Continued)1925 petrol-electric hybrid bus on show
The British Commercial Vehicle Museum now has a single-deck petrol-electric bus on show. Built by Tilling-Stevens in 1925 it has been beautifully restored to A1 condition. Powered by a 40hp petrol engine driving a generator to produce 400V/300A, the bus ran on Route 109 between Bromley & Penge, operated by Thomas Tilling. The museum in Leyland town centre covers the history of road transport from earliest of steam waggons to the super-sleek TX450 technology demonstrator, built at the Leyland Trucks Technical Centre the mid 1980s.
More from Paulette Abrahams on +44 (0)1 772 451 011 or
enquiries@bcvm.co.ukHillhead debut for Volvo FMX
Volvo says its FMX construction truck will make its public debut at the Hillhead Show, Buxton. The event runs from 22 to 24 June. The firm will show a bodied 8x4 left-hand control tipper as part of its plan to hike its sales to the construction industry. The company shares a stand with sister firm Volvo Construction Equipment. Also on show are an FM 8x4 tipper for WH Malcolm and a flagship FH16-700 tractor unit, as well as Volvo's new MW500 milling machine, a paver and other related machinery.
More from Nigel Hanwell on +44 (0)1 926 414 210 or
nigel.hanwell@volvo.comKeltruck director for parliament
Chris Kelly, non-executive director at Scania dealer Keltruck is the new Tory MP for Dudley South. A swing of 9.5% gave Kelly a majority of nearly 4,000 over former Labour minister Ian Pearson. "I'm delighted that my son Chris is now the MP for Dudley South," said Chris Kelly senior, Keltruck's founder and chairman.
More from Andrew Bentley on +44 (0)1 215 257 000 or
andrew.bentley@keltruck.comCartwright buys F1 technology for future trailers
Manchester-based body and trailer maker the Cartwright Group says it has turned to computational fluid dynamics to take trailer making to the next level. The firm will use the technology to improve the aerodynamics of its products and as the "secret weapon" in the development of its new Cheetah Fastback trailer, due for launch soon. Cartwright is working with Manchester Metropolitan University to develop low-carbon trailers using CFD through a Knowledge Transport Scheme. The new Cheetah Fastback trailer uses variable-height air suspension to adjust ride height and cut aerodynamic drag. The first two 4m high Cheetah Fastback trailers will work for TNT in Germany and the Netherlands.
More from Celeste Clarke on +44 (0)2 476 228 881 or
celeste@centurypr.co.ukAgreement on Intelligent Transport Systems
European national governments and members of the European Parliament have agreed laws covering the use of Intelligent Transport Systems. The aim is to "accelerate and coordinate deployment of interoperable ITS in road transport."
More from Jonathan Hawkings on +44 (0)2 073 449 217 or
jhawkings@smmt.co.ukCartwright's continental aims
Speaking about his firm's new Cheetah Fastback low-drag trailers, Steven Cartwright, director said, "We believe there is tremendous potential for a trailer maker of our experience, size and innovative style." The firm has just confirmed the sale of its first two of its new trailers to TNT for work in Germany and the Netherlands. "We believe that the Cheetah Fastback will help to open new markets in Europe in the future"
More from Celeste Clarke on +44 (0)2 476 228 881 or
celeste@centurypr.co.ukMegabus and Tesco do cheap coach travel deal
In a deal that they say will offer cheap coach travel for 15m Tesco Clubcsard holders, Stagecoach Group's megabus.com will work with Tesco. The supermarket's loyalty card holders will get the chance to redeem their money-off vouchers for cheap coach travel by booking at
www.megabus.com from 24 May. The coach travel brand already links nearly 60 places across the UK, offering travel from £1.50, comprising a £1.00 fare and a standard 50 pence booking fee. megabus.com already carries more than two million passengers a year in the UK alone.
More from Steve Stewart on +44 (0)7 764 774 680 or
steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.comNew bus box from Allison
Allison says its new fully automatic Torqmatic transmission models ,T390 and T390R are designed for bus use and will deliver lower fuel use, better gear shifts and longer life. The firm says its Shift Energy Management system means a higher input torque capacity with no increase in gearbox size or weight.
More from Nick Bailey on +44 (0)1 295 277 050 or
nick.bailey@m-eng.comAnother Volvo for Perryman
Berwick-upon-Tweed-based Perryman's Buses has new Volvo B7RLE single deck bus with 45-seat Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 2 bodywork. Each seat has a three-point safety belt and there are eight CCTV cameras, linked to an integrated 17 inch surveillance monitor. The new bus joins a 35 strong bus and coach fleet and works on scheduled routes and school contracts.
More from Don Johnston on +44 (0)1 926 414 553 or
don.johnston@volvo.comMore stops for Stagecoach
Stagecoach says that from 24 May its megabus.com budget coach travel service will run seven more services across the UK as it expands its inter-city network. This will include the Scottish Borders and South Devon and new links to Birmingham Airport. The expansion means that megabus,com now serves almost 60 locations across the UK.
More from Steve Stewart on +44 (0)7 764 774 680 or
steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.comDo you know a Foxy Lady Driver?
Do you know someone who could be a Foxy Lady Driver of the Month? "The aim is to showcase impressive women who have done well in a man's world, whether behind the wheel or in a senior management capacity in the transport industry," says Steph Savill, a founder member of the Foxy Lady Drivers Club. "We'll give successful nominees an honorary membership of the club, a special feature at the Club's website and a commemorative certificate to record the occasion." The first Foxy Lady Driver of the Month was Scottish racing driver Carol Brown in April 2010. "It would be a shame to leave out women van, coach, bus and truck drivers when their driving experience is bound to be of considerable interest to our members."
More from Steph Savill on +44 (0)1 903 879 988 or
steph@foxyladydrivers.comOptare Solo hits 550 at Stagecoach
Recent Solo bus deliveries to Stagecoach mean the firm now has 550 in its fleet. They work in all the firm's operating areas, on high frequency town circular services or on more rural routes. "The Solos have proved popular with our customers and we have introduced them successfully across the country in different operating environments," said Les Warneford, managing director of Stagecoach UK Bus. Chris Wise, Key Accounts Director at Optare, added: "We are very pleased to have Stagecoach as a long-standing customer and to have reached this significant figure of delivering 550 Solos to them."
More from David Rowlands on +44 (0)2 074 948 050 or
drowlands@automotivepr.comRyder updates Bevan's aftercare fleet
Halesowen-based van and truck body-builder Bevan Group just got 13-strong fleet of Mercedes Sprinter vans for its aftercare and on-site repairs division. "We are actively promoting our bodywork, tail-lift and hydraulics repair and maintenance services," says Roy Shelton, Bevan's aftercare manager. "We have a nationwide team of 20 service engineers and their numbers are growing all the time." The new vans are on contract hire from Ryder. "Ryder is one of our biggest customers, both for new truck bodies, tail-lift repairs and maintenance for existing vehicles," Shelton continued.
More from Colin Peck on +44 (0)1 784 482 336 or
colinjpeck@aol.comAllison opens factory in India
Allison Transmission says it just opened a 203,000ft2 (18.859m2) factory and regional HQ on the outskirts on Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The firm says the move will help it "expand its global footprint as well as its presence in India." There is a broad range of Allison products in City transit bus and off-highway construction trucks working in India and the firm says demand for its fully automatic transmissions is growing steadily.
More from Nick Bailey on +44 (0)1 295 724 130 or
nick@propel-technology.comAnd finally
New Scientist magazine's Feedback column reports that a colleague, trying to reach an engineer in an aerospace company, only managed to get through to voicemail. It told him, not so helpfully, that the person he called "is out of the office and won't be checking messages. When you hear the tone, please leave a message."
More from
www.newscientist.com
