The 1968 Bristol 'Lodekka' have a reputation for
longevity and reliability. The bus was built by
Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd. of the City of
Bristol in the South West of England.
This bus was stationed in the Bishop Auckland
depot. The bus is 30 feet long and 13'6" high,
seats 55 and is powered by a 6-cylinder Gardner
diesel engine. It has been modified for Canadian
use by adding a passenger entry door on the right
side. Also,
in the lower deck, there is an upgraded ceiling
interior of gold leaf laminate.
The Bristol 'Lodekka' was first manufactured in 1949 and went through several design changes which lowered the overall height. The reason for this was that a number of railway bridges that had been constructed in the 1950's and 1960's had low clearance.
The Bristol 'Lodekka' was first manufactured in 1949 and went through several design changes which lowered the overall height. The reason for this was that a number of railway bridges that had been constructed in the 1950's and 1960's had low clearance.
Double decker buses had been constructed with 4
seats in a row and a side gangway with limited
headroom. The innovation was to lower the Bristol's
running gear in the chasis, allowing the lower deck
gangway to be lower.
The overall result was that it reduced the height of the bus, thus the bus became known as the Bristol 'Lodekka'. A middle aisle was also added on both decks.
The 1968 Bristol 'Lodekka' is a special bus. It was the first bus to have a front passenger door installed. The radiators are located at the front upper deck and were designed by a company called Cave-Brown-Cave and were a new alternative method of cooling the engine while providing heat for passengers.
This was also the same model bus that appeared in the popular British TV series of the 1960's and 70's called "On The Buses."
The overall result was that it reduced the height of the bus, thus the bus became known as the Bristol 'Lodekka'. A middle aisle was also added on both decks.
The 1968 Bristol 'Lodekka' is a special bus. It was the first bus to have a front passenger door installed. The radiators are located at the front upper deck and were designed by a company called Cave-Brown-Cave and were a new alternative method of cooling the engine while providing heat for passengers.
This was also the same model bus that appeared in the popular British TV series of the 1960's and 70's called "On The Buses."
