Bus Shite

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Yoss said:

Yesterday. 

 

Today. 

Same time, almost same place (one bus stop further back). 

Number ni ni ni 19, in that cold weather 😁

[martc]

This was built by Camões Grassi in 1947 on an AEC chassis. AEC's were sold as ACLO's in Latin America and (sometimes) Spain.

This photo is from 1964 this one is being operated by Auto Viação Taruman Ltd it's on  Rio Branco Avenue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Here's another Camões Grassi creation outside the factory gates -

More info here - https://viacircular.com.br/carrocerias/grassi/

 

[calebaaront]

Yesterday at work we had a bit of snow. This 2019 ADL Enviro200MMC handled relatively well. Was a tad twitchy at times. First time I’d driven a bus in snow 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

On 22/11/2024 at 16:42, martc said:

AEC's were sold as ACLO's in Latin America and (sometimes) Spain.

According to Robin Hannay's AEC Bus book, all export AEC had to be badged ACLO at the behest of AEG.

AEG were concerned about the possibility of confusion between the two marques.

🤓

[Yoss]

A few pictures from the Camden running day last weekend. Apologies for the delay posting them. No excuses. I have been a bit poorly but not poorly enough to not be able to post a few pictures! 

First bus was XF1. I had this on another of these running days last year. Its a really nice bus. 

Obviously I'm biased because it's quite Routemastery inside but it just feels really solid and rattle free and is a nice place to be. 

 

After this it was RTs all the way. Not by design, that's just what kept turning up, which is no bad thing. First was green RT 3491 on the 134 to Muswell Hill. 

 

Standing start with a full load from the the stop halfway up Archway Road hill was fun. It didn't really struggle but first gear was required. 

 

Then I got off to wait for the next one back and stopped for coffee and cake.

In the queue in the boulangerie (and it was a boulangerie, not just a bakery, because Muswell Hill). 

 

Then got RT 1702 back to Camden. 

 

Also whilst there I snapped this. I didn't think they did these anymore. I mean,  I don't really see the point if all normal buses are wheelchair accessible anyway. 

[Yoss]

This was followed by a round trip on the 29 from Mornington Crescent to Finsbury Park with RT 2177.

Outside the famous cat building at Mornington Crescent. 

I think it originally belonged to a tobacco company but is now offices. I'm sure it has a proper name but if you say the cat building people will know what you mean. 

And Finsbury Park 

 

Another one going the other way. 

 

And lastly RT 1702 again on the 68 to Waterloo. This was the only 68 of the day and was because 1702 lives in Catford so they ran in service as far as Waterloo. 

This has a special place for me because it is where my relationship with my own bus started in October 1986 when it was the last Routemaster on the 68. And this is the stop where we got on it 38 years ago. Also most of our days out would finish in The Wellington before we caught the mail train home. 

So I may have taken too many pictures and couldn't decide which ones were best. 

 

And for old times sake. 

 

[Matty]

London pride?

[SunnySouth]

On 22/11/2024 at 19:55, calebaaront said:

Yesterday at work we had a bit of snow. This 2019 ADL Enviro200MMC handled relatively well. Was a tad twitchy at times. First time I’d driven a bus in snow 

Gets a bit wintry over the hill! Was likely better back in the old days with a big fuck off Volvo!

[Yoss]

43 minutes ago, Matty said:

London pride?

It wasn't, although that was an option! I have one of those glasses at home. I like the way the Thames snakes around the bottom of the glass and mentions the brewery at Chiswick. 

[lesapandre]

New electric bus South London. Recharges from a rising pantograph. 

There is also a new diesel/hybrid single decker with an unusual high roof about - not sure what it is though.*

*Might be a Wrightbus 

Both new to me.

[catsinthewelder]

Came through Hereford today and spotted one of these.

https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/news/zipper-launch-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-free-bus-service-that-launches-in-hereford-this-saturday/

[Yoss]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

New electric bus South London. Recharges from a rising pantograph. 

There is also a new diesel/hybrid single decker with an unusual high roof about - not sure what it is though.*

*Might be a Wrightbus 

Both new to me.

They were doing exactly this over ten years ago in Vienna. They had an electric bus service running around the city centre but with a city with as many trams as Vienna it was easy to run a short spur of wire off of one of the tram lines for the bus to park under whilst on its break. 

It seems a very sensible idea but it can only really work where the transport network is run by a single authority. I don't think any private bus company would spend the necessary on the infrastructure. 

[lesapandre]

Meanwhile Tesla has invented the...bus.

Or the 'Robovaan' - someone else owns the Robovan trade mark.

[lesapandre]

5 minutes ago, Yoss said:

They were doing exactly this over ten years ago in Vienna. They had an electric bus service running around the city centre but with a city with as many trams as Vienna it was easy to run a short spur of wire off of one of the tram lines for the bus to park under whilst on its break. 

It seems a very sensible idea but it can only really work where the transport network is run by a single authority. I don't think any private bus company would spend the necessary on the infrastructure. 

It's a way to run electric lorries too - but requires huge upfront investment. 

[martc]

14 hours ago, Yoss said:

They were doing exactly this over ten years ago in Vienna. They had an electric bus service running around the city centre but with a city with as many trams as Vienna it was easy to run a short spur of wire off of one of the tram lines for the bus to park under whilst on its break. 

It seems a very sensible idea but it can only really work where the transport network is run by a single authority. I don't think any private bus company would spend the necessary on the infrastructure. 

 

14 hours ago, lesapandre said:

It's a way to run electric lorries too - but requires huge upfront investment. 

There was an article in Chemistry World indirectly about electric buses. They use capacitors rather than batteries to store the electricity for the traction motors. Capacitors can charge up extremely quickly; they are much lighter and cheaper than batteries, use less exotic materials, do not degrade but are bulky. Oh, and here's the rub, they discharge very quickly as well.

With the public transport systems the recharging of the capacitor, through the pantograph, can take place very quickly, whilst 'on the stand', but because they discharge very quickly this recharging needs to take place regularly.

Therefore at the moment capacitors are suitable for vehicles on a regular route (eg buses) were recharging posts can be erected at the correct intervals. The bulky nature of them is not a problem in buses, lorries etc but it is in cars. But it's the quick discharge and need for regular recharging which is the problem, they will only be of use in lorries if they are on regular routes with lots of charging points (inner town deliveries from a central distribution depot, for example).

Needless to say there is an awful lot of work on them at the moment - reducing size, increasing storage and using even cheaper materials.

 

[cms206]

Fell over this is in amongst some other documents I was looking for earlier; always meant to get it framed but could never remember where I left it! It's roughly A3 sized.

[High Jetter]

Some of you bus lickers might be interested in this calendar:

https://www.calendarclub.co.uk/heritage-buses-of-britain-mini-calendar-2025-319873/

They've got some truck ones too.

[Asimo]

Been in HongKong, some bus rides. Many Toyota Coasters (19 seats, manual 'box).

 Lots of "Enviro 500" (MAN-?)

and some other double deckers which had no identifier I could see.

Screaming (Voith-?) transmission / retarder and went like the clappers for such a big thing.

For a Bus-centric flavour of the place watch this:

 

[Yoss]

Do I assume the Enviro 500 is a tri axle? The standard double decker here is an Enviro 400 so I guess this is 20% bigger. 

[Asimo]

I think all of the HK double deckers are three axle. Two rear axles, not the twin front axles of the "Chinese" Bedfords I once travelled to school on.

[willswitchengage]

On 02/12/2024 at 19:59, Yoss said:

Do I assume the Enviro 500 is a tri axle? The standard double decker here is an Enviro 400 so I guess this is 20% bigger. 

Yes

It's quite different, with a longitudinally mounted Cummins L-series, not sure if it has a deep drop axle.

Weirdly one of the few bi that AD has ever exported, even to Berlin, where tri-axle DDs are popular. These had a Merc engine however as I don't think Dominic Cummins provides the L series in Euro6.

They are popular in the colonies for whatever reason - notably Singapore and Hong Kong, despite stuff recent competition from Chinese stuff and Volvo.

[mk2_craig]

I drove one of these on Monday. 

Otokar Vectio C. Not this one though, a left hand drive two door example fresh off the production line and apparently heading for a life in Spain. This picture shows what must have been the example displayed at the NEC ten years ago, which led to precisely zero orders so there is currently a grand total of NONE of these in the British Isles. (they did sell a few small coaches though)

These are a compact 2.3m width, 9.5m long and remarkably fitted with the same 6.7 litre, 6 cylinder Cummins engine as you'll find in the back of Britain's favourite double decker the Enviro400. I can confirm that this little Otokar (in Intercity spec at least) goes like a cat with a lit firework stuck up its arse and handles nicely too - a far nicer steer than the Super Pointer Darts I used to wring across Edinburgh, admittedly over 20 years ago now.

I was also taken over the test track in one of the armoured personnel carriers that the company builds on the same factory site but that's a story for another time.

[Zelandeth]

3 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

I drove one of these on Monday. 

Otokar Vectio C. Not this one though, a left hand drive two door example fresh off the production line and apparently heading for a life in Spain. This picture shows what must have been the example displayed at the NEC ten years ago, which led to precisely zero orders so there is currently a grand total of NONE of these in the British Isles. (they did sell a few small coaches though)

These are a compact 2.3m width, 9.5m long and remarkably fitted with the same 6.7 litre, 6 cylinder Cummins engine as you'll find in the back of Britain's favourite double decker the Enviro400. I can confirm that this little Otokar (in Intercity spec at least) goes like a cat with a lit firework stuck up its arse and handles nicely too - a far nicer steer than the Super Pointer Darts I used to wring across Edinburgh, admittedly over 20 years ago now.

I was also taken over the test track in one of the armoured personnel carriers that the company builds on the same factory site but that's a story for another time.

Small buses like that always look odd.  The ones which always stuck in my mind were the Bedford and Ford based "mini coaches" that Plaxton made, which looked for all the world like a normal Supreme but with about 10 or 15 feet chopped out the middle.

Odd to hear something that small with such a big power unit, wonder if some of that is to help deal with the higher temperatures there in the summer.  

Buses with improbable engines are always fun, ex-demonstrators can be good in that regard as the makers seem to just throw all the options at them and see what sticks.  I still would love to know what was in the back of that Spectra I drove as that went like a bloody rocket.

[Eyersey1234]

6 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

I drove one of these on Monday. 

Otokar Vectio C. Not this one though, a left hand drive two door example fresh off the production line and apparently heading for a life in Spain. This picture shows what must have been the example displayed at the NEC ten years ago, which led to precisely zero orders so there is currently a grand total of NONE of these in the British Isles. (they did sell a few small coaches though)

These are a compact 2.3m width, 9.5m long and remarkably fitted with the same 6.7 litre, 6 cylinder Cummins engine as you'll find in the back of Britain's favourite double decker the Enviro400. I can confirm that this little Otokar (in Intercity spec at least) goes like a cat with a lit firework stuck up its arse and handles nicely too - a far nicer steer than the Super Pointer Darts I used to wring across Edinburgh, admittedly over 20 years ago now.

I was also taken over the test track in one of the armoured personnel carriers that the company builds on the same factory site but that's a story for another time.

I wonder what parts availability would be like if an operator had ordered any

[mk2_craig]

3 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

big power unit

That's an aircon unit hidden under the pod on the roof and they seem to have sold quite well in Med climate places, including Malta where they took a batch of over 140 (and maybe that's where the UK spec show vehicle ended up too?) Plus a beefy powerplant will be handy in places where the topography is a bit more "undulating" and passenger demand is healthy. Push button auto gearbox as standard, cant remember whether Voith or ZF but had hold gears rather than simple D N R selector.

In this day and age bolting a 280hp lump in the back of a compact single decker seems a strange thing to do, but nobody's yet building a plausible EV at that size and so much of the target market is located in places where recharging simply isn't viable. I'd like to think there could be UK demand from operators who are persevering with ageing Solos and the like, and want to upgrade but the British manufacturing industry isn't offering the ideal product.

Also, they appear to be built like tanks!! Check out the minor scuffs to the front corner of this one and compare with the demolished Toymotor that ran into it. Have that polished up and back out in time for the evening rush 🙃 

https://timesofmalta.com/article/bus-crash-leaves-22yearold-man-grievous-injuries.1045516

[Dan302]

My mate was collecting a job lot of wheels, look at this absolute honey we saw (plus bonus Austin) apologies for the sideways uploads 😕

 

[martc]

Merry Christmas everyone.

[martc]

Lisbon, the '70's.

[martc]

[martc]