Dennis Loline

The Dennis lolines was a chassis for double-decker buses of the British commercial vehicle manufacturer Dennis Brothers. The model was built from 1958 to 1967. In the bus, there is a license produced in Bristol Lodekka.

Background

In 1948, the Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company, the manufacturer of Lodekka, part of the 1947 incurred as a result of the Transport Act state British Transport Commission which also manufacturers of bodies and chassis for buses included not only operators of different transport companies. Bristol was able to sell the vehicles produced only to the subsidiary of the British Transport Commission. Also in the procurement of components was dependent on Daughters of the British Transport Commission. In order to tap the market of private, smaller bus companies and the export markets for the Lodekka, Bristol and Dennis in 1957 agreed a license production of Lodekka with Dennis. Part of the agreement was mutual assistance. So Dennis has developed a new differential gear, which was also used for the Lodekka.

Construction

The Dennis lolines I was due to the almost unchanged Lodekka LD, however, the structures of East Lance, Willowbrook and Northern Counties came. The bodies of Lodekka were manufactured by the Eastern Coach Works, also a subsidiary of the British Transport Commission. Like the Lodekka had the lolines a structure which was lower than that of the double-decker buses in normal size to allow the easy passage of underpasses in many cities. The first lolines with a structure of Northern Counties was presented at the Earls Court Commercial Vehicle Show in October 1958. Characteristic of British buses this time, he had a half-side engineered cab that allowed one hand, a good all-round visibility for the driver, on the other hand easy access to the engine forward rails.

In 1958, the lolines II followed him In the structure was designed as a front handlebar. The engine sticking into the interior. This, however, could the waste heat of the engine no longer be discharged to the outside and heated the interior of the bus. The buses were nicknamed Sweaty Betties. In historic photos of lolines II is mostly seen with flared windshield on the passenger side. The lolines II was ousted from the market, as Daimler Fleetline appeared in the low version.

When published in 1961 lolines III we went back to the half-sided cab. The entry wandered as was the case lolines II from rear of the bus to a position between the axles. In addition to East Lance, Willowbrook and Northern Counties now also produced Alexander bodies for the bus.

Was powered from the bus normally Gardner 6LW or 6LX, a six-cylinder diesel engine. The 6LX was an uprated version of the 6LW with 10.45 liter displacement. However, some operators could also install other engines such as the AEC AV470 or Leyland 0.600. When transmission was a manually -shifting four-speed transmission use. The bodies were 30 feet long and used so that the then applicable length limit for two-axle buses full of.

Dennis lolines II

Dennis lolines III

Dennis lolines III

Use

The lolines could not reach because the target Marktsegemet was too small, the production figures of the Lodekka. The biggest buyers were Aldershot & District Traction in East Hampshire and West Surrey, which lost more than half of all built lolines. Northwestern, Reading and Walsall also procured a larger number, addition there were numerous smaller companies.

China Motor Bus in the then British colony of Hong Kong in 1962 ordered two lolines III. The first lolines was delivered in 1963. Shortly after delivery, the sliding door was replaced by a four -leaf folding door. Obviously you were not satisfied with the bus, because the second bus was canceled. Nevertheless, the lolines stayed with China Motor Bus service until 1978. He was also the first double-decker bus, which was used on Hong Kong Iceland.

The classic double-decker buses with front engine were replaced in the 1960s by buses with engine mounted behind as the Daimler Fleetline. For a given length, they offered more space for passengers and a flatter and flat floor of the passenger compartment, as the assemblies of power transmission no longer had to be placed on or under the frame.