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SLIGHT DROP
Page 90
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LAST year's small increase in the total strength of municipal bus and trolleybus fleets in Great Britain and Northern Ireland has not been maintained. This year's
, figure, 19,152, represents a fall of 115 from that recorded last year (19,267), although still above the 1960 total. The numbers involved show so slight a fall, equivalent to a reduction of one bus in a 200-vehicle fleet, that it would probably be fairer to say that the total has remained almost stationary over a twoyear period.
A census of this type is inevitably subject to an element of chance—batches of new buses being perhaps due to arrive the
day after the figures are taken, whilst some redundant vehicles may have been sold the previous week. An attempt has been made to minimize fluctuations between individual fleets from this cause by nominating September 1, 1962, as the date for this year's survey, and it is hoped to maintain this in future years. The census of current fleets is otherwise unchanged in character from that used in our issue of December 1, 1961.
The abbreviations R, U and P continue to indicate rear-engined, underfloor-engined and petrol-engined vehicles respectively, the
absence of any of these indicating front-mounted diesel engines.
As regular readers of this feature will recall, some municipalities have made it their normal practice to give some information of vehicles on order. On this occasion, all muni
cipalities were asked to give rather more detailed information on any orders for vehicles due to enter service in the year ending September I, 1963. I must express my thanks to the general managers who were kind enough to co-operate in supplying this information, which apart from its direct interest, enabled an analysis of the types of vehicle on order to be carried out.
The information desired was the number, make and model of vehicles on order, their approximate overall length, seating capacity and entrance position. Many replies quoted the name
of the bodybuilder, although this was not originally requested, and this has been included where known. Details of length and bodywork are quoted in parenthesis, so that a 27 ft.-long vehicle with M.C.W. 65-seat bodywork with rear entrance is given as (27 ft., M.C.W. 65s., RE.). Forwardor front-entrance designs are designated F.E., whilst single-deckers with front entrance and centre exit are F.E., CH.
An attempt was made to confine the vehicles listed as "on order" to those due to enter service during the next year, so
as to avoid giving undue prominence in the analysis to makes for which large numbers are on order for long-term delivery. Generally speaking, vehicles listed as due for delivery in 1963 • have been included, even though some will probably enter service after September 1, next year. It is suspected that one or two orders may have been accidentally excluded from the returns, but the analysis is none the less presented as a balanced cross-section of current municipal bus orders.
Some interesting comparisons can be made between the analysis of current fleets, shown elswhere in this article; and the analysis of vehicles on order. For example, although the E,22
number of rear-engined double-deckers in service appears to have made slow progress, increasing hi total from 186 to 297 in the past year and thus representing less than 2 per cent of the total of 16,165 double-decker motorbuses, the analysis of orders shows a different story. Rear-engined double-deckers on order total 799, compared to 632 front-engined doubledeckers of all kinds on order. It thus seems that next year's fleet analyst's may well include over 1,000 rear-engined buses.
The trend for the makes with the largest shares of the municipal bus fleets to increase their hold continues. The total Leyland figure, 6,737, is once again larger than ever, and one of the few to show an actual increase. Daimler, with 4,108, and A.E.C. with 3,626 both show falls (of 1 per cent and just over 2 per cent respectively), hut maintain their second and third places. Among orders, the Leyland Atlantean ranks as the most favoured model, with 476 on order, the Daimler Fleetline coming next with 323 and the Leyland Titan (PD2, PD3 and variants) third with 280.
The "on order" figures are considerably influenced by some massive orders from the largest municipalities. Separating the eight largest fleets (Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Leeds and Belfast, all comprising over 500 vehicles) from the rest reveals some interesting differences in emphasis. Between them the larger fleets account for 342 of the Leyland Atlanteans on order, 220 of the Daimler Fleetlines but only. 159 (34 A.E.C., 46 Daimler and 85 Leyland) of the front-engined double-deckers of traditional type oh order.
Among the "under 500" fleets, the front-engined orthodox double-decker continues to be the most favoured type, 442 of all makes being on order, compared to 237 rear-engined doubledeckers. The front-engincd low-floor models are not at present in great demand among municipalities possibly because of the effects of model changes and other special factors, all 31 vehicles of this type on order being for "under 500 municipalities. The most popular single model for the operators in this category remains the Leyland Titan (195 on order), with the AtIantean second (134), the Daimler Fleetline ,third (103), closely followed by the A.E.C. Regent V (101) and the .Daimler
' CVG6 (96).
Although single-deckers have become very slightly more numerous, a total of 1,178, which is 23 more than last year, the total of such vehicles on order is relatively smaller, as a proportion of the existing fleet, than for double-deckers. So far as could be ascertained only 12 of the 36 ft-long singledeckers now permissible were on order for municipal fleets on September 1, and bodywork was then yet to be ordered for 10 of these.
Bodybuilders' names are known for 1,319 of the doubledeckers and 38 of the single-deckers on order. Of the doubledeekets, 670 are to be by M.C.W., 163 by Alexander, 139 Roe, 90 East Lancashire, 86 M.H. Cars, 86 Park Royal, 56 Northern Counties, 29 Massey. Of the single-decker bodies, 23 are on order' from East Lancashire, five from Roe, four from Strachans and three each from Marshall and Park Royal.