Trailerbus

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
Magnetic
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by Magnetic »

eddy wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:28 pm
Fleet Lists wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:13 pm Who says it would be a free ride?
I can get a prime mover and would drive it and I am sure if NSW shows some guts to approve it there would be many drop deck trailer makers and bus guys to build it with an eye for many orders.
If you have the money to buy a prime mover and drive people around on a trailer bus for free I suggest you just buy a prime mover, build your trailer and start up your own transportation company where you can charge the customers. Trailer buses for Australia and an income for you. Win win.
Last edited by Magnetic on Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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eddy
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

To enable the Trailerbus a fast trip I suggest the stops are located a couple of kilometres apart on the main road so people can ride their bike, mobility scooters or perhaps an electric stroller or bike that you can take young kids on although they should be able to ride at four years old.

Regarding having a service that can take other people it would be just as cheap for the state government to go dollar for dollar for a taxi instead of running a half empty bus around the safe default 30 km/h backstreets.

I still have not heard back from the Premier about why trailerbuses are banned in NSW so I am thinking of sending a snail mail to get his attention.
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eddy
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Magnetic wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:52 pm
eddy wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:28 pm

I can get a prime mover and would drive it and I am sure if NSW shows some guts to approve it there would be many drop deck trailer makers and bus guys to build it with an eye for many orders.
If you have the money to buy a prime mover and drive people around on a trailer bus for free I suggest you just buy a prime mover, build your trailer and start up your own transportation company where you can charge the customers. Trailer buses for Australia and an income for you. Win win.
At 78 years old I have been down the track of building a small TBM and it nearly cost me my marriage, house and health but I realised that to do anything you need others and money.

At present NSW thinks it is allowed and Colin is looking into it and if it is not banned there would be trailer makers and bus guys falling over themselves to build it in my opinion but I may be wrong.

I had intended to just borrow a prime mover to demonstrate it.

Thanks for the suggestion mate but I am too old.
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eddy
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Colin could not give me a yes or no on Trailerbuses being banned in Australia so I have asked the NHVR
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

So we had a rule since 1945 against Trailerbuses and have not changed it with advances in technology.
https://archive.commercialmotor.com/art ... iler-buses
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

eddy wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:59 am So we had a rule since 1945 against Trailerbuses and have not changed it with advances in technology.
https://archive.commercialmotor.com/art ... iler-buses
I received an email from HHVR that was similar to the one from Colin but after I read the 1945 thing where they mentioned double deck rollover I realised that the old trailerbus may have a possible problem under acceleration and it is too risky.

I think the problem lies with an equal weight on the turntable with the old trailerbuses because of the turntable not providing stability when turning but with a legal 3.7m rear overhang allowing 20t over the rear triaxle plus stability control it may have to pass a rollover test without a prime mover.

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites ... VSB7_B.pdf

As there is no way this old guy has the time or money to build this it is free to anyone that wants to build it with the rise in electric bikes and mobility scooters world wide plus with only a 2.5m width they could be exported anywhere in the world especially as people have less trouble with fire with heavy lead acid batteries.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

If there is a simple rollover test like they did for the Routemasters and filmed it it would be a great selling point especially if they were built for left and right hand drive so people can put a prime mover of their choice under it.

Routemaster rollover test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42f3Cn6XlSk
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

I remembered that many years ago I took a low loader to the wharf where Barangaroo is now to go to Fiji and it made me think many small places in the world that sometimes there is only a need for a Trailerbus when a ship arrives and other times the prime mover can operate a normal trailer.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Some people may like to see how I answered this guy who was concerned about people going downstairs while the bus is moving. https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2279844.htm#2279844
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eddy
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Perhaps before anyone builds a Trailerbus they could just drive a single axle prime mover with the trailerbus dimensions around any proposed route to eliminate all doubt particularly the ability to do a U turn which is hard for a rigid 12.5m and impossible for a 18m bendy bus.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by boronia »

eddy wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:48 am Some people may like to see how I answered this guy who was concerned about people going downstairs while the bus is moving. https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2279844.htm#2279844
"Just a bit more info on the Trailerbus which was banned in NSW in 1945".

Really?. There were some still operating into the 1970s.
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eddy
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

boronia wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 4:09 pm
eddy wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:48 am Some people may like to see how I answered this guy who was concerned about people going downstairs while the bus is moving. https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2279844.htm#2279844
"Just a bit more info on the Trailerbus which was banned in NSW in 1945".

Really?. There were some still operating into the 1970s.
Well the link in 1945 says they were only given an exemption to carry soldiers but they must have allowed people on them since but I cannot get a yes or no off anybody.

https://archive.commercialmotor.com/art ... iler-buses
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by 1whoknows »

There were three at Trailer Tours in West Ryde until the mid 1970s and the last one as a school bus was withdrawn at Nambucca Heads at the end of the 1977 school year. There was reportedly one operating at Texas on the NSW/ Qld border but I've no knowledge of it.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

1whoknows wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:31 am There were three at Trailer Tours in West Ryde until the mid 1970s and the last one as a school bus was withdrawn at Nambucca Heads at the end of the 1977 school year. There was reportedly one operating at Texas on the NSW/ Qld border but I've no knowledge of it.
Thanks for that it does seem that they must have got rid of the 1945 rule and as long as it complies with everything bus and truck there is no problem.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

This field of view test may be a problem with the ramp/doors on the Trailerbus unless the bus stop has a yellow line to stand behind like train stations.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/fi ... rs-bus.pdf
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Sent this email to Colin this morning.

You gave me a couple of links regarding the Trailerbus compliance and everything seems OK except the field of view of the passenger entrance doors of a bus.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/fi ... rs-bus.pdf

With a few cameras in place of mirrors the driver could see everything regardless of what angle the Trailerbus is on.
https://www.ebusco.com/au/new-connexxio ... f-mirrors/
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

I sent this email off to the mob who make the buses at Tasmania.

At present I am trying to get NSW to build a double deck Trailerbus which can take 150 people plus all their bikes, mobility scooters and strollers for use to go to their final destination.

Unfortunately NSW has this old bus rule that says the driver must be able to see the door clearly but perhaps they may allow it with your cameras that allow the driver to see clearly even when at an angle.

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Re: Trailerbus

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

There will only be a small number of routes that these trailer buses could be used on as there are hundreds of routes that need to serve those back streets that you want to free plus how would you fill those buses on outer suburb routes such as some routes running out from Campbelltown station where passenger numbers can fluctuate between 0 and 25 depending on the time of day
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Campbelltown busboy wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:48 pm There will only be a small number of routes that these trailer buses could be used on as there are hundreds of routes that need to serve those back streets that you want to free plus how would you fill those buses on outer suburb routes such as some routes running out from Campbelltown station where passenger numbers can fluctuate between 0 and 25 depending on the time of day
As you can buy a new electric bike every year for the cost of running a car I believe when we get safe 30 km/h backstreets every body will take their bike, mobility scooter or stroller to school ,station or trailerbus to go where they want when they want with a Trailerbus every 2 minutes on signposted roads.

So it all depends if car drivers can be patient for one minute like Japan.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Wish I knew which side is more likely to have the default 30 km/h safe back streets and the Trailerbus so I know who to vote for in the coming NSW elections.

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Re: Trailerbus

Post by Fleet Lists »

I think it is a pretty sure bet that neither will.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Fleet Lists wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:11 pm I think it is a pretty sure bet that neither will.
I think you are right but as I am 50/50 I want to vote for the one most likely.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

Because often passengers are unsure if the Trailerbus is going their way perhaps as well as having a desto on the side there could also be a speaker/mike to allow a person to ask the driver.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

The new 30 km/h speed limits in NZ https://www.9news.com.au/world/low-spee ... 82928e7e3d

As we have for many years believed it is a God given right that all roads are made for cars only it would be hard to introduce them but for Trailerbuses to work properly we need the safe default 30 km/h back streets.

Perhaps if done slowly around schools first with a big portable sign on a trailer that can be fitted with speed cameras to warn people it is a default 30 km/h road with a warning sent to the owner for a month followed by after the month a $50 fine cars drivers would get the message.

Once people get used to the idea that certain roads are there to share with everybody parents will feel quite safe and let their kids ride to school, station or Trailerbus.
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Re: Trailerbus

Post by eddy »

If the Trailerbuses have sufficient capacity on some routes they may be cheaper and better than a rail route that cannot just drive around a problem.
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