AEC Q-type
Encyclopedia
The AEC Q-type is an AEC-built single- and double-deck bus that was launched in 1932.
It was designed by G. J. Rackham, an employee of the American firm Yellow Coach
from 1922 to 1926, leading him into contact with the Fageol
Twin Coach
. It was not until a visit to America in the late 1920s that Rackham noted the success of the 1925 Twin Coach which had won large sales to American operators. The result was Rackham returned to Southall
(AEC's Works) with the idea of implementing American practice of side mounted engines in British bus production.
received the first Q-type vehicle with a crash gearbox although all subsequent vehicles had the pre-select
version. The engine was available in either petrol or diesel incarnation and was located longitudinally behind the front axle, intended to be hidden by the staircase (for double-deck version). This allowed the drivers cab to be located on the front overhang with the entrance opposite, even though some body builders didn't use this facility and had a centre entrance. Being a more modern design, it looked very similar to buses built in the 1950s and 1960s.
like that Fageol had found in the US. One of the reasons was the Q was prone to problems, the most concerning being that the petrol models caught fire at the carburetor. The recommended solution was just as worrying… increasing the revs until the fire went out! The result being the Q did not obtain the popularity of the other AEC models so the project was dropped, last appearing in the 1937 catalogue.
It was designed by G. J. Rackham, an employee of the American firm Yellow Coach
Yellow Coach
The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. It was founded in Chicago as a subsidiary of the Yellow Cab Company in 1923 by John D. Hertz...
from 1922 to 1926, leading him into contact with the Fageol
Fageol
Fageol Motors was a U.S. manufacturer of buses, trucks and farm tractors.-History:The company was founded in 1916 to manufacture motor trucks, farm tractors and automobiles in Oakland, California....
Twin Coach
Twin Coach
Twin Coach was an American vehicle manufacturing company from 1927 to 1955, based in Kent, Ohio, and a maker of marine engines and airplane parts until the 1960s. It was formed by brothers Frank and William Fageol when they left the Fageol Motor Company in 1927. They established the company in...
. It was not until a visit to America in the late 1920s that Rackham noted the success of the 1925 Twin Coach which had won large sales to American operators. The result was Rackham returned to Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
(AEC's Works) with the idea of implementing American practice of side mounted engines in British bus production.
Design
The Q-type, although based on the Twin Coach, had many differences. The most noticeable being whilst the Twin Coach had two engines (hence the name) the AEC Q only had one. This overcame the many complications a second engine needed in the transmission. London General Omnibus CompanyLondon General Omnibus Company
The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.- Overview :...
received the first Q-type vehicle with a crash gearbox although all subsequent vehicles had the pre-select
Preselector gearbox
A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...
version. The engine was available in either petrol or diesel incarnation and was located longitudinally behind the front axle, intended to be hidden by the staircase (for double-deck version). This allowed the drivers cab to be located on the front overhang with the entrance opposite, even though some body builders didn't use this facility and had a centre entrance. Being a more modern design, it looked very similar to buses built in the 1950s and 1960s.
The demise
The Q failed to attract the attention of the British operators and as a result failed to find a market in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
like that Fageol had found in the US. One of the reasons was the Q was prone to problems, the most concerning being that the petrol models caught fire at the carburetor. The recommended solution was just as worrying… increasing the revs until the fire went out! The result being the Q did not obtain the popularity of the other AEC models so the project was dropped, last appearing in the 1937 catalogue.