Bus Shite

[Asimo]

14 hours ago, jon.k said:

 

Paramount on Ebay in Autoshite colours.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386179397473

 

[Yoss]

On 10/10/2023 at 20:03, SunnySouth said:

For the London lickers, bonus shot of a former Go Ahead London Optare pressed straight into service with Blue Star in Southampton; currently a bit of a vehicle shortage going on after mopping up all the former First work. The fleetnames had been changed by the time I took this (they weren’t initially), but it’s still got a TFL ad emblazoned down the side of it. Picture’s shoite but you get the idea!

 

Bonus bonus shot of a Southern Vectis machine, complete with “CBA to peel the fleetnames off” spec (alternatively; “They’re having it back” spec), also propping up the Southampton empire. Other far flung donors of exotic machinery include Swindon, Salisbury and Poole.

The Southern Vectis buses will be temporary so they won't bother with fleet names. It has happened ever since Solent Blue Line started in 1987. They were started as a subsidiary of Southern Vectis. In the early days when Citybus were running Routemasters they even sent some of their Bristol Lodekkas over in the winter when they weren't needed on the Island.

But now they are all Go Ahead temporary bus swapping happens quite regularly. I saw a Salisbury Red (formerly Wilts & Dorset) bus in Shirley last week. This was more amusing before First Bus pulled out because they had rebranded Southampton as City Reds and then Blue Star are running a bus branded Salisbury Reds and looking quite similar, just a slightly darker red.

[Zelandeth]

Looks like the somewhat infamous Bain's Coaches as folks from Aberdeenshire will be used to seeing chugging around in a cloud of smoke relying on structural zip ties finally had their reputation catch up with them.

Linky

They always had serious issues with even the simplest of paperwork when I had to deal with them 10+ years ago, so there's nothing in that report which surprises me in the slightest sadly.

Was somewhat staggered last time I was in the area to see their absolute shed of a BMC still on the road looking even *more* shonky than when I left the area in 2013.  I expected it to have been long since in a scrap yard.

[Daviemck2006]

4 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Looks like the somewhat infamous Bain's Coaches as folks from Aberdeenshire will be used to seeing chugging around in a cloud of smoke relying on structural zip ties finally had their reputation catch up with them.

Linky

They always had serious issues with even the simplest of paperwork when I had to deal with them 10+ years ago, so there's nothing in that report which surprises me in the slightest sadly.

Was somewhat staggered last time I was in the area to see their absolute shed of a BMC still on the road looking even *more* shonky than when I left the area in 2013.  I expected it to have been long since in a scrap yard.

I think they used to use structural chewing gum holding bits together too. They never looked the most attractive or dependable vehicles around when I was driving buses and coaches back in the early noughtys. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

[artdjones]

On 10/10/2023 at 19:56, SunnySouth said:

 

Thought this was a rather pleasing contrast, spotted at Rownhams services recently. Brand spanky new thing meets proper thing

In fairness to Xelabus, their livery is very pleasing!

Great, no turquoise and cerise swirls.

[SunnySouth]

31 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Great, no turquoise and cerise swirls.

 

[martc]

The loco is heading for Ottery St Mary / Sidmouth Junction (now called Feniton), in the village of Tipton St John. It will have come from either Sidmouth or Exmouth/Budleigh Salterton/Otterton. Great photographic composition. But what is the coach?

[EyesWeldedShut]

7 minutes ago, martc said:

The loco is heading for Ottery St Mary / Sidmouth Junction (now called Feniton), in the village of Tipton St John. It will have come from either Sidmouth or Exmouth/Budleigh Salterton/Otterton. Great photographic composition. But what is the coach?

Devon General AEC Reliance - possibly VDV793 (if that's 793 on the side)
Similar one here:
https://www.dgot.org.uk/our-vehicles/1957-aec-reliance-vdv798-2/

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

On 12/10/2023 at 16:32, Zelandeth said:

Linky

Makes fun* reading, Bains claim software problems - maybe a bit like the Traffic Commissioners' spell checker?

The MOT failure rate was twice the national average and safety critical defects were being identified at test, which indicated the preventative maitnenance regime was poor.
It's a sad read though - maybe Bain did get a bit more off piste in his later years but it sounds like the operation was already in cowboy territory before that? Greed, laziness or ineptitude?

Greed: our local milk tanker and heavy haulage guys got similar treatment a few years back. Owners were also barred from holding company directorships and were fined £500,000 at criminal court -  for falsifying maintenance sheets with some minor drivers' hours breaches.

 

 

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Makes fun* reading, Bains claim software problems - maybe a bit like the Traffic Commissioners' spell checker?

The MOT failure rate was twice the national average and safety critical defects were being identified at test, which indicated the preventative maitnenance regime was poor.
It's a sad read though - maybe Bain did get a bit more off piste in his later years but it sounds like the operation was already in cowboy territory before that? Greed, laziness or ineptitude?

Greed: our local milk tanker and heavy haulage guys got similar treatment a few years back. Owners were also barred from holding company directorships and were fined £500,000 at criminal court -  for falsifying maintenance sheets with some minor drivers' hours breaches.

 

 

I think they just never kept up with the times.  They were always a bit of a cowboy outfit I reckon, but as the world changed around them into the 90s and beyond they just never kept up.  Dougie wasn't a bad guy to talk to, but always did strike me as the sort of guy who would never be told how to do something.  Vehicles got more complex, record keeping became more onerous etc.  I definitely noticed things seeming to get visibly more disorganised as the move was made from paper to digital tachos.

On the maintenance perspective they probably didn't do themselves any favours with their taste for newer low end vehicles from the likes of King Long and BMC rather than sticking with older but probably actually easier to live with for a smaller outfit, buses.  A little outfit like that is likely to be looking for a fair few bits and pieces on the second hand market, not helpful when there isn't one.

I don't think they meant any wrong, but the world changed and they didn't.  I hadn't realised his wife had passed away, that's sad to hear as she did play a big part in the business and always came across as a lovely person.  Usually at least knew what you were asking about when you spoke to her too.

The thing which always stuck in my mind from an admin perspective though was when they were running contracts for us and it came to be time for the invoices to be sent in, and they were contacting me to ask what price they had quoted to operate it... usually after I'd chased them already for the invoices three or four times.

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

[Joey spud]

Some M+D goodness,from my deceased local operator.

[EyesWeldedShut]

 

MSD 358; fleet number NT1494, is a 1959 Bristol MW6G, one of 52 with Alexander C41F bodies built for Western SMT. They remained in service until 1977:: https://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/?p=29225

In 1974 my family relocated to near Stranraer and were confronted by one of these as the local bus services out to the villages. The driver opened the doors using a big wooden handle/lever arrangement that captivated me & my brother (simple things etc.).
It must have been fun* pushing one all the way down to Manchester
 

[Metal Guru]

4 hours ago, Joey spud said:

Some M+D goodness,my deceased local operator.

I remember going to school on M+D buses in the 70s.

[cms206]

On 15/10/2023 at 20:40, EyesWeldedShut said:

 

MSD 358; fleet number NT1494, is a 1959 Bristol MW6G, one of 52 with Alexander C41F bodies built for Western SMT. They remained in service until 1977:: https://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/?p=29225

In 1974 my family relocated to near Stranraer and were confronted by one of these as the local bus services out to the villages. The driver opened the doors using a big wooden handle/lever arrangement that captivated me & my brother (simple things etc.).
It must have been fun* pushing one all the way down to Manchester
 

NT1494 of course designating an Ardrossan-based Bristol single decker. Because AB1494 was too easy (and Ayr was A, B was... something else).

 

Almost as clear as Eastern Scottish, where Bristol was A and AEC was B.

 

Scottish Bus Group fleet numbering codes as a whole was just a clusterfuck, with Western offering MR as a Thornliebank (M) allocated Daimler, the former Alexander companies designating all Leyland Leopards as PE, and Eastern's frankly outstanding XCMM147A, a fleet number longer than it's sodding registration.

[EyesWeldedShut]

6 hours ago, cms206 said:

NT1494 of course designating an Ardrossan-based Bristol single decker. Because AB1494 was too easy (and Ayr was A, B was... something else).

 

Almost as clear as Eastern Scottish, where Bristol was A and AEC was B.

 

Scottish Bus Group fleet numbering codes as a whole was just a clusterfuck, with Western offering MR as a Thornliebank (M) allocated Daimler, the former Alexander companies designating all Leyland Leopards as PE, and Eastern's frankly outstanding XCMM147A, a fleet number longer than it's sodding registration.

Impression I got down in Stranraer was that all the older stock used to filter South after a few years of school runs around Ayrshire. We'd often be on a 1950's vintage bus twice a day to school - and that doubled as the 'service bus' at 8am and 4pm.
There was an influx of new Leopards around 1977 with some sort of gated gearchange on the steering column. Us, easily captivated farm boys, would spend the whole trip stood around the driver's position oggling the gearchange. Weird what amused you - that and endless Top Trumps. 
 

[jon.k]

4 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

 sort of gated gearchange on the steering column. Us, easily captivated farm boys, would spend the whole trip stood around the driver's position oggling the gearchange. Weird what amused you - that and endless Top Trumps. 
 

I vividly remember this. The driver casually slicking between gears in a clapped out 30 ye old Atlantean which was weeks from scrap (maybe VR? Would they have the same shift?) with a gang of lads looking at him as if he was some kind of driving god.

[EyesWeldedShut]

10 minutes ago, jon.k said:

I vividly remember this. The driver casually slicking between gears in a clapped out 30 ye old Atlantean which was weeks from scrap (maybe VR? Would they have the same shift?) with a gang of lads looking at him as if he was some kind of driving god.

Don't forget the guy would have had a mullet, lapped up the attention and, twenty years later, became my brother-in-law (sans mullet).
I guess these days kids are all face down in their phones (maybe a digital Top Trumps but, thinking about my puberty, Top Tits more likely)

[Volksy]

 

I also remember being enthralled with these!

[High Jetter]

I have to admit, now I've seen exactly what you mean, I was kind of fascinated watching these being used. I think they were on the 60's buses Southdown used, with a bi-fold hydraulic(?) door

[wesacosa]

 

more retro memories

That Atlantean cab brings back memories but the ones in Hull had the pedestal mounted gear shift.  I ended up with a gear shifter and drivers seat when I was about 11 or 12 as dad's mate worked on the buses and got me them from the spares yard.  wish id kept them 

 

[cms206]

On 10/10/2023 at 14:36, cms206 said:

This trip's London update will come with a few changes as I'm moving garages next week; my last shift at Bow is tomorrow on an all evening turn on the 425.

I did manage to tick off another few of Bow's Enviro 400s, somewhat sullied by having had 11366 with no retarder the last few nights which isn't ideal on busy corridors with regular standing loads but there you go.

 

Full update next week.

London update: this all turned to shit.

I am on a more or less day to day basis at Bow for the time being as my new garage are awaiting a gap in their training schedule to squeeze me in for vehicle familliarisation.

My home garage today made contact and stated that they have too many drivers now, so would I mind terribly just not coming home?

After a bit of a mad scramble I now have accomodation sorted out but at the minute I have no garage to work from; this will be tomorrow's quandry.

 

My next scheduled shift north of the border? January.

[Joey spud]

21 hours ago, Volksy said:

 

I also remember being enthralled with these!

As a kid I was also fascinated by the gearboxes on the 60's and 70's Atlantans I rode to school on.

On a group for ex M+D staff there was a discussion going on about how various garages notably Gravesend and Tunbridge Wells had the ability to quickly trash a bus whereas an identical bus elsewhere in the county (Gillingham/Maidstone) would run reliably with just routine maintenance.

Various old hands came forward  defending their garages drivers and fitters competence which led to someone posting up this interesting image of how to correctly drive a bus with a pneumocyclic gearbox. 

From what I remember most of the school bus drivers would just flick through the gate with barely a lift of the throttle pedal only a few would genuinely pause and lift between changes.

[big_al_granvia]

9 hours ago, cms206 said:

London update: this all turned to shit.

I am on a more or less day to day basis at Bow for the time being as my new garage are awaiting a gap in their training schedule to squeeze me in for vehicle familliarisation.

My home garage today made contact and stated that they have too many drivers now, so would I mind terribly just not coming home?

After a bit of a mad scramble I now have accomodation sorted out but at the minute I have no garage to work from; this will be tomorrow's quandry.

 

My next scheduled shift north of the border? January.

They might send you to Ayrshire lol

[cort1977]

Saw this in Houston TX, far from home and dubious windscreen added.

[MiniMinorMk3]

[martc]

Station Road, Sidcup 1982.