Bristol Lodekka
Low-height half-cab double-decker bus
The Bristol Lodekka is a half-cab low-height step-free double-decker bus built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in England. It was the first production bus design to have step-free access from passenger entrance throughout the lower deck.
Design and development
The purpose of the Bristol Lodekka's design was to replace the traditional step-entrance and side-gangway lowbridge double-deck bus layout that had been widely disliked by both bus passengers and bus operating companies. Bristol's design lowered the chassis frame, integrating it with a 58-seat Eastern Coach Works body and fitting a drop-centre rear axle that meant there were no steps from the rear entrance platform to the front of the lower-deck gangway. On the early LDX, LD and first five LDL models, positioning of longitudinal chassis members allowed the gangway itself to be lowered about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) into a well below the seating platforms, and a full flat floor was later developed for the last LDL type, which was built into all LDS and the F series Lodekkas that followed.
All Lodekkas were built to a traditional half-cab design by Eastern Coach Works of Lowestoft, with the lower floor level allowing for a low overall body height. The earlier LD-series and the later FL and FS had a rear entrance platform, however the later FSF and FLF, equipped with rear air suspension, had a stepless forward entrance located behind the front axle and driver's cab, achieved via the reduction of the nearside chassis frame's height; early models had one-piece sliding doors, which were later replaced with faster four-leaf folding doors. Most Lodekkas were powered by five- or six-cylinder Gardner engines, with small number optioned with Bristol AVW or Leyland O.600 or O.680 engines.
Chassis codes
In accordance with Bristol Commercial Vehicles practice, chassis were designated by a two or three letter code, followed by the number of engine cylinders and engine manufacturer.
LDX: Low 'Decker, Experimental (the first two LD vehicles)
LD: Low 'Decker
LDL: Low 'Decker, Long (Essentially pre-production FL models - introduced when the maximum legal length of double deck buses was extended from 27 ft (8.2 m) to 30 ft (9.1 m).
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