Bus Shite

[Saabnut]

Just had a call out of the blue from a good friend. In conversation he mentioned he recently bought this

 

He says the cable brakes make it "interesting" to drive but has said I can have a go next time I am down to see him!

[DVee8]

[Dyslexic Viking]

Something has come up for sale in Norway that might be interesting?

2003 Volvo B12M  with almost 19 meters length.

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=328725122

[Inspector Morose]

1939 Ragheno bodied Brossel 6DS of the Brussels fleet. Apparently hidden away until 1950 before being used in service. 15 of these were built and lasted until 1964. Now at the Museum of urban transport in Brussels (well worth the visit if you're in that neck of the woods).

[Remspoor]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Something has come up for sale in Norway that might be interesting?

2003 Volvo B12M  with almost 19 meters length.

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=328725122

If Autoshite had a camper van conversion!

[martc]

Worswick Street bus station NuT, 1981. Don't worry, no-one got run over.

[willswitchengage]

On 18/11/2023 at 09:20, The Old Bloke Next Door said:

Because of the backlog of orders for electric bus charging kit delaying the new NXWM buses entering service, some have already been built for 6 months.

Yardley Wood garage have had to keep Tridents running longer than originally planned. Veteran 4393 now the last remaining 2002 vehicle in the fleet passed a fresh mot  yesterday (with no advisories).

Here it is at seven years old.

Those early Tridents are peak bus in my opinion. They sound badass and the front axles say SPICER on them, which is very cool.

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

An awesome decker compared to anything else on the fleet when they were first into service at Walsall. Fast, quiet, no rattles, great heaters, ice cold air-con. 

Last year, parked up awaiting departure  time after a change over, St. Pauls, Walsall.

[martc]

This looks like a British coaching party stranded abroad. The old fella is probably telling them how to do it/they are not doing it properly. Princess Anne seems to be enjoying herself and the lad in red is ready to go, demonstrated by rolling his sleeves up, but not actually doing anything (the youth, eh?).

Any idea what the coach is?

[cms206]

A handful from yesterday's Ensignbus running day at Lakeside.

[Inspector Morose]

Many moons ago, I managed to capture JEV when it was owned by Fords of Althorne. By the look of the roof vents, the AC was AWOL.

[cms206]

2 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

Many moons ago, I managed to capture JEV when it was owned by Fords of Althorne. By the look of the roof vents, the AC was AWOL.

A fine performer. Would have passed for a 10 year old coach never mind 40 (!).

 

Merc V8/Allison. Grunty.

[Yoss]

Love the Metropolitan. The only time I've ever been on one it was operated by Billingshurst Coaches on a rail replacement job from Littlehampton to somewhere else along the coast, possibly Chichester. Possibly the only service bus I've ever been on that was carrying a spare wheel in the passenger area. Also had no internal drivers door and was just looking generally sorry for for itself. Which was a shame because that's all I remember about it rather than what it was actually like. 

 

Amazingly, a quick Google came up with this. 

Says it was taken in March 1986 which would probably have been around about the same time we had it as we were coming back from Hastings as the Hastings line lost its diesel units in May of that year and we were making frequent visits to make the most of them. 

[martc]

NuT. Bleak.

[busmansholiday]

On 28/11/2023 at 10:57, Joey spud said:

This sad looking Fleetline that had been hit and then shunted against a wall back in 1978 was posted on a site recently.

The story goes it was hit by a reversing fuel tanker. It was never repaired and got scrapped as it was due for withdrawal anyway.

Surely as a twelve year old bus couldn't this have been a viable repair ?

Back then, buses were designed for a 12 year service life so any accident affecting it around that age would result it in being scrapped.

[cms206]

On my week's holiday so doing my tallies. Current score at Barking, ones with asterisks are since the last update

 Enviro 400MMC

*10310*, *10312*, *10313*, *10315*, 10319, *10320*, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328, *10350*

Enviro 400MMC Hybrid

12399, *12400*, *12403*, *12404*

Enviro 400 'Classic'

10174, *10175*, *10178*, *10179*, *10181*, *19764*, 19773, *19774*, 19775, *19776*, 19783, *19784*, *19852*, *19854*

Enviro 200MMC

36632, *36636*, *36637*, 36638, *36639*, *36640*, *36658*, *36663*,  *36661*, *36669*

Enviro 200 'Classic'

*36363*

 

Two more weeks in London (10th-23rd officially, though I'll be home on the 21st) then north of the border to drive for the first time since August...

[Dyslexic Viking]

A picture of a special bus from London on a trip in Norway has appeared, does anyone know what kind of bus this is?

And people seem to think the Buick is French registered?

[RayMK]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

A picture of a special bus from London on a trip in Norway has appeared, does anyone know what kind of bus this is?

And people seem to think the Buick is French registered?

Probably a Thomas Harrington streamlined coach.   We very occasionally had one as our school bus from Naphill to Terriers (near High Wycombe) in 1963.

[RoadworkUK]

Suddenly remembered that this happened a few weeks ago:

Bonus very confusing Seat Panda action.

[busmansholiday]

3 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

Suddenly remembered that this happened a few weeks ago:

Bonus very confusing Seat Panda action.

Drove those back in the late 70's. Slow, steady, but generally reliable.

[busmansholiday]

2 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

A picture of a special bus from London on a trip in Norway has appeared, does anyone know what kind of bus this is?

And people seem to think the Buick is French registered?

 

42 minutes ago, RayMK said:

Probably a Thomas Harrington streamlined coach.   We very occasionally had one as our school bus from Naphill to Terriers (near High Wycombe) in 1963.

Yep, Harrington "Dorsal Fin" body on a Commer Avenger chassis that was new in 1950.

[quicksilver]

It doesn't seem very long ago that the sight of a Volvo Olympian carrying passengers was an everyday occurrence. They've really disappeared over the last few years so this one was pleasing to see, still going strong at 25 years old and part of a half-dozen strong convoy of assorted vehicles from this operator carrying kids on a school trip this afternoon.

 

[martc]

On 07/12/2023 at 16:28, Dyslexic Viking said:

A picture of a special bus from London on a trip in Norway has appeared, does anyone know what kind of bus this is?

And people seem to think the Buick is French registered?

Yes the Buick is French, looks like the departmental number is 37 - Indre et Loire, somewhere in the middle of France, famous for its many castles.

[martc]

Northumberland Street, NuT.

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 minutes ago, martc said:

Yes the Buick is French, looks like the departmental number is 37 - Indre et Loire, somewhere in the middle of France, famous for its many castles.

Thanks. And I would assume that a Buick was rare and expensive in 1950s France so probably wealthy owners.

[Royale80]

I've been volunteering at Cardiff Transport Preservation Group in Barry for a couple of years.

Plenty of old vehicles here-I generally fix the electrics on them. 

Here's the website if any ones interested.

https://www.ctpg.co.uk/

 

 If you want a few more photos of the buses and the work we've carried out-let me know.

A few photos

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 07/12/2023 at 16:28, Dyslexic Viking said:

A picture of a special bus from London on a trip in Norway has appeared, does anyone know what kind of bus this is?

And people seem to think the Buick is French registered?

What a cracking find. Two beautiful designs side by side. A bit of digging tells me the coach is a 1949 Commer Avenger 1. The coach was operated by Motorways (Overseas) Ltd, that pioneered continental coach touring and WW2. The company had four coaches like this one. The bodywork was built by Harrington's of Hove and the dorsal fin was part of their patent air-conditioning system.

The Buick is a 53 wagon - the last year Buick used real wood in their cars. 

[busmansholiday]

Real tragedy...

[martc]

Newly installed traffic lights on Ludgate Circus, a conductor leans out from the rear platform to gawp at them, 1930.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 10/12/2023 at 11:20, Dick Longbridge said:

What a cracking find. Two beautiful designs side by side. A bit of digging tells me the coach is a 1949 Commer Avenger 1. The coach was operated by Motorways (Overseas) Ltd, that pioneered continental coach touring and WW2. The company had four coaches like this one. The bodywork was built by Harrington's of Hove and the dorsal fin was part of their patent air-conditioning system.

The Buick is a 53 wagon - the last year Buick used real wood in their cars. 

Turns out you can buy a jigsaw of this very coach!

https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/jigsaw-puzzles/mary-evans-prints-online/motorways-coach-2-587977.html