83C's Shite-esque Fleet: VXR8 - the Saga Continues.

[dollywobbler]

Yup. 900, making it a Volvo with Saab lamps.

[83C]

Felly Magic has it. Early Saab 900 lamps.

 

If anyone knows to an excellent condition pair of side/indicator units, I'd be very interested in buying them.

[83C]

A bit of digging has revealed that B588 XNO carries body no. Bf.635, and B105 KPF carried body no. Bf.652 prior to rebodying.

[Guest Hooli]

Started life with Kings Ferry?

 

You need to drive like an utter arse & piss off everyone on the road with it, it's traditional for that company.

[Felly Magic]

Seems to be standard driving for express coach services operators these days, feckin hell, Selywns of Runcorn drivers are lethal as I found out recently on a trip to the land of sheep and boyos

[Guest Hooli]

When I drove coaches for a rather shite firm darn sarf Kingsferry were famous for being twats of the highest order.

[83C]

Sadly that's common across a lot of the bus industry these days.

 

No/low morale + shite wages + long hours + stupidly tight schedules = Zero Fucks Given.

 

It's no excuse for being a twat to others, but having seen first hand the worst that the industry has to offer, it doesn't surprise me one bit.

[Felly Magic]

National Distress work to impossible timings, all done by an office wazzock who has no doubt never, ever driven a coach in their life

[cms206]

Saw that Berkhof advertised on facebook and was astounded it had lasted this long. Looks a good 'un!

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[83C]

[83C]

Today the Volvo got a couple of new batteries:

 

 

The battery tray and the old ones.

 

 

New ones. Big buggers.

[83C]

More PSV progress:

 

1588 (Volvo B10M).

 

New batteries are definitely good, started this morning no problem. I also found the original Volvo manuals - never seen them before, and certainly not what I'd expect to find still with a 32 year old machine!

 

 

 

1725 (Leyland Tiger)

 

New fleetnumber transfers have arrived, so the cab one was re-instated:

 

 

1208 (Bristol VR)

 

Big news: it moves!

 

 

 

The fuel pump rack is finally working well enough to make the bus mobile on idle speed, and not just cut out the moment a gear is selected.

 

As a reward it was treated to a thorough wash to remove as much of the vegetation as possible.

 

 

 

Another vehicle turned up a few days ago, ex-Plymouth Citybus Leyland Atlantean 138:

 

 

It's owned by a colleague of mine, so today's job was to refit the halfshaft that had been removed for it to be towed, and give it a good clean before it goes into storage:

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, a fairly productive day!

[Inspector Morose]

Hang on, hang on. Was that a Bournemouth MF2B sneaking in the back of one of those photos?

[lisbon_road]

A fine collection. I knew a previous owner of the VR.  I think it was repainted in the green at Brijan Tours in Hampshire, a while back now.  Thanks for posting so many pictures.

[vulgalour]

That back end of that Atlantean remains one of the best bus designs of all time.

[83C]

Hang on, hang on. Was that a Bournemouth MF2B sneaking in the back of one of those photos?

Just to confirm - the trolleybus?

[Inspector Morose]

Ah, yes, I did mean the trolleybus. My guess Bournemouth 301?

A Weyman Aurora bodies Sunbeam MF2B - really an export chassis as the contractor box was relocated from beside the driver, as in a conventional trolleybus, to just behind the offside rear wheel. This allowed a front entrance door (or in the case of Bournemouth, a front exit door) to be placed beside the driver. Only Bounemouth and Hull ever ordered this chassis for uk operation, both worked with conductors even though the layout meant one person operation could have been feasible.

 

In fact Bournemouth 300 was bought by Walsall corporation and converted to front entrance/exit layout by removing the rear entrance and staircase (oh, I didn't mention they had two staircases as well, did l?) as a precursor to the purchase of the complete batch of MF2Bs to modernise and futureproof the Walsall trolleybus operation for the eventual change to one person operation. Sadly this was not to be as the passenger transport executive was formed, taking over operations of the corporation and killing any plans for trolleybus operation after 1970.

 

If indeed it is 301, this was the last new trolleybus ordered for public service in the uk in 1962. The 1985 Dennis, built for South Yorkshire was really only an experiment and did not properly go into revenue earning service. Also the field weakening contactor has been removed leaving a live (600v dc) wire floating around the metal shrouded contactor box. I found this out in the 90s when we ran it for the first time under power since Bounemouth closed its system (at the BCLM trolleybus rally we held every two years) The resultant belt it gave me catapulted me about three feet as I was standing on an earth bonded tram track at the time I touched the body.

 

If it's 297 then I have a tale or two to tell about that one too. It involves an ill fated trip to try an run it in czechoslovakia, a 4m high bridge and a multi thousand pound claim from the insurers.

[spartacus]

Let's pretend it's 297 and you can tell us anyway, I'm hooked.

[83C]

If I remember correctly it's 301 LJ. 

 

There's a few ex Bournemouth machines in Devon.

[83C]

More Tiger progress:

 

 

Proper Leyland scroll badge fitted. Next job is to relocate the numberplate back to its proper position above the bootlid.

[83C]

 

A daylight picture of the back end. I have the new pressed aluminium plates ready to fit, so hopefully one day in the coming week I'll be able to fit the new plate in its correct position (where the moulded band has a gap above the bootlid) and relocate the numberplate illumination lights back up there.

 

In other news, the Transit has two new front tyres.

[83C]

 

Spot the difference!

[Inspector Morose]

Better. When's the body swap with the Volvo taking place so you can make it more original?

[83C]

Need an Everest body for that!

[83C]

Update:

 

My store/office has been wired up so I now have light, power and heat in there, just in time for winter. 

 

 

I also bought a load of Dexion shelving for storage, with the proper metal shelves. The wooden shelf stuff just doesn't look as durable or strong to me.

 

One thing I have found a need for is a proper 1/2in drive rattle gun. I've been using a borrowed one for the last couple of days on a job, and its made an enormous difference to how quickly the job has been done. As ever, it demonstrates the benefits of having the right tools for the job. Can anyone recommend a decent one that won't break the bank?

[83C]

I appear to have acquired something built in 'La France', as the French like to call their homeland. La France, or 'The' France, to avoid confusion so we don't mistake 'The France' for This France or That France or Courageous, Reliable, Turning Up in Times of Battle France.

 

Anyway, enough ripping off jokes from bald stand up comedians, here's a joke of France's very own:

 

 

Yes, the electrically-challenged Peugeot 307.

 

I nearly won this on eBay about 3 weeks ago at silly money thanks to a lost key, just after buying a Punto fell through. Having been pipped to the post, I then opened discussions with Bram for his XUD ZX, thinking it would be an ideal hack for what I need. The ZX then fell through because I can't comfortably drive it. This weekend I had a message from the seller of the 307 asking if I was still interested as the sale had fallen through, so naturally I was straight on a train to collect it. Mrs 83C has had a 307 before, therefore I know what to expect, and crucially, I know I can fit comfortably in it.

 

There is almost enough powah from the mighty TU pez engine (all of 1360-odd cc!), there's a rumble from the gearbox (clutch bearing I think) and an intermittent knocking noise. However, it's very tidy inside, the body is largely clean and straight, and for the first time in a while I've acquired a car with sub-100k miles (89,000).

 

Bad stuff - the aforementioned knockings and rumblings, it needs a new o/s mirror, and it has a habit of the left hand indicator coming on over bumps or when the wheel is turned left.

 

Still, we'll see how it goes, hopefully the knocking shouldn't be too hard to track down.

[The Moog]

 

 

One thing I have found a need for is a proper 1/2in drive rattle gun. I've been using a borrowed one for the last couple of days on a job, and its made an enormous difference to how quickly the job has been done.

 

I use a Ryobi one plus. It is part of their green range so shares batteries with my drill etc. Probably not as good as a snap on etc but was about £80

[83C]

Last week I drove this:

 

 

Any Western National lickers will know exactly which machine this is, but for everyone else its W716 RHT, a Dennis Trident with East Lancs Lolyne body. Latterly in the First Kernow fleet, it was repainted for the Western National 80th Anniversary in Tilling Green whilst it was based in Plymouth. With the run-down of the non-DDA deckers advancing, its days were numbered. A noisy diff was reason enough to withdraw it from service, so muggins here got the job to go down to Penzance and bring it back to Winkleigh. I was a bit wary of the rather noisy diff it was quite a slow (35-40mph) trip, along with several prayers and mental offerings to the mechanical gods that it didn't decide to go bang in the middle of the roadworks on the A30 near Bodmin. 

 

Despite the diff sounding like a Wookie gargling on speed we made it back to Winkleigh, where it has gone straight into the West of England Transport Collection. A spare axle is already at Winkleigh for fitting. 

 

Speaking of spares, anyone have any use for an excellent condition drivers seat?

 

 

This came with a load of parts I obtained, but is no use to me. It has a pedestal mount at the moment but that can be removed if needs be for mounting to battery boxes or similar. I'm after around £50.

[83C]

The Peugeot came, the Peugeot went.

 

Don't need any more cars, I said.

 

Reduce the fleet, I said.

 

 

Ah, fuck it.

 

Collected it last night, saw it for the first time in daylight this afternoon. It looks truly horrendous, so naturally I reckon it's great. People don't half seem to get out of the way when they see it coming.

[83C]

Daytime pictures: