Bus Shite

[Yoss]

So first of all I had about 40 minutes in Jihlava at lunchtime and as I walked up to the town from the station I was delighted to see trolleybus wires. 

This is another Solaris like the ones I saw in Brno. 

And this one looks ultra modern so I'm not sure but it still had a powered by Škoda sticker on the back window. 

 

Then back to Brno and I headed for Kralovo Pole to have a go on the trolley route that I saw Sunday evening that goes right out to the edge of the city. The one I saw Sunday was a proper older Škoda but when I got there another Solaris turned up. 

Well they are every ten minutes so I thought I'd wait for the next one but that was a Solaris too so I gave up and got on. The route is great, through some woods, stops at the zoo (the zoo was actually a big transport interchange with normal buses and an express tram route that runs on dedicated track most of the way back in to the city) and then carries on for another ten minutes or so through a huge complex of communist era flats. But they were all really well kept, had balconies and were surrounded with lots of trees. I could never live in a flat with my hobbies but you could do far worse than these. 

A Google map of the route. 

Luckily when I got to the terminus there was a Škoda at the front of the queue of buses coming back so that worked out well. 

Can't help thinking the clean straight lines look so much better than all this modern stuff with swoopy bits all over the place. The interior was much more traditional too. 

 

I got off here to go and find a model shop. 

After which I saw another Solaris whilst walking down to the tram stop. 

 

I know I keep saying this but this is what we should all be riding on. They absolutely fly along. I know there are a few electric buses around now but they must be carting three tons of batteries around with them if they're going to last all day and if you hooned around in them like the trolleybus drivers seem to in Brno I think you'd halve the range. I know you'd have to spend a bit on infrastructure but it's not like having to lay tram lines is it. I realise no private bus company could ever invest in the wires it would have to be a local council thing. Which is why it will never happen. But it should. 

[High Jetter]

  On 14/03/2023 at 19:50, martc said:

Talking of trolley buses, here's some NuT action... and some ace incidental chod.

 

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Compleat? Archaic spelling or hidden meaning?

[Yoss]

  On 14/03/2023 at 22:09, High Jetter said:

Compleat? Archaic spelling or hidden meaning?

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I don't know but they are still going so they must be doing something right. 

Though they may have downsized a bit. 

[jon.k]

  On 14/03/2023 at 22:09, High Jetter said:

Compleat? Archaic spelling or hidden meaning?

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I think it's a pun on  The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton (a strangely popular 17th Century book about fishing).

[CreepingJesus]

It is an archaic spelling, but it's also a tailoring pun. Compleat! 

Enjoying the write ups @Yoss, it's a country on my bucket list for the CZ motorbikes connection, but I don't doubt I'd be doing the same as you are! Compleatly agree that trolleybuses and trams are long overdue a return here.

[Metal Guru]

  On 15/03/2023 at 09:12, CreepingJesus said:

It is an archaic spelling, but it's also a tailoring pun. Compleat! 

Enjoying the write ups @Yoss, it's a country on my bucket list for the CZ motorbikes connection, but I don't doubt I'd be doing the same as you are! Compleatly agree that trolleybuses and trams are long overdue a return here.

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I can see a case for trolley buses but trams mixed with traffic is a stupid idea especially if you’re trying to encourage cycling.. Surely trams cost a lot more than trolley buses both for installation and vehicles too. 
However, I suspect than many cities will hold off doing either , hoping battery technology will improve quickly enough to make battery powered buses viable.

[High Jetter]

  On 15/03/2023 at 09:12, CreepingJesus said:

It is an archaic spelling, but it's also a tailoring pun. Compleat! 

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Neat, didn't spot that. Sew good!

[CreepingJesus]

  On 15/03/2023 at 10:20, Metal Guru said:

I can see a case for trolley buses but trams mixed with traffic is a stupid idea especially if you’re trying to encourage cycling.. Surely trams cost a lot more than trolley buses both for installation and vehicles too. 
However, I suspect than many cities will hold off doing either , hoping battery technology will improve quickly enough to make battery powered buses viable.

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As a cyclist, I completely agree, trolleybuses make much better sense on city streets cos submerged tramlines are a bit iffy for anything with small/narrow wheels. See also pushchairs, wheelchairs etc., which need considered. I'd think trams make better sense as a light rail kinda concept, which given how much of cities is 'out of town' has its' merits. Airports are a good example, it only really needs to go there and back. 

But as you say, that works to the favour of battery buses too. Ember run Yutong battery coaches from Dundee to Edinburgh Airport which I assume is viable: it makes a run, stands down to charge, makes another run, charges, and so on. Might even try it myself for the hell of it sometime!

Of course, you can just mix it all up and see what happens...

 

[martc]

  On 14/03/2023 at 21:48, Yoss said:

And this one looks ultra modern so I'm not sure but it still had a powered by Škoda sticker on the back window. 

 

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That's a Skoda 32Tr. It is still in production; to keep down production costs there's a fair bit of the SOR NS12 bus in it.

https://www.skodagroup.com/reference/trolleybus-32tr

[Yoss]

  On 15/03/2023 at 12:22, martc said:

That's a Skoda 32Tr. It is still in production; to keep down production costs there's a fair bit of the SOR NS12 bus in it.

https://www.skodagroup.com/reference/trolleybus-32tr

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Cheers, the bus to the airport was some sort of SOR. I'm not familiar with them at all. 

[martc]

London Bridge, way back when, and this year.

[martc]

Chatsworth Road, Homerton E5, 1980 & 2023.

[martc]

The National Flasher and Dogging Societies annual holiday to Thirsk; last summer.

[martc]

[martc]

A SARB START mini bus. Made on a small scale in Ukraine in the 1960's from fibreglass and using GAZ 21 (ie a Volga) engine. Full history here  - (after the bit about the model they are selling) - https://www.maronline.org.uk/the-soviet-era-start-passenger-van/

[cms206]

I was backshift today; light to Helensburgh for 1600 to do a short 310 to the airport, light to Springboig, route 36 in, 36 out, light back to the airport, 310 back to Helensburgh and light to the garage. Today's chariot was this somewhat severe looking 2013 Mercedes Vario O816D, which I try to pull for my backshifts where possible because it's warm and it goes like fuck.

POP QUIZ - What are the headlights from?

It was light at 6pm when I started my 36s which was nice.

It was dark and fucking pissing down when I got back in at midnight.

Bus swept, mopped, fuelled and run through the wash then parked up; it's back out at 7am, I am thankfully not.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

  On 20/03/2023 at 02:07, cms206 said:

POP QUIZ - What are the headlights from?

 

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Fiat Idea\ Multipla Mk2? 🤔 

[quicksilver]

  On 20/03/2023 at 02:07, cms206 said:

POP QUIZ - What are the headlights from?

 

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Good question, I know the pre-facelift Belugas have Merc M-class lights but not sure about those. I think @Leyland Worldmastermay be right but most Ideas seem to have orange indicators.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

  On 20/03/2023 at 20:21, quicksilver said:

Good question, I know the pre-facelift Belugas have Merc M-class lights but not sure about those. I think @Leyland Worldmastermay be right but most Ideas seem to have orange indicators.

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The earliest ones did indeed have orange indicators. I saw one of about three face-lift Idea and Multipla Mk2 sold in the UK and they had clear lenses as per the picture. 😎

[cms206]

  On 20/03/2023 at 13:13, Leyland Worldmaster said:

Multipla Mk2? 🤔 

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Correct answer!

[Pieman]

Spotted at the Standlake banger racing track, being used as the track shop.

[busmansholiday]

  On 21/03/2023 at 12:49, Pieman said:

Spotted at the Standlake banger racing track, being used as the track shop.

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One of many bought by Stagecoach, there's a K reg one still in use local to me on school contracts.

[MiniMinorMk3]

In 1950s Paris tour operator Groupe Cityrama commissioned coachbuilder Currus to create a double-decker buse

They used a Citroen U55 truck chassis to make the Cityrama Currus.

 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

https://youtu.be/N-NIxTsIWoY

Might be of use to any Lynx owner... 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

  On 22/03/2023 at 17:14, MiniMinorMk3 said:

In 1950s Paris tour operator Groupe Cityrama commissioned coachbuilder Currus to create a double-decker buse

They used a Citroen U55 truck chassis to make the Cityrama Currus.

 

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I understand one of these impressive machines survives; or at least something very similar! 😎 

[CreepingJesus]

The Tim Traveller channel on YouTube has a few vids about the Cityrama buses, because he's been following what's happening with the survivor. Think the last instalment was the trust who own it, showing it at a few events last summer to drum up funds. Which understandably they need, as most of it (therefore most of the missing bits) is completely bespoke.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Turnpike Lane Bus Station 1982

[martc]

Northumberland Street, NuT, 28th April 1969.

[martc]

Action shot heading north on 8th Avenue, NYC, 1895.

[busmansholiday]

  On 22/03/2023 at 17:14, MiniMinorMk3 said:

In 1950s Paris tour operator Groupe Cityrama commissioned coachbuilder Currus to create a double-decker buse

They used a Citroen U55 truck chassis to make the Cityrama Currus.

 

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They were still on use in 1971 when I was in Paris have a B&W shot somewhere.