Bus Shite

[Yoss]

1 hour ago, Mr Pastry said:

I'm not a bus guy really, and there were probably variations over the years, but on all the RTs I remember the ceilings and upper parts of the inside panels were cream, lower parts of the panels dark green, floors when new were pale varnished wooden slats, but quickly turned greyish-black.  Seats, where do you start? - multi-coloured patterned Moquette.   Maybe reddish-brown would do on a small model.  Hopefully someone will have some good photos.

You're pretty much spot on there apart from the bit about variations. They managed 40 years service without changing at all. I mean each bus went through several overhauls but always came out exactly the same as it went in.

I mean why would you change it, it's perfect. 

[artdjones]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Cheers👍

That sounds about right. 
I did find a few interior photos but it’s difficult to go by pictures of restored vehicles as things often get altered or colour/trim changes over the years etc etc.

The bus Im trying to create is an ex London Transport RT, one of the group sold to Matchbox Lesney for their staff buses, in the later white & red livery used in the late 70’s early 80’s so they were old buses by then and about at the end of their lives really. I doubt Matchbox would have bothered changing the interiors.

 

 

 

[Zelandeth]

3 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Can any of you bus guys tell me what colour(s) the interior of London Transport AEC Regent III’s had?

Im building a model, slowly, which comes with a grey plastic interior moulding and I’d like to paint it to properly look like the real ones rather than just grey.

I can't really help with the query, but please show us the results when you're done.

[cms206]

A handful of 60s and 70s shots... any ideas on locations? RF486 still survives.

[cms206]

Turns out RF486 is actually in my home town of Paisley whilst owned by David Dean's Classique Coaches... not sure how I didn't get that one!

[Yoss]

2 hours ago, cms206 said:

A handful of 60s and 70s shots... any ideas on locations? RF486 still survives.

RM 630 and the RT on the 111 are taken in the same place. The 111 has always been, and still is, Heathrow to Kingston. Likewise the 281 is still Hounslow to Tolworth. Both routes serve Hounslow and Kingston but go completely different routes between the two. 

111, 

281, 

So I would suggest somewhere in either Hounslow or Kingston. I can't be more precise than that but it narrows it down quite a lot doesn't it. 

[cms206]

My scanning marathon has now been completed, so have a smattering more London.

[Mr Pastry]

5 hours ago, Yoss said:

So I would suggest somewhere in either Hounslow or Kingston. I can't be more precise than that but it narrows it down quite a lot doesn't it. 

Nice to see the RT on the 111 as it was my local route, long ago!  The location looks more like Hounslow or Feltham than Kingston, and Hampton Station on the blind so not going towards Kingston?  I feel I should know it, will have a think about it.   

My first thought on the RF location was Richmond Gasworks roundabout, but I can't remember whether that route went there.

Edit:  Pretty sure the RM and RT are in Hounslow High Street where it joins Staines Road, before it was pedestrianised.  It looks totally different now, but:

"Old Tilling London bus loading at the bus stop, High Street, Hounslow."

The building behind the bus, with gable end, turret, and rectangular windows, was still there in the colour photos.   .

About here:

[Zelandeth]

I've kept meaning to ask a question here but kept getting distracted and forgetting (that happens a lot).

Is there a good central source anywhere that lists when/where a lot of the running days, shows etc happen?  It's something I'd like to try to get to at least a couple of things this year but always seem to find out that stuff has happened purely when I see folks photos from events.

[martc]

Ridley Place, NuT.

[martc]

Cyprus, 2004.

[martc]

Piccadilly Circus, 1954.

[martc]

A wonderful Kässbohrer Setra S8.

[martc]

Hino Ponchos operated by Naha Bus somewhere in Japan.

[LightBulbFun]

youtube recommended this to me, quite an awesome watch to see such an old girl being driven and seeing it in detail

but what really took me was the fact that the driver took his manual PSV test in it! even 40 years ago in the 1980's that must been quite unusual i really wonder what the examiners thought of that, someone showing up to take their bus-driving test in a 1930 ST!

also check out how plush those seat cushions are!

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Leyland Olympian- ok... Leyland B45-01 footage here:

 

[lesapandre]

10 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

youtube recommended this to me, quite an awesome watch to see such an old girl being driven and seeing it in detail

but what really took me was the fact that the driver took his manual PSV test in it! even 40 years ago in the 1980's that must been quite unusual i really wonder what the examiners thought of that, someone showing up to take their bus-driving test in a 1930 ST!

also check out how plush those seat cushions are!

Lambeth Bridge - built 1932. Biggest change is the 1930's office building has been replaced by flats and a newer office tower.

To left is the Garden History Museum in a converted church (very nice teashop) well worth a visit and behind that Lambeth Palace seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. 😁

[SilverMachine]

could anyone help with finding pictures of busses/ coaches from the dover / kent area, probably possibly before 1970 but after 1940 (ish im guessing!) my great great grandfather had a small company but i never met him as he died the year i was born! all i know is that they were all painted a purpley maroon colour, as my aunt always said her wolesely was the same colour as them! the company name will either have been Reynolds or Whites. nothing to do with any current or recent companies coming up on search engines. 

i dont know what vehicles or how many he had!

should i have done this as a new thread?

Thank you in advance!

[lesapandre]

There is a Dover Transport Museum - I did not know that till I looked. 

https://www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk/

Probably worth having a chat with them about any old bus services in the area.

There is this picture inside the Museum - and a 'WYTES' coach in preservation there.

[SilverMachine]

51 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

There is a Dover Transport Museum - I did not know that till I looked. 

https://www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk/

Probably worth having a chat with them about any old bus services in the area.

There is this picture inside the Museum - and a 'WYTES' coach in preservation there.

thank you, ive emailed them so hopefully will have an update soon!

[martc]

This is just wonderful, an Ikarus 55 Lux. Imagine being transferred from an Ilyushin (or is it a Tupolev?) into this beauty to be wafted to the 33rd Agriculture, Iron Foundry and Fishing Canning Conference at the local Peoples Palace.

[martc]

A PAZ-3201S all-wheel drive bus built especially for operation in the far north.

[martc]

A trolleybus crossing Stone Bridge Darlington in 1955.

[Inspector Morose]

3 hours ago, martc said:

A trolleybus crossing Stone Bridge Darlington in 1955.

For those wishing for a little more detail (huh, only me then), this is Darlington 10 (GHN569) A Brush bodied Karrier W new in 1944. When the Darlington system closed in 1957, it was sold to Bradford who re-bodied it with an East Lancs double deck body. It lasted until 1971, not quite reaching the end of trolleybus operations in the UK (26th March 1972).

[Inspector Morose]

As close as "an bus" as you could possibly get.

A Vehixel bodied IVECO, if you really wanted to know.

[ETCHY]

 

[martc]

Just look at this OM Super Orione.

[danthecapriman]

On 07/02/2025 at 15:06, Inspector Morose said:

For those wishing for a little more detail (huh, only me then), this is Darlington 10 (GHN569) A Brush bodied Karrier W new in 1944. When the Darlington system closed in 1957, it was sold to Bradford who re-bodied it with an East Lancs double deck body. It lasted until 1971, not quite reaching the end of trolleybus operations in the UK (26th March 1972).

It’s funny isn’t it how we had so many electric trolly bus routes all over the UK but got rid of them in favour of diesel powered buses, presumably for their better flexibility to go anywhere and no maintenance/construction costs associated with the overhead equipment.

Another stupid decision that we could have done with keeping.

Did anywhere ever look into converting their electric trolley buses over to diesel? A lot of the buses didn’t look too bad condition when they were disposed of.

[lesapandre]

Like getting rid of trams. Apart from Croydon and Blackpool can't think of another town with them.

[edit - see below there are more]

Europe seems to get on with them fine. 

A new tram system for London was turned down on the grounds of cost.

[Yoss]

13 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Like getting rid of trams. Apart from Croydon and Blackpool can't think of another town with them.

Europe seems to get on with them fine. 

A new tram system for London was turned down on the grounds of cost.

Edinburgh, Nottingham and the West Midlands have them but your point still stands. They were all reintroduced at vast expense. Only Blackpool never got rid of them and have had them continuously.