Bus Shite

[SilverMachine]

probably a daft question but where abouts in anfield plain was the bus breakers? and is it now a lorry breakers? cant seem  to see any busses where i thought it is / was!

[catsinthewelder]

On 01/04/2026 at 14:43, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

 

 

Single deck bendy Metrobus?  Is that a real thing?

[Yoss]

23 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

Single deck bendy Metrobus?  Is that a real thing?

Most definitely not. If you Google the reg it's just a normal Metro. And if that didn't give it away, having doors on the offside of the rear section ought to. 

And whilst we're at it, perhaps more obviously, neither is this. 

There's a thread somewhere for AI things that don't exist, perhaps we could keep this thread for things that at actually do? 

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

I took a spare bus to Washwood Heath Depot a few years back and there was a wrecker with a bendy on tow about to be removed. Did'nt notice the make but it was fairly new at the time which was unusual to scrap one then.

https://wmbu.org.uk/2026/03/sprint-and-the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[danthecapriman]

London bus 4480 being scrapped.

Absolutely loads of stuff in the background waiting to get smashed too.

[High Jetter]

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

Wassat Dennis?

[dollywobbler]

This pic posted earlier intrigued me.

Did early production Metrobuses keep the prototype indicators? Or is this a prototype I didn't know existed? Further research indicates this is one of a pair with Rolls-Royce Eagle engines. I wonder what they sound like?

Happily, this one made it to preservation though the wipers are causing me some upset. 

[Joey spud]

How do you even do that ? Arriva Barking garage.

[Remspoor]

3 hours ago, Joey spud said:

How do you even do that ? Arriva Barking garage.

That looks like the garage at Ripple Road rather than Longbridge Road.  Question is are buses allowed to drive that way or is access to parking via another entrance?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nAKHu7Te8ZquNM6F6

 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

14 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Did early production Metrobuses keep the prototype indicators?

I think so; I have vague memories of Maidstone and District FKM***V buses with the same styling.

Some of these also had the Rolls Royce Eagle engine as well. Sounded brilliant- obviously different from the Gardner engines!

[Inspector Morose]

On 06/04/2026 at 07:06, dollywobbler said:

This pic posted earlier intrigued me.

Did early production Metrobuses keep the prototype indicators? Or is this a prototype I didn't know existed? Further research indicates this is one of a pair with Rolls-Royce Eagle engines. I wonder what they sound like?

Happily, this one made it to preservation though the wipers are causing me some upset. 

The two Rolls Royce engined Metrobuses (BOM6+7V) were to full WMPTE prototype spec with those indicators and red vinyl seats with blue formica panels (Fleetline spec)
 

Those indicators were used on other builds, just not WMPTE ones which used the BMAC indicator/sidelight unit for standardisation. I think all the SYPTE mk1s had that indicator style. As an aside, the first WMPTE Metrobus (and the second built) was withdrawn for scrap because one of those lenses broke and, due to the rigid procurement systems in place, could not be replaced and so a rather special Metrobus was consigned to the Barnsley breakers (via Stevensons who robbed it for unique early bits for their rebuild of TOJ592S).

As far as I know, BOM7V is still around somewhere in preservation, its last service owner being MK Metro of Milton Keynes (one of Julian Peddles companies who, along with Stevensons was a tad bus nerdy with their purchases).

For Rolls Eagle sounds, head north to Sheffield where many of the SYPTE Dennis Dominators had that lump from new. As much grunt as a Gardner but without the oil leaks.

There were two Cummins L10 engined Metrobuses too in the fleet (one bus spec mk2 and a Timesaver spec one). The Timesaver spec L10 engined Metrobus is allegedly being resorted in the midlands.

[Joey spud]

18 hours ago, Remspoor said:

That looks like the garage at Ripple Road rather than Longbridge Road.  Question is are buses allowed to drive that way or is access to parking via another entrance?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nAKHu7Te8ZquNM6F6

 

So the driver has maybe gone to the wrong depot and tried to enter via a low height single decker only door way ?

[cms206]

3 hours ago, Joey spud said:

So the driver has maybe gone to the wrong depot and tried to enter via a low height single decker only door way ?

No, that *is* the right depot; Barking has three bus depots, Stagecoach run out of Longbridge Road (BK), Go-Ahead from River Road (RR) and Arriva from Ripple Road (DX). That is an Arriva DW-class at DX.

 

[cms206]

On 06/04/2026 at 07:06, dollywobbler said:

This pic posted earlier intrigued me.

Did early production Metrobuses keep the prototype indicators? Or is this a prototype I didn't know existed? Further research indicates this is one of a pair with Rolls-Royce Eagle engines. I wonder what they sound like?

Happily, this one made it to preservation though the wipers are causing me some upset. 

I've driven a Rolls Royce one, JHE 161W; much more mellow sounding than the Gardner, they feel much torquier but not really any quicker unless you're aiming it up a hill.

 

Oh yeah. 4mpg... 💀

[Remspoor]

4 hours ago, Joey spud said:

So the driver has maybe gone to the wrong depot and tried to enter via a low height single decker only door way ?

 

1 hour ago, cms206 said:

No, that *is* the right depot; Barking has three bus depots, Stagecoach run out of Longbridge Road (BK), Go-Ahead from River Road (RR) and Arriva from Ripple Road (DX). That is an Arriva DW-class at DX.

 

Still looked as if they used the wrong hole

[busmansholiday]

On 06/04/2026 at 11:55, Joey spud said:

How do you even do that ? Arriva Barking garage.

Trust me, it's easier than you think if you forget that deckers are only* supposed to enter by one entrance (wasn't me but I did see the look on the fitters face as they inspected the West Riding Olympian we'd borrowed).

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

 

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[busmansholiday]

On 08/04/2026 at 10:34, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

May 1960 presumably, which looks about right with that Burlingham Seagull body.

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[N19]

On 31/08/2025 at 20:06, N19 said:

Not as extensive nor as late as Chase, but in the early 90s a reasonable fleet was owned by Wilfreda Beehive (an unusual name, on reflection) which operated a variety of services competing with Mainline (the spinoff of the former SYPTE operation, which would eventually become First Mainline in the late 90s and then successively run down). The competition was nothing wild nor novel, simply running buses slotted in the middle of the Mainline service. Many of them retained centre doors although I think the majority came from Bristol, rather than London.

.As a child they were certainly more characterful than the B10Ms which were standard fare although Mainline had a huge fleet of Dennis Dominators which were the standard SYPTE purchase for many years. They gave up stage carriage services in ?1998? to concentrate on coach holidays, although they did operate several tendered services in the late 00s. Mainline bought out the stage carriage business but never used the Nationals, although they did amalgamate a number of newly purchased Darts into their fleet.

 

Interestingly enough, almost 30 years later, and history repeats itself. Around 1998, Wilfreda Beehive sold their stage carriage operations to First Mainline, retaining only the coach elements of the business. Since then I think they have grown, do some school and contract hire etc, they did do stage carriage again in the late 00s but I'm not sure now. And in the news today, they have sold the remaining coach operation to, er, First Mainline.

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

[SunnySouth]

17 hours ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

 

If ever there was something that screamed “disturb the driver”, it is this!!

[LightBulbFun]

17 hours ago, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

@Inspector Morose is that you?  

[goosey]

On 03/04/2026 at 23:33, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

I took a spare bus to Washwood Heath Depot a few years back and there was a wrecker with a bendy on tow about to be removed. Did'nt notice the make but it was fairly new at the time which was unusual to scrap one then.

https://wmbu.org.uk/2026/03/sprint-and-the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/

Would have around 2013 i was at TWM Perry Bar on a call out and there was quite a few bendy buses parked there which had been taken out of service due to being plagued with problems, I was told by one of the Mechanics that they were all just a bag of shit 

[Dyslexic Viking]

A fairly original and untouched 1965 Scania B 7663-135 has come up for sale here.

https://www.finn.no/mobility/item/457812447?ci=1