Bus Shite

[Justin Case]

A breeding pair

 

 

This is completely quackers

[Jim Bell]

Long time lurker, might as well make my first post a Bus Shite Megadump.

 

From Shitley Bay a few years ago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volvo 300 content!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pete-M]

Good first post, Wilkommen.

 

I don't recognise the colour scheme of the Pier Head bus. Must be a Liverpool one, but a weird colour...

[Justin Case]

Welcome and a nice set of photos, especially as I've never seen any of the buses before . Obviously somewhere in the North-East; the Bristol RE with the Pier Head desination is in Tyneside PTE livery, so could the pier actually be somewhere in that part of the world?

[Jim Bell]

Its Whitley Bay mate, NE coast.

Think its an annual gathering, but most of the time, I forget all about it.

[Cavcraft]

321 YHN: Yes please.

[Split_Pin]

Welcome along

 

321 YHN for me too please!

 

I love the 'Shop at Binns' adverts which must have been omnipresent around the NE at the time!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I love the 'Shop at Binns' adverts which must have been omnipresent around the NE at the time!

 

Hive of creativity in the Binns ad department. "How about we write "shop at Binns" on every flat surface in the region, just like we have for the last 40 years?" "My god Johnson! You've done it again!"

[wuvvum]

Remind me what was the name of those rebodied National things, like the white one next to the Olympian? There was one in regular service between Norwich and Wroxham until a couple of years ago - used to go like the clappers, much quicker than the Optare Solo that replaced it.

[Inspector Morose]

Remind me what was the name of those rebodied National things, like the white one next to the Olympian? There was one in regular service between Norwich and Wroxham until a couple of years ago - used to go like the clappers, much quicker than the Optare Solo that replaced it.

 

Ah, that was the East Lancs Greenway. For less than the cost of a dart they would take your national and rebuild it with decent mechanicals and make it look a little less like a prison van inside ( the 'remodelling' of the outside is subject to your own opinion) while keeping the supremely solid structure underneath. In typical East Lancs tradition, they were offered with any option you fancy and with any engine/gearbox combo that would fit but a lot were fitted with Gardner or Volvo engines.

[Junkman]

Scan10 by Cavlover1, on Flickr

 

If I'm not mistaken, they took us polar bear spotting in Canada in one of those.

[gricer]

WBR 248 is the last ever Atkinson bus chassis.

 

One of three delieverd to Sunderland Corporation. Two of them survive. Here's WBR246

 

 

I had to do a double-take at first - thought it was a Blackpool Corporation AEC Swift. Same BET standard Marshall body.

This one is preserved by the Lancastrian transport Trust.

 

[willswitchengage]

 

WOT IZ the story behind these? Harrogate and District used to have one also for school runs. Looks American, but very RHD. 12V too, I thought all PCVs would be 24?

[Pillock]

I went on one of the DUKWs in London in the summer. Wonderful bit of kit, I think the best thing was the sound of the engine - heavens knows what it was, Wikipedia suggests originally a Straight-6 4.4 litre petrol - but bouncing off the narrow London streets it was a pleasant noise compared to the hum of Euro-5 crap.

 

Oh, and they go into the water BLOODY FAST. I assumed they'd gently ease in but I think the driver/pilot/whatever you call a boaty saily man have a running joke about how many passengers they can get screaming.

[Cavcraft]

Scan1 by Cavlover1, on Flickr

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I think my monitor's set to the wrong aspect ratio.

[Joseph]

I often see these on eBay for sale, and they can't but remind me of the shorty school bus on Dumb and Dumberer:

 

 

Quite possibly the cutest-looking coach ever made. If there is such a thing as an adorable-looking bus...

[ypsilandra]

[Inspector Morose]

In my mind, this is the prettiest small coach type I've ever seen. They just seem so right for some reason.

 

Bedford J2 / Plaxton Embassy

 

884gfu by Dentaurthurdent, on Flickr

[mk2_craig]

 

WOT IZ the story behind these? Harrogate and District used to have one also for school runs. Looks American, but very RHD. 12V too, I thought all PCVs would be 24?

 

Is that a Blue Bird? In which case yes, thoroughly American. As opposed to less American buses painted the same colours.

[mrcitroen]

A couple of Glasgow shorties.

 

The Seddon looks mental

 

Second to the right, and then straight on till morning. by georgeupstairs, on Flickr

 

Seddon Pennine IV XBN 976L Strathclyde S1 by miledorcha, on Flickr

 

I remember the Atlantean single deckers. I think they were chopped down because the panoramic window versions had structural issues.

 

 

Single deck Atlantean by georgeupstairs, on Flickr

 

 

All borrowed from Flickr

[mrcitroen]

A couple of Ailsa shorties. Love the sound of Ailsas. Very Vocal.

 

Both the same vehicle. Just different stages in it's life.

 

MGE185P by preselected, on Flickr

 

Black Prince (ex-Strathclyde PTE) Volvo Ailsa B55-10 / Alexander MGE185P by Ned Basher, on Flickr

[Split_Pin]

Christ that Seddon is a WEE bus!

 

The structural issue with the Altanteans was not well handled by GGPTE. Many young buses were simply scrapped. Irony in there somewhere as the MD

at the time had come from Edinburgh and he introduced the panoramic style to Glasgow which had been in use in the Capital since the Alexander 'A' type predecessor body type to the later 'AL' type. The main issue was that the windows on one side did not line up, therefore compromising the 'loop' that would be formed by the pillars on an ordinary bus. I believe Edinburgh had the same issues but simply carried out strengthening under the skin.

 

Some other Glasgow Panoramic Atlanteans had an extra bay inserted into each lower deck panoramic window aperture, thus creating an unusual look. I can't find a suitable picture of one on Google, but below is one of the many superb models created by 2x Glasgow Atlantean owner and restorer Mark Budd that shows what I'm on about.

 

[Split_Pin]

Oh and PS the Ailsa does indeed sound ORSUM. I prefer the sound of the later ones with the Voith gearbox.

 

Heres a great soundtrack from an ex Cardiff Example with Edwards of LLantwit Fardre.

 

 

Reminds me very much of the 44 I used to get to work each day in 2003-4.

[mrcitroen]

I think that sums the situation up well. The last of the line alanteans delivered (RDS...W & CUS...X) were standard window ones.

 

Mark Budd's models are ace!!!!

 

http://www.littlebuses.2ya.com/

[oman5]

I went on one of the DUKWs in London in the summer. Wonderful bit of kit, I think the best thing was the sound of the engine - heavens knows what it was, Wikipedia suggests originally a Straight-6 4.4 litre petrol - but bouncing off the narrow London streets it was a pleasant noise compared to the hum of Euro-5 crap.

 

Oh, and they go into the water BLOODY FAST. I assumed they'd gently ease in but I think the driver/pilot/whatever you call a boaty saily man have a running joke about how many passengers they can get screaming.

 

 

I believe they were re-engined with modern Cummins straight six turbodiesels.

[Inspector Morose]

Oh and PS the Ailsa does indeed sound ORSUM. I prefer the sound of the later ones with the Voith gearbox

 

Heathen!

 

Having driven and operated in service ailsas in the past they were a superb weapon though with many, shall we say, idiosyncrasies. Kingpins lasted just about a year, front brakes about six weeks. The engines lasted not a fantastic time if thrashed day in day out in heavy service but the best was on mk1 s where the near side rear hub retaining nut undid the same direction on the rotation of the wheel so if the locking device failed for some reason the whole hub, drum and twin wheels would try and escape off the axle!

But they were a weapon

The renowned scream was only on mk1s and was due to the toothed alternator belt (running off the input of the mid mounted gearbox). Later models used a polyvee belt and didn't scream as much.

Did get to give the single decker a quick spin around the block at Black Prince. It was scrapped as it had never been tilt tested after conversion to single deck and the cost to do so was too much for a bus that was only bought for parts anyway. Shame. The only other single deck Ailsa was one for Strathclyde with a Marshall body but was destroyed in the big fire in the 90s.

[mrcitroen]

I always thought the Alexander 'M type' was very stylish and American looking. I have never been on one, but I remember seeing them as a Kid when the Midland Scottish Fleetline / Leopard on route to Glasgow would call in at the Stepps Depot for an unscheduled stop.

 

scottish by mmcspence, on Flickr

 

As a small boy facinated with cars / buses/ trucks, the bus journey was never complete without a visit to the garage!

[Joseph]

I must say, there have been some beauties on this page.

 

Let me even it up with something hideous:

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Unregiste ... 2a26543e84

 

The wheels look about 10" tall!

[Split_Pin]

Looks like the stunted bastard-child of a chain-smoking Setra and alcoholic Bova Futura!