Saturday, April 22, 2023

I have a story about a tipping London bus, and indeed it did not tip over, although a load of screaming people thought it was.

 


April 8, 1933: For those who have visited London and wondered how they know their double-decker buses won’t fall over, this is apparently how they find out. Per police regulation, employees of the London General Omnibus Company put their 60-person bus to a “tilt test,” putting it on a 28-degree angle. Photo: The New York Times

11 comments:

  1. False sense of security since empty is not the same as loaded, let alone the variable associated with differing passenger weights....

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    1. The platform was at 28, the bus at 35 (probably due to its suspension)

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    2. Also, "static" versus "dynamic"

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  2. Ballast in the bow

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  3. While it's useful information from a static point of view, of course it would never happen that a bus tips because it's traversing an incline. It happens under speed, because of angular acceleration, usually swerving to avoid something. I guess the measurement could be applied to a calculation of overturning moment.

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  4. They should run that test on riding lawnmowers.

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  5. Chiswick bus depot. They made the Routmasters specifically for London roads. Large skid pan drivers had to learn on also.

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  6. The body work looks like its leaning off the chassis?

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  7. The chassis is chained to the platform.

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