Multinational People Movers feat Decker Dave and the Jolly Green Giants

[cms206]

MOT is currently underway for C45 HNF...

 

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[cms206]

MOT is currently underway for C45 HNF...

 

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... we have a pass!

 

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[Inspector Morose]

FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!

[Inspector Morose]

If anyone there is anyone left who is bothered about these things, Scotland has now been achieved by the Tridnt and me. Miles - 780 Fuel used - above 400 litres now. Oil used - nil. Problems - a plenty but still moving.

Glasgow bound this afternoon!

 

On my rough calculations, only another 430 miles left to do before I can go home. Yay!

[DodgeRover]

Ooo tell us about the problems a plenty!!

 

Well done so far on the tour though!

[Inspector Morose]

Apart from a diff bearing breaking up and the usual knocks and scrapes synonymous with getting something 11m long, 8 ft and a bit wide and 14ft 6 tall into places designed for car parking on construction sites - very little actually. The diff is more of an inconvenience than a show stopper - it still runs but you have to be very careful on overrun as you can feel the pinion bouncing about in the housing. It'll last but might get swapped over in the near future.

The engine is its third in two years. The first threw a leg out of bed on my way back from Somerset. This was rebuilt using a good block but that cooked itself and seized out on the road (wasn't my job so details are sketchy). The current one is a Barnsley special, plucked from an ex-London Trident and seems to be a good, if quite underpowered, lump. It hardly breathes (these engines breath heavily usually, even when fairly fresh) and so far has used no oil whatsoever.

Other issues, well the gearbox is flaring between gears quite badly now so it won't have many more tours left in it, I reckon. Luckily we've just bought another complete Trident for its engine (this ones sister boiled it's brains out on its way north a while back) I suspect the back axle and gearbox might end up in this one some day. Or we might just buy another bus and convert that.

 

Just under a week to go before the 300 mile drive home then after a change of underpants it'll be back on the road in a 1968 Leyland PD2 to Devon. Manual box, manual steering and ear defenders at the ready. That'll be fun*.

[Sloth in a bowl]

The old open top Portsmouth corporation PD2 was at Shrewsbury Steam fair this weekend.

 

Not sure that I would want to do a long drive in one.

[davidfowler2000]

Update on big yellow...

http://autoshite.com/topic/21977-scotoshite-megabarge-refurb-restoration-diary/?p=1299764

[Split_Pin]

If anyone there is anyone left who is bothered about these things, Scotland has now been achieved by the Tridnt and me. Miles - 780 Fuel used - above 400 litres now. Oil used - nil. Problems - a plenty but still moving.

Glasgow bound this afternoon!

 

On my rough calculations, only another 430 miles left to do before I can go home. Yay!

Just spotted you passing my office window in Cowcaddens Road, I didn't know it was an ex Lothian Trident too

[chaseracer]

^ Did you jump up and shout "At's ma m8 Andy!!" before looking round to realise everyone was staring at you? 

[busmansholiday]

A few days before MASS finished I thrashed the MGB southwards five junctions on the M1 to stand with some more anaracks (from as far as Bournemouth) and photo the lunchtime exodus of the big green buses. Mind you, the last time I went there was some years ago when their fleet was mainly ex London T class Titans and I was driving an ex Manchester example I had blagged for the day from a local operator for the local enthusiasts trip.

All three of the ones here were in use and it's good to see they have a new home.

Before I retired from my office job, my daily commute up and down the M18 would frequently involve a jolly green giant. Usually accompanied by swearing as the 43mph top speed of most would cause carnage on the two lane motorway as all the lorries suddenly had to pull out to overtake them. We'll except for one, which was usually overtaking all the lorries and a fair few cars as well. You don't need to guess which that one was do you.

[Inspector Morose]

After the last fornights 1200 mile excursion of delights, today brings me this:

 

 

To a private house just up from Exeter. 5 hours later and I'm now on a train home. HST FTW!

[wuvvum]

That must have been some drive.  I would imagine a Titan makes a Trident feel like a dragster...

[Inspector Morose]

It's definitely more of a challenge! 40 ish flat out, no power steering (and it's on radials instead of crossplies for added heaviness) and a part crash box. Oh yes, this one has brakes operated by vacuum instead of compressed air. All good fun. Good quality ear defenders are a necessity too for sustained high speed running - the noise generated by a Leyland 0.600 at full chat for hours on end right by your left leg would damage your hearing somewhat.

I've chickened out of today's journey due to being completely knackered. This was to be a Gardner powered Fleetline open top to that there London for a couple of days. At 37 mph it's about three and a half hours from the yard, then the job, then drive back. Just a bit too much.

Next Sunday, however, will see me back in the saddle of another Trident (sister to the one before) for another fortnights tour of the country, starting in Edinburgh, this time for a pension company. Lots of city centres then - access usually at unfathomable 'o clock until far too late then on to the next. Joys!

[cms206]

Buses, eh. Great bunch of lads.

 

Currently this is the view from my office door...

 

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[cms206]

MIL 5574 in for it's first four weekly inspection after entering use; nothing catastrophic, duff shock absorber being about the worst of it. Thankfully these can actually be done without removing wheels or owt so a nice easy job.

 

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[cms206]

My steed on a daily basis is a former Ulsterbus Leyland Tiger dating from 1992 - of the thirteen vehicles on my side of the business, five are Leylands dating from between 1984 and 1992.

 

Since they arrived, our pair of Tigers have spent the majority of their time on fleet either running absolutely without fault, or breaking springs with monotonous regularity due to an idiotic air-over-leaf suspension setup. That, coupled with drivers who don't understand that speedbumps plus an idiotic suspension setup means £172 quid a pop and four days labour to change a spring.

 

Currently K984 JNV, technically the older of our pair, is VOR with two broken rear springs, and my current daily, J930 UNC, has only just gone back on the road in August after getting it's rear's done. Saturday saw it in for four week dock and... broken front spring. It's now off again to get both fronts springs done, new bump stops, airbags and new spring saddles fitted.

 

Non-air sprung Tigers, like the Leopards before them, have fourteen leaf springs all round; air sprung Tigers actually ride worse, and only have one leaf and subframes all round which are an absolute clusterfuck.

 

 

Elsewhere in the workshop, our trio of 2006 ex-Stagecoach Volvo B7Rs continue to be the bane of my life. Since arriving in June all three have been beset with issues, mostly due to neglect on the part of the previous operator and at best I have managed a 33% availability for service - the newest of the trio hasn't actually carried a fare paying passenger and broke down no less than thirteen times on it's delivery run alone. In fact, it hasn't even run under it's own power since arriving. The one which has managed to stay running is the difficult middle child which last night managed to set it's wiper motor on fire making it popular, and me short of a bus for afternoon schools today.

 

Have some Tiger pics.

 

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[cms206]

I shan't bore you with more boring day to day stuff for just now, so here's a pic from the dead lye; that chunk in the middle is whats left of the 1988 Plaxton Paramount Volvo B10M we started breaking a couple of weeks ago.

 

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[mk2_craig]

At the risk of sounding daft, would it be feasible to convert the Tigers to non air suspended?

[cms206]

At the risk of sounding daft, would it be feasible to convert the Tigers to non air suspended?

 

In theory, yes... in practise, I'd need to land two ex-MOD Tigers to do the conversion as parts availability is getting sketchy - we had to get drag links made for this pair are they're something moronic like 74 inches long and nobody does them as the last Tigers rolled off the line in 1993 and those, like ours, were export chassis. 

[mk2_craig]

If that headcase behind "Kells Transport Museum" has carked it yet, simply head over to Eire and help yourselves.

[cms206]

Just for FPB7 who spent his portion of the trip north in C45 HNF at what felt like walking pace... this afternoon I managed to stretch it's legs a wee bit. Not bad for a three speed auto, though acceleration still requires attention.

 

 

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[davidfowler2000]

Just turn the max fuel screw in 3 or 4 turns. Be reet.

[Inspector Morose]

When you wind it up, it flies! Alternator doesn't like spinning too fast after about 50 and stops charging though.

 

B10M fuel pump. STAT!

[Inspector Morose]

Well, a quick message from the mileage accumulator. After the 1200 miles in the trident a few weeks ago led to the PD Titan down to Exeter(ish). A brief rest led to two weeks with a sister Trident for a pension company with delightful* overnight journeys such as Edinburgh to Leeds, Cardiff to London etc. Another 1600 miles covered there. This Trident also had a fresh engine - a perky little unit, plucked out of a complete bus bought for the purpose, but it's not without its problems (ruptured fuel filter, split water hoses and leaks oil like a sieve - not quite what you want when you're putting it into a shopping centre or under the London eye) it sat down completely on the way to Southbank with a ruptured hose and the recovery folks took a good number of hours to get me. Unfortunately I was due to be there early for a photo shoot with the Scottish Widow (not a euphemism, the one that appears on the adverts for said insurance company) so that was cancelled. Yes, I stood up the Scottish Widow!

Now on a restful two weeks with the original Trident liveried up for a thing for Exeter university. Little mileage accumulation (only about 400 all in for the fortnight) but it's bloody awkward getting a Lothian Trident into Devonshire villages! Day off today so I'll be being driven in a bus for a change from my digs at Exeter services to Seaton to play trams for the day and the statutory fish and chips at Frydays.

 

Diff still growling but all is well(ish).

 

I've just realised that I've driven the Tridents further than the SAAB in the same space of time.

[Talbot]

Just read this thread from the beginning, and I have to echo the calls of "keep it coming".  This is genuinely interesting stuff, and understanding the legalities of what has to be done to operate these vehicles seem so much more complex than a car/van.

 

As for the convoy of green at the beginning of the thread... I would have given my left leg to be one of the drivers! (obvs would have to have driven an Auto, but that's a minor price to pay).

 

Still intrigued about the "over 30 years old" licensing.  Does this mean that my Pre-'97 car license would allow me to drive one of these?  or does the weight being 10-ish tonnes mean I'd need another class on it?

 

And would it be very cheeky to ask how much these vehicles cost?  I know you said somewhere they "were cheap"... what is cheap (or expensive) for a 12-meter long double deck diesel-slurpung leviathon like that?

[Eddie Honda]

Just read this thread from the beginning,

Read it again as you must of missed this post: http://autoshite.com/topic/29113-multinational-people-movers-feat-decker-dave-and-the-jolly-green-giants/?p=1293824

 

Still intrigued about the "over 30 years old" licensing.  Does this mean that my Pre-'97 car license would allow me to drive one of these?  or does the weight being 10-ish tonnes mean I'd need another class on it?

It doesn't matter when category B is pre or post 1997.

 

Is it a bus? Yes.

Is it over 30 yeas old? Yes.

Is it used non-commercially? Yes.

Am I carrying no more than 8 passengers? Yes.

 

Weight has nothing to do with it. It's not a lorry.

 

Full cat B is all that is required.

[cms206]

 

 

And would it be very cheeky to ask how much these vehicles cost? I know you said somewhere they "were cheap"... what is cheap (or expensive) for a 12-meter long double deck diesel-slurpung leviathon like that?

Including tyres, fuel in the tanks and with MOTs up to April '18 they came in at £3,333+vat each.

 

 

More recently, there's not much else to report; C45 HNF is currently VOR awaiting an alternator belt tensioner. Not normally an insurmountable problem but as it's been repowered with an entirely different engine it's proving complicated to find the right one as we don't know what the engine came out of; the fuel pump has at least been identified as a Volvo-geared Bosch inline pump from a DAF SB220, rather than a DB250 as originally thought.

 

Other than that, MIL 5574 was tugged as part of a joint effort between Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the DVSA and Police Scotland at one of our schools recently. Checked by inspectors from SPT and the DVSA, the results speak for themselves - considering DOFR was November 1st 1984, I am pretty pleased

 

 

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[Inspector Morose]

Ooh, so a pump from a horizontal engine that was based on one designed just after the Second World War has been fitted with a drive from a totally different engine and then fitted vertically to an engine that was originally fitted with an electronically controlled fuel pump.

I so needed to work there.

Got a pic of the tensioner?

[chaseracer]

Got a pic of the tensioner?

 

This place...