A Five-minute Litt for Capsized Buses
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MMED1ATE recovery of buses I involved in major accidents, besides bing a good advertisement for the operator, is essential in order to maintain an uninterrupted flow of traffic. Faced with the necessity of dealing with such incidents in the worst possible traffic conditions, London Transport engineers have evolved a new method.
The function of the breakdown outfit is arranged to be divided between two vehicles, one a four-wheel-drive recovery vehicle, equipped with a winch and crane, and the second a tender, fitted out as a mobile workshop.
-A recent demonstration of this equipment revealed that an overturned double-decker could be righted and
driven off (or towed away) within 10 minutes of the arrival of the breakdown crew. Basically, the equipment consists of rope slings and chains, an anchor bar, a vertical lifting pole and specially designed members to strengthen the roof while the lift is taking place.
On arrival at the scene of the accident, the recovery vehicle is parked facing the damaged bus, whilst the breakdown gang unloads the necessary equipment from the tender. The anchor bar. which is in two sections, is placed under the wheels of the bus, and the gin pole placed in a socket in the centre. This is then connected to roof slings by drag ropes and adjustable chains. The body is strengthened by specially designed stretcher bars arranged between the cant rails and the roof rails. If the roof be badly damaged, the stress is taken by a plank placed across the upper-deck seats.
The winch is then started, the pull being taken at the top of the pole, which hinges about the anchor-bar socket, and the bus, prevented from sliding by the anchor bar, comes upright. A pile of boards 6 ins, high is placed on the ground opposite each wheel to break their fall and to-prevent the vehicle from bouncing and possibly capsizing again.
A hydraulic jack is carried in the tender to enable the bus to be lifted and the boards and gear removed. The total time taken to right a bus, once the equipment is laid out ready for use, is about five to six minutes.
Six of these breakdown units will be used by London Transport. The breakdown vehicles will be A.E.C. Matador tractors, and the tenders will be converted STL-type buses with ecial bodywork. Each team of two vehicles is capable of tackling any situation which might arise.
The particular advantages of the system are that the damaged vehicle can be removed immediately, without all the equipment having to he packed into the breakdown vehicle before towing can begin.