What is that Handle on a Bus For?

[whhistle]

Hi all.

I'm talking about this handle:

(large and white)

(grey)


Usually on the right hand side of the top deck.
Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[westcoaster]

Obstacle deflector for tree branch's, so it does not smash the window.

 

[WatcherZero]

Yes, obstacle deflector as its only on the one side, have seen some buses add a rollcage there as well, often just inside.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Hi all.
Usually on the right hand side of the top deck.

Left-hand side (nearside).

 

[newbie babs]

I would say the double deckers in Sheffield need these, they are forever hitting the trees that stand out too far. Although Sheffield does not have anywhere near as nice as the buses as you seem to have whhistle

 

[mbonwick]

I would hardly call the LT class of vehicles nice! Horrid, horrid things.

Does First not have Wright Eclipse Geminis in Sheffield?

 

[newbie babs]

They are probably on the more popular routes, we have when we have double deckers the old version that don`t have the metal bit at the window to stop the branches hitting the window.

 

[jon0844]

By having those two photos above/below, it makes me wonder why the hell we needed some crazy design and not just the 'normal' look like seen below. You could still have had a different internal layout but not the odd look, with crazy lights and all the ingredients for something that looks 'out there' today and totally stupid tomorrow.

 

[WatcherZero]

Double deckers in Manchester have them on both sides.

 

[jon0844]

Do they go down narrower streets where there might be stray branches from both sides?

Or maybe we don't have them on both sides in London due to the cuts!

 

[Nym]

Double deckers in Manchester have them on both sides.

That's because you have to run down Wilmslow Road in Manchester, theres also a fair few one way roads with bus routes on.

 

[mbonwick]

Nothing to do with the routes, it's just the design of the ADL E400 that has cantail protectors on both sides.

 

[WatcherZero]

To be honest looks better symmetrical, cant be that expensive to fit on both sides, what 20-30 quid?

 

[jon0844]

If buses are anything like trains, you probably need to multiply that by a hundred!!

 

[whhistle]

Thanks for the responses.
I do find it strange that they only have it on one side though. Do designers presume as the driver sits on the other, then they will be able to swerve to avoid low hanging trees?

 

[jon0844]

I am pretty sure that in London, most branches sticking out (bearing in mind trees are cut back to prevent things hitting buses, lorries etc) would only reach the bus on the left hand side. It would be one seriously long branch to hit from the right!

 

[starrymarkb]

The buses on the X53 have a full left right and top protector - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sludgeulper/5937604880/ - but then they go down some tight roads

 

[ChrisCooper]

I think the main reason for them being fitted is that modern double deckers have larger front windows, often reaching right to the sides and top, even with some wrap around. That makes them very vulnerable. On older buses the main points that would get hit were fibreglass which was pretty strong or metal which could be knocked out if dented. IIRC the first buses to commonly have them were the Alexander Royale and the Northern Counties Paletine 2, both of which had very similar wrap around top deck front windows. The old ECW coaches didn't tend to have them much though, despite having very big front windows. Perhaps the sort of work they did meant they were less likely to hit trees. They were also designed in the days when councils still did bother to keep trees cut back.

 

[Schnellzug]

back in the old days when companies were allowed and could be bothered to do things for themselves, bus companies had their own tree Loppers, converted double deckers that went round bus routes and chopped off overhanging branches. Now they wouldn't be allowed to do that because of health & Safety and Conservation.

 

[driver9000]

Thanks for the responses.
I do find it strange that they only have it on one side though. Do designers presume as the driver sits on the other, then they will be able to swerve to avoid low hanging trees?

Tree guards are fitted on the nearside as that is the side most likely to come into contact with a tree in an urban setting. The offside would naturally be next to the centre of the road and oncoming traffic so less likely to strike trees. That is certainly the case in my experience of driving double deck buses in towns and cities and even in rural areas it was always the nearside that would occasionally strike trees, not always possible to avoid them.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

In addition to these deflectors, there are signs warning drivers (of high vehicles) about low trees on some roads - one good example is Kingsway in Central London, which is essentially a dual carriageway with 2 lanes in each direction, but where the outer lanes are busses, taxis and bikes. The profile of London plane trees leads to their branches reaching out from the nearside kerb only, at upper deck height. Double-decked busses regularly scrape past them.
I've seen these branches being trimmed of their new growth, but the large major branches are generally left in place.

[For anyone who knows what I'm referring to, does anyone else think that in December, the Lonon Plane's nut shells look like Christmas tree baubles?]

 

[liamnufc]

E400's are always hitting tree branches in Newcastle

 

[newbie babs]

The new ones (Eco friendly) that travel on 120 route in Shefield dont have the rail for stopping trees hitting them.

 

[mbonwick]

If you mean Stagecoach's E400Hs, then they do actually have the protectors

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwbphotos/6212161586/

As part of the E400 family, they have the protectors both sides swooping up to roof level.

 

[newbie babs]

That`s the one, I dislike that route as its one every 5 minutes.

They are much longer than the others I wonder if the one I saw was an earlier one as it did not have any, I stood in the middle of the road to view it

 

[BestWestern]

If you mean Stagecoach's E400Hs, then they do actually have the protectors

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwbphotos/6212161586/

As part of the E400 family, they have the protectors both sides swooping up to roof level.

They're nicely incorporated into the overall design of the bus on these, they look an awful lot better than some of the other efforts which are very plainly just a steel bar bolted on! There are some pretty nasty looking ones out there!

 

[Bungle73]

Why do we need these now?

I travelled on London buses in the '80s and '90s and they were for ever bashing into the ends of branches, and didn't have any of those gubbins. There didn't seem to be any problem then.

The first picture is the new Routemaster btw.

 

[Nym]

Because bus companies aren't allowed to trim trees any more and councils can't be bothered, never used to be large branches to **** into the windscreen before...

 

[mbonwick]

I think the main reason for them being fitted is that modern double deckers have larger front windows, often reaching right to the sides and top, even with some wrap around. That makes them very vulnerable.

Plus, as Nym has said, the lack of tree lopping.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Plus, as Nym has said, the lack of tree lopping.

Tree lopping was never as common as is made out. Municipals tended to do it, as they were owned by the council who also were (and still are) responsible for maintaining roadside vegetation. Out of the cities and towns though there were as many low trees as today. Then and now any tree that poses a danger to traffic will be delt with. Generally trees will be kept naturally away from the roofs of vehicles as the new growth is hit and broken off before it can become a problem. Most tree damage comes from branches that have been damaged and started to hang low, branches pulled down under the weight of rain or snow, or when vehicles leave the normal driving line at speed (one time when I had a big bang on a decker was because I was passing parked cars on the opposite side and a car decided to come around causing me to swerve left towards the kerb and into some branches).