This is coach #215. As you can see it is a Princess coach. This represents a pretty typical coach that we drive around here, at least as far as the make and model go. The paint scheme is rather unique, only two other coaches in the world have it. Here are a few statistics about the coach.This coach was built by a company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is called Motor Coach Industries. We usually call it MCI. They are the builder of all but about seven of our coaches. Those seven are built by VanHool. MCI coaches are well known for travelling over a million miles very easily on one engine, with no major repairs. They are very durable and very reliable, and they handle great.
This coach is a D4500. D is a line of coaches that MCI builds, and they have a few different types of D's. The 4500 is a 45-foot coach. The 4000 is a 40-foot coach, and they also have the DL model, which comes in 40- and 45-foot models.
This coach has a diesel engine in it, which puts out about 450 horsepower. It is a Detriot Diesel, and it has a six speed, automatic, Allison transmission. The engine and transmission are both the size of a small car, and weigh more than a rather large car! What is the 0-60 time? Well, we don't like to talk about that. This is one of the faster coaches in the fleet though.
The total empty wieght of the coach is about 34,000 pounds, and the maximum weight rating is about 48,000 pounds. That total wieght includes 55 passengers and a driver, as well as all the luggage you can cram into just under 600 cubic feet of space below the passenger area. Individually, people do not weight very much, and neither to their suitcases. With a full load though, the coach handles quite a bit differently than empty. An extra 10,000 pounds is a very noticeable change to the driver!
I have talked about what makes this go, but what about stopping something this big? Well, the tag axle, the rear axle, has disc brakes, but the other two axles have massive drum brakes. These brakes operate off of compressed air. On a big hill however, this is simply not enough to control the vehicle. The brakes, in normal service, will get as hot as 400 degrees, and on a rainy day will be steaming. On a big hill, they can get much hotter, which can cause them to fail. To help prevent this, the coach also has an engine retarder, or a Jake Brake. That is the thing on trucks that makes them growl really loudly when they slow down. Or, in the movie Cars, it is the sound Mack makes when he falls asleep. I am not sure exactly how the thing works, but it is quite effective. I can go down a hill, even a rather steep one, with my Jake Brake running, and never actually touch the air brakes, and maintain a safe speed.
Now lets talk about some of the creature comforts on board. For the passengers, there are 55 ergonomically designed, reclining seats, with footrests and armrests, which can be folded away. Above each seat, there is an air blower and a reading light, which work, provided that the driver has remembered to turn them on. There is indirect flourescent lighting above the windows and in the aisle. At the rear of the coach there is a lavatory, which is loved and hated by drivers. They love always having a restroom within 50 feet, but hate emptying the sewage tank at the end of the day. Also, for passenger comfort when boarding of disembarking, there is a kneeling feature and lights on the steps which turn on automatically when the door is opened. The coach is actually kneeling in the picture. Look at how close the front wheel is to the splash guard, and compare it the the back, you can tell if you look closely.
For the driver, there is a comfortable, fully adjustable seat and steering wheel. It is quite nice. There are two air blowers below the dash for the feet and two above, which are on a seperate air conditioner and heater from the rest of the coach, which means if the A/C goes out, the driver may actually still be cool is his is working. There is an individual driver reading light, and a seperate light on a boom called a map light. There is cruise control, and driver speakers for the AM/FM radio. The only complaint I have is that the seat has no armrests. This may not sound like a big deal, but after 400 miles it is hard not to slouch when you have no armrests, and when you slouch for 400 miles, your back hurts.
In the way of safety features, this coach has a few things built into it. Every side window is designed to open in an emergency by simply lifting a silver bar at the bottom and pushing out. There are two emergency exit hatches in the roof as well. The door has a manual unlock lever which allows it to be opened by hand if necessary. There is a fire extinguisher on board, under the second row on the right side. In the first, lefthand luggage compartment inside, there is a first aid kit and a bodily fluid cleanup kit. I have used both of those at some point this summer. In the battery compartment, accessible from the outside of the coach, there is a lug wrench, three reflective triangles, and spare engine belts. The front bumper opens, and behind that is a spare tire. The spare tire, in addition to being an obvious preparedness item, is also part of the crash impact safety system structure. It is actually designed to help absorb the impact in a frontal crash. All the glass on board is double pane, shatter resistant safety glass, and there is emergency lighting on all the time under some of the seats, to light the aisle.
Basically, that is what I drive. I feel more comfortable driving that than a car now, even though it is 45 feet long and 20 tons. It is my car.
