It’s
amazing where you get inspiration, spotted this vehicle in a model shop that
was closing down as a 1/72 kit, its streamlined body with coach style seating
but low headroom instantly peaked my interest.
During
the 30’s car styling had embraced the streamlined form and Ludwig Brothers, who
produced bodies of their own design on to truck chassis from various producers,
had particular success with its streamlined Blitz truck for Opel.
There are two unusual things about this bus, one you’ll see in the pictures is rather odd articulated front wheels arrangement, the other was the body was made of plywood!!!! The timing though may have something to do with the latter. Built during the war it was designed to transport up to 117 factory workers, therefore to help the war effort. The use of plywood was simply as any metal would have been too valuable at the time. The advert below also states that it was built in house by Sante Fe Trailways own engineers.
Until recently I didn’t even realise that Manchester, my home town, had a transport museum. Based in an old bus depot its home to some 60+ buses that rotate in the exhibition hall, as well as row of buses awaiting their turn to be made new again. There’s also a vast array of related artifacts from old ticket machines to a period office, there was even an exhibition stand for Manchester Metrolink tram system with a full size carriage replica. The walls are covered with information charting the use of buses and trams in Manchester over the last 100 years or so.
At the height of the disaster movie rule the spoof of the disaster movie was born. The first (before Airplane) in 1976 was The Big Bus, simply a nuclear powered double decker, bendy luxury bus that could go from New York to Denver non-stop. Equipped with everything that could be needed, bowling alley, piano bar, pool, moving tyre replacement function etc the usual hi jinks happens, sabotage, milk carton fight, pickup being attached to the side!!!!!!
Back in the late 1950’s with optimism for the future following the war and normal life and tourism taking hold in Europe, particularly France Cityrama a tour operator commissioned Currus to build some bespoke coaches. Looking into a fantastic future these were sculpted out of glass with a nod to the Flash Gordon comic books of the time over a truck chassis, just look at that detail sticking out from the roof. With a retractable glass roof to allow cooler air in and two floors it was and is like nothing else and allowed the passenger to see everything clearly. Perfect for a sight seeing tour of Paris.
Well I though it was about time for something completely different, I was always going to do a coach but when I saw this it seemed to be built for this website, an amphibious coach!!!!! What’s different about this one it is looks like a conventional coach, not an elongated military vehicle that’s as luxurious as a tug boat on wheels. As you can see it looks like any other one you pass on the motorway, with all the luxury we have come to expect. It can spend hours in open water and comes with all the requirements for full road use such as ABS, life vests and seatbelts again complying with both requirements for road and sea. Powered by 250 and 300bhp diesel engines and its rear wheels retract in the water reducing drag. Amazingly enough has been achieved with full compliance to all relevant E.U. Legislation for Passenger Vehicles and Passenger Vessels. This legislation is widely known to be the most extensive in the world, and is achieved without any need for exemptions for the vehicles dual purpose capability.
This is truly one of those vehicles that takes an existing concept and goes well beyond it, its like comparing a Bugatti Veyron with the SCC Ultimate Aero TT ie ones a fibreglass bucket with an engine and a seat, the other is pure luxury and does the same insane job!!!!
Well I though it was about time for something completely different, I was always going to do a coach but when I saw this it seemed to be built for this website, an amphibious coach!!!!! What’s different about this one it is looks like a conventional coach, not an elongated military vehicle that’s as luxurious as a tug boat on wheels. As you can see it looks like any other one you pass on the motorway, with all the luxury we have come to expect. It can spend hours in open water and comes with all the requirements for full road use such as ABS, life vests and seatbelts again complying with both requirements for road and sea. Powered by 250 and 300bhp diesel engines and its rear wheels retract in the water reducing drag. Amazingly enough has been achieved with full compliance to all relevant E.U. Legislation for Passenger Vehicles and Passenger Vessels. This legislation is widely known to be the most extensive in the world, and is achieved without any need for exemptions for the vehicles dual purpose capability.
