Britain Designed the First "
Page 34
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A Novel Type of Coach, Similar to One Now in Use in Germany, was Planned by Duple in 1939, but was
Never Built
I N Germany a " 4-deck" bus is now in use, in which the overall height has been reduced by an ingenious arrangement of facing seats with sunken foot wells. Details and a drawing of the design were published in "The Commercial Motor" on July 25.
Since that time we have learnt that a similar style of vehicle was planned in Britain as long ago as 1939, although it was never built. Duple Motor Bodies, Ltd., The Hyde, Hendon, London, N W.9, prepared the design at the request of Mr. H. R. Lapper, of Black and White Motorways, Ltd., Cheltenham, who required a luxury long-distance coach with ,a reasonable number of seats and able to pass under low railway bridges.
A 34-seater A drawing was made of a 34-seater based on a Bristol chassis, and part of it is reproduced on this page. The weight of the body was expected to be no greater than that of a normal doubledecker, whilst, of course, the laden weight would be lower.
The seats were arranged on the c,ff side and mainly in banks of three, facing inwards. Access to the interior was by an outside sliding door .t the front, on the left of which was a tip-up seat for the conductor. Immediately inside the do° was a step well 1 ft. 2 ins. below the level of the main floor. The first pair of seats was reached directly from the step well.
The remaining lower seats and the seats on the upper " deck " were accessible from a near-side gangway raised 2 ft. 2 ins above the main floor. From
A37 this gangway steps led to the upper and lower banks of seats, there being two steps, with 1 ft. 1 in. risers to each foot well. The overall height, over the " sunshine!' head was calculated at 12 ft. 4i ins.
Ample space was allowed for each passenger, each seat being 1 ft. 3 ins. wide from the Centre of the arm-rest, and a similar dimension of 1 ft. 8 ins. was provided between the inwardly facing seats.
The design included a toilet compartment built on the cranked rear extensions of the chassis frame, with a water tank located above. Other features of the specification were 11 large drop windows, a • Duple heating system, and folding tables to be fitted between the seats.
Luggage could be carried in a compartment built on the off side over the rear 'axle, where there were only two seats in each row. "
But for the war, this ingenious design might well have been put into production. In any event, the honour of halting first evolved it goes to a British bodybuilder, even if Germany takes credit for having built the first coach with the " brick-wall " seating arrangement.