Bus Shite

[brownnova]

This has popped up in a local bus depot to me. Jazzy paint scheme on an 80s DAF! 

[Zelandeth]

10 minutes ago, brownnova said:

This has popped up in a local bus depot to me. Jazzy paint scheme on an 80s DAF! 

We had an early B10M with that body on as one of our reserve school buses.  It was *painfully* slow.  Even the Bedford YMT would leave it for dead!

[83C]

30 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

We had an early B10M with that body on as one of our reserve school buses.  It was *painfully* slow.  Even the Bedford YMT would leave it for dead!

Must have been something not quite right with that, early B10Ms were usually solid performers. My regular machine 15 years ago was a B10M/Jonckheere Deauville and although it was a bit tatty compared to the shiny later one it was also a much better hill-climber. The Driver on the shiny motor was most upset that I’d stomped past him with a full load on compared to his half load on going uphill.

[Zelandeth]

44 minutes ago, 83C said:

Must have been something not quite right with that, early B10Ms were usually solid performers. My regular machine 15 years ago was a B10M/Jonckheere Deauville and although it was a bit tatty compared to the shiny later one it was also a much better hill-climber. The Driver on the shiny motor was most upset that I’d stomped past him with a full load on compared to his half load on going uphill.

Best one we had was a Supreme IV on a B10M (GIB7513) which went like greased lightning.  We did a trip down to Alton Towers on that (this would have been around 2000), and basically spent the whole trip down in the outside lane on the motorway.  We got there a good two hours before the guys in the nearly new Plaxton Premiere that left with us and actually had a speed limiter...

Great old coach that one was, was eventually canned from our contract when the council put age limits on things.  Was exported to Ireland and promptly written off when someone drove into it.

[83C]

It would have gone well because by that age Plaxton’s built in age-related lightness programme would have been well advanced!

[quicksilver]

2 hours ago, brownnova said:

This has popped up in a local bus depot to me. Jazzy paint scheme on an 80s DAF! 

One of the Goodwin family's toys from Manchester so I wonder what it's doing over your way. It's the 20th different vehicle to carry the reg WSV 553!

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

One of the Goodwin family's toys from Manchester so I wonder what it's doing over your way. It's the 20th different vehicle to carry the reg WSV 553!

Good wins have just bought out the company which used to be at that depot A.N. Andrew. 

[martc]

Ikarus 280 bendy bus. Did I tell you about the one I was riding in in Berlin, Haupstadt der DDR? No? Well I was stood in the bellows as it was chockerbloc full. The bellows where split from top to bottom and as it turned left a gigantic gapping chasm would open up before me. Nice.

[cms206]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:53 PM, 83C said:

Must have been something not quite right with that, early B10Ms were usually solid performers. My regular machine 15 years ago was a B10M/Jonckheere Deauville and although it was a bit tatty compared to the shiny later one it was also a much better hill-climber. The Driver on the shiny motor was most upset that I’d stomped past him with a full load on compared to his half load on going uphill.

Oddly enough my regular machine not far off that was an M-reg Deauville B10M! I rated it higher than our Van Hools due in part to the Deauville having a bigger cab ans bigger shithouse, but also because it remains to this day the fastest B10M I've ever driven, closely followed by an ex TGM low driver Van Hool B10M.

Neither of them had limiters either... 😂

[83C]

Tanat Valley 471. 1989 B10M. Looked a bit tired, went very well.

402 (1992 B10M) was definitely tidier and better inside, but didn’t have the go to match the show:

Mind you, I’d have taken K2 anywhere in preference to the trio of these:

Javelin/UVG piles of absolute wank. A heavily drugged sloth could move quicker, and the driver’s area was cramped and uncomfortable. Utter shite.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, martc said:

gigantic gapping chasm would open up before me. 

I had a girl there once, sounds familiar...

[Datsuncog]

Neoplan?

No visible numberplates, and parked up in an extremely dodgy location which precluded further investigation.

[quicksilver]

Yep, a fairly late Neoplan Skyliner. Looks like one of the ex National Express batch that were all withdrawn after one tipped over on a motorway slip road.

[andyberg]

1 minute ago, quicksilver said:

Yep, a fairly late Neoplan Skyliner. Looks like one of the ex National Express batch that were all withdrawn after one tipped over on a motorway slip road.

After the driver may* have had a sherbert or two.

[Yoss]

Watching the Hungarian GP on telly. They're only doing the drivers parade in a bloody Ikarus!

I didn't know quite what it was so did some googling. This could be the very same one.

And found one still with its roof on.

Going to Keleti according to the blinds. What a great way to arrive at one of Europe's great stations.

[Inspector Morose]

Back from Amsterdam and they seem to be almost there with the switch over to electric propulsion for their bus fleet. I must have seen only a handful of diesel buses in the week I was there.

A lot of the electrics are artics too. But surely an electric bus of that weight can't have enough capacity? Well, this is their answer.

Let's have a closer look, shall we?

A simple pantograph mounted on the bus extends up to a pole mounted contact so that opportunity charging can take place when the bus stops for more than a minute or two. Unlike the system we've been using over here with the charging pantograph moving from the station to meet contacts on the bus (as promoted by Volvo), this is lighter weight, less visually intrusive, and can be installed more frequently along the route for a similar cost of one of the more complex stations. Here at Sloterdijk, not only are charging stations mounted at lay-over points, they are also positioned at the stops as well to serve through routes. 

It won't be too far in the future now that Amsterdam region will have (near as dammit) a 100% electrically powered integrated public transport system, consisting of train, tram, metro, and bus.

Bloody impressive.

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

A 1967 AEC imported from the UK has come up for sale here in Norway. And thought it was worth sharing as some may know it or where it came from.

Old UK pictures of it according to the seller but the registration number is different?

 

Now in Norway

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=118916106

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Right. Let's spend a bit of time in The Potteries:

 

[cms206]

I have arrivalled.

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

A 1967 AEC imported from the UK has come up for sale here in Norway. And thought it was worth sharing as some may know it or where it came from.

Old UK pictures of it according to the seller but the registration number is different?

 

Now in Norway

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=118916106

Not a Route master or a London bus. An East Kent AEC Regent V, looking awful in that livery and without its front wheel trim/step rings. 

[Yoss]

41 minutes ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Excellent. Looking forward to pictures and tales of your adventures.

[Six-cylinder]

44 minutes ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

I was hoping you were going to treat us to inside a London Bus depot, thank you. 

[cms206]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I was hoping you were going to treat us to inside a London Bus depot, thank you. 

It's pretty outside too; opened in 1908 as a tram depot and converted to trolleybus operation in the 1930s.

34 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Excellent. Looking forward to pictures and tales of your adventures.

Today was first report and type training; time got away from us so we never covered the new Routemaster things but had a decent drive in Enviro 400 hybrids and MMCs; we have MMCs at Cumbernauld but this was my first experience with dual doors, power wheelchair ramps, hybrids and - in the MMCs case - mirrorless vehicles.

Route learning starts tomorrow; we were told we were likely to go onto the 25/425 rota but the allocators want us mixed so likely be 205s as well; can't do the 8 as we're not NRM type trained.

Today's steeds for the diary were 11345 and 12332.

[LightBulbFun]

4 hours ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Blimey Bow is bigger then I remember it being! 

I remember it being quite the cozy  place, having to thread myself between buses to get to the back office where some Routemaster and Trident ALX400 blinds where being held for me  

ahh memories! sadly I dont have those blinds anymore I gave them to another bus and lighting enthusiast who then fell on hard times and I think they have been lost since, stuck in a loft of a council flat he got kicked out

thats gonna be fun for someone to discover in 50 years! 

 

but memories and lost bus blinds aside, awesome to hear things have started

3 hours ago, cms206 said:

It's pretty outside too; opened in 1908 as a tram depot and converted to trolleybus operation in the 1930s.

Today was first report and type training; time got away from us so we never covered the new Routemaster things but had a decent drive in Enviro 400 hybrids and MMCs; we have MMCs at Cumbernauld but this was my first experience with dual doors, power wheelchair ramps, hybrids and - in the MMCs case - mirrorless vehicles.

Route learning starts tomorrow; we were told we were likely to go onto the 25/425 rota but the allocators want us mixed so likely be 205s as well; can't do the 8 as we're not NRM type trained.

Today's steeds for the diary were 11345 and 12332.

none of those are routes that I use with any "regularity", but when the Northern line goes to shit, the 205 is how i get to Euston station for the FoD, so there is still a small chance we could run into each other LOL

 

if you manage to get type trained on the Boris Buses (Sorry not calling them Routemasters of any kind! LOL) I am curious to know what they are like from a driver perspective, are they any better or worse then any other modern bus?

[egg]

[cms206]

Still here!

Monday type training, Tuesday & Wednesday route learning, out tonight backshift; 11342 is my first London bus driven in service, a mirrorless Enviro 400MMC.

Lots of fairly major differences to bus life outside London but it's a nice change.

Interesting that I have lived in Glasgow my entire life and had ten full days training up there, five days out driving with a mentor. Down here? Fuck all. Go play 😂

[NorthernMonkey]

On 7/24/2023 at 4:28 PM, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Fairfield rd if I’m not mistaken?

Delivered a Citaro artic into there one day…jumped out of the cab to check with a manager where he wanted it parked. He refused my offer to reverse it into place for him around the roof supports with much indignation then proceeded to hit one with the arse end much to mine and all the onlooking driver’s amusement.

[cms206]

7 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Fairfield rd if I’m not mistaken?

Delivered a Citaro artic into there one day…jumped out of the cab to check with a manager where he wanted it parked. He refused my offer to reverse it into place for him around the roof supports with much indignation then proceeded to hit one with the arse end much to mine and all the onlooking driver’s amusement.

It is indeed Fairfield Road, bad enough depot with a decker never mind a bendi 😂

[cms206]

Well, seven days have passed since I arrived in London, like the Fresh Prince of Cumbernauld or something.

I'm on my fourth solo shift as we speak (425s until about 1am) and things are... yeah.

It is fucking *lonely*. Like really, really lonely. This is something I need to remedy before it breaks me.

The three of us who have arrived laat week - plus another two are due a week today - have also been stung surprisingly badly.

The majority of drivers on this work are based at West Ham or Barking. At both of those garages there is a large spread of routes and therefore a overwhelming surplus of overtime, to the point the drivers there aren't getting peace from controllers to do 13 days on.

Our small clump are at Bow, a garage with an alleged sixty driver shortage.

How many overtime shifts were available for next week, as of last Tuesday? One.

We are here to work and are physically unable to. I'm even posted a depot spare next Thursday. Four routes (8, 25, 205 & 425) and we can only learn three of those as we're not being type trained on NRMs for the 8.

Will see how the land lies then be sniffing for a transfer if it keeps up.

[warch]

Sorry for the shite photo but the Australia women’s football team coach this morning.