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Passenger-carrying Vehicles Present and Future
Page 68
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ONE of the most interesting events of the winter session of technical institutions occurred last night, November 10th, when members of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, the Commercial Motor Users Association, and the Institute of Transport held a joint meeting in London. The first paper read to the assembly was that entitled "Passenger-carrying Vehicles" by Mr. George J. . Shave, M.I.Mech.E., M.I.A.E., M,Inst.T., chief engineer and operating manager of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd.
In the opening of his paper, Mr. Shave dealt with the problem of the future type of coach and bus, with regard to the possibility of existing elmssis becoming obsolete before the completion of their effective life. He pointed out that passenger-carrying vehicles are of various sizes and seating capacities. The modern trend is towards more exacting speed, acceleration and braking conditions.
The six categories of passenger-carrying vehicles, according to Mr. Shave, are :—(1) The six-wheeled doubledecker within the 20-ft. regulation ; (2) the short six-wheeler, 27 ft. ; (2) the four-wheeled double-decker, 26 ft. ; (4) the Edx-wheeled single-decker, 80 ft.; (5) the four-wheeled single-decker, 26 ft.; (0) the 'long-distance fourwheeled coach, 26 ft. Machines in categories one and four are most suitable for operation over routes where there is an all-day concentrated traffic between given points. Vehicles having a seating capacity of 50 to 60 in double-deck form, or of 36 persons in the case of a single-decker, are probably the most economical to employ generally; they are more efficient for short-distance traffic and create less congestion than larger vehicles.
The old-type L.G.O.C. six-wheeler carrying 72 persons measured 29 ft. 1i ins, overall s length, whereas the latest type six-wheeler carries 60 persons and measures 26 ft. 10 ins., whilst the new ST-type four-wheeler carries 49 persons and measures only 25 ft.
The limitation of the usefulness of the six-wheeler is the large area covered when negotiating a corner. The additional 5 ft. in length of the older-type six-wheeler sets a definite limit in respect of the width of roadway which it can traverse without creating a temporary obstruction. In many districts this point nullifies advantages in respect of the extra number of passengers carried.
With regard to transmission systems, Mr. Shave reviewed the present position in general, stating that no one type of clutch was at present good enough to become accepted as standard. It is probably, he remarked, only a matter of a year or two before other forms of transmission will be discovered. With respect to frames, he dealt with the value of the three-point-suspension system for rigid units mounted in a frame which must necessarily flex.
Concerning coach bodies, Mr. Shave stated that he favours the front-entrance design, which enables a stronger form.of construction to be employed without extra weight, and, at the same time, overcomes the nuisances of fumes and dust admission. The latest 'bodies used by the L.G.O.C. incorporate practically two-thirds of the material in the form of light metal—duralumin and aluminium. Bodies built by General Motors Corporation of America are constructed entirely in steel; built in sections bolted together. All-metal bodies will probably make their' appearance in production in this country, before long, and they must be of a rather more flexible type than those used heretofore. In the matter of the oil engine, Mr. Shave believes that the adoption of this type of prime mover for passenger vehicles is not far distant. Experiments have been made by the L.G.O.C. with 14Iercecles-Benz, Junkers and AcroBosch engines.
Dealingwith the fuel question, the author stated that even if the fuel companies doubled their charges, the advantage of greater mileage per gallon still obtains in the case of the oil engine, and, of course, the fire risk is. practically negligible.
With regard to the bus of the future, Mr. Shave visualizes it as having a low centre of gravity with worm final drive, a cotnpression-ignition engine running from 300 r.p.m. to 2,500 'r.p.m.; transmission will be by some form of infinitely variable gear or an electrical system, and braking on all four wheels with servo assistance. Forward control will be employed, and an all-metal double-deck body with sunshine roof will be standardized.