A Beginner's Guide to ...Buses and coaches
Posted on: 14/08/11
Last Update: 12 November 2011
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A Short introduction to the world of buses and coaches
You may think the buses and coaches are just something that you see on the roads everyday but there's a huge world of buses and coaches out there as we will explain later.
Buses and coaches are usually manufactured by two company. One company will build the chassis another the body.
If you want to find out more about buses and coaches then we suggest that you buy Alan Millar's ABC Bus & Coach Recognition, which can be bought from Amazon.
A commonly asked question is; 'How do I know if it is a bus or a coach?" Well here is the answer: A Bus is designed for local services. This is recognisable by the fact the floor is nearer the ground than and coach and there is normally some provision for standing passengers. A Coach tends to be more luxurious vehicle with reclining seats and maybe a toilet.
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How is a bus built?
In the past buses have been built a individual chassis which carries the engine, gearbox etc as well as the body. However now it is becoming more common for buses to be built as integral vehicles. Integral means that the bus is built with the chassis and body together and being one structure inside which all the components are placed.
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Types of vehicle
It has already been explained the difference between a bus and a coach however these two types can be split more.
These are often van conversions and therefore are mostly front engined. Some are specially built and others are simple van conversions. These could be fitted out as a bus with ticket machines and less comfortable seats or as a coach with possibly more legroom through less seats, seatbelts and on some air conditioning. Most minibuses execpt the very smallest have a power door for passengers rather than the more normal sliding door found on smaller van dirived minibuses. Often theses vehicles are not low floor and therefore may have a wheelchair lift instead. Minibuses tipically have between 16 and 25 seats but some have has many as 33. A prime example of the minibus would be the Plaxton Beaver.
A midibus bridges the gap between minibuses and full size single decker buses. These look more like their full size counterparts but have a shorter wheelbase. Most midibuses are low floor and a obvious example is the Optare Solo. But this is for sale in several different lengths some of which are only just shorter than full size single deckers with the shortest being 8.2 meters and the longest being 10.2meters. Midibuses have about 28 seats, space for wheelchairs or buggies and can take quite a lot of standing passengers.
The full size single decker is found all around the world and vary in length from 10 meters to 12.5 meters. More recent examples of this type are low floor such as the Scannia Omnicity however older examples such as the Leyland Lynx are step entrance. The full size single decker has between about 30 and 40 seats however with the adition of standing passengers their total capacity is between about 50 to 60 (in some cases 70) people. An example of the full size single deck bus would be the Alexander Dennis Enviro 300
The Double Decker bus can be divided into two types: Full height (about 14ft 6inches) or low height in order to fit under bridges or other obstacles. Double deckers are mostly of a similar length to their single deck counterparts - between about 9-12.5meters. The more recent examples of this type have been low floor for example the Optare Specra which was one of the first low floor double deckers in the UK. But older examples are not low floor for example the MCW Metrobus. The double decker bus typically has between 60 and 80 seats. However when standing passengers are added the total capcity ranges from 80-100.
However some double rear axle, long wheelbase (12meters) examples have been imported from China and Hong Kong can seat as many as 120 people. An example of this longer type would be the 12 meter Alexander RH with Leyland chassis. The example on the left is a Stagecoach Dennis Trident is an unusual white livery. Click the picture to see it full size.
Midicoaches bridge the gap from minicoach to the full size types. However midicoaches are often the same length and size as their full size counterparts execpt that they typically have beween 33 and 48/9 seats. As there is some extra space this is often taken up with more leg room or
alternatively a toilet / coffee machine/ mini kitchen. Generally these would not be used for public service work and do not have wheelchair spaces or other bus like features. Midicoaches are normally range from 8 to about 10 meters. An example of the midicoach would be a Plaxton Cheetah on Mercedes chassis.
The full size coach is appearance at least may not look very different from the midicoach however full size coaches generally have about 50 seats but the amount ranges from 49 to 70. 70 seats is more normal for older vehicles which have been converted for school work. The 70 seats are squeezed in by using a 3+2 format. A row of three seats on one side and two on the other. A 49 seater coach is generally the same as a 50 seater but instead of extra seats a toilet can be put there instead. On some models the toilet is de-mountable for extra flexibility - it can have 49 seats with the toilet in or 53 without giving coach operators 2 for the price of one. More recent coaches have wheelchair lifts fitted and can often accomodate at least one wheelchair through having seats on 'rails' allowing them to be moved back and forth or be taken out all together. Another popular alternative is to build a slightly longer 13 or 14meter coach with three axles and have it fitted with the usual 53 seats whilst still leaving space for a toilet or other facilites. An example of the full size coach is the Plaxton Premier. The example in the photograph is mounted on a Volvo chassis.
Double deck coaches are about 4meters high and are usually very high specification. One of the best known types of double decker coaches are Neoplan with their Skyliner. Double decker coaches tend to range in length from 12-14 meters. These coaches tend to carry between 70-80 passengers in the upmost comfort with toilets and other facilities standard on most models. An example of the double deck coach would be the Neoplan Skyliner.
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Photographs
Totally-transport.co.uk has well over 200 bus and coach photos in it's collection, and that's not including photos from classic bus running days either! The full collection will slowly be uploading over time. When any new photos are added to a album you'll see this 
next to it for a couple of days after the update.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: If you want to use a photo please be aware that all photos in the collection are Copyrighted all rights reserved to Totally-transport.co.uk 2011. We'll be happy to let you use a photograph if you contact us via feedback@totally-transport.co.uk before hand. Thanks.
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ALL IMAGES (expect doubledeck coach) copyright TOTALLY-TRANSPORT.CO.UK 2006 - 2011