Irisbus Mellor Coachcraft 50C15

Interestingly, Mellor has not positioned the front entrance door within the area occupied by the original cab. Rather than exploit saloon area to the maximum the company has designed a vehicle with three specific zones – which although it seems out of keeping with common practice, it does have certain attractions in practical operation.

The Daily 50 C 15, which is a joint development between Mellor, Irisbus and Burnt Tree, features a 4.35m wheelbase and offers plenty of space. The model under review, currently specified as a demonstrator for Burnt Tree’s Xcess-a-bus operation, comes with 15 tracking-mounted seats in the rear saloon. They are placed in a twoplus-one configuration which allows a very wide gangway with space for two or three wheelchairs without the need to remove further seating.

The rear saloon has a completely flat floor for maximum exploitation and high-level tracking is fitted along both sides, above the window line, to enable the use of specialist passenger restraint systems where necessary. Both rails are concealed by a flap of trim material when not in use.

Forward access is via an electrically operated plug-style door from Tamware. This employs a lift and lock action when closing and forms a highly effective seal which eliminates draughts and significantly reduces noise. The entrance is generously wide and offers three steps to the intermediate gangway area with just one seat positioned on the offside, against the window.

The immediate 90 degree right turn and one more step to the rear saloon might be seen as somewhat retrograde, but customer feedback has been largely in favour of the layout. Most argue that when passengers are boarding or alighting, the intermediate step down provides a circulation area and allows those with infirmities to check their progress. Well-positioned hand rails are an essential part of this process and those provided certainly seem to satisfy all the requirements.
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Top: Mellor-bodied Irisbus Daily 50C15; PLS access underfloor lift.
Below left: moulded cove panels. Below right: seat featuring Iso-Fix mounts.

Technically, the sitting and layout of the door fulfils two objectives. It allows the creation of a three-step main access with broad treads without encroaching on the driver’s area. Secondly it avoids engineering complications which extend build time and add to the cost. The first step height is 250mm followed by two further 200mm risers. The same body fitted to a 50 C 18 chassis cowl has a first step height of 325mm so a concealed fold-out step unit is employed to aid boarding where there is no kerb.

One result of this layout is the additional space created in the area of the original passenger footwell area in the cab – which had been converted to a luggage pen incorporating a box to store unused clamps and belt retractors.

“Having seen the impact Accessible has already created, I would certainly like to have handrails and stanchions fitted the same way – without any fixing points showing. It would be nice to move to one-piece moulded side panels and include direct bonded glazing. As soon as we can gauge reaction to these features we will be able to determine if the investment is going to be justified.”

Moulding incorporated into the trim include coving panels. which house integrated ducting for the ventilation or air conditioning. and a moulded panel along the offside skirting to shroud the convection heating. The remainder is a blend of needlecord and moquette panels to compliment the seat upholstery. Seats in this vehicle are the Richards & Shaw Kustombilt Urban with all-age three-point lap and diagonal seat belts – also featuring a moulded ABS rear panel. Two of the forward seats in the saloon are also equipped with Iso-fix mountings for quick and secure installation of child seats. Installation of the seats complies with M2 requirements based on a Mellordec certified floor system and they employ Unwin attachments..

Wide gangway and spacious saloon; circulation area appreciated in practical operation Kustombilt Urban seating.

Additional features include tinted gasket-mounted glazing and a lockable overhead compartment.

Due to the fitment of the Tamware plug door – which is lockable and provides easy push-button access, the original driver’s door has been dispensed with. This means some of the additional controls and switches can be mounted there, in easy reach from the driver’s seat.

Rear access is facilitated by a PLS Access underfloor lift. Rear doors are full height and extensively glazed to let light into the saloon and to provide unrestricted views of the rear light clusters and high level repeaters when they are opened through 180 degrees.

There is plenty of headroom allowing unrestricted access through the doors.

On the road
This is one coachbuilt vehicle that will certainly impress prospective customers. While it can’t claim to incorporate some of the more radical advances in technology incorporated in the ‘Accessible’, it does what it has to with ease and with some unsuspected bonuses. The most notable of these is the absence of noise.

Like all Euro 4 platforms, the engine noise is lower than in preceding models and along with improved sound insulation makes a dramatic contribution to a quiet environment. But it is nonetheless remarkable in creating an impression of a very solid construction without a trace of a rattle or squeak to be heard throughout the entire test. There is little doubt the fitting of a plug door contributes immensely to this as conventional doors do often rattle and edge brushes can let noise and draughts through.

What you get is a very comfortable, spacious environment and a driver’s area which, although slightly secluded, still allows plenty of awareness because of the low noise level.

The six-speed manual gearbox has a very low first ratio and it is barely necessary to use first gear with no load on board. Changes are very light and smoothed out by a light clutch operation. The 150bhp engine delivers strong torque and changing early is the best way to get smooth acceleration.

Full climate control has been incorporated into the specification of this model with an Eberspacher ‘Vancouver’ unit specifically targeted  at the cab area and a Eberspacher ‘Turin’ air conditioning system to manage the saloon.

Spacious and comfortable drivers’ area.

Full control over the working environment, including the normal seat and steering adjustments give the driver a first class workplace with excellent vision.

The vehicle showed little sign of body roll and didn’t react badly to gusty side winds. It felt very stable, proved to have a good turning circle and gave off a feeling of being very nimble and highly manoeuvrable. Brakes seemed to want quite a bit of pedal pressure to initiate but were always there when called on – seemingly just a case of familiarisation.

Conclusion
An Irisbus Daily with Mellor’s coachbuilt body and finished to the specification of the demonstrator, would cost around £60,000 – or more with an automatic gearbox. More basic examples would obviously run out at less and a more conventional specification version would cost around £50,000 – although it would seem to be ‘spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of tar’ if too much cost cutting exercise is undertaken.

My honest opinion is that many people would be surprised at how well this particular package has turned out and it should really be experienced to appreciate the level of improvement that has been incorporated in its development. It would be interesting to see how well it performed with air suspension in place of conventional systems.

Mellor Coachcraft, Burnt Tree and Irisbus propose some jointly engineered test-drive programmes – although it has now been whisked away by Xcessa-bus who are claiming to have a long list of clients clamouring for a trial. Booking a slot may not be that easy for a while.