Scotoshite MEGABARGE Refurb / Restoration Diary

[Split_Pin]

Good show there, was good to talk to you today too Andy. I enjoyed the show although my son was so desperate to get another shot on a bus!

[Inspector Morose]

The one bloody weekend I'm not in Scotland! Looks so much better with the destination glass reinstated.

[the judge]

Twin back axles! (I know zilch about buses) fantesticles!

[Steviemillar]

Not really any refurb going on here but the autoshite.com Mobile Command and Recruitment Centre made an appearance at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust's open weekend event this week. Due to very few people knowing about it's entrance in to preservation, it drew a lot of attention, stole the show quite a bit and I ended up talking to a lot of people I had never met before. I'll post pics from other folk as they appear on Flickr or Facebook...

 

Bridgeton Open Weekend by David Fowler, on Flickr

 

I was admiring your big yellow one during my visit to Bridgeton on Saturday, looks pretty good. We managed to get a few runs too, the highlight being our trip back from Riverside on the Daimler Fleetline, the driver wasn't hanging about either!

 

I did get myself all in a lather when I "discovered"  the ex Dundee/Tayside Ailsa resto project tucked in behind the other double deckers, made my day that. I can remember being on these in my younger days and hearing their distinctive growl as they passed my gran's house in Dundee. I really do need an Ailsa in my life!

 

A cracking day out, a great effort by the folks at GVVT for making such an effort to make it happen.

[Jim Bell]

Star of the show! Class. Looking forward to pics

[davidfowler2000]

Twin back axles! (I know zilch about buses) fantesticles!

 

Normally referred to as tri-axle. Only one is powered - the rearmost one in this case. The middle one steers but it is passive (most modern stuff is powered and will turn along with the steer wheel without the bus moving) and locks in the central position for reversing.

 

Here's another pic from one of our friend's friends who comes from Hong Kong but is studying / living in Newcastle...

[320touring]

Can't believe you don't have the autoshite destination board up!

[skattrd]

How fast do you reckon it could go down a 1/4 mile strip?

[Inspector Morose]

Given a 1 mile run up, pretty fast! 

[davidfowler2000]

I reckon it might do a 30 on the 1/4 mile

[Jim Bell]

I reckon it might do a 30 on the 1/4 mile

 

Seconds or miles an hour?

[320touring]

I reckon it might do a 30 on the 1/4 mile

you may pull the gantry down though?

[davidfowler2000]

Just a couple of goodies for when the repaint happens in the future. Get them while you can etc etc etc

[Inspector Morose]

YELLOW OLYMPIAN IN PINK TRIDENT STALKING SHOCKER!

 

 

[Volksy]

There is a couple of those ex-HK tri axles running round Sheffield.

 

[Felly Magic]

I'm sure I saw yon Rapunzel (cms) of this parish in a photo taken inside the GVVT, published in Bus & Coach Buyer recently

[cms206]

I'm sure I saw yon Rapunzel (cms) of this parish in a photo taken inside the GVVT, published in Bus & Coach Buyer recently

Entirely possible... not seen the last couple of issues.

 

In other news, another bus has joined my work's fleet, a very different Alexander-bodied Olympian to Dave's.

 

Naturally I broke it on the delivery run. No prizes for guessing it's previous (and only) owner despite their efforts to disguise it.

 

[hairnet]

I reckon it might do a 30 on the 1/4 mile

 

 

Seconds or miles an hour?

passengers

[hairnet]

Entirely possible... not seen the last couple of issues.

 

In other news, another bus has joined the fleet. Naturally I broke it on the delivery run. No prizes for guessing it's previous (and only) owner despite their efforts to disguise it.

 

get the dulux out quick

[davidfowler2000]

The Yellow submarine is due it's MoT next week. Naturally it has had no prep so it's going to run out. Best get one last run in before it gets parked for a week or two longer than usual...

 

Photo: Edinburgh, Princes St

[artdjones]

This. English chassis, Scottish body, American engine, German gearbox.

And a Welsh (Cardiff)number plate.

[cms206]

And a Welsh (Cardiff)number plate.

It also had a Chinese plate AND a Hong Kong plate too.

[rml2345]

It also had four dinnerplates on the first two axles.

[davidfowler2000]

Been a while hasn't it? Weather has been shite up until the last fortnight so it was time to break out the wire brush and Dettol to clean the mould off the inside. Also to poke about for MoT work.

 

MoT Time by David Fowler, on Flickr

 

Required for test:

Batteries.

Battery tray rebuild.

Headlight aim.

Horn.

Driver's seatbelt 'cos it's getting tested as a big car (Class 5).

Air tank strap.

Fog light.
Directional tyre on front axle turned.

 

Also doing:

Gearbox oil.

Radiator fan thermostat so my ears won't bleed with the constant noise off of the fan.

 

Not too bad in all.

[320touring]

should be free to assist whenever suits- owe you spannwr time for cx help!

[hairnet]

woot

[Noel Tidybeard]

headlight aim can be cured wth a set of fishtanks

[davidfowler2000]

should be free to assist whenever suits- owe you spannwr time for cx help!

 

Roadside are doing the work seeing as it doesn't have a test on it and hasn't had since the end of February. High time it got out and about again. Especially so it can drive itself to Cummins in Cumbernauld to get the misfire fixed.

 

Moochos Grassy Arse anyways.

[chaseracer]

If it needs a run, bring it to Cannock this weekend...

 

#old_joke

 

[davidfowler2000]

Today I was here...

 

Pickup Time by David Fowler, on Flickr

 

To collect this...

 

Fresh Ticket by David Fowler, on Flickr

 

And then drive it back home...

 

Back Home by David Fowler, on Flickr

 

 

According to the MoT I now own a Rover and the final bill was approx £880 to get it through the test with it needing new batteries, battery tray reconstruction, headlight aim, a new horn, a new air tank strap and a fog light bulb. Then round to the diesel shop for it's first refill since February (125 litres). I did try to get hold of Cummins today but they were proving elusive so I'll hopefully get it up to them during the week to get the engine fixed.