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Thinking of hydraulic braked buses that are not thought of having hydraulic brakes (yup, king of the niche subject, me), how about these three?

IMG_1446.jpeg.33e6bb3b6c2e3d574bda567a1ee9ebc3.jpeg

This is GCN3N, one of a triple of Ailsas bought by Tyne and Wear PTE very early on in the models production (GCN 1-3N). What made these of note was the fitting of Lockheed power hydraulic braking from new instead of the standard air system. Quite why these three, why Tyne and Wear, or why no others were ever made is something that is a mite perplexing. 

Were they experimental for a future option for London? Did TWPTE fancy paying with their own fluid braked buses? Whatever the reason, they didn’t last long and were sold off, spreading around the country, the different braking systems rapidly replaced with standard air brakes.

GCN2N was briefly preserved but unfortunately was sold on to become a crew dining bus for film work. It did get saved once again but the task to rebuild seemed too great for anyone to take on and it was scrapped a few years ago. Sad really, as they were the only three ever built. 

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46 minutes ago, Inspector Morose said:

Thinking of hydraulic braked buses that are not thought of having hydraulic brakes (yup, king of the niche subject, me), how about these three?

IMG_1446.jpeg.33e6bb3b6c2e3d574bda567a1ee9ebc3.jpeg

This is GCN3N, one of a triple of Ailsas bought by Tyne and Wear PTE very early on in the models production (GCN 1-3N). What made these of note was the fitting of Lockheed power hydraulic braking from new instead of the standard air system. Quite why these three, why Tyne and Wear, or why no others were ever made is something that is a mite perplexing. 

Were they experimental for a future option for London? Did TWPTE fancy paying with their own fluid braked buses? Whatever the reason, they didn’t last long and were sold off, spreading around the country, the different braking systems rapidly replaced with standard air brakes.

GCN2N was briefly preserved but unfortunately was sold on to become a crew dining bus for film work. It did get saved once again but the task to rebuild seemed too great for anyone to take on and it was scrapped a few years ago. Sad really, as they were the only three ever built. 

Didn't they enter service at about the same time as a "vehicle shortage" (that old euphemism) that resulted in T&W buying a load of ex Leeds Roe bodied Regent V back loaders that they simply painted a single yellow panel on each side and stuck the T&W symbol in.

I remember going up there for a long weekend with a load of mates at that time that involved bus spotting, drinking and shagg.....

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On 5/25/2023 at 8:16 AM, busmansholiday said:

A wet paper bag is structurally stronger than anything East Lancs put together.

One of Sheffield's East Lancs bodied VRs was involved in an accident with the roof support in Herries Road depot that resulted in the whole of the bodywork being distorted. They had to remove the whole lot down to the chassis before rebuilding it.

😯😯

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14 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Is this a bus?

IMG_3792.jpeg

No, it's a fucking pile of shite that should have been scrapped 35 years ago.

It's actually a Pacer, a Leyland National bus body on a freight chassis. Designed to be cheap (boy were they) and save branch lines (which they did). 

The most evil fucking thing ever invented, yes they were my local trains for over 20 years,if you've never traveled on one think yourself lucky.

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Just now, busmansholiday said:

No, it's a fucking pile of shite that should have been scrapped 35 years ago.

It's actually a Pacer, a Leyland National bus body on a freight chassis. Designed to be cheap (boy were they) and save branch lines (which they did). 

The most evil fucking thing ever invented, yes they were my local trains for over 20 years,if you've never traveled on one think yourself lucky.

I’m staying out of this one…

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30 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Is this a bus?

IMG_3792.jpeg

@busmansholiday, I thought of you as soon as I read this and wondered how long it would be before you responded.

9 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

No, it's a fucking pile of shite that should have been scrapped 35 years ago.

It's actually a Pacer, a Leyland National bus body on a freight chassis. Designed to be cheap (boy were they) and save branch lines (which they did). 

The most evil fucking thing ever invented, yes they were my local trains for over 20 years,if you've never traveled on one think yourself lucky.

I was not disappointed.

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Meanwhile, if you try the 150-ish miles from Glasgow to Aberdeen and are unwise enough to tangle with Stagecoach East Scotland, this happens...

(I was impressed he lasted 29 mins in Glenrothes bus station without something completely random and bizarre happening. Must've been the bam squad's day off.)

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Something a little unusual has come up for sale here. 1959 Ford Thames Trader used as a base for a Norwegian built bus. According to the seller, it has been in a film in 2008 and supposedly NRK (Norwegian BBC) has used it in Africa?

Galleribilde

Galleribilde

Galleribilde

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=77832493

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Went to the Wythall Transport Museum yesterday for their annual Bank Holiday do. Loads of resident buses plus some visitors, of which this was my favourite.

FLY755J.thumb.jpg.d8ccb284bb1b8ae88375c746a080094b.jpg

It's a Seddon Pennine IV with a big Perkins V8 in the front making awesome noises. Allegedly Seddon offered an air-cooled Deutz engine as an alternative but none were ever built. Fortunate really as the racket such a thing would make is unimaginable and it would have bankrupted any operator foolish enough to buy it with compensation claims from passengers it had deafened.

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22 minutes ago, martc said:

image.thumb.png.6bbfe52b5889f15d1aea5374aed11bb4.png

The Howard Hotel and the new Polytechnic building near Sheffields Midland Station, 1969.  Which is all very well, but what is the rather modern looking (for the time) coach?

And as an added bonus, the flat bed lorry has the looks of either a BMC or Commer, what do you think?

image.thumb.png.803c219fb75abece00cdcd9b765125d9.png

Coach is a Weymann Fanfare, research shows Sheffield ones used Leopard chassis.

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1 hour ago, martc said:

It is pretty, isn't it? Looks well ahead of its time for something launched in 1954.

Oxford diecast do a nice 1/76 model version too,

76WFA007_15687823-01e7-41a4-a345-abeeeaefb8ce.thumb.jpg.7d0dda5334b66e2a86c039de8ba1b9a2.jpg

 

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19 hours ago, martc said:

image.thumb.png.6bbfe52b5889f15d1aea5374aed11bb4.png

The Howard Hotel and the new Polytechnic building near Sheffields Midland Station, 1969.  Which is all very well, but what is the rather modern looking (for the time) coach?

And as an added bonus, the flat bed lorry has the looks of either a BMC or Commer, what do you think?

image.thumb.png.803c219fb75abece00cdcd9b765125d9.png

Actually the first batch were officially designated by Leyland as PSUC Specials, basically a Tiger Cub chassis that they put the 0.600 engine rather than the usual 0.400 engine. Leyland fitted the bigger engine to cope better with the hills around Sheffield before offering them to the open market as the Leopard chassis. The rest, as they say is history. If you look back on this thread I've previously posted a few pics of these and the different batches that were purchased and their history.

 

Commer lorry.

 

Same view today.

 

Screenshot_2023-06-01-17-19-08-57_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.thumb.jpg.403172a59c8d219a26c59cad934c674d.jpg

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3 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Actually the first batch were officially designated by Leyland as PSUC Specials, basically a Tiger Cub chassis that they put the 0.600 engine rather than the usual 0.400 engine. Leyland fitted the bigger engine to cope better with the hills around Sheffield before offering them to the open market as the Leopard chassis. The rest, as they say is history. If you look back on this thread I've previously posted a few pics of these and the different batches that were purchased and their history.

 

Commer lorry.

 

Same view today.

 

 

Commer lorry wearing an invisibility cloak?

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On 5/31/2023 at 7:49 PM, martc said:

And as an added bonus, the flat bed lorry has the looks of either a BMC or Commer, what do you think?

image.thumb.png.803c219fb75abece00cdcd9b765125d9.png

 

17 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Commer lorry wearing an invisibility cloak?

Is it rude to quote myself? M'learned colleague busmansholiday was referring to my original question/guess...

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On 29/05/2023 at 20:36, Inspector Morose said:

I’m staying out of this one…

Okay, okay. I did write a bit about the class 140, the daddy of the pacer. Its an odd and rather convoluted tale so bear with..

https://mundaneonline992633965.wordpress.com/2021/09/

Thats where I put all of my writings on things public and transport, if you’re interested in a deeper peruse. It’s not well organised, one day I’ll sort it out so that it’s a bit better to navigate around. One day.

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image.thumb.png.685bab5c51d6dc4f7ed5068358711106.png

Drivers pose beside their motor buses at Cricklewood Garage, London, 1900. Anyone recognise the models, the one front right looks intriguing.

image.thumb.png.5bbc2fc108eed78a5d6627b07e100763.png

And here it is in 1937. This picture was accompanied with some details - 'NS-type bus, NS1319, stands midground right. Another NS-, and three STL-type buses, all seen in three-quarter rear nearside view, are visible in the background, with members of the garage staff at work in and around them'.

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On 02/06/2023 at 17:16, Inspector Morose said:

Okay, okay. I did write a bit about the class 140, the daddy of the pacer. Its an odd and rather convoluted tale so bear with..

https://mundaneonline992633965.wordpress.com/2021/09/

Thats where I put all of my writings on things public and transport, if you’re interested in a deeper peruse. It’s not well organised, one day I’ll sort it out so that it’s a bit better to navigate around. One day.

Some good stuff in your blogs, but the shitheap called the Willowbrook Spacecar was the 007 rather than 008. Trust me, I drove the AEC, Leopard and Bedford versions with that body in my NBC days and quite how they managed to make a decent handling chassis (OK I never rated Bedford's power steering and shit manual box) and totally make them shite was beyond anybody. They were affectionately known as "Tonkas" at our depot.

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