(first posted 1/18/2016) Of all the things one might stumble across in the slowly dying steelmaking city of Johnstown, PA (you may remember it as the fictional Charlestown from the movie Slapshot), a British double-decker bus seems pretty far down the list. Yet here one is, and it appears to be a runner.
A product of Bristol Commercial Vehicles, based in the brand’s namesake city, approximately 5200 Lodekkas were built over an impressively long run: 1949 to 1968. Sold exclusively to state-run operating companies, they nevertheless were quite popular with dozens of operators across the UK, on both urban and country routes (but not in London City operations).
canningtownlife.com
Lodekkas may be best known (at least in the UK) as 1970s TV stars: the type featured prominently in the long-running (seven series and three movies) Reg Varney sitcom On the Buses, representing the fictional Luxton & District Line.
Built to a similar configuration as the later and better-known AEC Routemaster, the Lodekka’s odd name refers to its low floor in the downstairs passenger compartment. This was enabled by a drop-center axle installation at the rear that eliminated the awkward step-up or side-aisle arrangements required in previous double-deckers. This in turn allowed a small but significant reduction in overall height, useful in dealing with tight overhead clearances found throughout the UK.
Lodekkas were equipped with a variety of in-line diesels, the most common being 5- or 6-cylinder Gardners, ranging from 85 to 180 HP. They could be ordered in lengths varying from 26 to 31 feet, seating from 58 to 72 passengers, in front- or rear-entry configurations. Some rear-entry models had doors, as on the featured machine, others open decks.
Early models featured a conventional leaf-spring suspension with a beam axle up front and the complex drop-center axle at rear, both bejeweled with tubular dampers and vacuum-assisted mechanical brakes. Later models (post-1959) received air suspension at the rear and air-over-hydraulic brakes. Non-synchromesh 4- and 5-speed ‘crash’ gearboxes no doubt provided musical entertainment for weary passengers.
onthebusesfanclub.com
A distinctive feature seen on some Lodekka versions was a pair of rectangular openings in the upper carbody, as shown in the vintage shot above. These were inlets for something known as the Cave-Browne-Cave (CBC) system, which housed small radiators for engine cooling while simultaneously allowing the warmed air to be tapped for passenger compartment heating when needed. CBC-equipped machines retained their nose grillwork, but with no radiator or fan behind.
old-bus-photos.co.uk
I was unable to determine from my research the purpose of the ‘whiskers’ that show up above the radiator opening on some models; they seem to be something more than just decorative touches.
The original operators began phasing their Lodekkas out of revenue service from the mid-’70s onward. Some were retained by their owners for training, but many were sold on to the public or tour operators, and a number have been restored for museums or heritage operations in the UK.
http://trecarr.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-was-top-deck.html
Among the most notable secondary operators was Top Deck Tours, which from 1973 to 1996 operated Lodekkas fitted with kitchens and sleeping quarters on epic, multiweek overland journeys from the UK to places such as Morocco, Afghanistan (see above), Kathmandu, the USA and even Sydney, Australia. Presumably there was some non-bus travel involved on those last two, of course. My mind is thoroughly blown just trying to imagine what a trip on one of these rolling youth hostels must have been like.
During their post-service diaspora, around 350 Lodekkas made their way to the USA, nearly all during the late ’70s-early ’80s. Surprisingly few of this group have been scrapped.
The Johnstown bus was found parked in front of a biker bar located in part of the old Pennsylvania Railroad freight station on the edge of downtown. Perhaps it’s eventually to be used as a party wagon, but right now it’s still configured purely for passenger hauling. According to my research, it was built somewhere in the 1956-58 timeframe, originally worked for Lincolnshire Road Car as number 2344 and was retired in May 1975. The model designation indicates it’s most likely powered by a Gardner 6LW diesel displacing 8.4 liters, good for 102 HP. What it was doing in the decades between retirement and turning up here, as a mobile bar fixture, is not clear.
As one can see, the driver’s compartment is pretty basic. It’s also closed off from the passenger cabin, so the bus required a second crew member to handle ticketing when in revenue service.
transport-illustrated.blogspot.com
The interior shots above (not of the example machine) show views of the lower deck, looking forward from the rear, and the upper, looking back from the front (text edited for clarity).
With its manual steering, not-exactly-fade-resistant brakes and a non-synchro gearbox, a Lodekka apparently takes considerable skill to drive well. When one considers the steep hills around Johnstown, I can only hope the driver has strong arms and legs, knows how to double-clutch on shifts and doesn’t terrify easily. On the other hand, I guess if these things could be horsed over the Himalayas, a few Appalachian hills aren’t that much of an obstacle.
Given the lighting conditions and the rather old-world flavor of the surrounding architecture, it does sort of look at home after all, doesn’t it?
It does indeed look like it’s on its home turf, especially the first picture. Then I saw the Chevrolet pickup in the background.
The production numbers for these are much lower than I would have initially suspected, but they do make sense. This is quite the delightful find.
Nice takes on the “why” of trolley buses. They have their place in certain kinds of service. I am an ex-trackless trolley operator and drove in Seattle, WA., one of five U.S. still running them. They are best situated in high density, hilly and highly frequented service. Seattle and San Francisco are tremendously hilly regions and the trolleys perform well in those locations. There is, of course, the discussion of “unsightly” overhead wiring that is often brought up, particularly by “nimby’s” who don’t want trolleys in their neighborhoods. However, they are the same people who complain about noise and how slow the motor buses are on the hills. Trackless are, by their design alone, much faster in hills… “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!” I recall some of those people complaining that the bus “wouldn’t wait for them as they ran down the block yet insisted that the bus run on time…!”
And yes, the trolley in the first submittal is indeed a Pullman. We had 30, slightly older ones, in Seattle.
I believe Larry meant to post a reply to this article by Paul N. from 2014:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/bus-stop-classic/bus-stop-classics-the-vintage-electric-trolleybuses-of-chile-and-innsbruck/
With that said, Johnstown, PA did in fact have electric trolley buses running on some routes, up until sometime in the 1960s.
You’re right, GG. Somehow, I posted in the wrong slot. Thanks for the heads up.
Johnstown was also the smallest city to acquire PCC streetcars, buying a fleet of 17 in 1947, They were out of service by 1958, replaced with those trackless trolleys, and in a weird counterpoint to this post, the trucks from those PCC cars wound up in Belgium under new streetcar bodies.
Visited relatives in Cornwall, England as a child in the early ’60s. My siblings dragged their kicking and screaming 5 year old brother (me) to the “top front row” of a double decker bus. Hilly terrain and low train bridges the whole trip. Talk about scared out of your mind!! ?
85 horsepower!
Had a spell of bus & tram driving in Blackpool & London but no Routemasters or Lodekkas for me.
Wow…..I’m coming home from school again, literally.
Thanks for a great nostalgia fix, GGH06. I rode on these many, many times in the 1960s and 1970s in and around Wakefield in Yorkshire, and it was a long time before I twigged that the name was pronounced Lo-dekka, not Lode-kka. The reason for the name is exactly as you say – the bus was lower at around 161 inches, say 10-12 inches lower than most double deckers. This made the difference on many routes with railway bridges and the like.
There were other low height buses, but the Lodekka was unique in obtaining the solution through the chassis not the body. Others, such as the Leyland Lowline, achieved the reduced height by moving the upper deck aisle to the side, and lowering the lower deck ceiling under it. The upper deck then had four abreast seating, rather than 2+2, and the passengers on one side of the lower deck had to look out for their heads when standing up.
You refer us back to the Routemaster –the Routemaster was also a semi-integral construction but one key difference was that it had a more advanced independent suspension and automatic gearbox.
Gong only by images online, I suspect the “whiskers” were just a visual device. Some have them, some don’t.
Thanks again!
And just what is it doing in Pennsylvania?
Some of us walked! That way you got 3pence for a chocolate bar.
+1! Two and a half miles….
Uphill both ways!
Some FYI,
“The interior shots above (not of the example machine) show views of the lower deck facing forward and the upper facing to the rear.” That is not the correct. The upper deck seats did and do also face forward also. I have driven this model and 5 or 6 others that were in Galveston, Texas many years ago.
Cheers,
Robert
Yet the picture on the right clearly shows the seats facing towards the rear window. Which does of course seem a bit odd.Maybe the one in this photo had some reason for that; a variation?
The bus in the article clearly has the upper seats facing forward, from the rake of the backrests.
Paul if you look at the picture on the right in the upper left-hand corner you can see the stairwell mirror which is at the rear. The seats are facing forward. There is space between the back of the seats and the base of each seat. I think you are seeing an optical illusion. I can guarantee those seats are facing forward. We will just have to disagree on this one.
Cheers,
Robert
Gents, sorry if my text was confusing. I meant the view was facing to the rear from the camera position, not that the seats faced to the rear. I’ll amend the text so that this is more clear.
Of course; it’s scary how when one anticipates seeing something it can be justified as such by the brain. Anyway, rear-facing seats make no sense.
I always figured that in a country like the U.K. double decker buses would be handicapped by low bridges and overhanging buildings, apparently, the low bottom deck makes these lower than they appear and routes were chosen for their….”airiness”?
I also used to think the idea of a bus “conductor” was a bit quaint, but with all those passengers they were definitely needed.
I would think any truck driver that attempts to drive one of these buses would be well versed in double clutching already, so no big deal there. This appears to be the size of one of those newer “mobile homes”, just no automatic transmission.
I’m a big fan of Britcoms and had thought I had seen or heard of most of the more popular ones, but had never heard of On The Buses.
My assumption (not sure if this is factual) has always been that the double decker arrangement was selected for maximum capacity in minimum overall length, due to narrow streets and limited clearance for turning at intersections. I’ll leave it to a real bus expert for definitive comment, however.
As for ‘On the Buses’, much of the series is available on YouTube, if one wants to take the plunge.
Hi,
your assumption is a pretty good precis. Number of passengers to area of road space.
Basic duty of he conductor was to collect fares and control access/exit, as the driver was fully separated. Now long gone of course.
Approach On The Buses with caution. It was very popular in a very different world, but it’s no classic…
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/OnTheBuses
You beat me to it – was about to weigh in with a similar warning there. On the Buses was occasionally stumbled on in re-runs during my childhood (1980s) and the overwhelming memory is how dated and unfunny it seemed even then.
Nice bus though 🙂
There’d be outrage if a comedy with so much racism,sexism & homophobia was shown today.
Yeah, I finally found OTB on YouTube, and aside from 3 or 4 funny bits in 25 minutes, I thought of how times have changed as it was so sexist.
But then again, most Britcoms from the 60s and 70s were heavily sexist.
I also can’t believe they filmed 74 episodes. In the U.S. this would have been lucky to last 1 season/20+ episodes.
@ Michael ;
That’s the irony of it : it was a very low rated show because few grasped the black humor aspect of it, one ‘karen’ typ of woman made a career out of trying to get it puled and this got many more to give it a look and appreciate the absurdity .
Sadly, far too many Americans thought it was a mirror or documentary .
-Nate
ah c’mon Howard US TV isn’t immune to producing its share of offensive unfunny tripe as well, I mean Married with Children springs immediately to mind and that’s just from the stuff that made it onto screens over here 😉
Married with Children was a different thing in that the audience was expected to get that it was intentionally offensive with exaggerated stereotypical characters, not that they were supposed to relate to the characters as being just normal people in amusing situations. IOW it was satirizing the characters at the same time as the audience was supposed to relate with them on another level.
The first time I saw it I thought “WTF is this?” and then I got it.
Very nice .
Crash boxes and crummy brakes are fine until you get lazy and discover you’re heading downhill in too high a gear and the brakes begin to fade….
There’s a reason old buses and trucks were going so slowly down hills .
I got caught out once and nearly crapped my self , always much more careful since then , even when unloaded .
-Nate
Views from my mom’s hometown. The family used to visit twice a year through the ’70’s and 80’s. On another note, there is one of these buses being used as a billboard on Indiana 43, just outside of the “town” of Freeman.
Some models were equipped with a gearbox that allowed the driver to keep both hands on the wheel when shifting. The driver would have the gear-lever in the next higher or lower gear and then just press the clutch and the gear-box would change to the next gear. This was a safety feature.
Cheer,
Robert
Pre select gearboxes were used on some types of buses a friend in Aussie has/had a 49 AEC single decker equipped thus, but honestly what is so hard about a crash transmission? I drive them every day I work lately American brand Eaton Fuller fitted to nearly all Japanese trucks now automatic shifted manuals are available but unpopular the software doesnt suit out topography.
Automatic transmissions in “heavy duty” trucks are somewhat unpopular here in the U.S. too. About the only place they work is Florida and the midwestern states.
It’s odd that we have manual transmissions with 18 speeds and automatic transmissions in some fleets.
When I was a teenager one local bus route ran a fleet of ’30s AECs. I remember riding on one and explaining to my friend how the preselector box worked, and getting a nod from the driver. Think he was surprised I knew what it was.
A fun find and read, GGH. To an American, few things say “England” like the double decker bus. I have no doubt that some enterprising soul around Johnstown had in mind some kind of English Pub and/or Beatles kind of tourism thing and simply had to have one of these. Whether there is sufficient market in Johnstown for such a thing is another question. Which the unused state of this poor old bus seems to answer.
RE : crash boxes ~
Nothing wrong with them if you learned how to drive on them , all it takes is a bit of patience and paying close attention to what you’re doing (driving) instead of texting , reading magazines or in dash TV , applying makeup etc. .
-Nate
I’ve seen a few of these here in Toronto (along with a Leyland) putting around during the summer with a load of tourists.
The Lodekka (and the similar Dennis Loline) offered a better solution to the problem of restricted clearances than that provided by the traditional low-height double deckers.
A low-height body on a traditional chassis featured a rather uncomfortable 4 across seating arrangement on the upper deck, with a sunken walkway down the side, typically on the off-side (driver’s side) of the vehicle.
There are some pictures of the top-deck of such a vehicle at http://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/?p=3456
This arrangement was not popular with anybody, and made life especially difficult for the conductor trying to collect fares. I wouldn’t think it did much for the weight distribution either.
Bristol was nationalized in 1947 and could not thereafter sell its products outside of the nationalized group of companies. To get around this restriction, Dennis built the Loline under license.
I’ve seen a few Lodekkas on my travels. In many ways they were withdrawn from service with quite a bit of like left in them when the bus industry moved towards rear engined deckers like the Atlantean and Fleetline.
Thanks for posting the article,
I learned to drive a bus in an Atlantean, I hated the semi automatic gearbox
Nice!
I haven’t been to Johnstown in 40 years…it’s about a 100 mile drive for me, living west of Pittsburgh as I do.
I think it’s interesting that midcentury Briitain had so many different bus manufacturers at a time when in the US the only companies making city transit buses were GM and Flexible (who bought powertrains from GM).
Two bits here:
-Didn’t James Bond knock the top off of one of these?
– The Queen Mary carried one of during her last crossing
>>-Didn’t James Bond knock the top off of one of these?<<
According to the Internet Movie Car Database, the stunt bus in "Live and Let Die" was a late '40s AEC Regent III, identified in part by a taller, narrower radiator grille than the Bristol machine.
How does one of these get around a corner without tipping over?
The heavy bits are at the bottom, a good proportion of the overall weight would be in the driveline. The other answer would be they get around a corner ‘slowly’!
Corners aren’t a problem, crosswinds are a different story. Not much fun driving one in a Blackpool winter gale!
Double Deckers can be put into a controlled 180 skid, apparently for sport:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YbLy8KZQwtk
I thought that I had read somewhere years ago that the skidpad maneuvers were part of the bus driver’s training regimen –
Also: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-fZA1NJtPA
No creeper:
Here’s one that you may not have seen:
“Created for the 2012 Olympic Games, the London Booster is a characteristically magnificent art installation by David Cerny. The amazing spectacle is a cherry red 1957 double decker London bus, equipped with arms for performing push-ups. Cerny’s surreal Booster was on display outside of the Business Design Center in Islington.”
There are some nice stills here as well: http://dibari-id.com/project/london-booster/
Cheers,
Robert
I thought and hoped I’d never again have to look at Reg Varney – but here, of all places…
If anyone has a link, I’d be interested to see how exactly how the drop-axle thing looked.
I was curious about this too. Here is a link to a patent application, the main diagram is attached.
http://www.google.com/patents/EP1502797A1?cl=en
I also found a photo of a Bristol Lowdekka too. Basically it is the reverse of a portal axle as used on many 4x4s.
Thanks, johnh875. Is that wooden flooring I see in the photo? Wow.
I was wondering about this too. So, gears or a chain on each side to transfer the power up to the hub?
I did some Google Image checking and it seems like no UK buses old or new have front bumpers, but all US buses do, for some reason.