. Mail red above the waist line, and, of course, for the mail compartment. It should be mentioned that the passenger accommodation, or goods accommodation, of the vehicle can be varied to salt the individual requirements of users. That is to say, fewer passengers carried will permit 'of more goods, and vice versa.
We believe this vehicle, will be on exhibition in Glasgow during the-progress of the Scottish Show an Kelvin Hall. The complete vehicle-is very reasonably priced at £795. .