Interior Panels and lights

[Liberator9]

This is slightly random but never really thought about. On buses such as the EclipseUrbans  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74108043@N06/7227661056/sizes/k/in/photostream/
how are the interior lights changed. Do they take down the panels around or does the lights itself come off. Also with the panels how are they actually put on to the metal frame underneath, or is there some sort of material behind them?

Thanks in advance!

[Stu]

Probably clipped into place with panel clips.

[Liberator9]

Are these clips those long pieces of plastic that overlap the light panels on some buses?

[Stu]

No, the clips are inside the panel, and push into the bodywork, to hold the panel in place, probably very similar to those that hold all the plastic mouldings inside cars in place.

[Liberator9]

Thanks! I assume rattling on a bus comes from loose clips like this causing a looser panel?

[Ashley]

When 2012 entered service, one of the roof panels was hanging down for a while, it wasnt done by vandals because it was its first day in service, it was like that until christmas when it was put it correctly, on the topic of rattles, i was on a WN  trident the other day, cant think of the exact fleet number, just 45xx, and 3 of the upper deck windows were rattling like crazy

[Liberator9]

I also saw on Optare and Mercedes buses today that there is a metal lock type of "bolt". I saw elsewhere this is some sort of lock and key mechanism.

[richie]

Thanks! I assume rattling on a bus comes from loose clips like this causing a looser panel?

A lot of the rattles come from the hand rails where they are fitted in to the top on the older buses and Im yet to find a bus where the assault screen doesn't rattle they're terrible.

[Ashley]

4162 is the worst I can think of for rattles