geordiedave66
OBSOLETE ONCE MORE
Once the first of the new breed of underfloor engined single deckers arrived, in about 1950, and the possibility of one person operation became possible, it rendered vast fleets of half cab single deckers obsolete virtually overnight.
The problem then was what to do with them, as some were virtually only one to a few years old.
There were three possibilities, pass them on, at a huge loss, to be used as staff buses or whatever or convert them to either opo single deckers, or rebody them as double deckers.
This is an example of plan B. Operators found that if you cut away the front bulkhead on the driverside, then angled the rear of the nearside cab window towards the nearside, there was enough room for a ticket machine and cash tray. If however, the bus had a rear entrance then that would have to be moved to the front also. It was not an ideal situation as the driver had to turn round in his seat to collect the fares and issue the tickets. But it worked (after a fashion) and allowed the bus to be operated by the driver only.
Option three involved replacing the single deck straight chassis memebers with double deck drop centre ones. For instance a lot of thhirty foot long Leyland PS2's were converted to PD3 spec, by dint of this process. Had the PS2's been former coaches with their high ratio back axles, then top speed for a double decker could be positively electrifying, allthough bought at the price of acceleration. Nothing is for nothing in engineering.
This vehicle is a Burnley Colne and Nelson Leyland PS! so converted. I regretably did not keep a record of my photos (which I recently found in the loft), but it probably dates from around 1962. The bus must have been on a private hire, as the photograph was taken on St, Georges field coach park in York.
Other things worth noting, the rear of the Standard 10 van on the left and the Yeates bodied confection on the right.
OBSOLETE ONCE MORE
Once the first of the new breed of underfloor engined single deckers arrived, in about 1950, and the possibility of one person operation became possible, it rendered vast fleets of half cab single deckers obsolete virtually overnight.
The problem then was what to do with them, as some were virtually only one to a few years old.
There were three possibilities, pass them on, at a huge loss, to be used as staff buses or whatever or convert them to either opo single deckers, or rebody them as double deckers.
This is an example of plan B. Operators found that if you cut away the front bulkhead on the driverside, then angled the rear of the nearside cab window towards the nearside, there was enough room for a ticket machine and cash tray. If however, the bus had a rear entrance then that would have to be moved to the front also. It was not an ideal situation as the driver had to turn round in his seat to collect the fares and issue the tickets. But it worked (after a fashion) and allowed the bus to be operated by the driver only.
Option three involved replacing the single deck straight chassis memebers with double deck drop centre ones. For instance a lot of thhirty foot long Leyland PS2's were converted to PD3 spec, by dint of this process. Had the PS2's been former coaches with their high ratio back axles, then top speed for a double decker could be positively electrifying, allthough bought at the price of acceleration. Nothing is for nothing in engineering.
This vehicle is a Burnley Colne and Nelson Leyland PS! so converted. I regretably did not keep a record of my photos (which I recently found in the loft), but it probably dates from around 1962. The bus must have been on a private hire, as the photograph was taken on St, Georges field coach park in York.
Other things worth noting, the rear of the Standard 10 van on the left and the Yeates bodied confection on the right.