Bus Shite

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, Crackers said:

I highly doubt they got swapped. After all, a chassis number is exactly that - the unique* ID of the chassis. In terms of the chassis alone, the body and registration plate it wears are completely irrelevant.

Changing the chassis plate from one chassis to another would create an administrative nightmare, not only in tracking which mechanical parts had received what maintenance, but also in a world before electronic data storage imagine how much paperwork would be involved in arranging, monitoring and recalling all the chassis back to the workshop at the correct interval.

I just checked up as it's a long time since I read the info. Apparently they did swap chassis plates so the chassis number matched the vehicle logbook. But the first time an overhaul was done an extra chassis plate was riveted on that stayed with that chassis for good. So they were able to keep track of what was going on. I presume they had permission for all this, although LT , as I said above, were a law into themselves.

Fuller details here 

http://red-rf.com/lt operations - general/overhauls.aspx

[Leyland Worldmaster]

18 minutes ago, HarmonicCheeseburger said:

Are First Manchester double deckers shit, or was the one in front of me sounding like it was at 5000rpm doing 15mph a wee bit fucked?

pic for reference. 

Cooling fan stuck on high speed? 🤔 Similar vehicles had the same problem at  work; also the B7TL did not meet TfL noise level specifications for a while which is why more ADL Enviro 400 buses were sold. 🤓

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Just now, HarmonicCheeseburger said:

Driver seems to be really struggling to get above 15mph.  

Oh. Sorry, I may not have read your post properly. If they have had Exhaust Modifications for Euro 6, sometimes this can cause Derate. 

Difficult to say without being there! 👍 👍 👍 😎 😎 😎 

[cms206]

14 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

@cms206 - I saw yon Marbill's bus again. Blame the forum software for the photograph. I didn't manage to get the registration plate either.

Looks like it's got all it's nearside wheeltrims so likely WA10 ENH with Gilbert.

[cms206]

Jumping puddles today with one of the tiny Turkish Temsa trio.

My MAN is off for MOT now but spares availability may mean I lose it for a couple of weeks - it's 6 years and 3 1/2 months old 😳

[Eyersey1234]

3 hours ago, cms206 said:

Jumping puddles today with one of the tiny Turkish Temsa trio.

My MAN is off for MOT now but spares availability may mean I lose it for a couple of weeks - it's 6 years and 3 1/2 months old 😳

We are having parts availability issues with both the Scanias and Volvos that we run, one of the Scanias was off the road for weeks awaiting a steering rack. 

[cms206]

0

16 hours ago, Eyersey1234 said:

We are having parts availability issues with both the Scanias and Volvos that we run, one of the Scanias was off the road for weeks awaiting a steering rack. 

It's bodywork is our issue with the MAN; the wiper linkage is completely fucked and seems to be NLA, even through the usual sources like Moseley and Transervex. The last windscreen it needed took nine weeks to arrive. The flap in the bottom of the toilet bowl is pneumatic, it's been on back order for about fifteen weeks. Parts for the seats are NLA and probably 50% of them are now locked upright because the rams are burst due to heavy handed passengers. The fuel tank has started to go porous so it was planned to replace it before MOT, but it's been on back order since November so it's being pulled out and sent for repair.

It's not limited to mine, but the Beulas bodywork doesn't help; we've two VDL Futura 2s off the road just now, a 66-plate's been off for nearly three weeks for the steering box to be reconditioned (none new available at present) while a 14-plate is getting it's third gearbox and gearbox wiring loom in two years; the gearbox for it came before the steering box and as a result the 66-plate is now waiting on a gearbox wiring loom too.

Scania are really, really bad just now; gearbox ECUs have been on back order for months, an operator near me has had an OmniLink? coach off the road for the guts of six months now and the ECUs cannot be reconditioned according to Alliance, OmniTech et al.

Our workshop foreman is tearing his hair out.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Any ideas at to what is causing these shortages? 

I could understand if the conversation was about older preserved vehicles, however the vehicles mentioned are relatively new! 

😱

[Eyersey1234]

4 hours ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

Any ideas at to what is causing these shortages? 

I could understand if the conversation was about older preserved vehicles, however the vehicles mentioned are relatively new! 

😱

Combination of B***it and a certain virus that has apparently been in circulation for the last 2 years 

[Eyersey1234]

5 hours ago, cms206 said:

0

It's bodywork is our issue with the MAN; the wiper linkage is completely fucked and seems to be NLA, even through the usual sources like Moseley and Transervex. The last windscreen it needed took nine weeks to arrive. The flap in the bottom of the toilet bowl is pneumatic, it's been on back order for about fifteen weeks. Parts for the seats are NLA and probably 50% of them are now locked upright because the rams are burst due to heavy handed passengers. The fuel tank has started to go porous so it was planned to replace it before MOT, but it's been on back order since November so it's being pulled out and sent for repair.

It's not limited to mine, but the Beulas bodywork doesn't help; we've two VDL Futura 2s off the road just now, a 66-plate's been off for nearly three weeks for the steering box to be reconditioned (none new available at present) while a 14-plate is getting it's third gearbox and gearbox wiring loom in two years; the gearbox for it came before the steering box and as a result the 66-plate is now waiting on a gearbox wiring loom too.

Scania are really, really bad just now; gearbox ECUs have been on back order for months, an operator near me has had an OmniLink? coach off the road for the guts of six months now and the ECUs cannot be reconditioned according to Alliance, OmniTech et al.

Our workshop foreman is tearing his hair out.

The bonnet release on some of our Levante 3 Scanias has failed and they have had to do a bodge repair on them because the cables are impossible to get. 

[martc]

Labelled as - 'The Percival family stand proudly with there new 32 seater, six cylinder Leyland coach outside Lodge Percival's Big Shop in Gunnerside in 1932'.

[busmansholiday]

Ooooppps, somebody's bollocks may shortly be removed.

Should have been £810 !!!  Somebody spotted it this am and told me. I'm down often enough....

[martc]

Here's another of Precival's coaches, this one is at Tan Hill. I have no other details, the clothing looks like late '20's/early '30's. No idea what the coach is, could it be a Bedford?

[willswitchengage]

On 3/17/2022 at 9:31 PM, Leyland Worldmaster said:

Cooling fan stuck on high speed? 🤔 Similar vehicles had the same problem at  work; also the B7TL did not meet TfL noise level specifications for a while which is why more ADL Enviro 400 buses were sold. 🤓

I remember the cooling fans on them being a nightmare, complete deterrent to using them as a passenger. Harrogate Buses used to have them all on deafening mode but when I moved to Birmingham shortly afterwards they had very few with the mega cooling fan noise. Don't think I've ever heard another bus with such an unnecessarily loud system. Tridents never seemed to make any noise at all.

[Inspector Morose]

Over at Hereford last week, I'd forgotten that DRM had these things on bus service:

Fairly normal over in Europeland but I think only a few operators ran tri-axle Scania buses over here.

[Inspector Morose]

Still in Hereford, how can this be classed as attractive to the travelling public these days?

[martc]

This is just titled 'Cardiff'. From the late 60's or early 70's I would guess.

[rml2345]

Alexander bodied Guy Arab V, a popular combination at Cardiff. 

[artdjones]

2 hours ago, martc said:

This is just titled 'Cardiff'. From the late 60's or early 70's I would guess.

Somewhere over by the East Moors steelworks. The big building in the right background is Spiller's flour mill, where my father worked years before I was born. He worked as a conductor on the buses from 1956 to 67, and it's not impossible that he's on that bus, as they were delivered in 1966, and it looks quite new. They were great buses, I think Cardiff were almost the only buyers for 27 foot Arab Vs. And the later batches had semi-automatic gearboxes   which was also fairly unusual on these.

[artdjones]

That's some of the other buses around the early 70s. Cardiff had a lot of East Lancs stuff over the years up to the Alexander Arabs in the mid 60s, but they used almost every chassis make available.Bristol Ks, Crossleys, Regent 3s,Arab lVs, Leyland PD2s and 3s, Daimlers, Regent Vs and Bridgemasters. Once rear engines came in they standardised on the Fleetline, one of which can  be seen in the new orange livery, and later the Bristol VR.  Of course,  there were also wonderful double and single deck BUT trolleys as well.

[Metal Guru]

On 17/03/2022 at 20:19, Yoss said:

What a fabulously useful vehicle. Four seats and a bunk bed for a touring holiday or if you just need to go and pick a car up you can. Indeed, we could drive the Škoda to Norway then stick it in the back and drive the bus/Škoda combo home. Perfect. And £3k seems a bargain. 

Put some minis in the back and steal some gold from Italy.

[cms206]

Today's horse, with no prizes given for the former owner; this one and it's sister BVS have only been on fleet for a couple of weeks and were supposed to be painted by now but vehicle shortages saw that idea sidelined for the time being.

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, cms206 said:

Today's horse, with no prizes given for the former owner; this one and it's sister BVS have only been on fleet for a couple of weeks and were supposed to be painted by now but vehicle shortages saw that idea sidelined for the time being.

Looks like the ones that Smith's have that were bought fae Stagecoach. Andy's are the longer ones though, plus the 3+2 layout.

[cms206]

Long day today, two schools this morning, day trip to that Edinburgh then back through for a workers run in and out tonight. 

Had a choice of two buses this morning (luxury!) and one was a DAF, so it's the turn of the other Elcock Volvo today.

[big_al_granvia]

will marbill be buying from keenan's fire sale for school work

[cms206]

37 minutes ago, big_al_granvia said:

will marbill be buying from keenan's fire sale for school work

Absolutely not. We've picked up a couple of their runs but other than that it's best left alone.

[big_al_granvia]

saw them at prestwick academy

[Noel Tidybeard]

1 hour ago, cms206 said:

Long day today, two schools this morning, day trip to that Edinburgh then back through for a workers run in and out tonight. 

Had a choice of two buses this morning (luxury!) and one was a DAF, so it's the turn of the other Elcock Volvo today.

at least this one hasn't got cock piss partridge on the front panel like bvt!🤣

[cms206]

School trip was back bang on time so instructions were to return to the ranch to swap to a minibus for the Vale of Leven works run tonight, so a wee stint in the Sprinter makes a nice change.

[busmansholiday]

March 26th, was a Sunday back in 1972 and is a day inevitably etched in my mind, as it was the day the last trolleybus system in the UK, at Bradford, closed for good.

We'll start a year or so earlier, when a number of us went to Bradford to travel on the last rear entrance trolleybuses as they were being withdrawn because there were enough forward entrance ones for the remaining services.

A tour had been organised using two vehicles EKU745, a 1949 BUT 9611T with Roe H33/25R bodywork,

and FKU758, a 1951 BUT 9611T but with Weymann H33/26R bodywork.

Amazingly, out of the people in this shot I can still identify, only Alan, facing the camera far left, isn't still around. Alan was one of the main people behind the preservation of ex Sheffield AEC Regent V / Alexander 874, and died of cancer just before Xmas last year.

 

So that fateful day, and a number of us from Sheffield met up early to travel to Bradford on this, ex Sheffield JOC 1330, 6330WJ, a 1960 AEC Regent V with Roe bodywork that had recently been purchased by a group of friends. They had actually bought this as a swap, as down in Kent ex Sheffield 116, a 1952 AEC Regent III with Roe bodywork was still in service on school runs and a deal had been done to acquire it on the condition the operator got a newer replacement bus.  When 1330 became surplus a few years later it was repurchased and returned north for preservation.

So Bradford then, there were a number of tours organised to mark the event and the one I went on used this, DKY706, a 1945 Karrier W that had been rebodied by East Lancs in 1960 with a forward entrance body.

The other vehicle on our tour was this, FWW375, a 1950 Sunbeam F4 that was new to Mexborough and Swinton, with a single deck body but was rebodied in 1962 by East Lancs as a doubledecker.

Their were a fair few trolleybuses out that day on tours as these views show (nice Simca sneaking in the shot).

FWX913 was another rebodied ex M&S vehicle

There was a final tour in the afternoon with civic dignities on. We managed to get in front of the tour with 1330.

Quite a chodtastic line up behind 844, another ex M&S vehicle.

A lot of people gathered at Thornbury depot for the end, here's a few shots in B&W and colour..

Note the late registration madness

And that was that. Diesel buses replaced trolleybuses. Then a year later the fuel crisis hit and people started looking for alternative ways of powering vehicles.  Progress.