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The Lurkers were Ickenhams finest and a long time favourite of Steve Lamaq. I had a few of their albums but you only really need one, they are pretty much all the same - not necessarily a bad thing. They were on Beggars Banquet records. The very first BB releases were The Lurkers and Gary Numan/Tubeway Army. 

Gold Blade were a Britpop era cod glam punk band, so much later than anything else there. Fronted by John Robb, journalist and many time talking head on many a music telly programme. Like a Poundland Rocket From The Crypt. I once saw them supporting RFTC, that was a great night out. Their signature look was the gold lame' suit. 

I've heard of GBH and UK Subs but don't really know anything about them, the rest I've never heard of. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another blast from the past for you, a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian. EYMS bought 4 batches between 1990 and 1993, H547-52 VAT, H154-60 BKH, J561-70 HAT and K572-83 RRH. Good solid workhorses, most of them were withdrawn between 2008-2010 with the last going in 2012.

548.jpg

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On 12/31/2020 at 2:20 PM, Eyersey1234 said:

One of the Mercedes-Benz based Optare Prismas we had. Again excellent buses, this particular one was one of 3 that were bought from an operator in Scotland in 2001 joining 16 that were bought new. 

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Never realised there were Optare bodied.  Every day's a school day.

Have a photo of an articulated version.

SDC17324.thumb.jpg.228a860f5a8628f2e691bbec341ee7e4.jpg

Which I believe was the first bendy bus in Scotland.  Had a patchy life in service because it really was a bit too complicated for the maintenance crew to deal with. 

Have only travelled on it once (after it entered preservation) when it was out on a test run - it goes like a bat out of hell and sounds fantastic.  Probably way over-geared for a city bus though.  One I'd have loved a chance to drive, sadly it never happened.

On 12/31/2020 at 2:16 PM, Eyersey1234 said:

Another blast from the past for you, a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian. EYMS bought 4 batches between 1990 and 1993, H547-52 VAT, H154-60 BKH, J561-70 HAT and K572-83 RRH. Good solid workhorses, most of them were withdrawn between 2008-2010 with the last going in 2012.

548.jpg

Stagecoach Bluebird ran quite a few of these too, mostly on R***XNO plates originally as I recall, handful were still going when I left Aberdeen in 2013, don't imagine they lasted much longer though.  Not through any fault of the vehicles, but it was the DDA regs that were seeing them off - along with both Aberdeen City and Shire councils putting vehicle age restrictions on their school transport contracts.  That decision still irks me as it saw no small number of perfectly decent vehicles consigned to the scrapheap almost overnight.

EUI656.thumb.jpg.6b623ed7b21a8eabefcb65a448d0b2c5.jpg

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1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Never realised there were Optare bodied.  Every day's a school day.

Have a photo of an articulated version.

SDC17324.thumb.jpg.228a860f5a8628f2e691bbec341ee7e4.jpg

Which I believe was the first bendy bus in Scotland.  Had a patchy life in service because it really was a bit too complicated for the maintenance crew to deal with. 

Have only travelled on it once (after it entered preservation) when it was out on a test run - it goes like a bat out of hell and sounds fantastic.  Probably way over-geared for a city bus though.  One I'd have loved a chance to drive, sadly it never happened.

Stagecoach Bluebird ran quite a few of these too, mostly on R***XNO plates originally as I recall, handful were still going when I left Aberdeen in 2013, don't imagine they lasted much longer though.

EUI656.thumb.jpg.6b623ed7b21a8eabefcb65a448d0b2c5.jpg

We also had a number of the Volvo Olympians bought new from 1995-8 plus some secondhand ones, the new ones were Alexander Royale bodied N590-603 BRH and Northern Counties bodied N584-9 BRH, P604-11 SAT and S622-36 MKH. 

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7 hours ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Another blast from the past for you, a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian. EYMS bought 4 batches between 1990 and 1993, H547-52 VAT, H154-60 BKH, J561-70 HAT and K572-83 RRH. Good solid workhorses, most of them were withdrawn between 2008-2010 with the last going in 2012.

548.jpg

I remember these on the 744(?) from Bridlington to York via Pocklington? Fine views from the top deck and they used to go like stink IIRC. 

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1 hour ago, Ditchfinder General said:

I remember these on the 744(?) from Bridlington to York via Pocklington? Fine views from the top deck and they used to go like stink IIRC. 

I think some of them were used on the 744 at one time. They were good solid machines as they were Gardner engined. 

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On 30/12/2020 at 19:37, MorrisItalSLX said:

The Sydney Bus Museum is raising money to restore their 1983 Mercedes-Benz O305G Bendy Bus, which is to be repainted back to its original brown and orange livery.

D8BA6F8F-D3A7-4C72-A921-6178FB9DDFF4.png.b45a13d38a5738a2ea53d3c4319e13f0.png

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If you would like to donate to the cause, and you should, just look at that glorious colour scheme, there is a go fund me on their website.

https://www.sydneybusmuseum.com.au/mercedes2556

 

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25 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Don't know if this will work...

 

 

 

That works for me :)

 

but sadly the one you uploaded in Six Cylinder's thread is broken for me 

 

9 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

 

Seen that video before, M4 between London and Heathrow. Was actually looking at some 8mm I shot at Heathrow around 1973/4 only last week. Had RMA'S in the old BEA livery on plus a 707 taking off. Really has focused my mind to get it transferred professionally, as using your phone is crap. 

Also those three are in the three different liveries, BEA, BOAC and BA.

 

 

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34 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

That works for me :)

It's the same one, but reduced in size so works.

FRM1 in service at Potters Bar and that depot, 73 or 74 ish. Part of a longer bit that includes the MS and LN trials at Clapton and BEA Routemaster at Heathrow. Will get it done professionally (but there's 11 in total) then edit if you want bits on here.

Took the Xmas crap into the loft, found my 1969/70 bus pics I took. Bet you want me to scan and post some of those.

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Right, spent a snowie weekend scanning over a hundred prints, then doing some basic editing (if you think I'm going to go all Photoshop shite, forget it) so I can post some of them here.  Please note, back then (1969 / 70 / 71) my camera was either an Instamatic, my dad's 1950's 35mm with a serious shagged lens or a Kodak camera with those lenses that you pressed a button and they folded down out of the front attached to a set of cardboard / cloth bellows (I kid you not). Hence the quality of these is guaranteed to be shite by modern standards.

You have been warned.

So here we are, these say 1970 on the book and being from Sheffield the first few are obviously taken in Portsmouth, or actually Southsea as we went there every year for our holidays.

Back then on Saturdays and Sundays, lots of coaches turned up on day trips and generally parked in the coach park at Clarence Pier, where the amusements are now. Except of course those who came on a London Transport day excursion. As LT didn't have "coaches" the depot closest to where they booked simply turned out something "appropriate".

So the lucky people near Norwood Garage got RM1090,

RM1090.thumb.jpg.d87ff1ac016ea7ed5166924025c5b611.jpg

those near South Croyden Garage go a pretty new RML2741,

RML2741.thumb.jpg.3a19164739484801d5f319d03854fcdd.jpg

whilst if the sun wasn't behind them and I'd had a decent camera (I got bought a Zorki 4 in spring 1971 prior to the school trip around Europe), I'd know which depot sent a pair of RTs.

RTs.thumb.jpg.3fcfb117e4a4107b73547c7c9fd16e48.jpg

More to come, some time soon.

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5 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

I've found several bags of negatives from the early 70's (I started taking colour slides in September 1972) and a few more modern slides in the bags as well.

 

Here's one especially for @Yossand @LightBulbFun.

image.thumb.jpeg.20a9a1fcf24080cc3c4e5879dce4be9a.jpeg

something something Cummings something something turning the fuel pump up something something Rolling coal?

 

(but seriously WTF happened there LOL)

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10 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

I've found several bags of negatives from the early 70's (I started taking colour slides in September 1972) and a few more modern slides in the bags as well.

 

Here's one especially for @Yossand @LightBulbFun.

image.thumb.jpeg.20a9a1fcf24080cc3c4e5879dce4be9a.jpeg

I think it's rejecting its new engine. Looking at the style of roundel and London Central markings it would be mid nineties so probably not long after it had been refurbed. 

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4 hours ago, Yoss said:

I think it's rejecting its new engine. Looking at the style of roundel and London Central markings it would be mid nineties so probably not long after it had been refurbed. 

Yeah I dont blame it! LOL

and yeah was thinking that, mid 90's means its Cummings engine would of only been a couple years old

(when I saw it was refurbished example, I was hoping it was an Iveco engined one so I could just circle that fact in its history on Ians bus stop and say "there the problem right there" but sadly It was/is Cummings engined so that joke would not have worked as well LOL)

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5 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

Yeah I dont blame it! LOL

and yeah was thinking that, mid 90's means its Cummings engine would of only been a couple years old

(when I saw it was refurbished example, I was hoping it was an Iveco engined one so I could just circle that fact in its history on Ians bus stop and say "there the problem right there" but sadly It was/is Cummings engined so that joke would not have worked as well LOL)

Yes it would have explained a lot. The Cummins is supposed to be the quality one. 

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Another blast from the past for you, a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian. EYMS bought 4 batches between 1990 and 1993, H547-52 VAT, H154-60 BKH, J561-70 HAT and K572-83 RRH. Good solid workhorses, most of them were withdrawn between 2008-2010 with the last going in 2012.
548.thumb.jpg.d4cf35ef3c32c85159d292ec83de133a.jpg
My childhood.

I attended Bishop Burton College and used the bus to get there. More often than not it was Alexander-Royale bodied N660BRH which wore registration A10 EYD.

There was also an Olympian that we regularly had which I think was R172 SOY or R792 SOY? Either way I think it broke down on every journey we had it for.

If we were really lucky we'd get an older H reg Olympian which would boom and shake at idle. I would always sit so o could see the dashboard, and is amazing how many of the older buses would illuminate their oil pressure lights at idle.

Sent from my KB2003 using Tapatalk

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So I went looking for the negatives from those three pictures I posted last week and found them, and a shed load more. Spent the week scanning just over 1000 B&W negatives, some decent quality, some shiteish.

So continuing in the coach park at Southsea (it was Newton Heath that sent RT1688) in the early 70's a few more delights.

More RMLs,

RML2486.thumb.jpg.cd1b9b08ee1902a44cf4062964000c4b.jpg

 

RML2505_2533.thumb.jpg.91b6182bcc61270baf77f6093b636103.jpg

 

whilst LCBS at Crawley used their recently delivered Alexander bodied Swifts (ordered by South Wales) and a Park Royal bodied Reliance,

SMA18_20_RP51.thumb.jpg.6d9c48082a9e093e5d6402ca138c550b.jpg

Wilts and Dorset sent this mixed selection,

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whilst United Counties sent this from Luton.

UCOC211.thumb.jpg.0df23c52de5c81d90b3f79612d71949f.jpg

There was also interesting vehicles from independents, including this Harrington Legionnare bodied Thames that was built for the 1964 Commercial Motor Show and is actually now preserved,

JNK681C.thumb.jpg.dcbcd0feb921c5ed6d2c5de90b819e0e.jpg

and this ex BOAC Atlantean.

LLH9K.thumb.jpg.6335a2946842c863fb38c44d92573a8b.jpg

 

 

 

 

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So, my 8mm videos from the 70's (newest appears to be 1977) have been transferred to digital (and worth every penny of the £5 a roll). Given I'm slowly working through boring you shitless at weekends with my early 70's B&W pics, and whilst the original 8mm quality is shite by modern standards, I'll leave this here for @Yoss and @LightBulbFun (and any others)  to enjoy for what I can now pull off these films (done in B&W, original colour version some time in the future).

 

 

FRM1_a.thumb.jpg.a91102cc8d2407ebeb0dfc1c6e3bdd5e.jpg

 

Hillman Hunter estate in the background before you ask.

.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

As it's a shite day weather wise, time for a few more of my B&W pics from the beginning of the 70's. We'll leave the south coast for a bit and start on God's country, and his favorite city, Sheffield.

So lets start with a little history lessen. . Prior to the 1968 Transport Act (brought in by the non driving Labour transport minister, Barbara Castle) there were three Sheffield fleets; the Corporation owned "A" fleet, the "B" fleet owned jointly between the Corporation and the nationalised Transport Holding Company (Tillings Group) and the "C" fleet owned wholly by the THC. Generally the "A" fleet ran the city services, the "B" fleet the services to nearby places like Donny and Chesterfield and the "C" fleet the long distance services to the likes of Leeds and Manchester. The transport act and the formation of the National Bus Company which included the former British Electric Traction group of bus companies ended all that. The Corporation acquired the "B" fleet and routes whilst the "C" fleet, with the exception of the four newest Alexander bodied Leopards, were dispersed to other NBC operators. Sheffield wasn't alone with this system, Huddersfield had a similar arrangement with buses.

Let's start with number 1 and work our way through the fleet as it was then. This was a Cravens bodied Bedford VAS that was the prototype for a range of lightweight welfare buses. It would remain unique and saw service only on lightly used routes. It's seen here at RInginglow, the words on the bus stop says "Motor Bus leave here for Sheffield". Note the Imp and Mini van in the background.

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It was sold to King Edward VII Grammar School Sheffield for us as a school bus in about 1972. By a mischance of fate I'd passed the 11 plus back in 1968 to go there. That long haired yob on the left holding the Zenit B camera case is err....

1a.thumb.JPG.315801968ca426fd10363b7ecc240615.JPG

Six to ten were a batch of Weymann bodied Leopards, a front view of 7 and a rear view of 6, note the central rear emergency exit.

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A pair of Wolseleys, an Austin and a selection of Fords for bonus chod spotting.

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Eleven to fifteen were the former "B" fleet 1315 to 1319 renumbered and were Park Royal bodied Leopards.

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Then there were two batches of Park Royal bodied AEC Swifts delivered in 1968. The first 22 were dual door whilst the second batch were single door and were originally in the "B" fleet. I cannot find a B&W of the second batch, so have a couple of the first batch, plus some nice background chod pictured at Loxley on the first day the service 14 was altered to serve that part of the city.

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Renault 10 before you ask.

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The four new Leopards were renumbered from 3001-4 to 61-4 and were generally used on the motorway services to Leeds and Bradford. They were unusual in having electrically operated semi auto boxes (ie the standard little selector on the steering column) rather than the air operated boxes and the pedestal alongside the driver.

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Finally a crappy shot of number 90, the centre entrance Roe Dalesman bodied AEC Reliance after withdrawal.

90.thumb.jpg.e319f7a089e58e6cf266e2accd6754b7.jpg

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Something I saw today for @LightBulbFun, @Yoss and the other Routemaster fans. It's RM548 but with an age-related plate and an Iveco engine (so LBF won't approve :) ), used on the Victoria's Secret 'Bra Fit' campaign to visit universities as a mobile fitting room. The truck is from Purfleet, just round the corner from Ensignbus, so I guess that's where it was going as it can't do its job at the moment.

RM548.thumb.jpg.9356f272dcb4aa734eb578372a42a69c.jpg

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