Bus Shite

[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.

[busmansholiday]

I believe Stagecoach have converted at least one bus to carry cycles inside for use in the Lake District.

[Zelandeth]

On many First Aberdeen buses the left pedal was the transmit button for the driver's radio.  Saved needing a hand control for it.

[Eyersey1234]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

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

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

A few years ago we got some ex London PVL class B7TLs that as they had been dual door had a foot pedal to open the doors. Took some getting used to. 

[Mrcento]

On 7/5/2019 at 8:59 AM, busmansholiday said:

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

It's also an old photo off of Google, so quite possible from the time when they just rebranded and hadn't painted the fleet. I just used that as an example that we still run them like that.

Amusingly, i just had one break down outside my house that i believe is a cast off, BU06 CWY, 4705. Although they did paint that one in XPD colours.

[busmansholiday]

Kwality repairs (34876 if interested).

 

[108]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Kwality repairs (34876 if interested).

 

That’s beyond genius, (until tomorrow) lol 

[busmansholiday]

So today, in one of those advertised at the last minute to stop us anorakes turning up I went here.

 

 

[willswitchengage]

Taking engine downsizing to a new level

https://cbwmagazine.com/reading-buses-trial-hybrid-technology/

Saw one of Reading Buses' old E400s earlier driving around silently with a new 'Magtec' badge on the back. Appaz it's a range extended hybrid (all this new lingo!) with a 1000 cc gas engine. Incidentally I went on one of their old Dennis hybrids the other day and it really did bomb along.

[busmansholiday]

 

12 minutes ago, willswitchengage said:

Taking engine downsizing to a new level

https://cbwmagazine.com/reading-buses-trial-hybrid-technology/

Saw one of Reading Buses' old E400s earlier driving around silently with a new 'Magtec' badge on the back. Appaz it's a range extended hybrid (all this new lingo!) with a 1000 cc gas engine. Incidentally I went on one of their old Dennis hybrids the other day and it really did bomb along.

2016 article originally.

Magtec are Sheffield based, Reading Buses vehicles are seen regularly around here. They use Jenkin Road (look up Tour de France, 2014), as part of the test route.

[Yoss]

Alton bus rally yesterday. I took my bus along but to be honest even I find Routemasters at bus rallies a bit dull but it's nice to catch up with other RM owners that I don't see very often. 

But The first thing I do is park the bus up and walk down to the station cafe for breakfast. 

The Alton rally does have lots of free bus rides but by lunch time they are all too full to be pleasant. But straight after breakfast I reckoned I had half a chance of getting a on a bus with a sensible load. 

All buses run via the station so after breakfast I wandered over to the bus stops. There's a huge variety of stuff from the fifties right up to brand new stuff that the bus companies want to show off. First thing that turned up was this National. 

I thought I could do better than that. Hmm... Ulsterbus (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong) RE. Looked and sounded good but drove straight through and parked up on layover. 

Some sort of strange (to me) Foden. looks interesting but this wierd urge came over me and I ended up here:Yes,  another bloody National!

It was this ex London Country one. Without roof pod too. And the destination was this gold post box. 

 

In this picture:I was trying to capture the blue haze that was following this fine machine around but, whilst it is visible it doesn't really show it to its full splendour. This seemed to only be doing shuttles from the rally to the station as it passed me three times just while I was having breakfast. 

[Inspector Morose]

382 - that used to be one of ours at Chase. Didn’t have those coach seats or those poxy rear lights then though!

[108]

41 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Alton bus rally yesterday. I took my bus along but to be honest even I find Routemasters at bus rallies a bit dull but it's nice to catch up with other RM owners that I don't see very often. 

But The first thing I do is park the bus up and walk down to the station cafe for breakfast. 

The Alton rally does have lots of free bus rides but by lunch time they are all too full to be pleasant. But straight after breakfast I reckoned I had half a chance of getting a on a bus with a sensible load. 

All buses run via the station so after breakfast I wandered over to the bus stops. There's a huge variety of stuff from the fifties right up to brand new stuff that the bus companies want to show off. First thing that turned up was this National. 

I thought I could do better than that. Hmm... Ulsterbus (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong) RE. Looked and sounded good but drove straight through and parked up on layover. 

Some sort of strange (to me) Foden. looks interesting but this wierd urge came over me and I ended up here:Yes,  another bloody National!

It was this ex London Country one. Without roof pod too. And the destination was this gold post box. 

 

In this picture:I was trying to capture the blue haze that was following this fine machine around but, whilst it is visible it doesn't really show it to its full splendour. This seemed to only be doing shuttles from the rally to the station as it passed me three times just while I was having breakfast. 

That Bristol RE looks like Citybus. Didn’t Ulsterbus use Maroon and Cream?  I might be wrong. 

[busmansholiday]

You seriously telling me you chose a pile of shite of a Mk 1B Leyland Nastywagon over that two stoke Fodern.  Christ there's no helping some people ( but then you did say you liked P*cers).

 

PS, Alexander RE looks like Citybus, Ulsterbus were blue and white IIRC.

 

[LightBulbFun]

one of their BXI regs tho

https://autoshite.com/topic/32723-invacar-model-70-acquired-and-general-ramble-thread-index-on-page-1-multi-person-multi-day-multi-invacar-multi-collection-caper/page/45/?tab=comments#comment-1805390

 

[Inspector Morose]

Citybus red and cream, Ulsterbus was blue and cream. Both mixed and matched fleets but had their own individual seating layouts so his had to be changed if the bus swapped fleets.

They also had the last RE of all, BXI 2580 (although not the highest chassis number it was the last one built) that entered service in 1986 after a period in store being new in 1984.

[Yoss]

22 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

You seriously telling me you chose a pile of shite of a Mk 1B Leyland Nastywagon over that two stoke Fodern.  Christ there's no helping some people ( but then you did say you liked P*cers).

 

PS, Alexander RE looks like Citybus, Ulsterbus were blue and white IIRC.

 

Like is the wrong word. It's more of a grim fascination. 

[busmansholiday]

14 minutes ago, Yoss said:

It's more of a grim fascination. 

Yep, they really are grim. 

[108]

23 hours ago, 108 said:

That Bristol RE looks like Citybus. Didn’t Ulsterbus use Maroon and Cream?  I might be wrong. 

I’ll quote myself here because I was looking at a pic of a maroon bus but managed to mention the wrong colour in my reply. *

 

* note to self: Don’t reply on the internet after a few pints of Uncle Arthur’s medicine. 

[busmansholiday]

1 minute ago, 108 said:

I’ll quote myself here because I was looking at a pic of a maroon bus but managed to mention the wrong colour in my reply. *

 

* note to self: Don’t reply on the internet after a few pints of Uncle Arthur’s medicine. 

Actually, Belfast Corporation, the predecessor to Citybus were maroon and cream.

[warch]

I didn't actually realise that buses could be interesting until I found myself on page 18 of this thread and still going. Actually I did enjoy the London Transport museum, I like those old AEC Regents, simply because they're the iconic London bus to me. Nice to see the odd Midland FRed West bus from my childhood too.

[Inspector Morose]

1 hour ago, busmansholiday said:

Yep, they really are grim. 

Not biting.

[Bag'O'Spanners]

MK1 National with a smoky 510, high back blue coach seats, luggage racks in London Country livery with the old style flat tail pipe....... Bus heaven to me.

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

[Yoss]

In middle school I won third prize in a Lego building competition (voted for by fellow class mates) for my interpretation of a Southampton Atlantean and Hants & Dorset National. Of course the only thing that made it a National was the pod on the back (these were the days, late 70's, when Lego was Lego, none of these fancy shaped bits you get these days). But it was enough for my almost entirely non bus crank classmates to recognise it as the buses they saw around them. 

[Zelandeth]

9 hours ago, Bag'O'Spanners said:

MK1 National with a smoky 510, high back blue coach seats, luggage racks in London Country livery with the old style flat tail pipe....... Bus heaven to me.

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk
 

Can't remember the last time I saw a National (of any version) with the correct old side pipe in front of the offside rear wheel...always bugs me when I see an early one with the exhaust coming out the back.

...Though having seen the routing of the earlier one I'm not surprised!