Bus Shite

[MiniMinorMk3]

1936 Church Street Walker

[busmansholiday]

Right, more Sheffield goodness from my camera taken around 50 years ago, and single decks belonging to the B (Joint) and C (Railway) fleets.

The B fleet received the very first Leyland Leopards built which were fitted with Weymanns 'Fanfare' bodywork. They were basically Tiger Cubs but with the 0.600 engine instead of the smaller 400 units to cope better with the local hills.  Whilst most references to these say they were L1 chassis types, I remember having an official fleetlist from the council around then and they were actually designated using the Tiger Cub PSUC1 marks but with 'Special' after it.

There were more than one batch of these, here's the B fleets 1003 (outside Herries Road Garage),

1012 at the Norfolk Arms on the A57 with a fine selection of chod in the car park

and a crap picture of C fleet 3071 at the Hillsborough terminus of the 31 route (not everything looks good after 50 years, me included).

Burlingham also bodied Leopards for the B and C fleet, here's 1008 passing through the railway arch at the entrance to Parkwood Springs, the village within the city.  This is the only road in or out, and whilst the arch is way above 1008, the road rises steeply, hence the 11 foot warning.  There's no housing there now, it was later the Ski Village but possibly better known (or not) for where some of the early scenes in the 'Fully Monty' were shot.

One thing about the B and C fleets was it meant that Bristol and ECW products were available to them but denied to the A fleet as their supply was restricted by the Government to Tilling Group companies (ie the ex Railway ones). This means that ECW bodies appeared on Leopard and Titan chassis in Sheffield, Here's the two B fleet examples, 1010 & 1011, along with a C fleet Burlingham, 3079.  Rotherham, Donny and Tracky buses in the background,

and a C fleet example 3081 behind a newish HA Viva at East Bank garage.  They were basically just the standard ECW bodies found on the Bristol MW chassis with the Leopard badge where the Bristol ECW badge was normally.

[Inspector Morose]

Some of those early Weymann bodied Leopards ended up with BMMO after service in Sheffield with at least one of those ending up with well known independent, Stevensons of Spath. Always thought it amusing that the earliest user of underfloor engined buses (admittedly home built) ended up also operating the earliest examples of one of the UKs most successful commercially available underfloor engined bus/coach chassis.

I didn’t get out much when I was younger. 

[busmansholiday]

15 minutes ago, Inspector Morose said:

Some of those early Weymann bodied Leopards ended up with BMMO after service in Sheffield with at least one of those ending up with well known independent, Stevensons of Spath. Always thought it amusing that the earliest user of underfloor engined buses (admittedly home built) ended up also operating the earliest examples of one of the UKs most successful commercially available underfloor engined bus/coach chassis.

I didn’t get out much when I was younger. 

And rest of the BMMO ones ended up almost returning home being sold on to Hulley's of Baslow, just outside Sheffield.

[Yoss]

Hendon now. 

They're having a running day based on Hendon to commemorate 35 years since the closure of Hendon Garage. Seems a good excuse to get a few buses out. 

[Yoss]

Hmmm... 

Just passed RM 1993.

Didn't know that was out. That's an ex Southampton CityBus one. Had the loudest Leyland engine you've ever heard. I could hear it from my bedroom and knew it was 1993. I had the duty sheets so I could go out later and confirm it and I was always right. 

[Yoss]

Caught this to Edgware Station. 

Last time I was here was to go on London Transport Bristol LHs in the snow. About 1985? I don't remember much about it but I don't think it looked like this. 

 

We have interesting skies today. 

[Yoss]

Missed it again (taken from top deck of RM 298).

Sounded good though, I'll have to make do with that. 

[Yoss]

One for the youngsters. This moquette is, I think, as iconic as the Routemaster stuff. It denotes a whole generation of London Transport. 

 

So we are stopping at all stops and picking up normal passengers (no fares, but donations to Children in Need). These two women get on with a push chair and get rather confused when there is no where to put it. 

Situation explained to them and they are over the moon, saying what a lovely old bus and taking pictures! 

 

Here's what they should have had. Don't know exactly what it is, it looks like an Enviro 400 but is fully electric. 

 

 

 

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

 

Reminds me of the Red Rover. When I lived in Bromley we used to get a red Rover to go into the West End. It was so much cheaper than paying for all the busses that you had to get to do the trip.

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

 

 

Calendar shot!

[Yoss]

3 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Calendar shot!

It did turn out quite well, more by luck than judgement. It's amazing what a phone can do these days. Low winter sun always looks good. 

[Yoss]

RT 714, Swiss Cottage to Golders Green. 

[Yoss]

I'm watching a man drive a pre select gearbox. I must say it looks counter intuitive but I guess you get used to it. 

[busmansholiday]

Pre select are easy enough, just teaches you to look ahead and read the road and conditions.

Just don't try driving them like manual boxes, as some Sheffield drivers did many, many years ago when they borrowed some from Northampton.

[Yoss]

Oh yeah I'm sure it's one of those things that once you learn becomes second nature and I can see the advantages. And the guy was reading the road ahead, there were times he selected gears but never activated them as the lights changed or whatever. He was driving it very smoothly. 

 

I'm back home now but a last few pictures. 

RML 903 and the Swiss Cottage. You'll have to take my word for it that it is 903.

See. 

Another old friend. 903 is without doubt the bus I have the most mileage with after my own. I went on many of Finchley Garages tours when it was their showbus in the 80s including a four day trip to Scotland. Incidentally the conductor on the bus today was a Finchley conductor and was on the Scotland trip back in 1987 and was also mostly responsible for convincing me to buy my bus in 1989. 

One RT from another. In London. In 2022. Neat. 

A very realistic running day in that the service collapsed, on the 13 anyway. It was supposed to be a 30 minute service but a northbound closure in Finchley Road led to a diversion down to the A41 and then trying to turn right across the opposite carriageway. The traffic lights weren't set up for this much traffic and only let two or three vehicles at a time through so there was much delay. As I say it was supposed to be a 30 minute headway but we passed three buses in ten minutes, including RM 1804 here,

and the RT I was on was turned at Golders Green instead of Hendon so very realistic. 

No idea what's going on with the advert on this RT. 

And the roof mounted marker lights make me suspect it has been repatriated from Canada. It was rather worn inside and it looked like it had been painted with a toothbrush but if it has crossed the Atlantic twice and survived it is entitled to be a little careworn. 

Another RT back from Golders Green to Hendon. This one was much smarter which possibly means it had less character but its good that they exist in both states. 

Even inside was like new. 

 

And back at Hendon in twighlight. I wish I could have stayed a bit longer as an RT in the dark would be great. You can see the light bulbs from here. They would dim a bit when the bus stopped and brighten as it pulled away again. Fabulous. 

 

Contrast. 

Another one of these electric jobbies. Although I do like that the electronic blind boxes use such fine pixels now that they are able to create genuine Johnston typeface. Just a shame they can't make it a bit deeper to include some intermediate points but it is an improvement on a lot of electronic displays. 

[High Jetter]

9 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Reminds me of the Red Rover. When I lived in Bromley we used to get a red Rover to go into the West End. It was so much cheaper than paying for all the busses that you had to get to do the trip.

119? IIRC we used the 138 to get into town from Coney Hall. (Area, not our residence!)

[Georgyboy97]

i love all  the on the buses films , but i often wondered whatever happened to the union jack bus .👍

 

[Eyersey1234]

10 hours ago, Georgyboy97 said:

i love all  the on the buses films , but i often wondered whatever happened to the union jack bus .👍

 

No trace of it at DVLA so probably hasn't survived or may have been reregistered at some time

[martc]

15 hours ago, Yoss said:

No idea what's going on with the advert on this RT. 

And the roof mounted marker lights make me suspect it has been repatriated from Canada. It was rather worn inside and it looked like it had been painted with a toothbrush but if it has crossed the Atlantic twice and survived it is entitled to be a little careworn. 

It was indeed used in Canada by Abegweit Sightseeing Tours who ran tours around Prince Edward Island where you could visit the '5 Big Attractions'!

 It looks like they had several old LT buses - see this Flikr album -

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/46986413@N07/albums/72157675680202693/

 

Here's a list of their buses and where they came from-

https://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/abegweit.html

And an article about them being bought, after the Canadian owner retired from the sightseeing trade, and repatriated -

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/double-decker-tour-buses-exit-charlottetown-1.908197

 

 

 

 

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

13 hours ago, High Jetter said:

119? IIRC we used the 138 to get into town from Coney Hall. (Area, not our residence!)

I used to get the 119 to go to Croydon and visit Our Price Records before they opened up a small branch on Bromley High Street. The 119 were Routemasters. The 138 and 126 went along the main road that the cul-de-sac I lived on was off. I seem to remember the 126 was a single deck and the 138 was a double deck.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Newcastle Libraries doing their bit of recycling

[doug]

Don't think this one survived.

Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

[MiniMinorMk3]

Pilot episode for the Double Deckers?

[martc]

Looks a bit 'Dad's Army"'but it is actually boy scouts heading off on a trip.

[MiniMinorMk3]

8 hours ago, martc said:

Looks a bit 'Dad's Army"'but it is actually boy scouts heading off on a trip.

Nice to see all the kids wearing sensible Clark's, and not Pike or Addihash.

[martc]

Gas powered single deckers in Transylvania, Romania mid 1980's -

[cms206]

Been away for a while again.

Still driving buses, but also now done this... standby* for a manky old Plaxton Ford suitably branded for Beige Package Holidays, under the ARSE (Autoshite Recreation Services & Excursions) banner.

[Zelandeth]

Not sure whose it was, but saw a Plaxton Paramount off in the distance earlier today, looked like dark red over cream livery though I was a good ways off and stuck in traffic stacked at the Stoney Stratford/A5 roundabout.  It had vanished in direction unknown by the time I got through the lights.

Surely must be in preservation, can't imagine anyone still running a Paramount in mainline service.  

Made me realise again exactly how much I miss getting to spend time around these vehicles.  Though I always saw the Paramount as "modern tat" originally!   Supreme III/IV or Duple Dominant II being what were "proper" coaches in my mind.  Still reckon the Dominant II is one of the best looking coaches ever made.  Especially when they still had all the factory brightwork in place.

I really need to find someone around here involved in that side of things and see if I can get my hand in again.  I'm acutely aware that it's going on nine years since I last drove a bus/coach and I really miss it!

[Back_For_More]

Amberley Museum has a few nicely restored and some ongoing.. 

Staff restroom - converted after the war 

and bus corner 

a project next door