Foden NC

Foden NC
Preserved West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive Foden NC in Kirkby in June 2023
Overview
Manufacturer	Foden Northern Counties
Production	1976–1978
Assembly	Chassis Sandbach, Cheshire, England Body Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Body and chassis
Doors	1 or 2
Floor type	Step entrance
Chassis	Steel ladder frame
Powertrain
Engine	Gardner 6LXB
Power output	184 brake horsepower (137 kW)
Transmission	Allison MT640 Torque converter
Dimensions
Length	9.5 metres (31 ft)
Width	2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in)
Height	4.1–4.4 metres (13–14 ft)
Curb weight	Around 10 tonnes (10,000 kg)

The Foden NC was a double-decker bus chassis built in partnership between Foden of Sandbach and Northern Counties of Wigan between 1976 and 1978.

Background

Foden was primarily a truck manufacturer, although it had also built bus chassis as late as the 1950s, whilst Northern Counties was a bus body manufacturer actively building bodywork onto chassis produced by other companies. At the time of the Foden NC's conception, British Leyland had by far the largest share of the market for double-decker buses in the United Kingdom, with its Atlantean, Fleetline and Bristol VR models. ^[1]

The Foden NC was intended to compete against these for a share of this market, with a joint venture being agreed between Foden and Northern Counties to develop the new vehicle. Northern Counties saw the Foden NC as a potential replacement for the Fleetline in the event British Leyland stopped supplying bus chassis and shifted production to the new integrally-bodied Leyland Titan. ^[1]

Design

The Foden NC was a semi-integral design, meaning that it has an underframe (chassis), but that the bodywork is also structurally load-bearing. Standard Northern Counties bodywork was similar to the GM Standard-style bodywork built on other rear-engined chassis, albeit being slightly longer and featuring a variant of Foden's 'kite' badge on the front panel, however the chassis was also made available for other manufacturers to body. ^[2]

The Foden NC was designed with the intention for a long service life and for ease of maintenance. As standard, Foden NCs were equipped with Gardner 6LXB engines, Allison MT640 automatic transmissions and Ferodo retarders. ^{[3] [2]} However, the transmission proved to be a weakness, with the Foden transfer box being prone to failures and the Allison gearbox inefficient. Derby City Transport refitted its Foden NC with Voith transmission in an attempt to overcome the problems.^{[ citation needed ]}

Production

Potteries Motor Traction Foden NC, the only example built for a National Bus Company subsidiary

Only seven prototype vehicles were completed, with an eighth, partially completed bus used by Foden for testing alternative chassis types. ^{[1] [4]} The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive purchased two, ^{[5] [6]} one of which had been used by Foden as an experimental testbed, while one each was delivered to three of Britain's passenger transport executives in West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, ^[7] and South Yorkshire, the latter of which was the only Foden NC built with an East Lancs dual-door body. ^[8] The other two buyers were municipally-owned Derby City Transport and National Bus Company subsidiary Potteries Motor Traction (PMT), each purchasing one. ^[4] Ten were provisionally ordered by Cleveland Transit, however the deal fell through following Foden's takeover by Paccar, with Cleveleand instead ordering Dennis Dominators. ^[1]

Production of the Foden NC ceased around the time Foden Trucks entered receivership due to an economic downturn, which coincided with a crowded market for new double-decker chassis including products such as the Dennis Dominator, the Leyland Olympian and Titan, the MCW Metrobus and the Volvo Ailsa B55 and Citybus. Chassis manufacturing rigs and facilities initially retained by Northern Counties in the event demand for the Foden NC chassis arose. ^[9] Most of the vehicles experienced shorter than average working lives, although the two supplied to the West Midlands and West Yorkshire PTEs still exist in preservation, ^[7] while the sole NBC example was scrapped by PMT's successor First Potteries in late 2000 after a long period in outside storage. ^[10]

References

1. Millar, Alan (August 2017). "Flying a kite" . Buses . No. 749. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 36–39. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
2. Millier, Noel (17 March 1978). "Stage carriage race". Commercial Motor . Vol. 147, no. 3747. London: IPC Transport Press. pp. 47–48. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
3. Grey, Steve (4 August 1978). "Retarders increase safety, save cash". Commercial Motor. Vol. 148, no. 3767. London: IPC Transport Press. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
4. "Fodens promote decker". Commercial Motor. Vol. 148, no. 3787. London: IPC Transport Press. 22 December 1978. p. 13. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
5. "Foden bus for Manchester PTE". Commercial Motor. Vol. 142, no. 3626. London: IPC Transport Press. 21 November 1975. p. 23. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
6. "The Experimental Northern Counties Bodied Fodens". SELNEC Preservation Society. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
7. Cherry, John (October 2025). "The two that got away". Bus & Coach Preservation . Vol. 28, no. 5. pp. 9–11.
8. Millier, Noel (15 September 1978). "New-wave deckers in Sheffield trials". Commercial Motor. Vol. 148, no. 3773. London: IPC Transport Press. pp. 55–57. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
9. Millier, Noel (11 December 1982). "Bus building takes the road to Wigan fear". Commercial Motor. Vol. 156, no. 3994. Sutton: IPC Transport Press. pp. 62–63. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
10. Lidstone, John G. (January 2001). "Fleet News England & Wales". Buses. No. 550. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 47. Retrieved 13 October 2025.

Booth, Gavin; Brown, Stewart J. (1984). The Bus Book. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   0-7110-1440-X.^{[ page needed ]}

External links

Media related to Foden NC at Wikimedia Commons