Bus Shite

[quicksilver]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

The odd shaped grill of this bus was part of an experiment in noise reduction. Also the inside of the engine compartment was lined with a foam type substance. RM 738 stayed like this until about mid 1970 when a driver crashed the bus and broke the grill. It was then replaced with a regular grill.  

I don't recall ever seeing a picture of RM738 with that weird grille before. One of Chiswick's many experiments no doubt.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

This link didn't work for some time. It does work now:

https://youtu.be/J3b9sHPSJGM

[SunnySouth]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:48 PM, busmansholiday said:

The odd shaped grill of this bus was part of an experiment in noise reduction. Also the inside of the engine compartment was lined with a foam type substance. RM 738 stayed like this until about mid 1970 when a driver crashed the bus and broke the grill. It was then replaced with a regular grill.  

Fairy nuff! Cheers

[MiniMinorMk3]

[Remspoor]

@cms206 A work colleague?

https://www.youtube.com/@RennoHundred/videos

Diver from Bow and/or WH. Management are watching his videos in case he says something wrong*.

 

[cms206]

10 hours ago, Remspoor said:

@cms206 A work colleague?

https://www.youtube.com/@RennoHundred/videos

Diver from Bow and/or WH. Management are watching his videos in case he says something wrong*.

 

Watching the videos I'm surprised he's still employed at all; Stagecoach have a strict no phones in the cab policy.

I don't recognise him from Bow, must be WH based.

[cms206]

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/bus-driver-fighting-for-life-after-crash-with-van-near-galston-a77-junction?fbclid=IwAR1h7U_NvtU0Vhcge3V2z17qXZuNcf2ZX3dhpr1At_t3pl3jHWdOpyusBT0

 

One of my colleagues was involved in a serious accident driving a 4 service on Monday afternoon and sadly lost his life last night in hospital. He was Kilmarnock based but had been doing foreign service at Cumbernauld recently too. 23 years old is no age.

[Matty]

7 minutes ago, cms206 said:

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/bus-driver-fighting-for-life-after-crash-with-van-near-galston-a77-junction?fbclid=IwAR1h7U_NvtU0Vhcge3V2z17qXZuNcf2ZX3dhpr1At_t3pl3jHWdOpyusBT0

 

One of my colleagues was involved in a serious accident driving a 4 service on Monday afternoon and sadly lost his life last night in hospital. He was Kilmarnock based but had been doing foreign service at Cumbernauld recently too. 23 years old is no age.

Awful. Sorry to hear that. Like you say 23 years old is basically still a kid. 

[High Jetter]

Jeez, that's rough. I guess busses don't have much in the way of front protection. Awful for his family, friends & colleagues.

[Eyersey1234]

4 hours ago, cms206 said:

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/bus-driver-fighting-for-life-after-crash-with-van-near-galston-a77-junction?fbclid=IwAR1h7U_NvtU0Vhcge3V2z17qXZuNcf2ZX3dhpr1At_t3pl3jHWdOpyusBT0

 

One of my colleagues was involved in a serious accident driving a 4 service on Monday afternoon and sadly lost his life last night in hospital. He was Kilmarnock based but had been doing foreign service at Cumbernauld recently too. 23 years old is no age.

I'm so sorry to hear this, my condolences to all his friends, family and colleagues. My brother is 23, no age at all.

[SunnySouth]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:54 PM, cms206 said:

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/bus-driver-fighting-for-life-after-crash-with-van-near-galston-a77-junction?fbclid=IwAR1h7U_NvtU0Vhcge3V2z17qXZuNcf2ZX3dhpr1At_t3pl3jHWdOpyusBT0

 

One of my colleagues was involved in a serious accident driving a 4 service on Monday afternoon and sadly lost his life last night in hospital. He was Kilmarnock based but had been doing foreign service at Cumbernauld recently too. 23 years old is no age.

Jesus, sorry to hear that fella. Absolutely devastating, hope everyone rallies round. Certainly makes ya think

[Metal Guru]

On 20/08/2023 at 19:53, High Jetter said:

Jeez, that's rough. I guess busses don't have much in the way of front protection. Awful for his family, friends & colleagues.

You’d have thought a bus would have come off better than a Transit in a crash even allowing for the driver’s position. Didn’t look like a place where the collision would have involved high speed either. Anyway shouldn't speculate without the facts , very tragic for those involved esp considering  the driver’s age.

[cms206]

8 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

You’d have thought a bus would have come off better than a Transit in a crash even allowing for the driver’s position. Didn’t look like a place where the collision would have involved high speed either. Anyway shouldn't speculate without the facts , very tragic for those involved esp considering  the driver’s age.

You would think... was a 2019 Enviro 200MMC. Not even a requirement for a drivers seatbelt. They're all just box section and fibreglass. Gordon had a leg amputated but later succumbed to his injuries.

 

As @83C says... you ARE the crumple zone.

 

Feel free not to look but this was sent onto me by a former colleague... gives an idea from a distance.

 

[cms206]

As an aside to the above, I'm shaking like a shitting dog this morning; had a prick in a Toyota Auris drive into the side of my bus (another Enviro 200MMC) last night on my last run. Felt okay last night but my head's really not in it today!

[High Jetter]

58 minutes ago, cms206 said:

As an aside to the above, I'm shaking like a shitting dog this morning; had a prick in a Toyota Auris drive into the side of my bus (another Enviro 200MMC) last night on my last run. Felt okay last night but my head's really not in it today!

That's bad enough in a car when on your own, but in a bus, especially POB, even worse - and having that incident in your mind can't help, I'd imagine. 

[Weird Car]

I started my training with First recently, spotted this Volvo Olympian in the bus ‘grave yard’ today reg R241LGH

Here’s my pic

 

And a pic of it in service  

 

they also had this rather nice bus in the work shop, I couldn’t make out what it was sorry, 50s/60s busses aren’t my forte

[colino]

The BBC are now reporting the 23 year old bus drivers death is being investigated as a murder. 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Weird Car said:

I started my training with First recently, spotted this Volvo Olympian in the bus ‘grave yard’ today reg R241LGH

Here’s my pic

 

And a pic of it in service  

 

they also had this rather nice bus in the work shop, I couldn’t make out what it was sorry, 50s/60s busses aren’t my forte

Volvo reg looks a bit like Raleigh. As for greenbus, early LT or AEC, but an expert will be along shortly. Maybe in 3's

[Yoss]

3 hours ago, Weird Car said:

I started my training with First recently, spotted this Volvo Olympian in the bus ‘grave yard’ today reg R241LGH

Here’s my pic

 

And a pic of it in service  

 

they also had this rather nice bus in the work shop, I couldn’t make out what it was sorry, 50s/60s busses aren’t my forte

Google says it's an ex Provincial of Gosport Guy Arab of 1942 vintage. 

Putting two and two together (I can see the word Solent on the nasty Street Lite in the top picture) I'd say you're quite near me. Since First abandoned Southampton those Solent Street Lites are the only First buses we get here now on the X4/X5 to Portsmouth and Gosport.

[Weird Car]

5 hours ago, Yoss said:

Google says it's an ex Provincial of Gosport Guy Arab of 1942 vintage. 

 

Nice one, thanks! 
 

5 hours ago, Yoss said:

I'd say you're quite near me.

Yes, I’m training in the Gosport depot! 
If I remember correctly it’s Blue Star in Southampton now? 

[cms206]

14 hours ago, colino said:

The BBC are now reporting the 23 year old bus drivers death is being investigated as a murder. 

There were unsubstantiated rumblings just after the crash that the van driver was actively seeking to commit suicide by crashing his van at speed into a large vehicle... it looks like there may be an element of truth in it, unfortunately.

[SunnySouth]

14 hours ago, Yoss said:

Google says it's an ex Provincial of Gosport Guy Arab of 1942 vintage. 

Putting two and two together (I can see the word Solent on the nasty Street Lite in the top picture) I'd say you're quite near me. Since First abandoned Southampton those Solent Street Lites are the only First buses we get here now on the X4/X5 to Portsmouth and Gosport.

There are two of these knocking about, this one number 55 is owned by First and lives at Hoeford, the other is 57 and is in the care of the Provincial Society and its members. Both are currently roadworthy and sometimes come out to play together for the Stokes Bay rally.

[SunnySouth]

2 hours ago, cms206 said:

There were unsubstantiated rumblings just after the crash that the van driver was actively seeking to commit suicide by crashing his van at speed into a large vehicle... it looks like there may be an element of truth in it, unfortunately.

Real shame an artic didn’t arrive first, a truck driver would likely have survived whilst delivering the desired results for the ‘individual’ in the van - assuming that is indeed the case, I hasten to add.

[Yoss]

9 hours ago, Weird Car said:

Nice one, thanks! 
 

Yes, I’m training in the Gosport depot! 
If I remember correctly it’s Blue Star in Southampton now? 

Yes, although they aren't all blue any more. When we had First and Blue Star , Blue Star always seemed the better turned out and more professional looking company. Ironically since they stepped in to replace most of the routes abandoned by First they have drafted in spare buses from other Go Ahead companies and are now far more colourful.

I'm sure this will be rectified in time. I still think we'll probably get the current Unilink fleet when they come to be replaced. This happened five years ago with the last Unilink fleet replacement, they were painted blue very quickly and moved across to Blue Star.

The Unilink contracts last five years and require new buses every time it is renewed. The current fleet is now five years old but I've heard the University want electric buses this time but I think it's taking a bit longer than hoped to sort this out. I know Go Ahead (Blue Star and Unilink) have taken over the old First Bus garage and had heard (mere speculation and stories in the local paper) they are going to fit it out for electric buses but I've yet to see anything with my own eyes.

They still come across as a better company than First though. Sorry.

[quicksilver]

Flitwick car show on Sunday had a selection of preserved buses operating free services around the village, plus one as a bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last three were taken at the controversial new 'transport interchange'. The council installed some new bus stops at the railway station earlier this year at vast cost but the bus companies refuse to use them because their buses don't fit, they doesn't meet H&S regulations or something. This evidence would appear to suggest otherwise.

 

 

 

 

[Inspector Morose]

Crikey! That ‘bar’ was one of ours at NBB! (Slow as fuck though).

[quicksilver]

39 minutes ago, Inspector Morose said:

Crikey! That ‘bar’ was one of ours at NBB! (Slow as fuck though).

Yep, still largely in NBB colours and the name 'Route 47 Events' seems to be a reference to its NBB fleetnumber. It's newly converted this season after disappearing off the radar for a few years.

[N19]

5 hours ago, quicksilver said:

I thought this looked/reg was familiar. A batch of these were used in S Yorks by Leon of Finningley. They were pretty knackered by c.2000 and were relegated to schools services but, given the dilapidated condition of the fleet meant regular breakdowns, they often ended up on service routes - winding down estate back roads or countryside lanes in place of a Dart.

(As a demonstration of the level of dilapidation, I recall a nasty accident being reported where the rear emergency door had corroded to the extent that it simply fell out during a journey, with a passenger falling onto the road as a result - I seem to remember that the traffic commissioner was rather scathing).

[Remspoor]

Story from the Netherlands. All links are in Dutch, but they can be translated via the usual sites.

RRRReis is a brand name of the regional public transport in the Dutch provinces of Flevoland , Gelderland and Overijssel are operated.This was  run by a comapny called Keolis.  The company purchased 250 electric buses. They started to be brought into service  at the beginning of 2021. However,  there were immediately problems, including in the issues with the driver's cab and with the climate control. Bus drivers were issued get thermal underwear , because of the ongoing problems with the heating.

In January of 2022, the company was told to solve the problems. It would appear that only half of the fleet could be repaired satisfactory. The patience of the provinces (like county councils in England),  who are responsible for the issuing permits to run bus services ran out. Because buses had to continue to run, Keolis received a so-called emergency concession, but that contract expired at the end of 2022. The entire concession has now been reissued. Keolis lost the contract and the company EBS is the company running services from the end of 2022.  Keolis, was fined almost 600,000 euros because the buses did not meet the requirements to run the bus network.

 Before EBS takes on the buses, they were fully inspected again.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2436528-keolis-krijgt-boete-van-bijna-zes-ton-voor-probleembussen

The story did not end there.

Many of those who drive the electric bus from  experience physical complaints.  A quarter uses medication. This is evident from an internal survey of the trade unions.  The same survey established that the buses are trying to veer  to the right.  Drivers have to counter-steer to the left, this obviously is the causes pain. Drivers suffer pain in their shoulders, neck, buttocks and elbows. The unions are not pressing for an immediate change due to EBS   having taken over recently. The buses are said to be in services for another 13 years.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2488083-vakbond-kwart-chauffeurs-bij-grote-busvervoerder-slikt-pillen-tegen-pijn

I have a load more links, but will not post them now as some go into far more depth than need be for this post.

The manufacture of these beasts is BYD. Model is the K9.

 

 

 

 

[Zelandeth]

37 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

 

The manufacture of these beasts is BYD. Model is the K9.

 

 

 

 

 

...Aaaaaand that explains a lot of it.  They've only been around over here for a couple of years, but haven't gained exactly a good reputation.  

Build quality which makes an Enviro 200 look like a Rolls-Royce seems to be a running theme, along with endless, endless electrical issues.  It sounds like parts becoming obsolete two years after a model was launched isn't unknown either.