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by T. F. McLachlan, director and general manager, Grey-Green Coaches
TODAY there are few types of chassis from which the British coach operator may choose compared with the number 25 years ago. The introduction of a few Continental chassis to the British market goes no way 'towards making up for the large number of variations in chassis and power unit avail.able before the manufacturers' 'amalgamations of the 1950s and 60s.
Most of the present products -available are reasonably reliable, hut there will never be a -particular type that is the best for all modes of coach work. The demands on coach operators vary considerably between one operator and another and certainly within any one business.
It is largely the flexibility of operators and their vehicles that ,allows most of them to Stay in business from one year to the next, and so types of work are bound to vary weekly. Local contracts and private 'hire work keep many operators busy for most of the year, but their economy relies . on their being able to provide reliefs for express services on summer Saturdays and to provide local excursions on Sundays and during the summer holidays.
Depreciation
The type of vehicle costing the least to maintain would be very acceptable to the driver and passengers, but would be far too expensive to purchase for most of the duties it would he required to perform. Depredation on a relatively modern vehicle is Likely to be between £8 and £15 per working day while the 'figure for an older vehicle might be only £4.
The difference in rates quoted to the local eduoation authority or to members of the public would vary sufficiently between one purchase and another for the operator of the high capital cost vehicle to price himself out of his market.
An operator's choice is between new and !second-hand, large, medium or small and between the lighter chassis, the heavier chassis and the more expensive imported chassis. Some operators in =all businesses, particularly where members of the family business drive, are strongly influenced by their own preference and in their pride in their coaches rather than in their own drawings from the bus:iness. However, the choice of most will be that machine which will do the work required at the lowest possible overall cost.
The three figures that matter are: El The initial price; 1=1 The estimated resale price; CI And the cost of operation between the time of purchase and of resale.
The principal operating costs affecting this decision are fuel and maintenance. The comparison of fuel consumption 'between different classes of vehicle on .a particular type of work is straightforward with the 'British lighltWeig'ht,having as much as a 25 per cent advantage over the most popular imported type. Maintenance costs are far more complex. The lighter type of chassis, ie Ford and Bedford, are likely to need attention and replacement of parts more frequently, but the cost of the parts will be generally between 25 and 50 per cent of the similar spares required for, say, a Leyland. It is probable that over five years of operating life the cost of spares in each of the two types of vehicle will be approximately the .same.
If this were the only criterion on Which the choice rested then the heavy vehicle would have gone out of coach operation by now, but both the cost and availability of skilled labour in the area of the base of operations must be taken into account. Frequent changes of units and parts add to the time that a vehicle is not available for work and require the employment of more fitting staff. Also to be considered is the availability of workshop space.
More frequent and longer workshop visits demand not only more staff but more space and the high rates of pay necessary to attract fitters away from :other operators and industries make it Important to reduce time in the workshops to a minimum at the expense of other operating factors. The same considerations may apply to firms whose vehicles spend a great deal of time away from their depots.
Distorted figures
Extended touring requirements mean vehicles are available for :servicing on only one or two nights and .a day once a week or once a fortnight during the summer. Therefore it important 'that the minimum of servicing is required outside these periods and so the touring operator is likely to choose the heavier chassis. A notable exception to such a policy is Excelsior of Bournemouth, which runs Fords all over Europe and into Asia.
New vehicles, in spite of several :beliefs to the contrary, require less attention than older vehicles although cost figures are distorted by spare parts and service supplied for new vehicles under warranty. In the -first 12 months of operation maintenance costs are very small, but will rise steeply after three or four years in service. For this reason some operators apply the policy of trading in vehicles after their first two or three years of life. In this method, maintenance is restricted to running repairs and premature unit failures.
Many of the unit failures will be dealt with under warranty in any case, and it would be worth while having the remainder serviced by outside contractors to keep workshop space to the absolitte minimum. In a fleet where the fitters are primarily required for running repairs, a major engine overhaul would upset the system with a man being tied down for a fail week on one job. Running repairs and routine preventive maintenance in a modern fleet requires each vehicle to be seen frequently and seldom spending more than a few hours in the workshop at any one time.
Another consideration in the choice of vehicle depends on whether vehicles are 'allocated for most of their time to particular drivers. Vehicles are always much better respected by their drivers if they can be encouraged to take pride in them knowing that any ill treatment will be visited upon them sooner or later. Some drivers to whom coaches have been permanently allocated have been able to keep the maintenance costs of their machines to less than half the fleet's .average.
On express services where drivers are changed over frequently there lis probably no better vehicle than the Leyland Leopard with a semi -automatic transmission.
Unfortunately, there are no near substitutes for this type of vehicle. The AEC Reliance is not universally considered to he quite so robust, and the Bristol RE is no longer in production. The Volvo enjoys a good reputation among some of the small operators who have employed the vehicle in the past two or three years. It is now employed on the London to Scotland services of the Scottish Transport Group, but the version With the eptcyclit gear box is not readily available. The present price is not a great deal higher than that of the Leyland Leopard but the future value of the £ against foreign currencies must be taken into consideration when estimating the future cost if fleet stand.arisation on this type of vehicle is envisaged.
Another very good Continental vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz, suffers' the same disadvantage. Its reliability, fuel economy, riding and driving qualities are unsurpassed, but they are well beyond the price range of most British operators. No general price quotation is available for the UK, but it can be anticipated on the present rates of exchange that a British operator is likely to pay up to twice the price for zi modern Mercedes that he would be expected to pay for the home-produced vehicle. He can, of course, cut his costs by purchasing the Mercedes running units with a British-made body, but it is unlikely that the finished product would be as robust as the integral unit produced at the Mercedes works.
Experience of operation with the Mercedes 0.302 in this country has varied considerably. The two largest users have been World Wide Coaches Ltd, of London, now part of the George Ewer Group, and Seamarks Bros Ltd, of Luton. World Wide has used its Merced'eS. on good-class private hire tours and transfers mainly for the American Express company and is well satisfied with the current performance of vehicles varying between three and six years' Old. After three years in service, principally on airport transfers, Seamarks disposed of their Mercedes 0.302 coaches in favour of British built lightweights.
The lightweights
The principal manufacturers of lightweight coaches, Bedford and Ford, produce chassis for both 10 and 11-metre bodywork with Bedford also making a smaller chassis suitable for a 29-seat body. Although the features of the two manufacturers are different, the values' of the competing products are similar. The chassis price has varied between 30 and 60 per cent of the equivalent size heavy chassis price and, bearing the price difference in mind, the value is good, but there are obvious disadvantages in the lightweight. A dissatisfied operator of Ford Willi turn to Bedfords to find that he is no better off and will probably switch back again.
In the long run the lightweight operators are split 'between Ford fans and Bedford fans, and the competition is becoming stronger probably between the lightweight manufacturers and the traditional heavyweight rather than intensifying between Bedford and Ford. Both companies are producing heavier units for goods and passenger work, and the larger engines and running units in passenger chassis are likely to increase the proportion .of "lightweight" to heavyweight in British coach fleets.
The Bristol LH chassis was the 'heavyweight manufacturer's version of a lighter chassis and, at the time of its introduction, fell part way between the Bedford/Ford and Leyland/Bristol/AEC groups. Probably, its most attractive feature was, and Still is, the Leyland 401 engine. The run fling units of the Bristol were more robust than those on the Ford and Bedford and several operators have been converted to its use. The long version, the LHL, has been regarded as underpowered, but can't have been any worse than the Bedford VAL14 with the same type of engine. On 'the other hand the LHS with this power unit is considered to be overpowered, but engine standardisation makes this disacl vantage worthwhile to manufacturer and 'operator. The current production of LH models has incorporated some heavier running units which have increased the cost and improved the vehicle.
At the same time Bedford has progressed similarly, ultimately creating a 'new type of vehicle at a price well above the range of the VAM of the second half of 'the 1960s. The engine has been moved back under the floor, chassis frame and almost all other units and accessories have been made bigger and Stronger, power steering is incorporated and now a larger engine is installed. The Bedford is now interposed between the Bristol and the Leyland, and the YLQ and YMT are more properly classified middleweights.
Vehicle life
When a chassis is selected :t is essential to have some idea how long it is intended to keep it in the fleet. It Is therefore ; important that records of vehicle maintenance costs be divided not only between type but between year of 'manufacture. My table shows the kind of information thrown up by costing the time of maintenance operatives, materials and specialist work carried out on different groups of chassis. The figures used iii pence per car mile are not intended to be absolutely precise and should ,not be taken as a guide to any particular operator's experience, but they are intended to show the variation between types and between vehicles of differing ages.
Classes of vehicles are separated not only between manufacturers chassis types but by length, year and any other special feature. It is important to know the number of vehicles in each group to understand the significance of the figures and to ,know whether there were any special circumstances • attaching to that group in the year concerned. For example, the 1968 10-metre Leopard group might comprise only three vehicles and two of these may have had major engine trouble, which would not only increase the expenditure but would reduce the mileage by which this expenditure is divided to produce the common denominator of pence per car mile. It is clear that the cost of maintenance increases as vehicles become older and constant reappraisal is necessary to decide at which point vehicles should be replaced.
Difficulties in obtaining spares will be reflected in the cost per car mile because the number of miles will be reduced if the vehicle is kept off the road for an exceptionally long period at a time when it could be earning revenue. But there are some necessary conclusions which cannot be adduced from this table. Vehicle recovery costs will be set against any which fail in service, but the cost of hiring replacements and the damage to goodwill cannot be recorded in this way. It must be left to the management to make an assessment to cover this aspect when considering at which time and with what type of vehicle to replace existing units. A record of breakdowns• in service is essential if the emotions connected with the two most recent incidents are not to determine the nature of replacements ordered.
The importance of standardisation goes beyond the problems of stock and store keeping. Standardisation is important to fitters who understand the best method of dealing with the machines in their charge. Problems with new vehicles and minority types show up very quickly when maintenance time is measured one against the other. Drivers, however little some of them understand the mechanical functions of the vehicle, learn the fallibilities of the type that they are used to operating and can avoid engine and braking failures by recognising the early symptoms.
Maintenance costs
Neither is it possible to forecast maintenance costs and programmes of work if the history of a particular type has not been built up and unit failures anticipated. Rather than repeatedly changing types of vehicles in a fleet one might do better to persist with one of the existing less-than-satisfactory types and learn to adjust to its shortcomings. Every type has shortcomings either in reliability, maintenance and running costs or in purchase price. , The policy of Grey-Green is to concentrate on one make of heavyweight and one make of lightweight with as few engine variations as possible. The balance between the two is to maintain about 50 per cent of each in the fleet, and this entails the purchase of a larger number of lightweights each year than heavyweights because the latter are kept for about seven years while the former are turned over in three or four years as a rule.
Changes in operating patterns as well as changes in manufacturer's specifications may alter the fleet content one way or the other. The larger engined, more robust Bedford YMT may be able to take over much of the work previously the province of the Leyland Leopard and so make it worth while to keep more Bedfords in the fleet. On the other hand a growth in long-distance traffic on some express services may call for a greater use of the Leyland. Changes in the Government's Bus Grant policy affects the choice of vehicle and the life expectation.
Many first-line coach operators used to sell their vehicles after four or five years to smaller operators running principally stage and contract services. The introduction of Bus Grant made it worth while for many of the smaller operators to buy new vehicles at prices as low as they previously purchased second-hand. Immediately the value of second-hand coaches dropped considerably and so it became economically necessary for first-line operators to keep their coaches longer because of the increase in the difference between buying and selling prices. Conversely, the reintroduction of investment allowances would encourage a quicker turnover of vehicles in a coach fleet.
Most operators choose the 11-metre vehicle whether buy ing a lightweight or a heavyweight and, quite understandably, very few heavyweights are built to carry 10-metre bodies nowadays. The choice of size varies according to the type of business, but the 53seater will serge almost any purpose. A 53-seater is also easier to sell second-hand than one of smaller capacity. Obviously, smaller parties prefer smaller coaches, but there can be occasions when there are no jobs for small coaches and the operator has to hire in 53-seaters while 29-seaters are standing idle.
The longer coach is heavier and therefore uses more fuel and tyres and will give more mechanical trouble, assuming the same chassis type as for a shorter vehicle. The front end and rear end damage is more likely with a larger vehicle and more garage space is required and so it is pointless to use a big vehicle where a smaller would suffice.
On the other hand, extra capital cost for the extra metre is not significant. The additional purchase price of a new 53 as against a 45-seater can be reckoned at no more than £10 a seat in the case of heavyweight chassis and about £100 a seat for the body. At current prices the first 45 seats are likely to cost over £300 and so it seems common sense to go on for another eight at the price of only £110 •a seat. A 10-metre coach can only justify itself where there is a great deal of flexibility within the fleet and where the number of vehicles is large enough to assure the operator that he will always have a use for the 41/45-seaters.
Few operators exercise their mind as to the number of seats to be put into a vehicle of a particular length. Most opt for the maximum capacity without consideration of an alternative. The 45-seat 10-metre and 53seat 11-metre are reasonably comfortable for most people over most journeys, but operators undertaking journeys where passengers are likely to sit in the vehicle for more than two hours at a time should seriously consider whether their long-term interests are served by subjecting the longer-limbed 25 per cent of the population to discomfort. Without going in for reclining seats, some operators consider it worth while to reduce the capacity of their coaches by a double seat on each side to give sufficient leg room for the stretching and readjusting of the body to avoid cramp, stiffness, and soreness.
Some customers are not prepared to pay enough to allow this to be done but for longdistance tours, express services and private hire some more comfortable vehicles are justified.
The 29-seater has become all the more popular since the decline of the 41/45-seater which has disappeared from some operators' fleets completely. Parties of 14 and 20 can be fairly comfortable in a 29seater, but they feel ridiculous in a 53-seater and operators find that they can lose business if they are not able to accommodate passengers in a vehicle near-matched to the size of the party. Just as caterers match the size of the rooms to the size of the wedding party or banquet so coach operators need to have, at least some variation in the range of size.• The Bedford PJK chassis is comparatively cheap to buy and most operators can find use for some 29-seaters on all days of the operating year. This type has retained its secondhand value and is always in strong demand. As the requirement for the small vehicle has grown, operators have found the Bedford with its small wheels and noisy engine unsuitable for very long journeys. Adverse reports will be heard after a driver has driven and passengers have ridden 400 miles in a day on one of these vehicles; 29-seaters are needed for some private party tours to the Continent and, also, ferry shipping space is provided cheaper than for the larger vehicles.
The Bristol LHS is moving in on the small coach capacity market because of its better riding qualities and quieter under-floor engine. It is much more expensive than the Bedford version, but the price is acceptable in some circumstances where the vehicle will last longer and will be capable of replacing larger vehicles where one of these has been sent on a long journey with a small number of passengers. It is dif ficult to see why Bristols can make the LH in four separate lengths while Bedford confines its main passenger chassis to 11 and 10 metres, leaving a different type to cater for the nine-metre market. There is little doubt that a nine-metre version of the YRQ would be acceptable to more operators than is the LHS. It would be cheaper and the spare parts and fitter-familiarisation problems would be reduced.
Body styling
Just as the number of chassis types has reduced so has the choice in body• styling. This has been a mixed blessing to the operator wild cannot look for a keen, more efficient entrant to the coach bodybuilding field. The rapid changes in body styling of a few years ago stem from the need felt by many operators of providing something different and newer than their rivals. Eastern Coach Works stylings for coaches never seemed original in conception but they did not date as quickly as other builders' styles. Mercedes coaches produced today are little ,different in appearance from those produced 20 years ago, and Plaxtons long-running Panorama Elite has helped with fleet uni formity and with the value of second-hand vehicles. Secondhand price lists will show a sizeable difference between six-year-old Duples and sixyear-old Plaxtons.
Most operators find that the continuity type is the best to operate if the coach is to remain in the fleet more than two or three years. Spares for shortrun bodies become very expensive after their manufacture has been discontinued and their second-hand prices fall rapidly. Some rather flamboyant bodies built abroad were attractive to operators because they were so noticeable to potential riders in the district that they served.
To continue to be both noticeable and desirable the bodies need a great deal of attention to keep up their special appearance and the attraction to the second-hand purchaser can only be its sale at a very low price. " Executive " type coaches are not in exactly the same class but they have similar economic. features. After two or three years in service the special features become tarnished and the faded executive coach is an anachronism. As soon as the interior becomes dowdy it is necessary to restore the vehicle to the normal seating capacity, retrim the special seats for the replacement vehicle and to scrap the greater part of the remaining facilities such as bar, sink unit, curtains and possibly a great deal more extras.
Annual depreciation
The annual depreciation on such a vehicle is to be calculated by taking the standard type vehicle less, say, £2,000 as the cost of a standard set of seats and assume that this part of the vehicle will have lost half its value after three years. This will give an average depreciation of £2,500 to £3,000 a year. If the cost of the extra facilities, allowing for some remaining value in the life of the executive-type seats, is £9,000 then the amount by which the first three years is to be depreciated is between £5,500 and £6,000 a year.
If an operator is fortunate enough to be able to find work for such a vehicle on 200 days of the year, then the cost of depreciation alone is around £30 per day, but it is probable that there would be far fewer days on which the vehicle can be let out on this kind of work.
Any variation from standard must be given the greatest consideration when ordering new coach bodies, not only because of its first cost but also because of the cost and difficulties of keeping them in good condition and because of the resale value of a vehicle incorporating such features.
It is reasonable to assume -that, with a favourable cash flow, the operator who has vehicles running high mileages with frequent changes of driver or who has limited maintenance facilities and a shortage of skilled fitters will be primarily interested in the heavy chassis with robust control and running units or will use lightweights on a quick turnover basis. The proximity of the maintenance base to a manufacturer's or distributor's spares depot will influence the actual manufacture of chassis or body chosen. Standardisation of bodies and chassis is important for many reasons but, except in a very small fleet, it is wise not to have too many eggs in one basket.