Bus Shite

[busmansholiday]

Pure kwality, enthusiast wise, not driver. Manual box (crash 1st to 2nd), little or no power steering. Independent I drove for had an N reg ex SBG one and a similar age ex West Riding one that was semi auto and steered with ease. One you were fucked after a shift on, one you were totally and utterly bollocked.

 

[dollywobbler]

Not sure this really qualifies for this thread... Stolen pic from Twitter.

[martc]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 1:44 PM, Pillock said:

Presented without comment.

[wuvvum]

This old crate has just trundled past me on Buckingham Palace Road. 

[LightBulbFun]

ohh love me an RT  shame someones lopped the roof off, although (luckily?) you dont see many open top RTs

its generally RMs that got the chop (I suspect its because most RTs had already been withdrawn/scrapped/preserved privately, before the whole open top tours thing became a thing in the 80s)

heres a good page on the RT Bus  http://www.countrybus.org/RT/RT.htm

 

(im curious what do people here think of the RT? I know a lot of people hate the Routemaster here LOL)

[busmansholiday]

If it's got an AEC badge on the front, who cares....

[Saabnut]

Also spotted on my travels last week was this little ex Midland Red Stagecoach MB. Used for transporting pea picers and stored inside, it is now surplus and could be for sale. Again I avoided asking how much.....

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

A recent addition at Walsall, 

[Inspector Morose]

Not that surprised Fuzz sold it as he has become rather busy of late!

 

[Mrcento]

I just want National Express to fuck off from Dundee now.

Surely there's no other company in the UK who'd dare to charge £2.25 for anything over 3 stops on a 16 year old bus they can't even be fucked painting, complete with collapsed suspension, james bond smoke screens and axels sounding like they want to make a break for freedom.

On 4/27/2019 at 8:44 PM, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

A decent bus for both shifts today, Bloxwich High Street waiting time this morning.

 

 

Blakenall Church terminus this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

They'll look great running around in Dundee in about 12 years time alongside all the other NX cast offs.

 

16 hours ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

A recent addition at Walsall, 

Had to double take there, i thought this was a Dundee depot pic of Nx's current "Xplore Dundee" fleet,

The only thing that gave it away was the lack of a green "Xplore" sticker on the Trident.

[busmansholiday]

6 minutes ago, Mrcento said:

I just want National Express to fuck off from Dundee now.

Surely there's no other company in the UK who'd dare to charge £2.25 for anything over 3 stops on a 16 year old bus they can't even be fucked painting, complete with collapsed suspension, james bond smoke screens and axels sounding like they want to make a break for freedom.

First!

They have just sold Bolton depot to Rotala.

 

[mk2_craig]

Christ that’s like out of the frying pan into the fire isn’t it?

 

Glad First are gradually getting themselves into the fucking sea though. Their quality of service when I lived in Leicester was diabolical but it looks like they’ve completely screwed up their Manchester business, hope someone else makes a better fist of it when they sell up or close down. 

[Zelandeth]

22 hours ago, Saabnut said:

Also spotted on my travels last week was this little ex Midland Red Stagecoach MB. Used for transporting pea picers and stored inside, it is now surplus and could be for sale. Again I avoided asking how much.....

Sure that's done a spell in Aberdeen...swear I recognise the reg...

Knowing Stagecoach, it probably wouldn't be much.

When the first wave of DDA forced vehicle disposals came around in Aberdeen, which saw a lot of K-R reg Volvo B10M based Alexander PS's get the chop the then MD of Bluebird (who owns several preserved buses - and was instrumental I believe in getting a PS restored there and preserved) had a chat with me, as I was noting I'd be sad to see them go and was disappointed to have never had a shot at driving one - still haven't!

He said at the time that if I came to him with £650 in hand that he'd make absolutely bloody sure that I got a good one.

The only reason I didn't literally walk down to the bank then return to his office and throw it at him was that I knew even the oldest on their books would be too modern for me to drive without a full cat D license.  At that price storage issues be damned... I'd have found somewhere for it!

 

Those little Merc breadvans are like cockroaches though... they'll still be rattling around long after Doomsday!  I'd love to have a shot of one without inches of play in the rear suspension and downright terrifying clutch judder...

 

[LightBulbFun]

21 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

had a chat with me, as I was noting I'd be sad to see them go and was disappointed to have never had a shot at driving one - still haven't!

He said at the time that if I came to him with £650 in hand that he'd make absolutely bloody sure that I got a good one.

The only reason I didn't literally walk down to the bank then return to his office and throw it at him was that I knew even the oldest on their books would be too modern for me to drive without a full cat D license.  At that price storage issues be damned... I'd have found somewhere for it!

this makes me smile, because its like my Invacar situation right down to not (yet) having a proper licence to drive it 

[Zelandeth]

H622ACK was the one I'd got my eye on back then too.  Apparently it was still about and at least possibly going to make its way into preservation not long ago.

Remember that was one which used to accelerate like a scalded cat but desperately needed an extra gear on the open road.

Granted given a choice of any PS bodied bus a Scania K.113 would probably be my ideal choice...vastly over-engined really, but C'mon they make a lovely noise...and there's something massively satisfying about a bus that can keep up with cars away from the traffic lights...

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

6 hours ago, Mrcento said:

I just want National Express to fuck off from Dundee now.

Surely there's no other company in the UK who'd dare to charge £2.25 for anything over 3 stops on a 16 year old bus they can't even be fucked painting, complete with collapsed suspension, james bond smoke screens and axels sounding like they want to make a break for freedom.

They'll look great running around in Dundee in about 12 years time alongside all the other NX cast offs.

 

Had to double take there, i thought this was a Dundee depot pic of Nx's current "Xplore Dundee" fleet,

The only thing that gave it away was the lack of a green "Xplore" sticker on the Trident.

 

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

Can't comment on NX fares in Dundee, here in Walsall its £1.50p short hop, about 3 to 4 stops, £2.40p max on most routes full journey,  £2.50p return, £3.00p day saver all day ticket local, £4.00 area day saver, weekly  return £11.00p on a specific route, £12.00p weekly local ticket.

Since starting my Bus Driving career in 1974 to date, the current fleet is the best I have driven. Can't remember the last time there was a FTP needing a change over due to a mechanical defect. 

Last time I needed a change over the same  passenger had shat his self on  a seat twice, I did ban him from travelling again on the second occasion.

[Daviemck2006]

The fastest bus I ever drove was this one. A scania113 with no limiter. It was a bugger to steer when empty and not much fuel, but loaded with more weight at the front by God she was a flyer. She could scare cars away from the lights or roundabouts!

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk

[bramz7]

Bloody hell that Dart Dash next to that Scania is one of the former Fleet Buzz vehicles that they had before being completely absorbed by Stagecoach. They ran various Mercedes around Fleet for years before they were taken over, and then had a succession of Stagecoach cast offs (including some utterly dismal SWB Darts) before finally disappearing. 

I hate Dart Dashes. 

[Zelandeth]

9 hours ago, Daviemck2006 said:

The fastest bus I ever drove was this one. A scania113 with no limiter. It was a bugger to steer when empty and not much fuel, but loaded with more weight at the front by God she was a flyer. She could scare cars away from the lights or roundabouts!

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
 

Another one I remember seeing in the queue at my secondary school...

We had one Alizee on our run now and then...she was a very early example on a B10M chassis and was probably the slowest coach in the world.  Even the utterly clapped out Bedford could leave it for dead on a hill.

In contrast we had a very late Volvo B58 which was essentially a B10M in all but the steering wheel... obviously built with the expectation of a body like an Van Hool Alizee being fitted, but instead having a Plaxton Supreme IV fitted, she went like a rocket and even handled incredibly well for a coach.

[Mrcento]

23 hours ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

Can't comment on NX fares in Dundee, here in Walsall its £1.50p short hop, about 3 to 4 stops, £2.40p max on most routes full journey,  £2.50p return, £3.00p day saver all day ticket local, £4.00 area day saver, weekly  return £11.00p on a specific route, £12.00p weekly local ticket.

Since starting my Bus Driving career in 1974 to date, the current fleet is the best I have driven. Can't remember the last time there was a FTP needing a change over due to a mechanical defect. 

Last time I needed a change over the same  passenger had shat his self on  a seat twice, I did ban him from travelling again on the second occasion.

I wouldn't be so annoyed about the price if every route had a decent bus on it, we've a handful of the new hybrid things with wifi operating on pretty much 1, maybe 2 routes, everyone else is paying £2.25 to ride clapped out 15 year old buses bellowing black smoke with at least one corner suspension collapsed. And that's the better ones..... meanwhile cars are slowly getting banned from the centre because of the pollution the buses contribute to far worse.

The fare thing is also complete nonsense up here, if you're getting a bus from town centre, even if you get on the last stop before it leaves the actual centre, 2 stops doesn't even clear the first road out of it, so you've got to pay the full fare even if your "hop" was a 5 minute walk. (our lowest "hop" fare is £1.75, A day saver is £3.50 local only, no things like returns etc)

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

Sounds grim, what's the competition"s  fare charges, assuming there is any?

It's just occurred to me that a few years back management at our garage were offering overtime for volunteers to drive several of our old fleet up to Dundee.

 

[NorthernMonkey]

On 7/2/2019 at 11:22 PM, Saabnut said:

Also spotted on my travels last week was this little ex Midland Red Stagecoach MB. Used for transporting pea picers and stored inside, it is now surplus and could be for sale. Again I avoided asking how much.....

Bloody hell...I used to drive those around Nuneaton back in the early naughties.

I believe N355 was actually based at Rugby depot where I used to cover occasionally so there’s every chance I’ve piloted that one.

Hated the things at the time....actually wondering what the hell I could use it for nowadays.... ??

[NorthernMonkey]

On 7/3/2019 at 9:55 PM, Zelandeth said:

Those little Merc breadvans are like cockroaches though... they'll still be rattling around long after Doomsday!  I'd love to have a shot of one without inches of play in the rear suspension and downright terrifying clutch judder...

Yep, they used to crash like hell over the speed bumps on The Raywoods and yes, they all suffered from horrendous clutch judder as all the two pedal jockeys used to rest their spare foot on the pedal.

 

[Mrcento]

25 minutes ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

Sounds grim, what's the competition"s  fare charges, assuming there is any?

It's just occurred to me that a few years back management at our garage were offering overtime for volunteers to drive several of our old fleet up to Dundee.

 

There isn't really any. NX have the monopoly on the local routes, Stagecoach only cover a couple as early/late parts of the regional routes out to and from Arbroath, Montrose etc.

I bet all those buses are in daily service up here to this day, Whilst i haven't seen any for a month or so, it was as near as then we were still running those late 90's Tridents!, about 30% of the current day fleet is still in the NX red and white livery with xplore stickers on, even though Xplore buses have been green for about 4 years, Mostly the Gemini things, 15-16 years old so probably the usual end of life cast offs from Birmingham.

 

[busmansholiday]

Don't want to piss on your fire, but that's a native Dundee bus actually, not a cast off.

[willswitchengage]

On 7/3/2019 at 11:15 PM, 83C said:

East Lancs MaxCi bodies

I could never get my head around these. I remember being lucky enough to ride the one that First in Leeds owned and was amazed by its uniquely bizarre and rectangular bodywork. I did some digging and it's a Swedish design, might have even been called the MaxCi too. Low floor and transverse engine - an odd combo at the time.

The indie operator that provided for my parents' village loved old Scanias. They had a few L113s which seriously moved, and this which is probably the loudest motor vehicle I have ever travelled on:

[willswitchengage]

In lighter news I've just got back from a couple of weeks cycling in Canada. The local bus, sorry, 'transit' company had a display at a street fair in Vancouver and I couldn't resist a go on one of the bus bike racks that are ubiquitous over there. It actually worked really well - the design is simple and efficient to use and survived my 'overtest' of a fully laden touring bike. These things are actually very popular, most buses carried bikes. Never seen one though outside of Canada/USA.

Driver's console leaves a bit to be desired though... and what do we think the left 'pedal' would be for? Loads of trolleybuses over there too although they make a hideous sound!

[busmansholiday]

The MaxiC was a standard European design that had the same front and back but with locally built bodywork. East Lancs bodied some in the UK (Arriva, Tracky), various European builders did the same. I've pictures of these in Benidorm, flip the picture and it could be a UK bus.

[busmansholiday]

 andwhat do we think the left 'pedal' will be for?.

Opening the doors?. Used to be quite normal that on UK buses years ago.