Bus Shite

[martc]

The less than successful Optare Alero a purpose built coach aimed directly at the van based horrors above. Unfortunately the poor quality of the build and general unreliability spoilt the admirable aim of this poject.

I'm not sure any have survived.

[martc]

Any idea what this is?

[martc]

Glasgow.

[Inspector Morose]

seamless accident repair.

[Zelandeth]

46 minutes ago, martc said:

The less than successful Optare Alero a purpose built coach aimed directly at the van based horrors above. Unfortunately the poor quality of the build and general unreliability spoilt the admirable aim of this poject.

I'm not sure any have survived.

Not to mention the most overcomplicated propshaft routing ever devised by human kind.

We had a pair of the bloody things on the community transport roster.  They spent more time off the road than on.

Which is a real shame as they actually weren't bad from a passenger perspective when they were working.  Sadly that wasn't very often!  From the passenger's point of view they were streets ahead of the van based offerings and had the advantage of a ramp rather than loft for wheelchair access.  Sadly they were just so unreliable.  Wasn't any one thing either - *everything* was flaky, and service backup from Optare was non existent.

At least a year or two back there was one I used to see around here that had been converted to a motor home...no idea if it's still on the road though.

Edit: Found the photo of it.

Turns out it was five years ago I took that!

[cms206]

1 hour ago, 83C said:

Words and phrases that follow each other as sure as night follows day.

We've just bought a pair of Versas from Tanat Valley.

These are considered an upgrade as one is replacing our Wright Streetlite...

[artdjones]

[catsinthewelder]

5 hours ago, martc said:

I'm not sure any have survived.

There's an Alero in Rough and Bumpys old yard at the bottom of my village,  they went bust about 4 years ago and I don't think it had moved for a while then.

[Noel Tidybeard]

5 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

 

seamless accident repair.

better looking than alot of others of the type

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, cms206 said:

We've just bought a pair of Versas from Tanat Valley.

These are considered an upgrade as one is replacing our Wright Streetlite...

Being so far back from the windscreen in these just felt really odd to me.

Here's a couple of them - some which were brand new bought in by Stagecoach Bluebird for the then new 727 Jet service to the airport.  Liveries are a very subjective thing but I thought this looked really smart.

Lot of work went into getting that service out together.  Was a lot of satisfaction seeing how well used it became, even if my role was pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

[lesapandre]

London Fire Brigade command unit. Not sure what bus it's based on.

[quicksilver]

4 hours ago, lesapandre said:

London Fire Brigade command unit. Not sure what bus it's based on.

Optare Solo converted by W.H. Bence. There are nine of them.

[quicksilver]

16 hours ago, martc said:

The less than successful Optare Alero a purpose built coach aimed directly at the van based horrors above. Unfortunately the poor quality of the build and general unreliability spoilt the admirable aim of this poject.

I'm not sure any have survived.

I spotted this one on the road a couple of months ago. It suffered the usual fate of becoming a party bus and then a camper and I doubt there are any left still working bus services.

 

[mk2_craig]

16 hours ago, martc said:

Any idea what this is?

I think that’s one of the Guernsey Albions cut down to act as a tow wagon. Is it still around somewhere?

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, mk2_craig said:

I think that’s one of the Guernsey Albions cut down to act as a tow wagon. Is it still around somewhere?

That is just fantastic. I do hope it survives.

[wesacosa]

[martc]

3 hours ago, wesacosa said:

Goodfellows! The supermarket equivalent to Boyes (for those who know).

[Eyersey1234]

19 hours ago, 83C said:

I was glad I worked there when they had decent motors:

Though these were weird:

 

What's the bottom one?

[Snipes]

On 22/04/2025 at 16:47, martc said:

 

These tiny buses were ace. If you were lucky they'd drop you off right outside your house. 

[danthecapriman]

Does anyone here know much about the old buses that were modified at the end of their bus life to become bus recovery vehicles?

I know the bodywork was usually cut down and/or modified to become the recovery vehicles but what was inside the section(s) that still had the covered bus style body sections? I’m guessing tools and facilities for a mechanic? 

Also, how did they actually tow another bus? Some seem to have had a proper crane mounted into the back to lift and drag the dead bus but lots of others didn’t so I’m guessing they simply flat towed the dead bus using a big tow bar type set up?

This kind of thing is what I mean, ex double decker Regent.

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

15 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Does anyone here know much about the old buses that were modified at the end of their bus life to become bus recovery vehicles?

 

I don't have much of a clue - but a guy called David Devoy back where I grew up may have - some of his pictures are on this link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77000628@N02/albums/72157634830830682/
 

His full Flickr index is:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77000628@N02/albums/

 

[busmansholiday]

8 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Does anyone here know much about the old buses that were modified at the end of their bus life to become bus recovery vehicles?

I know the bodywork was usually cut down and/or modified to become the recovery vehicles but what was inside the section(s) that still had the covered bus style body sections? I’m guessing tools and facilities for a mechanic? 

Also, how did they actually tow another bus? Some seem to have had a proper crane mounted into the back to lift and drag the dead bus but lots of others didn’t so I’m guessing they simply flat towed the dead bus using a big tow bar type set up?

This kind of thing is what I mean, ex double decker Regent.

 

Usually a workbench in the back and a bfo toolbox which contained the jump leads (not the car type, buses have a big plugin system ). There will also be storage for the long steel bar for towing the broken down bus and the various fittings needed.

Buses were generally cut down behind the rear axle and the towing fittings added there. The bigger operators usually had one tow bus they left the top deck on upto the windows so they could use it for tree lopping.

At our depot in the late 70's we had a Plaxton bodied Leopard that looked quite standard from the outside. You opened the boot lid, slid the towbar through a hole from the inside and attached  it inside the boot. Had the pleasure* of steering a shagged United RE behind it from Woodall services back to our Sheffield depot. Also had the pleasure* of driving our 6*2 Scammel from the smoke back to Sheffield with a Neoplan decker on tow.

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, busmansholiday said:

Usually a workbench in the back and a bfo toolbox which contained the jump leads (not the car type, buses have a big plugin system ). There will also be storage for the long steel bar for towing the broken down bus and the various fittings needed.

Buses were generally cut down behind the rear axle and the towing fittings added there. The bigger operators usually had one tow bus they left the top deck on upto the windows so they could use it for tree lopping.

At our depot in the late 70's we had a Plaxton bodied Leopard that looked quite standard from the outside. You opened the boot lid, slid the towbar through a hole from the inside and attached  it inside the boot. Had the pleasure* of steering a shagged United RE behind it from Woodall services back to our Sheffield depot. Also had the pleasure* of driving our 6*2 Scammel from the smoke back to Sheffield with a Neoplan decker on tow.

 

9 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I don't have much of a clue - but a guy called David Devoy back where I grew up may have - some of his pictures are on this link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77000628@N02/albums/72157634830830682/
 

His full Flickr index is:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77000628@N02/albums/

 

Both excellent replies, ta! 
They’ve always been interesting vehicles, I think. Old buses with a new life to keep them in use. 
The main reason for asking was because I’ve got a cheap 1:43 scale bus model here which I need to rob some parts from for another project but making a recovery bus from the leftovers seems an interesting way to use it.

Anyone got or know of any photos of the inside and the towing equipment (tow bar mounting and bar itself would be ideal)?

Edit;     
Just found this,

So it is literally just a big steel bar!😄

I guess nobody uses these converted buses for towing nowadays? Just contract in a heavy recovery company as required?

[SunnySouth]

Merc Citaro. Seats everywhere. Clearly designed by a Mental. F’king brilliant things!* 

*when not on fire.

 

[SunnySouth]

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I guess nobody uses these converted buses for towing nowadays? Just contract in a heavy recovery company as required?

Exactly that, the corporate era removed all that sort of common sense and ingenuity and replaced it with frequent very expensive call-outs to whoever the local wrecker firm are! Sigh…

I believe I’m right in saying that back t’old days it was permissible to drive a recovery lorry for the purposes of bus rescue with just a PCV licence, no HGV ticket required?

[busmansholiday]

12 minutes ago, SunnySouth said:

Exactly that, the corporate era removed all that sort of common sense and ingenuity and replaced it with frequent very expensive call-outs to whoever the local wrecker firm are! Sigh…

I believe I’m right in saying that back t’old days it was permissible to drive a recovery lorry for the purposes of bus rescue with just a PCV licence, no HGV ticket required?

There were a couple of reasons for the changes, one being modern vehicles having spring parking brakes which means you have to either lift and shift after winding off the brakes or have to couple up the towing vehicle to the dead one with airlines etc.  Another reason was that most modern vehicles have the engine at the back so you cannot chop them down on length and finding somewhere strong enough to fit the towing gear isn't easy especially if they are semi integral. It didn't stop "Tracy"from converting an Atlantean or using VRs though.

 

There was (still is?) and exemption in the PSV regs that allows a qualified PSV driver (back then you had a licence to drive manual or automatic and double or single decks, double decker manual was the drive anything) to drive a recovery vehicle (converted bus or HGV up to I believe 10.5T) going to or from the recovery of a broken down PSV. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

[danthecapriman]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

There were a couple of reasons for the changes, one being modern vehicles having spring parking brakes which means you have to either lift and shift after winding off the brakes or have to couple up the towing vehicle to the dead one with airlines etc.  Another reason was that most modern vehicles have the engine at the back so you cannot chop them down on length and finding somewhere strong enough to fit the towing gear isn't easy especially if they are semi integral. It didn't stop "Tracy"from converting an Atlantean or using VRs though.

 

There was (still is?) and exemption in the PSV regs that allows a qualified PSV driver (back then you had a licence to drive manual or automatic and double or single decks, double decker manual was the drive anything) to drive a recovery vehicle (converted bus or HGV up to I believe 10.5T) going to or from the recovery of a broken down PSV. 

I was actually wondering about licensing for them, as technically a conversion is no longer a PSV. 
Do they have to be re-registered as recovery vehicles or not? 

I suppose the old front engined stuff that was built out of girders underneath were pretty strong and capable of that use but modern stuff I guess can’t be used that way. I saw a photo once of an old front engined AEC bus that had gone for scrap but as it obviously still worked the yard had panelled over the windows in the back, former passenger seating area, then chopped the roof off and used it as a big truck. It had been loaded up with all sorts of scrap metal which was then unloaded by a grab crane. Presumably the old buses of that era were strong enough to be used like that?
 

[mk2_craig]

On 23/04/2025 at 11:12, lesapandre said:

That is just fantastic. I do hope it survives.

Appears it does.  

Some information here: 

https://www.sct61.org.uk/gu36

I understand its been painted into a red and cream livery at some point. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Another use for the remnants of a bus, winching gliders:

Not sure if they were still in use at the time of my photo (about 2001 I believe). More intact glider winch gear on the back of this Ergomatic that was at the same place: