Single-decker with Yorkshire virtues
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THE DEMISE of bus grant I severe curbs on public secspending, the choice of a new an bus must be a difficult or some authorities an 11m I) single-deck bus has been med the most cost-effective ans of meeting local transt needs.
thatever the choice, reliabiland overall vehicle life ecomy are of paramount ortance. To an extent, simity must be the key to reliabilInd the single-deck bus I took id the route seemed relati' simple, yet rugged.
was the Ward Dalesman 1, which is a traditional le-deck bus chassis offering it floor and a rear-mounted ip Gardner 6HIAB engine ling through an SCG semiimatic gearbox.
us combination of running 3 has been proven and is aly familiar to most of the -ators in the market sector at :h it is aimed.
ie GRX1 was designed and specifically to meet the Is of Darlington Borough sport, which has ordered six lar vehicles, all with WadStringer Vanguard steel bo
affic was relatively light as I Heston with one of these ngton single-deckers and 'ed towards central London. borough's specification in3d an anti-vandal perspex )n to enclose the driving I personally found this ir irritating for it accend every rattle and creak. r was I particularly happy the combination of highited exterior mirrors, the /andel screen and a reIatilow mounted driver's seat: her they did little to envisibility.
3 cab layout disappointed 'oo little thought could have into it. The instrument was raked at a different to the steering wheel meant the air pressure as were difficult to see and peedometer was obscured a steering wheel rim. switches are on a panel ?.cliately in front of the r and, strangely, warning lights are grouped with the door control buttons to the right of the driver's line of vision.
However, the gear change control and hand-brake valve control are mounted to the right of the driver's seat and I found these easy to reach and comfortable to use.
Darlington has opted for semiautomatic control on its buses, which means smooth and quick changes are easy as long as drivers allow the revs to drop between gears.
The characteristics of the Gardner engine allow for early engagement of top gear. I found the bus pulled happily away in top, even when the road speed fell to around 32km/h (20mph).
The Ward has a SCG type GB 346 four-speed wide-ratio gearbox with electro-pneumatic control via a fluid clutch.
On the road, the bus accelerated smoothly and predictably, giving passengers a very comfortable ride.
It also coped well in merging with the traffic, when I was leav ing bus stops. Thanks for this are due to its ZF integral power steering, which allows plenty of feel. Manoeuvrability was good throughout the test.
I took the Dalesman on the London route on a Saturday and traffic was therefore lighter than during the week. Even with stopping at every other bus stop, I was able to average between 29 and 32km/h (18 and 20mph) for the central London section of the route to Manor House.
The bus took 1 minute 30 seconds to climb Muswell Hill (45 seconds to the bus stop half way up and 45 seconds from it to the top of the hill).
Surprisingly, and this is more of a reflection of the lack of disci pline among car-parking shoppers than of the bus's power, our journey speed fell as we started the suburban section of route. By the time we arrived at Pinner in the outer suburbs the average speed for the journey so far had dropped to 22.5km/h (14mph.) The bus's Wadham Stringer body was slightly over llm yet I had no difficulty coping with the tight corners on the housing estate section of route around Rayners Lane.
Certified to carry 48 seated passengers and 18 standing, the bus may be less environmetally intrusive than a double-decker and its passenger capacity is well suited to meet most peak traffic demands.
The bus cruised smoothly at 80km/h (50mph) on the dual carriageway section towards the end of the route and we finally covered the circuitous 110.9km (68.9 mile) route to Hem Hempstead in four hours ni minutes.
From Hemel Hempstead I ro as a passenger for a more din route back to our starting po at Heston.
The semi-elliptical leaf sprin provided very good ride a handling characteristics gen ally, although the multitude pot holes on the roads heights the necessity for air suspensi, When the bus did hit particuls bad sections of road surfa shock waves seemed to p right through the body, that this was more apparent from driving seat than in the m passenger saloon.
From the passenger poinl view, the bus was very accei ble in all respects. Without heaters on, the interior ric level was between 75 and dB(A) at the front of the sal when the bus was travellin! around 48km/h (30mph). At back, over the engine, the n level did not climb ab, 83db(A).
The bus had a flat saloon f sloping slightly towards front. Two seven-inch steps from the front entrance to flat floor.
The Darlington specifics calls for a centre exit and had two nine-inch steps fron saloon. The distance from body to the ground was ars 16.5 inches with the bus den. In this state it was hea% around 9,500kg, (9.35tons) pite a chassis weight of ii 5,000kg (4.9ton).
The Wadham Stringer guard body is light and airy the Marshall-bodied Volvo Dalesman Vanguard was with attractive moquette ered seats made by Proma the seats placed behind th( doors face forward to gi coach-like feel to the bus front section by the doors tured inwards facing seats.
The Darlington specification involves segregating the driver quite severely from the passengers. In addition to the full length vandal screen, the cab is totally enclosed with only small windows interrupting the screen of laminates.
From the maintenance point of view, most components are easily accessible from under or each side of the bus. Access traps are also fitted towards the -ear of the saloon floor.
A heavy chassis member Notects the rear of the body and he running units. The radiator is riounted remotely from the enjine. It is flexibly mounted on he right-hand chassis member.
The chassis frame itself is of ill-bolted construction. It con.ists of side-members cranked Kit towards the nearside at the ear to accommodate the enline. The drive line is straight nd simple. Eight cross-memiers are fitted in the chassis .ame, which slopes towards the Pont of the vehicle to allow the odybuilder a flat passenger oor and a low entrance.
Unfortunately, once we had .iturned to Heston a technical lult meant we were unable to se the diesel pump to check the J el consumption although I unerstand that similar buses are eturning just under 5.31it/100km (8mpg) in service Darlington.
In conclusion, while Ward lotors is one of Britain's smalist motor manufacturers, there no denying that this bus chess can be bodied to meet most assenger requirements. Increasingly, I think, passengers will expect the comfort of air suspension as more and more buses thus equipped enter service up and down the country. Ward Motors thinks likewise and is now fitting air suspension to its mid-engined Dalesman coach chassis and is prepared to offer this as an option on the GRX1.
However, the ride on steel springs from the Dalesman is good and the bus is sensibly designed to be easy to repair and reliable in service.
The Gardner 61-11.AB needs little comment. Its slow revving capabilities and flat torque curve have made it legendary among bus operators and its upright counterpart even won praise in a recent Monopolies Commission report on the bus industry. The SCG gearbox has been around a long time and is familiar to bus engineers and operators. It does not have a retarder fitted but the bus lacks nothing in the brake department.
The Dalesman GRX1 is a nononsense Yorkshire bus and for under £50,000, with a two-door Wadham Stringer body, it must represent almost unbeatable value for money.
In Urn (36ft) form it provides an alternative to the doubledecker or more expensive single-deckers and its simple specification should make it as attractive to the smaller independent stage operator as to his large public counterpart.
The Wadham Stringer body looks good and is generally well finished although I was a little disappointed with some of the attention to detail. In particular around the cab. It too provides a sensible, no-nonsense tool to secure a cost-effective future for stage services and should add to this reliable and rugged long-life combination.