Bus Shite

[N19]

4 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

I was at the launch. I feel very old.

In a similar vein, the first sense of realisation that I am older was remembering the earliest buses that I saw entering service being withdrawn for scrap as life expired.  I recall the WMPTE Nationals coming in and them replacing the ex-Coventry Bristol REs that had been transferred over to North Division (My earliest childhood bus memory was the weekly trip to Bilson market on an RE). Over the years that followed, I saw them settle in, get refurbished, get re-engined, got to operate some as a subsidiary company, and then watch them leave the fleet, scattered far and wide until slowly, one by one, there were none left.  Cradle to the grave.

In the late 90s and early 00s, back home, SYPTEs fleet of Dennis Dominators were everywhere, but as they grew older and low floor vehicles eventually arrived, they were sidelined to school services, odd routes serving housing estates or outlying areas, and the fleet was mixed up with vehicles ex-Sheffield being pressed into service. I remember thinking at the time the last were withdrawn that I couldn't imagine one of the then-new Volvo/Wrights Gemini buses doing a school duplicate!

 

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

I know it’s completely different to buses, but when I was at SSE my last van was a 66 reg Sprinter. Very very car like to drive with the layout in the cab and the way it drove. Quite a comfy thing to drive too. 
At the same time I had my own Transit mk2 - comparing the two was like night and day! The Transit was by no means an antiquated van compared to some but even so. The Transit felt like a big vehicle and had a much more ‘old truck’ like feel to it and its driving style. There’s absolutely no way you could drive the Transit like you could the Sprinter!

That being said, the Sprinter used to have an absolutely useless heater and the windscreen would freeze over inside in winter (no air con or heated screen!) whereas the Transit wouldn’t have those problems!

Modern vans are really very different - the new generation of Transit also feels like driving a car, with the gearstick on the dash, and all the same controls etc. The oldest ones are 12 years old now, I wonder how they are faring. 

[quicksilver]

I still think of low-floor buses as modern and vividly remember the fanfare around MK Metro receiving these first four Optare Solos in 1998. Their first low-floors, they were quite a revelation for an operator that had only recently pensioned off its last Merc L608s, which really were past their best after 12 years on intensive urban services. They advertised the forthcoming Midsummer Place shopping centre (the building site behind the bus); that opened 25 years ago but is still called the "new bit" by locals, and the Solos led a full life and had all been scrapped by 2013. It hurts my brain that vehicles like this are now classic buses that are being preserved and you're far more likely to see one at a show than at work.

[danthecapriman]

I don’t think I’ve ever been on an Optare Solo! I can’t actually remember many of them around down where I used to live, but we had various ages of Mercedes ‘nippers’ for the smaller buses with Provincial/Peoples Provincial. The newest ones being around M and N reg. They seemed to run those for a long time. The earlier snub nosed Mercs went earlier on.

I lost interest in buses really once the National’s and VR’s were gotten rid of. We had shit loads of both down our way and they were literally a daily sight everywhere en mass if you went out anywhere. I actually got to remember some of the number plates on the most frequently seen ones near home. I loved them! Great looking buses and I loved going on them too. Once they’d gone I just found the replacement buses boring and totally style-less, so I didn’t bother with them anymore. 
It’s funny though, as those generation of buses I liked and remember are probably considered absolute crap by people who know the ones from before. 
Likewise, it’s hard to imagine now the buses that replaced the National and VR being considered classics. But I suppose they are really given how old they are. Most have been replaced themselves now.

[cms206]

Today's duty is on the CL6, a Central Line replacement service between Woodford and Hainault. River Road's SEe213 is the chariot of the day, an electric BYD D8UR with Scarborough-built ADL Enviro 200 body. 

First time driving one of these single deck electrics, can honestly say they're as equally well built as their decker equivalents. This is not a compliment.

 

[Pieman]

Found on FB - a Playbus at Five Ways (top end of Broad Street) in Birmingham, with bonus background shite.

[artdjones]

13 minutes ago, Pieman said:

Found on FB - a Playbus at Five Ways (top end of Broad Street) in Birmingham, with bonus background shite.

It's an ex Coventry, then WMPTE Daimler CVG6 and has managed to survive.

It looks like this now:-

[High Jetter]

It was Eastbourne's classic bus running day last Sunday, I didn't make it as was travelling back from Liverpool. Apparently the fleet included a Routemaster

[cms206]

Only a few more days of these, I promise... back to Sconnie Botland on Wednesday.

Today was a much busier day than most of the week... the day started well, with trespassers at Norwood shutting the line between East Croydon and the city. Change of track, tram to Wimbledon and collected by EN2 to head passenger up to Northumberland Park.

Traffic was fucking awful... over two hours to get there. But get there we did, and to my first bus of the day - one of the final pair of DOE class Enviro 400s which have now been decommissioned. My colleague (and former big boss when I ran the bus company years ago) and I collected DOE38 (him) and DOE40 (me) for the run down to Waterside Way.

... and reunited at Waterside Way with DOE48 and DOE54, also decommissioned and awaiting disposal.

 

Next stop, Wimbledon to pick up 656 duty on the 840 Wimbledon Station Shuttle. E257 again provided the first half, but the second half came courtesy of new Wright Electroliner DEL27.

Not a type I've ever driven, full of "driver aids" but it drove really rather well and was remarkably rattle free - thought with just under 1200 miles on the clock I'd kind of hope for that.

Did a handful of trips then ran it back to Waterside Way to swap for EN12 which was going to Ellis Road depot in Mitcham...

... which is home to these BYD things. Never seen one before which is remarkable considering they were a mix of 66 and 19 plates.

 

Dropped off, quick walk up to Mitcham Junction tram stop and back in Croydon for 2345. Not a bad day at all.

Two full days left in London and if the shifts are anything to go by, I'll not actually be in London for most of them 😂

[cms206]

Quiet one today - EN15 from Waterside Way down to Big Lemon's garage at Hailsham.

Then back by train; myself and my learned colleague then headed for Wetherspoons in Sutton, then sensing a bus spotting opportunity ticked off an Optare Metrocity down to Banstead... 

... where we are now enjoying pints outside The Woolpack. Cheers!

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, cms206 said:

Quiet one today - EN15 from Waterside Way down to Big Lemon's garage at Hailsham.

Then back by train; myself and my learned colleague then headed for Wetherspoons in Sutton, then sensing a bus spotting opportunity ticked off an Optare Metrocity down to Banstead... 

... where were are now enjoying pints outside The Woolpack. Cheers!

Lemon is Wolverhampton reg? I've seen Lemon buses round here, but not that one. Hailsham E. Sussex based? No trains from there now, sadly.

[Inspector Morose]

Ex-Dublin Bus Volvo B7/Alexander. That reg is some private plate that was related to its previous UK operator, Seaford and District (West Bromwich area code - think Jensen demonstrators).

[SunnySouth]

11 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Lemon is Wolverhampton reg? I've seen Lemon buses round here, but not that one. Hailsham E. Sussex based? No trains from there now, sadly.

Far left, Wright Volvo single decker - presumably a 54 plater ex Poole Morebus, that’s Go Ahead London’s contract livery I believe?

[SunnySouth]

On 12/07/2025 at 11:49, 83C said:

Ah, the Solo. The end result of an internal competition at Optare to design the shittest vehicle possible.

You see I think they get a bad press! (I’m ducking behind the desk as I type this….) I used to think they were great little things, excellent fun to pilot!  Yeah they rattle and vibrate like fuck but then what didn’t in the early-ish 2000s?! I must admit that the super long ones always looked a bit of a challenge with the front wheels in the wrong place for a bus of that size, but the ‘normal’ sized ones I played on were fine! Other than one particular offender which was the most gutless machine I’ve ever driven, but the rest were alright!

[cms206]

1 hour ago, SunnySouth said:

Far left, Wright Volvo single decker - presumably a 54 plater ex Poole Morebus, that’s Go Ahead London’s contract livery I believe?

It is, Hailsham East Sussex; seems like a wasted effort taking EN15 as Go Ahead London announced that very afternoon that Hailsham outstation is closing next month... 

There were three of those 54-plate Volvos on site.

1 hour ago, SunnySouth said:

You see I think they get a bad press! (I’m ducking behind the desk as I type this….) I used to think they were great little things, excellent fun to pilot!  Yeah they rattle and vibrate like fuck but then what didn’t in the early-ish 2000s?! I must admit that the super long ones always looked a bit of a challenge with the front wheels in the wrong place for a bus of that size, but the ‘normal’ sized ones I played on were fine! Other than one particular offender which was the most gutless machine I’ve ever driven, but the rest were alright!

I was never a Solo fan, naff all room in the cab and it's very rare that you get one the cab seat goes high enough - I'm 6ft 3in and fairly well upholstered though 😂😂😂

I nearly wrote off the first one I drove, a then nearly new Cummins one which in retrospect was on ditchfinders I think - the crowd I work for now in Glasgow are predominantly an Optare operator and decent steer tyres really do make a difference to the roadholding.

[cms206]

1 hour ago, Inspector Morose said:

Ex-Dublin Bus Volvo B7/Alexander. That reg is some private plate that was related to its previous UK operator, Seaford and District (West Bromwich area code - think Jensen demonstrators).

Seaford and Big Lemon are apparantly one and the same now? According to the lad who ran my colleague and I to Polegate to get the train.

[martc]

Lovely period picture of a North Eastern colliery village. That Fish and Chip van looks like it used to be a PSV, but what was it?

A Leyland Redline - is that just the chassis, or was a Redline the full thing, chassis and body?

[martc]

Mainly Ikarus's in this USSR depot, hussah!

[Knotty Ash Towers]

12 minutes ago, martc said:

A Leyland Redline - is that just the chassis, or was a Redline the full thing, chassis and body?

Leyland Redline is the DVLA 's 'umbrella' term for smaller Leyland truck chassis such as the Boxer & Terrier.  Larger Leyland truck & bus chassis were listed as Leyland Blueline by the DVLA. The bodywork is by Wadham Stringer.

[High Jetter]

7 hours ago, cms206 said:

Seaford and Big Lemon are apparantly one and the same now? According to the lad who ran my colleague and I to Polegate to get the train.

Not sure about that, Big Lemon apparently started in Brighton, with a bus running on waste cooking oil which i recall seeing occasionally. They now operate in Bristol and Bath, and have a coach company Brighton Horizon Coaches. Seaford & District seem to be offering some regular routes plus private hire, and have their fleet list here: https://seafordanddistrict.com/gallery/

[Yoss]

On 14/07/2025 at 00:27, cms206 said:

 

Traffic was fucking awful... over two hours to get there. But get there we did, and to my first bus of the day - one of the final pair of DOE class Enviro 400s which have now been decommissioned. My colleague (and former big boss when I ran the bus company years ago) and I collected DOE38 (him) and DOE40 (me) for the run down to Waterside Way.

... and reunited at Waterside Way with DOE48 and DOE54, also decommissioned and awaiting disposal.

 

 

😂

😂

We have several of these DOEs in Southampton. We had loads more at one point and I'm sure DOE 38 was one of them but I'm starting to wonder if my mind is playing tricks on me. But we've had two batches of new Enviro 400s since so their numbers have shrunk. 

Also, annoyingly, after running them for over a year with their DOE numbers, even after repaint in to Bluestar livery they renumbered them in to the 69xx range starting with DOE 2 being 6921. But there are big gaps in the numbers. 

So there are ten buses numbered between 6921 and 6941 and that last one is DOE 33 so I really don't know where I am with them now. I can only assume the missing numbers mean that the others are being used elsewhere in the Go South Coast fleet but that is just a presumption. 

They still look nice and shiny in their Bluestar colours though. 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

8 hours ago, 83C said:

On the subject of the powertrain - many Solos had the cooler group positioned on the nearside rear just behind the axle - perfect place to suck up all the shit, leaves, road grime etc and block the radiator, hastening the inevitable breakdown.

Some years ago I worked for a firm that ordered a couple of Slimlines with MAN engines.

They had to serve a route with roads barely wider than them.

For the reasons you mentioned, I found myself sitting at a bus stop with the dashboard full of red warning lights and interestingly a boiling sound coming from the Expansion Tank.

They went like fuck though. Not that we could use that on the fucking lanes.

 

 

[Yoss]

On 11/07/2025 at 20:47, SunnySouth said:

Not the world’s most exciting photo, but following the recent unfortunate incident of one of Bluestar’s ex-Brum E400s ending up in a river, I was pleased to see that the rest of them are alive and well - here are a pair of them in Chandler’s Ford on college runs. 1269 is at the back; the ‘marine incursion’ victim was 1267.

I saw one of these the very next day in Shirley so they obviously weren't too concerned that it could happen again. We don't get many of these in Shirley. I'm guessing now they've taken over the ex First Bus depot in Bevois Valley that most Shirley route buses come from there rather than Barton Park. 

I see 1267 has permanently disappeared. I mean you'd imagine it would be scrapped but sometimes they are kept on the books while they assess the damage or wait for insurance or whatever, but no, it's already gone. 

[cms206]

Today's job was cancelled... then I picked up a bus move... then another... and another.

1pm phonecall - head to the Major Unit Centre at River Road and collect SE284 from refurbishment; this has been a major midlife overhaul including conversion from ZF to Allison transmission.

The MUC is quite the facility and provides mechanical and accident damage repairs, along with aircon services - these are the busiest people.

Ticked off another two DELs, 25 and 26.

These are not bad things.

Tomorrow's job is now what was originally today's job - Northumberland Park to Eastleigh with Ee-class Enviro 400 electrics for refurbishment for the  forthcoming Bakerloop service BL1 and return with MHV-class Volvos.

[mk2_craig]

8 hours ago, cms206 said:

major midlife overhaul including conversion from ZF to Allison transmission.

Was that one of those things with some sort of automated manual transmission? 

[quicksilver]

Why is that modern buses suffer such horrific rattles and vibrations? I had the misfortune of catching one of Arriva's 12-plate Wright Pulsars last week. I don't know what was wrong with it but it had the most godawful loud vibration that sounded and felt like someone was using a jackhammer inside the bus and was set off by the slightest bump so it was basically constant. I spent most of the journey with my fingers in my ears, got off a couple of stops early as it was preferable to walk a bit further than subject myself to any more of that racket, and had a pounding headache all the next day that was so bad I had to cancel my plans. Frankly I don't think it should have been in service as it was so unpleasant to travel on.

[cms206]

6 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

Was that one of those things with some sort of automated manual transmission? 

It was, effectively a 7?-speed version of the 12-speed automated manual found in lorries and coaches; they've been converting the batch that were on the 170 during refurbishment.

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, cms206 said:

It was, effectively a 7?-speed version of the 12-speed automated manual found in lorries and coaches; they've been converting the batch that were on the 170 during refurbishment.

Had the misfortune of the opportunity to drive a brand new Volvo B7R coach with that gearbox - I have rarely wanted to scream obscenities about a piece of automotive hardware that much.  Fine on the motorway, but around town it was absolutely painful.  If you can't change gear quicker, more smoothly or have a better idea which gear I want to be in than I do, just let me do it myself.  

I'm sure they're set up for economy, but you're in about fourth or fifth gear by the time you're at walking pace - with a pause of the best part of a second between gears.  It was *painfully* ponderous trying to drive around town.  Getting into gaps in traffic simply wasn't possible.  For something purely for city use that type of setup would have driven me insane.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

3 hours ago, cms206 said:

It was, effectively a 7?-speed version of the 12-speed automated manual found in lorries and coaches; they've been converting the batch that were on the 170 during refurbishment.

They were fucking shite. And anything that needs a fucking information booklet to help learn to use it is a major warning sign.

Wasn't there a statement somewhere about good design not needing explanation?

Probably really good for motorway and inter-urban work but utterly fucking appalling when tasked with moving through narrow gaps in estate caused by cunty parking.

Ideally one wants to be controlling speed with brakes as opposed to a river dance like bit of footwork to balance a temperamental transmission with an on\off clutch system.

[New POD]

9 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Why is that modern buses suffer such horrific rattles and vibrations? I had the misfortune of catching one of Arriva's 12-plate Wright Pulsars last week. I don't know what was wrong with it but it had the most godawful loud vibration that sounded and felt like someone was using a jackhammer inside the bus and was set off by the slightest bump so it was basically constant. I spent most of the journey with my fingers in my ears, got off a couple of stops early as it was preferable to walk a bit further than subject myself to any more of that racket, and had a pounding headache all the next day that was so bad I had to cancel my plans. Frankly I don't think it should have been in service as it was so unpleasant to travel on.

Are they using a chassis designed for a truck?  

[Leyland Worldmaster]

13 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Why is that modern buses suffer such horrific rattles and vibrations? I had the misfortune of catching one of Arriva's 12-plate Wright Pulsars last week. I don't know what was wrong with it but it had the most godawful loud vibration that sounded and felt like someone was using a jackhammer inside the bus and was set off by the slightest bump so it was basically constant. I spent most of the journey with my fingers in my ears, got off a couple of stops early as it was preferable to walk a bit further than subject myself to any more of that racket, and had a pounding headache all the next day that was so bad I had to cancel my plans. Frankly I don't think it should have been in service as it was so unpleasant to travel on.

A comparatively floppy structure mated to short- travel suspension- with relatively high un-sprung mass.