semi-buses, coach's?

Tatra
Gudday M8

Me dont wanna B the bearer of bad news
but me thinks th@ bus just bisected the driver
LOL
it'll all cum out in the wash

Cya
[ch9787]

Well, it's obvious, innit? The driver was perched in the front of the lower section, and he just peered out through the slats in the grille!! ..

I'd have to guess that the designer of the Fowler Landliner saw the American coach, or pictures of it, and that stirred him into action.

I've struck gold on the Landliner story. Whilst going through my WW2 stuff, I found an extensive 4-page article (with pics), from June 1945, on the Landliner, in its prototype form. I'll scan and post it shortly.

Interestingly, the prototype never had a powered rear axle. I'd say the initial testing proved that the single flathead Ford V8 wasn't up to the task of hauling the 15 tons of a fully loaded LandLiner .. particularly where a few steep or long grades were encountered.
However, McGrath ads of 1945, show a tandem jailbar Ford dragging a tandem McGrath log jinker, loaded with 16

Looking forward to reading more about the Landliner, thanks Ron.

Ye'a swishy,I was thinkin the same thing but didn't want anyone to think I was stupid, just couldn't imagine where the driver sits.

Cam - Here's the article, dated June 1, 1945. It's interesting to see that numerous manufacturers reps were invited along to this "shindig" .. thus showing that Fowler were trying hard to sell the idea to any of the car, truck, and bus manufacturers.

The other interesting "mention" in the article, is of a "Big Bertha" of articulated buses, that carried 116 seated people, or over 200 people, with a combination of seated and standing passengers! ..

There's nothing revealed of the details of this rig .. but it's apparent, that at least one was built, and was active in both public and troop transport during WW2.

Note also, that Fowlers were talking about adding a self-steering rear tandem as part of one of the new designs!
One can only imagine what a hydraulically-steered Landliner, with a self-steering back end, would feel like to drive! ..

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Nightie
Gudday M8

RE: to think I was stupid
Yep I represent th@
LOL

---

JuanTrak
GuddayM8

Gr8 inf n pix
Keep m rollin

Cya
[ch9787]

Thanks Ron, I take it Fowler Constructions are the same company that made Fowler Cranes? I see all the reference's to burst hoses, and even today we have to put burst protection in some lift cylinder applications, though I would have thought the danger of the motor stalling and then the lack of hydraulic pressure to steer it the vehicle would have been more of a worry. I don't know if you've ever been on a front end loader that is still moving with a stalled engine, but it would be a similar effect. I suppose in those days they may not have had steel reinforced hose like today. Did Dyson's do thier own bodywork? it was quite stylish.

Cam - Yes, Fowler Constructions were the one and same as the crane builders. They built a wide range of items.
Yes, I've had engines die on old loaders with spool-type steering, when I was driving (usually running out of fuel), and you certainly don't get much steering response, then ..

Many of the big dump trucks have an emergency electric-hyd pump, that you switch on for steering, if the engine dies, and you're travelling at speed, into a sharp corner.

If the unit used a Char-Lynn Orbitrol system for steering (as the Cats do), you can still get steering action by winding the wheel, after the engine dies, as the Orbitrol pumps oil through when you wind the wheel.
However, I seem to recall the Orbitrol system didn't appear until about 1950. In addition, an Orbitrol is little help, if a hose is blown.

If it just used a standard hyd pump and a spool valve, like many of the cheap older loaders, then you're buggered when the engine dies.
That would be scary at speed in a bus .. but a blown hose would have the same effect.

The hydraulic systems of the late 1940's only used single wire braid hose, and pressures were only around about 1000 psi.
In addition, a lot of hyd systems used galvanised pipe fittings, and galvanised water pipe where lines didn't need to flex. The fittings were generally pretty crude.

Hose couplings in that era were pretty poor, and this is quite likely where most of the hyd steering problems originated.
In addition, the ability of the power unit to turn 90

What amuses me is that Brisbane , probably like a lot of cities , have built these special bus highways you might say, why havent the eggheads come up with B Doubles or even Tripples for peak hours, you could buy 2 or 3 standard prime movers for the price of one bus, like you say, if a bus breaks down it is gone, a pm breaks down, roll another under it , only takes the time it takes to get there, yeah, there were the banana buses, did a good job, why not a tripple , have ridden in one, quite good , except for the diesel fumes up the back, but then what do we know,

Rob

Fascinating stuff all... I still can't believe any one could have thought such a configuration might work.

Here's another pic of the proven concept again, the later Nairn semi-bus somewhere in Iraq:



Cheers,

T