Bus Shite

[Vantman]

[busmansholiday]

Oh, see if I can get my arse in gear and bob up there, not likes it's the end of the world and I've pick up enough punters in Morley to ensure I shouldn't get lost.

[Soap Distant]

Be even better if Morley was wall to wall Ailsas for just one more day....

 

I can but dream.

[dollywobbler]

Grand stuff. All interesting.

 

Talk of step height reminds me of the Leyland single deckers, later Volvos that Your Bus ran with Plaxton bodywork. My mother absolutely hated that high-floor design. The steps seemed almost as tall as she is (4'9'')

[Zelandeth]

20a0e1_7392108e83624d258d333fd2b782239d~mv2_d_1750_2479_s_2.jpg

 

Optare Vectra?

[Yoss]

RMA 10.

 

 

About a week ago I put a few pictures of RMA 10 on some of its days out on the one shite picture thread. Dick Longbridge added this fabulous shot...

And added that it appears to have been scrapped around 1996. I said I thought it went to Finland but as we're not allowed to talk on One Shite Picture I'd elaborate over here.

 

Firstly, going back to the picture above I never new it was a Mortlake bus. Mortlake was legendary for the condition of its buses. This would have been used as a staff bus at this point taking workers to Aldenham and Chiswick Works and taking them home again at the end of the day. Particularly useful for Aldenham as it was a bit of an awkward place to get to. But even as a staff bus it looks in lovely condition there.

 

My friend Colin had a small private hire company in the early nineties with two RMs and this RMA based in Watford. Used to do all sorts of work. Weddings, school buses, rail replacement for both BR and Underground, anything that came along basically. But the RMA was particularly useful for longer distance work as it had the high speed diff, though by this time it had lost its big engine so lots of first gear was needed but once up to speed it was happy cruising about 55.

 

Hastings was always a popular destination. So here's a couple of pics from nearby Winchelsea.

This was a staged shot at the crossing at Winchelsea station with some Thumper action.

 

And this must be a year later as the standard RM blindbox has been added.

But is only a mile or so from the previous picture. Winchelsea beach is behind that bank.

 

Obligatory pez station shot.

 

But Colin packed up the buisiness after a few years deciding it was a lot less hassle to just drive buses for other people. He sold the RMA to Roger Brown of Shaftesbury and District.

 

Where it replaced this.

RMA 37. Which oddly went the other way to Dave Pring's St Albans based Timebus. I believe it's still there, I know Timebus are still running. Odd because Colin and Dave used to share work when they were both two bus operators.

 

But I had this Finland thing in my head because I remember Colin being annoyed a few years later because he'd asked for first refusal if Roger sold it on but it went to Finland. To be fair I don't think he was in a position to buy it back but wanted at least to asked.

 

So when Dick Longbridge said it appeared to have been scrapped I started wondering if my mind was making things up again but a brief perusal of t'internet found this.

Okay so this is six years ago but if it's lasted that long in Finland I'd like to think it's still around.

[Yoss]

Talking of Shaftesbury and District RMA's I found this picture.

Looks like a scrapyard doesn't it? This is the back of S&Ds yard. This is RMA 29. Roger had a habit of buying damaged RM's cheap and repairing them saying they were 'infinitely repairable'. But this was his biggest job. He decided to cut this in half and put another section in. 'Cut' is the wrong word, these things just unbolt. And he did the whole thing in the corner of his yard in his spare time, though how much spare time does a small bus operator have? Literally where it is stood in this picture. At this point the bus has been separated and one part of the extra bay has been fitted on the upper deck. But what I'd really like to bring to your attention is what all RM's look like under the panels. That pink primer and black sealant is still perfect even at thirty years old and having spent three years in this yard. They really are indestructible which is why there are still so many left. Sorry if that makes them boring at bus rallies.

 

Anyway three years later it looked like this.

The staircase was placed in the middle and came from Alexander bodied Ailsa, the original stairs were missing when Roger got it. These came from the by then defunct and very shoddy Routemaster Bournemouth operation who owed him money so he took this staircase in lieu of money owed.

[Grundig]

 

A few of Runcorn's RE's   -  Beechwood Depot

[Guest Hooli]

Talking of Shaftesbury and District RMA's I found this picture.

IMG_20180106_173659.jpg

Looks like a scrapyard doesn't it? This is the back of S&Ds yard. This is RMA 29. Roger had a habit of buying damaged RM's cheap and repairing them saying they were 'infinitely repairable'. But this was his biggest job. He decided to cut this in half and put another section in. 'Cut' is the wrong word, these things just unbolt. And he did the whole thing in the corner of his yard in his spare time, though how much spare time does a small bus operator have? Literally where it is stood in this picture. At this point the bus has been separated and one part of the extra bay has been fitted on the upper deck. But what I'd really like to bring to your attention is what all RM's look like under the panels. That pink primer and black sealant is still perfect even at thirty years old and having spent three years in this yard. They really are indestructible which is why there are still so many left. Sorry if that makes them boring at bus rallies.

 

Anyway three years later it looked like this.

5131758974_d0512d067e_b.jpg

The staircase was placed in the middle and came from Alexander bodied Ailsa, the original stairs were missing when Roger got it. These came from the by then defunct and very shoddy Routemaster Bournemouth operation who owed him money so he took this staircase in lieu of money owed.

 

They look odd in LWB.

[Soap Distant]

While researching other projects, I came across this:

 

 

It's a chassisless, air sprung, front wheel drive single deck bus built by Guildford and bodied by Wycombe. It was supposed to be powered by a 6cylinder Junkers opposed piston, two stroke engine (12pistons FTW!) but licensing problems meant that it used a 4cylinder Meadows engine ( as used by Lagnda) instead. The amazing bit? All this was done in 1931.

 

Oh it gets better, they also produced a double deck version (admittedly I knew about this one) too.

 

Where did we go so wrong?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

RMA 10.

About a week ago I put a few pictures of RMA 10 on some of its days out on the one shite picture thread. Dick Longbridge added this fabulous shot...

post-4721-0-63616900-1514895965.jpeg

And added that it appears to have been scrapped around 1996. I said I thought it went to Finland but as we're not allowed to talk on One Shite Picture I'd elaborate over here.

Firstly, going back to the picture above I never new it was a Mortlake bus. Mortlake was legendary for the condition of its buses. This would have been used as a staff bus at this point taking workers to Aldenham and Chiswick Works and taking them home again at the end of the day. Particularly useful for Aldenham as it was a bit of an awkward place to get to. But even as a staff bus it looks in lovely condition there.

My friend Colin had a small private hire company in the early nineties with two RMs and this RMA based in Watford. Used to do all sorts of work. Weddings, school buses, rail replacement for both BR and Underground, anything that came along basically. But the RMA was particularly useful for longer distance work as it had the high speed diff, though by this time it had lost its big engine so lots of first gear was needed but once up to speed it was happy cruising about 55.

Hastings was always a popular destination. So here's a couple of pics from nearby Winchelsea.

IMG_20180106_171825.jpg

This was a staged shot at the crossing at Winchelsea station with some Thumper action.

And this must be a year later as the standard RM blindbox has been added.

IMG_20180106_172308.jpg

But is only a mile or so from the previous picture. Winchelsea beach is behind that bank.

Obligatory pez station shot.

IMG_20180106_172156.jpg

But Colin packed up the buisiness after a few years deciding it was a lot less hassle to just drive buses for other people. He sold the RMA to Roger Brown of Shaftesbury and District.

Where it replaced this.

IMG_20180106_172114.jpg

RMA 37. Which oddly went the other way to Dave Pring's St Albans based Timebus. I believe it's still there, I know Timebus are still running. Odd because Colin and Dave used to share work when they were both two bus operators.

But I had this Finland thing in my head because I remember Colin being annoyed a few years later because he'd asked for first refusal if Roger sold it on but it went to Finland. To be fair I don't think he was in a position to buy it back but wanted at least to asked.

So when Dick Longbridge said it appeared to have been scrapped I started wondering if my mind was making things up again but a brief perusal of t'internet found this.

Screenshot_20180103-190932.png

Okay so this is six years ago but if it's lasted that long in Finland I'd like to think it's still around.

Intriguing reading, Yosemite. Thanks for sharing.

As for the mention of RMAs being nigh-on indestructible and perceived by some as ‘boring’, I couldn’t disagree more. If I had the space, skills and depth of pockets...

[Yoss]

They look odd in LWB.

Yes, have to agree there. The wheelbase looks far too long. Other buses that long tend to have the front wheels further back.

[cms206]

Ten years ago today I drove this for the last time; the result of that last drive was me passing my PSV test at Bishopbriggs test centre. It was the last test out of Bishopbriggs before revisions which saw the withdrawal of the gear change excercise from test.

 

Ten years. Shit me.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Guest Hooli]

No pics of what I learned to drive in, but it was a C reg? Volvo of some type. Maybe the other bus licker who worked at Stagecoach in Worthing will remember more details. That'd have been april 2004.

[busmansholiday]

^^^^^^ 40 years now since I passed my test on a Regent V (and you had to be at least 21 then). Where have the years gone?

[Eddie Honda]

Ten years ago today I drove this for the last time; the result of that last drive was me passing my PSV test at Bishopbriggs test centre.

Only three and a half weeks after me at same place, and I've managed to avoid driving the things for ten years - until now and the misery bus.

 

I got Andy McVey for my test. You?

[cms206]

 

 

Only three and a half weeks after me at same place, and I've managed to avoid driving the things for ten years - until now and the misery bus.

 

I got Andy McVey for my test. You?

It was indeed Andy McVey; nice fella, very fair.

 

I failed my first test about six weeks earlier, but unlike you I never managed to escape driving them.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Eddie Honda]

It was indeed Andy McVey; nice fella, very fair.

 

I failed my first test about six weeks earlier, but unlike you I never managed to escape driving them.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Cunt shouted "TAILSWING!" at me five minutes into the test when I was turning left on a green filter past an 8 legger tipper. I thought that's me bollocksed.

 

In the end I think three minors and another 1st time pass.

 

I was reliably informed that he had the highest pass rate in there. Also had him the following week for my artic test, again passed with a couple of minors, despite early on quizzing me about going round a bus setting down between two traffic islands. (I wasn't going to sit behind it when I could see a good few waiting to get off)

 

So on reflection, sound as a pound.

 

Head Examiner Alan Dickson gave me 12 minors when I did my rigid test the month before. Well harsh.

[cms206]

Alan Dickson failed my first PSV test before I left the test centre but still took me out... got back to the Briggs after the best part of 90 minutes then started bollocking my instructor on the concourse because the vehicle presented wasn't fit for test.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[catsinthewelder]

Nine years this month since I passed my D1, I've driven them most months since.

 

I passed in a fairly new coach built Iveco owned by Minsterly Motors that I can't find a picture of anywhere.

[mk2_craig]

Flipping heck, fifteen years since successful test in an E reg Lothian Leyland Olympian, I forget which one, but like a spaceship compared to the P reg Atlanteans that I had for the first fortnight of instruction, not even power steering on those bastards.

 

Both of them were still sitting in that nutjob Dr. Michael Grimes' Kells Transport Museum near Cork last I heard, presumably completely derelict by now.

[2MB]

A couple of pics from Morley today

 

Took my son on the Black Prince as he’s never been on a bus (!). It’s owned by a lad who was a couple of years above me at primary school, he said even then he was gonna have his own bus.

Bonus car park shite

[busmansholiday]

Been there myself. Doubt Mayor Khan would agree with the stickers on the back of the Black Prince vehicles.

[Soap Distant]

 

 

I may also have been there.

 

 

 

Morley, the childhood home to Ernie Wise and a place I hadn't visited since the end of Black Prince way back in 2005. With the running day brought to my attention on these very pages, I thought it was high time that I re-acquainted myself with the town just outside Leeds that held my fascination and took quite a lot of my time in the 1990s, when red and yellow Ailsas ruled the roads.

Sadly there were no Black Prince Ailsas screaming up the hill on Sunday, the only one in Black Prince livery is the impostor that is the low height, ex Derby example but there were some real ex-BP buses in the shape of two Mercedes/Optare Prismas and an Optare Vectra, which I seem to have missed photographing for some reason! Some welcome interlopers in the scene were the Leeds Atlantean 331 in the one man livery resurrected by Black Prince in the 2000s for its fleet of Alexander R type Scanias, bought to replace the trusty but superannuated Ailsas. The second bus was a nice surprise; West Riding Lynx 2 in the livery of its last owner, Midland Rider. This machine holds a significance for me as when it was with Midland Rider, a company next door to my employer at the time, I used to borrow it for school services when we were short of motors. I have driven this machine many times! Anyway, enough of my reminiscing and waffling, here's some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

What's the chunky snout about on the Lynx?

 

I remember these thundering along my road when I lived on the 18 route. The only thing louder than one driving past was actually being on one. So much vibrating metal and plastic!

[Soap Distant]

Mk2 Lynx were slightly different to the mk1s WMT had. Amongst many "tweaks" was that snout so that an intercooler could be fitted at the front for the Volvo engine that was to be standard for production.

Also it was to be available as an under frame for bodying by outside builders. Yup, that didn't happen either. The only other bodied lynxes in the UK were the Irish Alexander (Belfast) bodied ones that Stevensons had.

[dollywobbler]

Front-mounted intercooler on a rear engined bus? Crikey. That must involve some pipework.

[rml2345]

Matched the front mounted radiator Ian, same as a Bristol RE, National 2 and a few decker chassis. Generally the 60 feet of pipework was felt to be an acceptable trade for having the radiator in natural airflow.

[Yoss]

Mk2 Lynx were slightly different to the mk1s WMT had. Amongst many "tweaks" was that snout so that an intercooler could be fitted at the front for the Volvo engine that was to be standard for production.

Also it was to be available as an under frame for bodying by outside builders. Yup, that didn't happen either. The only other bodied lynxes in the UK were the Irish Alexander (Belfast) bodied ones that Stevensons had.

I always wondered that too. Now I know. Thanks.

 

In other news my RM passed its last ever MOT today! When I arrived they'd just finished doing this.

 

 

1967 King Alfred Atlantean which also just passed its last MOT. Talking to the tester about wether they'd still offer a pseudo test and they probably will but even he didn't know exactly what yet. He suggested every two years would suffice on something like mine with the use it gets. Although I'm thinking 18 months might be better as January is never a great time to be messing around with buses. Especially ones with 53 year old diesel engines that have no glow plugs or cold start devices. Luckily it wasn't too cold this morning and it started after much churning. Apparently it was a lot colder up north. I have a system for really cold starts that involves holding a blowlamp to the air intake and tying a piece of string to the starter so I can operate it from outside the bus. Not ideal.

[Soap Distant]

The more refined version of the "burning rag" method regularly employed in the dim, distant past!