Adelaide Bus History C MCMANUS SUPPLIED IMAGES Part 29-35

[leyland4ever]

attachment=1]521 601 King William Rd Cathedral 1954.jpg[/attachment]

[system improver]

In my view, these 3 door buses are the best high density urban buses ever designed in Australia. They were wide (8 ft 6 inches, 2.6 metres, the US maximum width) and long (37 feet, 11.3metres). At the time, and still today, the dimensions only allowed them to operate in Adelaide. While maximum permissible length has been changed elsewhere, there is still no standard width in Australia, which is a disgrace. In Europe it is 2.55 metres. Interestingly, the MMTB in Melbourne was able to operate 8 ft 6 in wide buses (AEC Mk IV and AEC Mk VI) because the regulations did not apply to a government operator.

Sydney's roads have been engineered over the last 50 years to increase traffic flow. However, coming from interstate, one of the first things you notice about Sydney's roads is how narrow some of the lanes are. This is happening Melbourne as well, where some roads are being given more lanes by cutting emergency lanes and reducing lane width. I don't know whether there is an Australia wide minimum lane width, but I doubt it.

These 1950s and 60s AEC and Leyland buses for the MTT had excellent flow, mainly because of the large rear door (see below). In Europe, three door buses continued to be ordered over the years and, these days, they are all low floor. It is interesting to note that, without instruction, the majority of boarding passengers seem to go to the rear door. I guess this is due to the knowledge of the layout of the bus - usually having to pass a barrier at the front where the driver might also be collecting fares. It appears that the major chassis builders (Volvo, Scania, MAN and Mercedes Benz) do not build a right hand drive version of these thee door low floor chassis - perhaps if there was significant interest from down under, then they might.

SARO 085 - Copy.jpg (71.09 KiB) Viewed 8800 times

[leyland4ever]

The tendency for passengers to load at the rear doors may also have been a throwback from the 1950s, when passengers were officially supposed to enter at the back door, "flow through" the bus, and alight at either the centre door or the front door (both single width).

A similar principle was supposed to apply on double decker buses, both diesel and electric trolley, albeit with only two doors.

I believe it was quite rigidly enforced on the trolley buses, but less so on the diesels, and it had fallen into disuse by the 1960s - passengers entered and departed by whichever door was closest - seemed to work reasonably well - the three-doors were relatively spacious inside, and passengers could generally move around readily.

For a while in the mid 1950s, buses used to display a "Rear Entrance" sign in the front destination box, as a reminder, and also to distinguish from buses operating one-man, which showed "Front Entrance". The Rear Entrance sign fell into disuse, but the "Front Entrance" sign remained in use until the mid 1970s, by which time all buses were one-man operated, using entry at the front, and exit at the centre door.

Cheers

Trevor

[leyland4ever]

411 152 Ford front 1951 MTT

501 AEC Regal IV 615 Victoria Square GPO 1954

[paulgersche]

I love the bald tyre on 152!

Paul

[leyland4ever]

321 AEC Regent 103 front 1951 MTT

401 Morphett Ford 212675 Semi Trailer Parliament House 1947

[leyland4ever]

221 Miss E D White Brockway 88689 MOBL123 MTT 313

311 Leyland Lion 93 Hackney North entrance 1938

[leyland4ever]

201 Private Bus Franklin St GPO 1920s

211 Mack MTT 51 Pennsylvania 1924

[Bedford-29]

Mack 1 still with Pennsylvania registration X11088 built by the International Motor Co New York 25/3/1925 the must been taken when still in USA.

[leyland4ever]

810 Proto Artic Volvo 280 Grenfell St 5-80

820 Opening Buses leave Paradise 9-3-85

[leyland4ever]

I think the photo 810, of the Volvo prototype artic 280 is taken in Flinders Street, not Grenfell Street. (The same applies to photo 811, posted earlier.)
I have checked the provided captions, and both definitely say Grenfell Street.

However, I don't think the 721 etc ever operated from Grenfell Street. Before the current arrangement via King William Street, outer south buses loaded outside the Education Department building in Flinders Street, which I reckon is the location of the photos - this location dated back to the days of Briscoe's operations - I can't remember when the change to King William Street happened.

Please feel free to correct me if I have it wrong!

Cheers

Trevor

[leyland4ever]

740 ExServicemen Bedford SB3-GMH 7605 10-77

750 Leyland 916 K Wm St GPO 3-72

[Eurostar]

810 Proto Artic Volvo 280 Grenfell St 5-80.jpg

820 Opening Buses leave Paradise 9-3-85.jpg

Where is that merc at back turning from and whats that bridge in background?

[Denv12]

An M.T.T Mack,fleet #51.