RichL Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Brilliant. I love an old bus or coach and I've learned loads of stuff here. The very fact they will be staying in service for a few years yet says it all I think. Updates are required. If not I am driving up there to find out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 I'll update with progress of them as things go on... should have them all through their first dock tomorrow. So far the Gardner one has sprung a very slight fuel leak from an injector pipe but nothing catastrophic, should have a better idea tomorrow afternoon on all three. C45 HNF will be off more or less straight away for MOT (expires 2/9/17) so likely to be either BIG or MIL in use first. On another note... had time in the office this morning to get through their paperwork - check this out! Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk sporty-shite, AMC Rebel, CGSB and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Well, now I've recovered a bit, I'll tell my side of the story. A couple of weeks ago, Mr CMS asked (jokingly, I shall never know) whether I'd be up for helping him shift three buses from Sheffield to his gaff in Barrhead. Of course, being the true romantic for the unloved and unwanted waifs and strays of the omnibus world, I agreed without hesitation. Cue 6am on Tuesday morning found me waiting for a bus to a train from Birmingham to Sheffield to catch a bus then walk in the pouring rain to a yard containing a large number of large buses. The yard and garages of the now defunct operator instantly threw my mind back to the time I was involved in doing the very same (bodgery as some call it) to Leyland Nationals at Chase Coaches. Engines were strewn around along with axles, gearboxes and much, much more. An ancient commer ts3 engine lay in one pile, waiting for its next assignment.Legalities formalised, three huge green leviathans hove out of their home for one last time on the long trip north. I chose the Volvo engined one as I'd wanted to savour the operators engineering ingenuity in pairing engines and gearboxes never to be known before in buses originating from far off lands. This was a mistake. The potential for power delivery was so restricted by the need to fit a mechanically controlled fuel pump that at one point the poor beast was down to a crawl on one incline on the A66. The upside to my steeds replacement heart was that it could rev higher than its original power plant so once momentum could be gained, this could be gathered to a point where I could leave the others in my mirrors, only for them to catch me on the next incline. A couple of stops were taken along the way so fluids could be checked and drivers bladders could be emptied. Progress otherwise was steady yet constant. No breakdowns were had, no oil nor water consumed and a creditable 7 ish mpg was achieved across the newly aquired fleet. For a 12 metre long 14ft 9 high 120 seat block of flats of a bus resting on three axles, this was quite economical indeed. Eventually at around 7:30 that night, three green 30 odd year old buses arrived at the destination after their 260 odd mile journey. It could be said that the buses survived the journey slightly better than their drivers but a truly enjoyable day was had, and as we toasted the day in the pub that night, only the 5 hour journey back home lay before me the next day. Bucketeer, Ghosty, cms206 and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 I am still experiencing headaches and neck pain from driving a Dacia Duster on the A66 a fortnight ago so that's fair play in negotiating it in one of these 3 beasties. That original document in Chinese is an excellent thing to have for the bus, I hope you keep it. 1984 as well, that's a good age, can't be bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 MIL 5574 and C45 HNF have both has their first use checks... nothing catastrophic to note. MIL's fuel leak was traced to a brass pipe which had been chafing on the block so it's off to get a new one made up and fitted, most likely on Monday. C45's topside check revealed a terrifying amount of work required: it requires a new first aid kit. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk LightBulbFun, holbeck, DeeJay and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 PEZ STATION SHOTSent from my SM-G930F using TapatalkWow, I've seen these Green busses around Sheffield as recent as about 6 or 7 months ago. Weren't these School transport busses or something? I might even have a picture somewhere of one I snapped, I think it was a G-reg... AMC Rebel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holbeck Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Fair play guy's that quite an escapade. I do hope Andy will keep us updated from time to time as to how these beasts get on in service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Can we not organise a collective AS Cliff-style 'Summer Holiday' jaunt to wherethefuckistan Shitefest International '18? WCPGW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 12, 2017 Author Share Posted August 12, 2017 Wow, I've seen these Green busses around Sheffield as recent as about 6 or 7 months ago. Weren't these School transport busses or something? I might even have a picture somewhere of one I snapped, I think it was a G-reg...They were indeed our Mo, the company ceased operations on July 27th IIRC. The later ones were generally Dennis Dragons or Condors though there few a handful of newer triaxle Olympians; he had a pair of MCW Super Metrobuses as well but they were off before the end. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Lord Sterling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 [quote name="cms206" post="1287226" C45's topside check revealed a terrifying amount of work required: it requires a new first aid kit. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Probably one for the daft question thread, but does a bus this size still have the same size first aid kit as a minibus? Junkman and brickwall 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 That's fantastic - I missed this thread originally but it's a truly epic collection. I may have work out my Like button Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 C45 HNF is now ready for service tomorrow... it takes A BASTARD AGE to wash one of these bastards; they really needed it. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Junkman, CGSB, danthecapriman and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Looks good! So when you getting your paintbrush out? They'll look good in dark red like the ovloV behind it. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimo Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Do these buses have the periscope so that the upstairs passengers can check that there really is a driver down there? The only time I have seen that is on Hong Kong buses. J4mes and Junkman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidfowler2000 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Yes. British buses had them too paulplom, Junkman, LightBulbFun and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidfowler2000 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 C45 HNF is now ready for service tomorrow... it takes A BASTARD AGE to wash one of these bastards; they really needed it. Have you got a big enough brush to do the top deck? There's a certain yellow bus that seems to float about your way that hasn't had above the top deck windows done in years. The Moog and Craig the Princess 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I don't have the faintest idea about buses and coaches and couldn't tell one from another most of the time but this is a brilliant thread, your bus shenanigans make excellent reading and are surprisingly educational. Keep it up! 95 quid Peugeot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickwall Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Amazing. Bonkers, but amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngarty Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Great thread. keep the updates coming please and some interior pics would be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Very impressive that 30+ year old buses are still able to provide service for another few years. I suspect the modern stuff is too complicated or flimsy to survive that long. I hope all three were listed in that HK bus fleet book I found in an antique shop in Hereford - talk about a random find! The big yellow one was. davidfowler2000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Trent Leyland Thingies (Olympians?) had the periscope jobbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 It's just dawned on me that all three of these buses are over 30 years old and I could therefore drive any one of them on my car licence. What a terrifying thought. Lacquer Peel, cms206, Tickman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Well to answer the reasons why I didn't bat an eyelid when someone asked me to drive a service bus many, many miles north, I'll let you into what I do for a (meagre) living.I do mobile exhibitions. These mobile exhibitions are for many different people but revolve around the use of superannuated double deck service buses at service bus speeds to far flung places around the country (and occasionally abroad). The itinerary for the following two weeks for a regular client is this. Please remember that the day will be spent exhibiting so the travelling will be undertaken during the evening/night. Starting in Birmingham, I will go to Exeter, Surrey, London, Luton, North Shields, Darlington, Dumfirmile, Glasgow and finally Edinburgh before travelling back home to Birmingham. All of this will be done on my own with little back up unless there is a catastrophic failure (I.e engine blows up). Yup, the buck stops here. I won't see my home for a fortnight, living from hotel room to hotel room while making sure the show goes on smoothly and on time.So when a friend asks me to help him shift some buses a mere 260 miles. Meh, it makes a pleasant break! Supernaut, wuvvum, The Moog and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJay Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 A stroll in the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 Great thread. keep the updates coming please and some interior pics would be awesome.One set of pics coming up... Brightbus really applied to the interior as well! Seats on all three are a mishmash, we may blow a couple of grand each on a retrim at some point. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Dave_Q, RichL, Conrad D. Conelrad and 15 others 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 MY EYES NEVER SLEEP. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 MY EYES NEVER SLEEP.ARE YOU SURE? Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Inspector Morose and rml2345 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted August 18, 2017 Author Share Posted August 18, 2017 One of my green trio with Dave's ex-Hong Kong 11.3m example. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Heidel_Kakao, Junkman, Lacquer Peel and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Bloody hell look how much longer the yellow bus is! wuvvum, The Moog, Sheefag and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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