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New Duple aimed at bus market
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Page 56
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AN ATTACK on the easingly lucrative light end of the bus market is launched today by Duple with the announcement of its new model for 1974 a Dominant service bus. Although the new body shares the name of the company's wellknown coach body — and there are some other similarities — the bus•body is designed for quite a different purpose. Construction of the bus follows Duple's Phase 2 method employed on the 29 seat Bedford VAS and 41-seat Bedford SB models. This involves the use of a square tube section, all-steel welded, jig-built structure with a fulllength truss panel. It is no secret that this construction method — which uses no wood will eventually be extended to the whole Dominant range. On the bus, pillar spacings are identical with those of the other Dominant models and the new body will fit the same chassis. The main difference from the coach is that the bus has an almost square cross section. Flat glass is used for side and rear windows, with pre-formed rubber glazing surrounds.
Dominant look
If the main part of the Dominant bus body is fairly conventional, it is only fair to add that some considerable ingenuity has been used at the front end. The front panel, in grp, retains the Dominant coach grille and headlamp mit and uses a split screen with glass ;haped almost identically to that used on the Leyland National. Access is by a bus grant doorway, with both doors and air-operated gear being made by Duple.
The Dominant bus will make its public debut at Earls Court where a Bedford YRQ version will be on Duple's stand. Dimensions for that vehicle are as follows: length, 9.9m (32ft 8 in); width, 2.5m (8 ft 21/2 in); height (unladen), 3.13m (10ft 3m); step heights (unladen), 1st 425 mm (161/2 in); 2nd, 256 mm (10in); 3rd, 250 mm (91/2 in); 4th, 196 mm (8 in). Interestingly, all Duple models are now also available in 2.3 m (7ft 6in) width. The Show model will have 47 seats. As well as four top-slider opening windows, and two lift-up roof vents, there are two underseat heaters and a separate demisting system. A conventional full-length emergency door is provided at the rear offside and there is an escape window at the rear nearside. The front destination board has been designed to accommodate every possible blind requirement.
Duple also announce today a new interior for the Dominant range. As well as restyled driver's cab and wrap-round instrument layout a whole host of detail improvements have been made. There is external access to electrics and a new choice of interior trim. Following some • criticisms, not least in CM, headlight fairings have been dropped, the digital clock has been redesigned, the stepwell has been strengthened and a new demister fan unit is used. There are numerous other changes.
On the Duple stand at Earls Court will be the YRQ bus, a Leyland Leopard l I m coach and a Bedford POK (formerly VAS) 29-seater. A 12m coach body on Volvo chassis will be on the Ailsa stand and in the demonstration park will be a YRT express body and a coach on the Ford 1014 chassis. The same chassis will be used for a bus deomonstrator. All Duple show models will be fitted with the unique alarm system described on page 32.
A panel on the Duple stand will illustrate future developments. These include a coach body on the Mercedes Benz LP808D chassis, a 12 m coach on a DAF chassis, a 29-seat coach body on the Bristol LI-IS chassis and the introduction of a unitized executive package due to go into production for the 1975 season.