As part of post war reconstruction, Crossley supplied a large number of buses to the Netherlands Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen). They were built between 1946 and 1949. 

The buses were made to three designs known in the factory as SD42/1 "Long Dutch", SD42/2 "Short Dutch" and PT 42/1 tractor units. The tractor/trailer type were the first to be delivered with the trailer chassis made by DAF with bodywork by Dutch companies Verheul, Werkspoor, Fokker and Aviolanda.  The tractor unit was based on a shortened DD42/1 double deck bus chassis. SD42/1s had bodies made by a variety of companies to two basic centre door bus designs originating from Verheul and Werkspoor and a further 16 had 37 seat coach bodies for KLM built by Verheul. SD42/2 bodies were of two types with the side door either just ahead of the rear axle or just behind the front axle. 150 were delivered with Crossley built bodies and the remainder divided between Verheul (252), Jongerius (2), Hoogeveen (10) and Lamboo (9).

The PT42/1 were first to go into use entering service in 1946, the SD42/1 followed from April 1947 and  finally the SD42/2 from August 1947.

Production figures were -

SD42/1 (Long Dutch) - 500 with chassis numbers 96001 to 96500

SD42/2 (Short Dutch) - 425 with chassis numbers 96801 to 97225

PT42/1 Passenger Tractors - 250 with chassis numbers 96501 to 96750

The tractor/trailer units were phased out of public service in 1950/51 but many found other uses including mobile chapels. The last bus, a SD42/1 (96359) was withdrawn from service in the Netherlands in May 1965. Several tractor units and 70 trailers were sold to East Germany and continued in public service until 1965 in Dresden and Leipzig after which some continued in non-passenger use until the late 1980s. 

	A PT42/1 and trailer in use by the WSM bus company.
	SD42/1 chassis number 96006 with body by De Schelde. It entered service in June 1947.
	An SD42/1 with body by Werkspoor, Dutch Railways own workshops. The chassis number is 96002, fleet number 1201 and it entered service in May 1947.
	One of the two SD42/2s bodied by Jongerius. The chassis number is 96897, fleet number 1906 and it entered service in March 1948.
	An SD42/2 with Crossley body. This bus has been converted to one man operation by the addition of a front door. The chassis number is 97006, fleet number 1755 and it entered service in June 1948.
	Sixteen of the SD42/1s were fitted with 37 seat coach bodies by Verheul and used as airport buses by KLM. They were given fleet numbers 1601-1616.

The trailers were designed for 80 passengers (52 seated, 28 standing), the Short Dutch (SD 42/2) 42 seated passengers and the Long Dutch (SD 42/1) 46 seated passengers.

The Crossley HOE7/2 engine was used on the tractors, the HOE7/3 on the SD42/2 and the HOE9 on the SD42/1. All engines used direct injection. The HOE9 was fitted with twin Roots type superchargers running at 1.7 times engine speed and with maximum boost of 8.3 pounds per square inch. All engines were fitted with cross flow cylinder heads.

Engine/gearbox/transmission

Body/chassis

capacity 8600 cc cylinders 6 cylinder bore 4½ inches (114.3 mm) stroke 5½ inches (139.7 mm) compression ratio 15.5:1 normal 14:1 supercharged RAC Horse Power 48.6 valves overhead injection direct using CAV pump max power 100 bhp at 1800 rpm un-supercharged 138-150 bhp at 1750 rpm supercharged (SD42/1) fuel consumption (typical) . max speed (approx) Tractor/trailers - 60 kph SD 42/1 - 100 kph Gears Tractors - 4 speed constant mesh straight tooth.tractors In unit with engine. Ratios 4.86:1, 3.0:1, 1.81:1 and 1:1 Buses - 5 speed constant mesh straight tooth. Separate from engine. Ratios 4.46:1, 2.47:1, 1.47:1, 1:1 and 0.656:1:1 Clutch 16 inch single dry plate Drive Shaft Tractors- exposed shaft with two Hardy Spicer joints. Buses - Clutch shaft with Hardy Spicer UJ and Layrub coupling. Prop shaft divided exposed shaft with two Hardy Spicer joints and Layrub coupling. Rear axle Fully floating with centally located underslung worm final drive. 5.75:1 ratio, 5.2:1 on supercharged buses.

wheelbase SD 42/1 - 20 ft 3½ inch (6.185 metres) SD 42/2 -18 ft ½ inch (5.58 metres) Tractor - 11 ft 0 inch  (3.35 metres) length SD 42/1 35 ft ½ inch (10.8 metres) SD 24/2 32 ft 11 1/8 inch (10.0 metres) Tractor 17 ft 11½ inch (5.47 metres) width overall 8 feet 0 inches (2.5 metres) weight SD 42/1 ? SD 42/2 5 tons 1 cwt (chassis) Tractor ? steering Marles double roller, 6¼ turns lock to lock. suspension - front reverse camber semi elliptic springs. suspension -rear reverse camber semi elliptic springs. brakes Buses - 16½ inch drums, 4 inches wide at front, 6 inches wide at rear. Westinghouse air pressure servo. Tractor - vacuum servo. wheels/tyres Buses - 11.25 x 20 (front), 9.75 x 20 (twin rear)

© Malcolm Asquith 2010