Bus Shite

[quicksilver]

Ok, it's a 1948 AEC Regal.

 

20180408_104259.jpg

So does anyone know why London Transport decided to call their AEC Regals the T class? I can't see how a T relates to the model name in any way and it would suit the Leyland Tiger far better so was it just LT being perverse?

[Asimo]

60 years of progress?

 

 

Maybe, but one has more charm than the other. A lot more.

[jon.k]

I think those earlier Solos could be remembered quite fondly in 50 years.  They look quite distinctive compared to lots of new buses, and the later models which look more generic.

[Yoss]

So does anyone know why London Transport decided to call their AEC Regals the T class? I can't see how a T relates to the model name in any way and it would suit the Leyland Tiger far better so was it just LT being perverse?

 

Is it anything to do with Tillings? Just a guess, I have no idea, this bus is 1948 so it's LT but I don't know how far back they go. I'm a bit lost pre-RT/RF. But like how some garage codes make no sense until you realise the T is for Tillings. TC - Tillings Croydon, TL for Catford garage is Tillings Lewisham.

 

I did notice when I was on this earlier that it entered preservation in 1967! That's good going. It's been preserved a year longer than I've been alive. Very tidy too. I wonder how many times it's been restored in those 51 years.

 

Edit: just had a little look on Ian's Bus Stop and there are no entries between 1971 and 1997. Also it was new to Watford and spent some years at Garston so today really was some sort of homecoming.

 

Noticed also that most of the fleet were sold to the Ceylon Transport Board between 1958/60 So can only imagine what sort of life they led.

[Felly Magic]

Keep a look out for D601MWR at rallies up north now, it's MOT'd, and taxed, and work has started on former demo Freight Rover Sherpa B818YKR, which runs again, and bodywork will be started on very soon, people have commented the livery is very similar to the one used on the loaftin in early Fireman Sam episodes, even down to the yellow destination blinds as used by Yorkshire Rider on their loaf fleet. 

[rml2345]

So does anyone know why London Transport decided to call their AEC Regals the T class? I can't see how a T relates to the model name in any way and it would suit the Leyland Tiger far better so was it just LT being perverse?

The code came from London General (LGOC) which was one of the companies that formed a large part of LT when it was created in 1933. Their previous standard class has been the 'S' type so presumably 'T' just followed on from there although some think it may have been short for "Type". They also used 'ST', for the original 25ft Regent double decker and 'LT' for the three axle Renown. When the Regent was extended to 26ft it became an 'STL' and that did us until the 'RT' turns up at the end of the 30s. Don't ask what that stands for as no one knows for sure!

[Inspector Morose]

Regent Three? That seems to be the consensus but, as you say, nobody really knows for sure as different drawings have different definitions on them.

However, AEC did send RT19 out on a demonstration tour around the municipalities early on in its life and the transfer (none of that sticky paper rubbish, you know) proclaimed it as the "AEC RT" type bus so who knows?

Luckily the preceding type of single deck to that T type above was the Q type. That really did stand for AEC Q. Glorious machines.

[Pillock]

 

 

60 years of progress?

 

 

Maybe, but one has more charm than the other. A lot more.

Perhaps, but one will take wheelchairs, get there faster and be more comfortable. They're nice to look at but I'd be horrified if a vintage bus turned up to get me to work every day on time.

[Pillock]

yet the train spotters get all over excited if Vintage traction is used in daily service , whether that;s the HST or heritage diesels hauling inaccessible stock vis the roll out of new stock such as the 80x series of units

An HST is accessible with a ramp, although yeah that's not ideal long term. In terms of speed and comfort, they're equal to or better than the latest sets. Line speed is rarely over 125mph.

 

Heritage locos with old stock I think are only used as an alternative to equally inaccessible and shonky DMUs, for example on the wherry lines in place of a 150/155

 

The two buses in the picture are more akin to replacing an 800 with a 101 DMU or even a steam train and compartment rolling stock, there's quite an age difference there. I'd be equally horrified if either of those turned up to get me to work on time

[martc]

Perhaps, but one will take wheelchairs, get there faster and be more comfortable. They're nice to look at but I'd be horrified if a vintage bus turned up to get me to work every day on time.

 

and all the resulting railway chat

 

You can do this for real, including lack of wheelchair access, each time a Class 142 Pacer turns up.

 

(for the uninitiated, it's the type with the Leyland National coachwork (and lack of wheelchair access which will be the death of them - hurrah))

[rml2345]

I had a hurl on a Pacer last year and thought it was quite acceptable really. However I don't have to use one every day so the novelty hasn't worn off.

[martc]

I had a hurl on a Pacer last year and thought it was quite acceptable really. However I don't have to use one every day so the novelty hasn't worn off.

 

The novelty soon wears off...

[Yoss]

Perhaps, but one will take wheelchairs, get there faster and be more comfortable. They're nice to look at but I'd be horrified if a vintage bus turned up to get me to work every day on time.

 

Can't argue with the wheelchairs but as for speed and comfort I'd be quite happy. Not top speed obviously but it was quite happy in the Watford traffic and if they put them on our local route here in Southampton I reckon it would have no trouble keeping to time. And the seats were more comfortable than these modern ones with a bit of fabric stretched over a piece of plastic.

 

If one of these turned up to take me to work every day I'd happily leave the car at home.

[Felly Magic]

As a wheelchair user now, I'm glad of low floor buses, handy for me to get about, and our buses locally have free wifi, but bizarrely my phone doesn't like the connection, so have to log on to here to get online

[Guest Hooli]

I've just found this, no info about it at all.

 

[STUNO]

T'other day I passed 9 new Optare buses heading South on the main highway. Turns out they were part of an initial order of 114 for Wellington routes and will be in service approx June.

[Inspector Morose]

They do seem to like their Optare products in your neck of the woods for some reason. Loads of ex-UK second hand models have ventured there over the years.

[3VOM]

I've just found this, no info about it at all.

 

Camper Coach.jpg

Maybe it's an attempt at a "non-permanent structure" to get round Planning rules.

[busmansholiday]

The novelty soon wears off...

There's no novelty when you're had them for as long as we have, pic I posted on railshite of my well equipped local station and either of these piles of shite are liable to welcome me on Sunday when I head into Sheffield to visit friends...

[busmansholiday]

They do seem to like their Optare products in your neck of the woods for some reason. Loads of ex-UK second hand models have ventured there over the years.

£21 million order for 114 Metro City Euro6 single decks for Tranzit Coachlines so guess this is part of it. Latest Buses mag has a pic of one in n test here.

[busmansholiday]

I've just found this, no info about it at all.

 

Camper Coach.jpg

Looks like Caetano bodywork, possibly on Toyota chassis.

[ProgRocker]

I hope it's OK to post these on this thread...

 

Bedford Duple Vega Coach (1) by Matt, on Flickr

Bedford Duple Vega coach (2) by Matt, on Flickr

Bedford Duple Vega coach (3) by Matt, on Flickr

[Asimo]

That Bedford takes me back!

My school trips were on coaches like this. School jobs clearly went to the lowest bidder who of course was running old knackers on their last legs, every trip in a different old heap!

(Nostalgiavision mode ON)

The scrap to be first on and rush to get pole position on the back seat, thumping the dust out of every seat-back. Leaky skylights, gum in my hair, smell of sick, "rugby" songs, drivers and teachers threatening violence if I did that again..........passing-out in the gangway after necking an entire bottle of Martini-Rosso (bought because Martini sponsored racing cars)..... 

[quicksilver]

That belongs to the same firm who have the half-dismantled one in the eBay tat thread. They must do well out of classic coaches as they've apparently got several other Bedford OBs and SBs as well as an Albion.

[Vantman]

An interesting KTM motorcycle mobile showroom---I bet it got a bit hot inside there!

 

[willswitchengage]

Went to Denmark at the weekend. Weren't these actually called the East Lancs Nordic?

 

 

Also later saw these in Stockholm. Not sure what brand they were but it was an odd low floor, mid engined layout where the cooling system was roof mounted above the driver. Pipework porn. Incidentally, everything there was MAN. Hardly any Scanias or Volvos in sight. Odd as I thought this would the last bastion of non-German stuff in Europe.

 

[tooSavvy]

An interesting KTM motorcycle mobile showroom---I bet it got a bit hot inside there!

 

mcb.jpg

.... that guy, on the bridge, is shouting to the photographer "Oi!, ya dooinn it rong, m8"

 

©SavvySelfie

[petermchugh79]

I think the bridge was the winner

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[Inspector Morose]

One under, one over.

 

[Felly Magic]

Been reading in the trade press that Firstgroup may be broken up, an American investment firm is trying to take over, but of course will only want the juicy inner city operations. All I can think of is 2 words, job losses, some pen pusher stateside won't have a clue how to run a bus company in Blighty, that is certain, worrying times ahead for many of my mates who work for them