cms206 Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 22 hours ago, 2cvspecial said: I drove an early one . hated it . hateful things the early ones. This is a 19.360 with the straight 6 speed ZF auto. Not fast, but it's more than half a tonne heavier than the equivalent VDL Futura 2 and can outrun one of those off the line so it could be worse. 2cvspecial and Eyersey1234 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 On 1/2/2022 at 8:33 PM, cms206 said: I spend most of my working week on Scotland's Nuclear Riviera and have frequently passed the two Plaxton Supremes still lying all but derelict in the Peace Camp. One is FIL 8678 which is a full size Supreme IV Bedford, but the other, a short wheel base example, doesn't have a visible ID from the road - I can't really go poking around the peace camp for employment reasons! Just unearthed photos of it taken pretty recently and ran it's ID... it turns out that it's OIB 1084, making it the former GHH 256N - the very first "Panorama Supreme" built on a Bristol LHS, new to Yeowarts of Whitehaven back in 1974 after it's debut on the Plaxton stand at the 1974 Commercial Motor Show. Should just ask them, they're usually fairly chatty; I've given a few lifts into Helensburgh over the years. It's not a lifestyle for those who don't like smelling of smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 30 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said: Should just ask them, they're usually fairly chatty; I've given a few lifts into Helensburgh over the years. It's not a lifestyle for those who don't like smelling of smoke. I work in both bases, oddly enough the powers that be are not that keen that we fraternise with the peace campers! somewhatfoolish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyland Worldmaster Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Fuck me! BBC News article about a Bus Museum. Outside of London? OK... I almost spat my drink out just now! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-59827695.amp Yoss, Eyersey1234 and Vantman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 They do lots of articles outside of London although finding them isn't always easy as they seem to promote the same 5 all week. That one is particularly good though. Leyland Worldmaster 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyland Worldmaster Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 https://www.route-one.net/vehicles/first_drive_enviro200_astronic_lite/ Anyone familiar with the Arsetronic Box of Gears? 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willswitchengage Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Volvo's B5LHs have an automated manual in conjunction with the hybrid drive. As a passenger/pedestrian listening to on riding on the things, I actually really like them. Make a nice sound changing gear. I believe they use the electric motor in lieu of a harsh start on the clutch as they usually set off with the engine off, which then cuts in where second or third gear usually would. Gear changes at driving speeds feel really smooth although obviously they are quite long leading to a somewhat odd experience compared to normal bi. They are everywhere in London and the Wright bodywork is decent quality I find. There are Volvo own-brand SDs in Slough which look nice too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 27 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said: https://www.route-one.net/vehicles/first_drive_enviro200_astronic_lite/ Anyone familiar with the Arsetronic Box of Gears? 🤔 Fucking brainless bastard things. The clutch on the AST in the Enviromabob is good for less than 200k. We've a solitary AST Irizar and a pair of AST VDL Futura 2s. They're all fucking brainless too. The Volvo iShift is leagues ahead. somewhatfoolish, rml2345 and Leyland Worldmaster 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyland Worldmaster Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 14 minutes ago, cms206 said: Fucking brainless bastard things. The clutch on the AST in the Enviromabob is good for less than 200k. We've a solitary AST Irizar and a pair of AST VDL Futura 2s. They're all fucking brainless too. The Volvo iShift is leagues ahead. Oh fuck. That will really* increase the reliability* and driving experience! Thankyou for answering my question! 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Like all good Volkswagens, my daily MAN threw on it's EML, ABS and ESP warnings, the latter two disabling the retarder. No retarder means my four times daily trip over the A817 becomes somewhat hairy, so it's spent today in the workshop. We are on the bones of our arses for coaches due to extra work, so today's chariot was this 2006 DAF SB4000 which was pensioned off to the school bus fleet along with my old 2008 B12B back in November. Tomorrow I'm on local schools with a 2010 Volvo B12M 74-seater. Allegedly. LightBulbFun and Eyersey1234 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 4 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said: Oh fuck. That will really* increase the reliability* and driving experience! Thankyou for answering my question! 😎 I've used AS Tronic 'boxes in quite a few chassis and believe it or not, the only PSV application I've ever known it to actually work - and work well - was in the Iveco EuroRider. Ironic really because it was the only bit of that EuroRider that actually did work well. catsinthewelder and Eyersey1234 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 56 minutes ago, cms206 said: I've used AS Tronic 'boxes in quite a few chassis and believe it or not, the only PSV application I've ever known it to actually work - and work well - was in the Iveco EuroRider. Ironic really because it was the only bit of that EuroRider that actually did work well. I've heard EuroRiders are not particularly reliable, though a local operator to me had about 5 at one point after they were told to update their fleet, they had a R reg, 02 reg, 54 reg and 2x 55 reg. How many vehicles do Marbill's have @cms206? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 57 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said: I've heard EuroRiders are not particularly reliable, though a local operator to me had about 5 at one point after they were told to update their fleet, they had a R reg, 02 reg, 54 reg and 2x 55 reg. How many vehicles do Marbill's have @cms206? We ran a couple of Plaxton Euroriders at my last employer, an 07 and a 12-plate. The 07 never, ever went wrong. The 12-plate had constant adblue faults. Horses for courses really, I always really liked them to drive. Marbill... aye. Plenty! 56 if my maths is right. 6 mini/midibuses (one Transit, one Sprinter, one Mercedes Vario, three Temsa MD9), 7 double deckers (all Plaxton President-bodied Dennis Tridents), 14 70+ seat coaches (four Volvo/Plaxton, ten Bova Futura), 6 70*-seat school buses (all Volvo/Alexander service buses, two 60 seaters, four 70s), 23 coaches (two DAF/Van Hool, four DAF/Irizar, one Bova Futura, two Volvo/Plaxton, one Volvo/Van Hool, one MAN/Beulas, seven VDL Futura 2, five Temsa Safari HD) plus about eight or nine Volvos of various shapes and sizes under canabalisation. Eyersey1234 and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 16 hours ago, cms206 said: We ran a couple of Plaxton Euroriders at my last employer, an 07 and a 12-plate. The 07 never, ever went wrong. The 12-plate had constant adblue faults. Horses for courses really, I always really liked them to drive. Marbill... aye. Plenty! 56 if my maths is right. 6 mini/midibuses (one Transit, one Sprinter, one Mercedes Vario, three Temsa MD9), 7 double deckers (all Plaxton President-bodied Dennis Tridents), 14 70+ seat coaches (four Volvo/Plaxton, ten Bova Futura), 6 70*-seat school buses (all Volvo/Alexander service buses, two 60 seaters, four 70s), 23 coaches (two DAF/Van Hool, four DAF/Irizar, one Bova Futura, two Volvo/Plaxton, one Volvo/Van Hool, one MAN/Beulas, seven VDL Futura 2, five Temsa Safari HD) plus about eight or nine Volvos of various shapes and sizes under canabalisation. Quite a few then. We have around 270 vehicles, midi buses are ADL E200s both old style and MMC, single deckers are mostly Volvo with either Wright, Plaxton or MCV bodywork or ADL E200 or E300, double deckers are all either Volvo with Wright, ADL, Plaxton or MCV bodywork or ADL Enviro 400. Coaches are nearly all Volvo with either Caetano or Plaxton bodywork, the exception is a tri axle Mercedes and a double deck Volvo B5TLS, NX coaches are Scania chassis. We have a couple of heritage vehicles too, a Willowbrook bodied AEC Regent new to EY in 1956 and a Leyland PD2 with Park Royal bodywork cms206 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colino Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 As an ancient relic, I remember Marbill and their solitary bus being a crazy cheap way of going to Blackpool and back in a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 hours ago, colino said: As an ancient relic, I remember Marbill and their solitary bus being a crazy cheap way of going to Blackpool and back in a day. Maggie's still in charge over 40 years later. Very much a family run concern. colino, Eyersey1234 and chaseracer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 19 hours ago, cms206 said: Marbill... aye. Plenty! 56 if my maths is right. 6 mini/midibuses (one Transit, one Sprinter, one Mercedes Vario, three Temsa MD9), 7 double deckers (all Plaxton President-bodied Dennis Tridents), 14 70+ seat coaches (four Volvo/Plaxton, ten Bova Futura), 6 70*-seat school buses (all Volvo/Alexander service buses, two 60 seaters, four 70s), 23 coaches (two DAF/Van Hool, four DAF/Irizar, one Bova Futura, two Volvo/Plaxton, one Volvo/Van Hool, one MAN/Beulas, seven VDL Futura 2, five Temsa Safari HD) plus about eight or nine Volvos of various shapes and sizes under canabalisation. Knock an Irizar and the Volvo Plaxton off the coach list - one took the other out today on the A817, neither are apparantly likely to see the road again. catsinthewelder, 108, Eyersey1234 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 12 minutes ago, cms206 said: Knock an Irizar and the Volvo Plaxton off the coach list - one took the other out today on the A817, neither are apparantly likely to see the road again. Oops I hope nobody was hurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Eyersey1234 said: Oops I hope nobody was hurt Bruised and battered but both walked away. Thankfully both buses were empty. The A817 is a fast road normally but freezing conditions, heavy snow and car drivers trying to do 3 point turns on a busy A-road buggered things up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 48 minutes ago, cms206 said: Bruised and battered but both walked away. Thankfully both buses were empty. The A817 is a fast road normally but freezing conditions, heavy snow and car drivers trying to do 3 point turns on a busy A-road buggered things up a bit. Aah I see. Glad to hear nobody was seriously hurt. I don't know the A817 but will have to look it up now as I'm a nosy git 🤣 cms206 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 11 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said: Aah I see. Glad to hear nobody was seriously hurt. I don't know the A817 but will have to look it up now as I'm a nosy git 🤣 It's not long - 8 miles or so - known as the Haul Road. Was built originally for access to RNAD Coulport. Eyersey1234 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 nxwm have been taking the electrickery out of the hybrids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 13 minutes ago, cms206 said: It's not long - 8 miles or so - known as the Haul Road. Was built originally for access to RNAD Coulport. I've looked it up, going by Google maps it looks like quite a nice road to drive down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 20 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said: I've looked it up, going by Google maps it looks like quite a nice road to drive down We're over it four times a day... can do it with my eyes shut! Dropped pinhttps://maps.app.goo.gl/BBgV8Nns6FVe71aG8 This was the scene. Google doesn't really convey the road itself at that point; it's marked a 40mph bend, and it really is a 40 at the very maximum. They were A82 bound, it's a very steep drop onto a 40mph right hander. 95% of the rest of the road can be done flat out* but that bit... no. (*50mph, officer) Eyersey1234 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 7 minutes ago, cms206 said: We're over it four times a day... can do it with my eyes shut! Dropped pinhttps://maps.app.goo.gl/BBgV8Nns6FVe71aG8 This was the scene. Google doesn't really convey the road itself at that point; it's marked a 40mph bend, and it really is a 40 at the very maximum. They were A82 bound, it's a very steep drop onto a 40mph right hander. 95% of the rest of the road can be done flat out* but that bit... no. (*50mph, officer) I see what you mean that is a tight bend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoss Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I clicked on the link above and started following the road. Turns out RNAD Coulport scores 4 out of 5 from 15 reviews on Google! Who is reviewing the top secret nuclear warhead storage facility and what criteria exactly are they reviewing? rml2345, Crackers, cms206 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, Yoss said: I clicked on the link above and started following the road. Turns out RNAD Coulport scores 4 out of 5 from 15 reviews on Google! Who is reviewing the top secret nuclear warhead storage facility and what criteria exactly are they reviewing? From my experience it's not the fucking catering, anyway. Yoss 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dyslexic Viking Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Here are some old bus pictures from Norway Dan302, artdjones, busmansholiday and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 8 hours ago, cms206 said: Bruised and battered but both walked away. Thankfully both buses were empty. The A817 is a fast road normally but freezing conditions, heavy snow and car drivers trying to do 3 point turns on a busy A-road buggered things up a bit. WTF? That road is certainly a venue for making progress, weather permitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colino Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 The 817 was built as a temporary access road and was going to be ripped up by the MOD after a couple of years when they were finished with it. Good sense saw that overturned but confused the MOD who thought wasting public money was part of their DNA. cms206 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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