The Crossley SD42 single deck bus

The "SD42" range of single deck buses was built between 1947 and 1952. A large number of single deck buses were also supplied to the Netherlands, these are covered in a separate section.

Excluding the Dutch order, 755 chassis were made.

Production can be split into several groups:

97301 to 97375 - SD42/3. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/1 direct injection engine. Four speed synchromesh or constant mesh transmission. (75 made)

97401 to 97404 - SD42/1. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE9 supercharged direct injection engine. Five speed constant mesh transmission. (4 made - all exported to Uruguay)

97501 to 97506 - SD42/2. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/3 direct injection engine. Five speed constant mesh transmission. (6 made - 5 exported to Uruguay and 1 to Portugal)

97601 to 98221 - 1948 to 1952 (618 made)

SD42/4. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/1 direct injection engine. Turbo transmitter (None built)

SD42/5. 8ft 0 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/1 direct injection engine. Four speed transmission.

SD42/6. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/1 direct injection engine. Four speed transmission.

SD42/7. 7ft 6 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/5 direct injection engine. Four or five speed transmission.

SD42/8. 8ft 0 inch wide. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/5 direct injection engine. Four speed transmission.

98501 to 98554 - 1950 to 1952 (54 made)

SD42/9. 7ft 6 inch wide 30 feet long Coach chassis. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/5 direct injection engine. Five speed constant mesh transmission.

SD42/9A 8 ft 0 inch wide 30 feet long. Coach chassis. 8600 cc Crossley HOE7/5 direct injection engine. Five speed constant mesh transmission.

BODY STYLES

Photo - Peter Caunt.

One of the four SD42/7 buses bought by Bolton in 1949.
The car is a Crossley Regis.

An SD42/3 coach as pictured on the 1948 Crossley brochure.
The 33 seat body is by Trans-United of Rochdale and the coach was operated by O Smith of Rochdale.

One of the nine SD42/2 buses supplied to Uruguay as chassis to be fitted locally with bodies.

On the home market, 111 SD42s were completed as buses and 625 as coaches. Nine were exported to Uruguay, eight to Denmark and one each to Portugal and New Zealand.

191 SD42s had Crossley bodies, the remainder were supplied to independent coachbuilders. Two were bodied as trucks and one as a horsebox.

Except for four exported to Uruguay that had the supercharged Crossley HOE9, the engine used was the HOE7 8600 cc diesel with direct injection.

SPECIFICATION

8600 cc (Crossley HOE7 diesel)

6 cylinder monobloc
cylinder head in tow groups of three

4 ½ inches (114.3 mm)

5 ½ inches (139.7 mm)

15.6:1

48.6

direct

overhead

pressure fed to seven main bearings, big ends, rocker shaft and camshaft.

n/a

100 bhp at 1750 rpm (HOE7/1, 2, 3 & 4)
114 bhp at 1750 rpm (HOE7/5

38 mph (60 kph)

4 or 5 speed constant mesh.
4 speed ratios - 1, 1.44, 2.39 and 3.86:1. Reverse 4.67:1
4 speed synchromesh.
ratios - 1, 1.47, 2.54 and 3.44:1 Reverse 3.19:1
Gearbox mounted in-unit with engine (four speed) or midships (five speed)

constant mesh - single dry plate
Synchromesh -twin plate

Divided open propeller shaft with centre bearing.
"Layrub" joint at front and Hardy Spicer at rear

Under driven worm gear type Ratio 5.2:1.
Differential offset to near side (left)

CAV 24 volt. 12 volt optional.

SD42/2 - 18ft ½ inches (5499 mm)
SD42/3 to 8 - 17ft 7 inches (5359 mm)
SD42/9 - 19ft 3 inches (5867 mm)

26 ft 9 inches (8153 mm)

7ft 6in chassis -
Front - 6 feet 5¼ inches (1960 mm)
Rear - 5 feet 10⅛ inches (1780 mm)

8ft chassis -
Front - 6 feet 11⅜ inches (2124 mm)
Rear - 6 feet 1 inches (1854 mm)

7ft 6 inches (2286) or 8ft (2438 mm)

Marles double roller

semi-elliptic springs

semi elliptic springs (underslung)

Vacuum assisted with main servo for rear brakes and two axle mounted auxiliary servos mounted on the front axle.
Hand brake operates on rear wheels only.

front - 12.00 x 20 or 9.75 x 20
rear - twin 10.00 x 20 or 9 x 20

35 gallons (160 Litres)