Pillock Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Oh, and those headlamps are Calibra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thank you...Knew I recognised them, it was going to drive me absolutely daft until someone figured it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willswitchengage Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Fiat Bravo rear lamps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve79 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Didn't you take a photo of the City Dart I had at the yard ? That came from St PaulsNope not me I'm afraid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoss Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Routemasters get everywhere don't they? You see one virtually every time you go out so you dont really pay much attention. But when in you're in Zagreb it does make you look twice. This was first sighting but from a lot further back.I wasn't even sure it was an RM at first. That back window is totally wrong and the nearside taillight is floating in mid air. But a stroll round the front shows it is indeed the remains of a Routemaster. The cab seemed to be the most original part of the bus. And best of all... There is still a loveley AEC 590 under the bonnet. But then you get on and it all goes a bit pear shapedFront blind box removed and panelled over, front handrails removed. But it gets worse at the back. I mean you can see where the back seat ends, the floor should end there too with an aluminium shroud from there to the top of the stairs. That piece of checkerplate means there's about 3' 6" headroom going down stairs. Which are also made entirely of checkerplate and bear no resemblance to a Routemaster. Admittedly I couldn't do a better job if the whole back end of my bus disappeared and all i had to replace it was flat aluminium sheets but it's no wonder I was a bit confused when I first saw it from behind. Lorraine took this picture of me talking to the owner and trying to find a picture of my bus on my phone. Friendly chap with limited English, but obviously better than my Croatian. He's had the bus since 2003 so to be fair he's done well to keep it going in everyday service in a foreign country for fifteen years. He also has RM 1020. Note appropriate registration, it being RM 307 and the ZG bit is for Zagreb. It seemed to drive and ride well enough. It was a bit chuffy at low revs, a bit like a blowing manifold gasket or exhaust valve. But a couple of days later I took this crap photo. And noticed it seems to have an exhaust coming out of the first window behind the cab. I really should have got a picture of the downstairs but forgot. I did notice some sort of wierd bulkhead at the front (in checkerplate of course). Would explain why I could smell diesel fumes when I was sat upstairs. My only guess is they must have some sort of regulations where the exhast has to be above head hight because he's obviously adept at fabrication and I'm sure he could have knocked up an exhaust pipe if he had to. They_all_do_that_sir, RoadworkUK, LightBulbFun and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabnut Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Papped this little oddity in Chateau du Loir yesterday, 100% Electrique! jumpingjehovahs and willswitchengage 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayts450 Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 I love stuff like this - probably a very slim pamphlet but it's for charidee and only a couple of nuggets https://www.nctx.co.uk/140years jon.k 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadworkUK Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 That Indcar Maxim up ^there^ has always intrigued me. Tthe first time I saw the first generation of Maxim, I noticed that the side ribbing, the pillars behind the door and cab window, the lower front grille and the general swept-back profile deliberately resembled a gigantized version of..... ...the Pontiac Trans Sport people carrier, or 'Dustbuster' to many. willswitchengage and jumpingjehovahs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk2_craig Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Bordering on blatant copy I'd say!! Well spotted. Wonder if GM's lawyers noticed too. LightBulbFun and RoadworkUK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 My local firm had one of those Maxims. Only the one mind, they weren't crazy enough to buy another. It was normally a private hire/tour vehicle but while the usual buses were away for refurbishment it even turned up on the town service, hardly the most suitable vehicle for such a job but here's the proof. Jeffs T865 JBC by Adam Floyd, on Flickr mk2_craig and Lacquer Peel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover414 Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 I suppose its time to introduce my latest arrival, or half of it anyway. Long story but a close mate of mine went halves with someone else who needed buying out and it's an ideal fit for us at the moment anyway. It's a Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties bodywork, new to Countybus for service 103 but quickly passed to Grey Green who themselves became Arriva London and stayed down there until 2000. They all then moved up to Arriva North West, starting out at Manchester and eventually being split up, this particular one passed through Speke and Birkenhead depots staying there until 2009 when it was sold to GHA, Ruabon. Remained at GHA until they went under and was sold into preservation back down south where it was restored to its Countybus livery briefly before going into its current Grey Green livery. It now lives up on Merseyside (in my employers yard) and should just be staying as is, hopefully with some period adverts at some point. Anyway, two pics below of it, one with my other bus in shot. Yoss and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willswitchengage Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 ^ http://www.optare.com/versa Quite popular but no idea how Optare as a business is still going. People whinge about them but genuine question: why do operators still buy them? HarmonicCheeseburger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 All I know is that with the odd pointy nose and inward sloping windscreen pillars they feel *weird* to drive. Feels like a cross between a bus and a Renault Espace. Felt like the one I drove needed about three or four inch bigger wheels as the ride was shocking. willswitchengage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busmansholiday Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 Basically an Optare Solo with the cab shoved in front of the front wheel (like the Wright door forward / wheel forward / upyourarse). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 Was it just me, or does the axle forward design of the Solo make it seem far more unwieldy in crampt quarters than the likes of a short wheel base Dart? I've only driven a couple of Solos, but always felt that they felt far more awkward because the wheelbase was longer than I expected for a bus that small. Dunno, maybe I'm just expecting something like that to have the same steering lock that the likes of the Merc 609D bread vans too... Norbert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petermchugh79 Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 http://www.dublinbus.distilledads.ie Depot I work in is currently selling these, 20 off, lots of interest from UK, Birmingham in particular Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 Paging cms206. cms206 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Found this motor from Junkman's favourite county parked up at the local lorry park yesterday afternoon. Seems it was on its way home from a show in Lincoln.G329 SVV - JR Dent by Adam Floyd, on Flickr Sadly, like so many Paramounts it has lost the original massive rear lights. Still nice to see though.G329 SVV - JR Dent by Adam Floyd, on Flickr Six-cylinder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busmansholiday Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Right, on real prizes, but who's going to be the first to identify who thought the future of minibuses looked like this back in 1976.... willswitchengage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rml2345 Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Reebur bodied Beford CF? Eastern Scottish had a handful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busmansholiday Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Bloody hell, your good ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 May I counter with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Can we play snap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk2_craig Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 My eyes!! WTF are those things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Those are Moseley Faro-bodied Ford A-series. Utter crap by all accounts. rml2345 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Lots of different companies seem to have had them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Right, on real prizes, but who's going to be the first to identify who thought the future of minibuses looked like this back in 1976.... PICT0566.JPGWadham Stringer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Wadham Stringer? I can see a Bedford badge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Those are Moseley Faro-bodied Ford A-series. Utter crap by all accounts.Axe Valley Mini Travel used to use a couple of them on bus service in the early 90’s I remember a journey on one from Seaton to Axminster - it was, erm, interesting. Ah, the early days of deregulation where all sorts of weird and wonderful crap was used on bus service.It’s a Caetano body to be a true pedant, Moseley was just the importer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 I thought those bodies were actually built by Moseley in the UK and it was only the earlier boxy Faros on Bedford J2 chassis that were imported Caetano products. All the sources I've seen quote the Fords as Moseley bodies and the Bedfords as Caetano. I do know that Northampton Corporation considered buying a pair for a route that needed small lightweight buses but opted for Bristol LHSs instead, a much better choice. This one was the only all-steel Faro IV ever built (the others were wooden-framed Faro IIIs) and is the only one I've ever seen. It'd be a miracle if any survive.Jeffs WRP 643W by Adam Floyd, on Flickr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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