Multinational People Movers feat Decker Dave and the Jolly Green Giants

[Noel Tidybeard]

wots happened to Dave the chrain? as shirley he should feature more in a thread bearing his name

[Matt]

At least nothing is on fire like that Stagecoach I posted on Facebook recently...

 

 

Looks like a pretty new one too (no idea what model it is though).

[Matt]

I was lucky* to live in a rural location that Stagecoach sent all the old stuff to

 

Same here before I had my license around that same time in fact I think B10M's made up the majority of the fleet around here. I can only back up the previous comment about them being noisy and uncomfortable...

[Zelandeth]

Probably another B9R I think...Seem to recall we had one go up in a similar way just outside Aberdeen a few years back - coincidentally right after a long uphill stretch.  Nobody ever confirmed the cause, but my guess was something leaking and getting in contact with the very hot turbo or exhaust manifold.

 

Sure I'd read about another one doing a similar thing pretty soon before that one too.

 

Only drove one of those once (First's trainer for a brief period), and the only thing I can remember was that the gearbox setup was completely screwed up.  It was one of those ZF boxes that automatically drop into neutral when stationary to save fuel.  However it thought you'd stopped at about 2mph.  Fine going downhill or on the level, but it meant that it was utterly impossible to stop smoothly if pointing up hill as you'd suddenly lose drive, at which point you'd lose drive and ten tonnes of coach would lurch to a halt in a highly comical fashion.

 

The B10M PS I mentioned earlier had a slightly dodgy box too...It behaved okay, but changed between its three speeds using a sledgehammer it felt like...

[cms206]

 

 

That's not an ex Stagecoach Bluebird bus is it? Reg number seems oddly familiar.

That one was a Stagecoach Highland motor, latterly it was the pink beachball Cairngorm ski bus at Aviemore. The P-GNDs and R-XVMs were a batch of well over 100, very few Stagecoach areas escaped them.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[petermchugh79]

I'm sure the CiE Bombardier double deckers in Dublin had Detroit 2 strokes

Yep it did

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[Inspector Morose]

 

Was the photograph that showed up on my phone yesterday from Mr CMS. Apparently the starter on one of the jolly green giants had spun and smashed the bracket holding it into the engine. Have I got one?(they aren't exactly plentiful these days) as the bus really could do with being on the road instead of sitting in the yard alongside all the other broken appliances.

I might, I'll just pop to my yard and check.

 

Yes, the spare Metrobus still has it attached so I set to work with the spanners to relieve it from the engine.

 

 

Now, how to get it to an operator in need asap? From Birmingham to Barrhead?

 

Well, I'm typing this out while sitting in my car and looking out to see. In Ayr.

 

Suppose I better go home now. My job is done.

[Zelandeth]

That one was a Stagecoach Highland motor, latterly it was the pink beachball Cairngorm ski bus at Aviemore. The P-GNDs and R-XVMs were a batch of well over 100, very few Stagecoach areas escaped them.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

Ah ha!  I was right.

 

Definitely did a few miles on that then when it was with Bluebird used on the 307 Inverurie to Aberdeen run.  It moved on to Highland when the Enviro300s came into the Bluebird fleet.

 

Good old bus, but could really do with an extra gear for dual carriageway work...

[davidfowler2000]

At least nothing is on fire like that Stagecoach I posted on Facebook recently...

 

 

Looks like a pretty new one too (no idea what model it is though).

 

Good ol' 53114. It was a cunt to begin with owing to the fact the speed limiter module was screwed down too tight and it kept earthing out and cutting the engine. It ended up going back to Sweden to find the fault. It was also the bus I done my record 900 in. Edinburgh bus station to Glasgow bus station via Harthill AND Baillieston in 1:04 hours with stops along the road.

[Matt]

Good ol' 53114. It was a cunt to begin with owing to the fact the speed limiter module was screwed down too tight and it kept earthing out and cutting the engine. It ended up going back to Sweden to find the fault. It was also the bus I done my record 900 in. Edinburgh bus station to Glasgow bus station via Harthill AND Baillieston in 1:04 hours with stops along the road.

 

I'm not 'into' buses so I don't know how it happens but I love that I can post photos like that and someone is still going to know exactly what bus it is, who's owned it, where it's been and someone will chime in to say that they've driven it.

 

What about this one I saw outside the Glasgow Riverside Museum?

1997 Volvo S/D Bus/Coach by Matt S, on Flickr

[busmansholiday]

Sister R941XVM reregistered. Think may still be owned by McColl of Dumbarton, but as it's not local to me that may have changed.

[cms206]

Where was I?

 

Oh yes. Buses.

 

 

 

In this installment...

 

I fought the DVLA and lost.

 

Driver "doesn't notice" that his brakes have jumped the cam.

 

MOT tests.

 

Repaints.

 

Driver "doesn't notice" that he reversed into a fire station.

 

--

 

I FOUGHT THE DVLA AND LOST

 

In an effort to regain the dateless plates on our former Ulsterbus Leyland Tigers, I spoke to The DVLA. They informed me that the easiest way to do this is to put the current plate (J930 UNC) onto a retainer; the V5C states that the vehicle was previously registered WXI 4413 which should therefore be reissued.

 

I duly sent off a company cheque, complete with paperwork and relevent forms to Swansea and within 48 hours I recieved a retention certificate... but no V5C.

 

After a week of waiting I got impatient and checked Cartell and the like, all of which showed WXI 4413 as a 1992 Leyland Tiger.

 

"WINNAR!" thinks I.

 

Then the V5 showed up.

 

J930 UNC is now... J465 MJL.

 

BASTARDS.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[cms206]

DRIVER "DOESN'T NOTICE" THAT HIS BRAKES HAVE JUMPED THE CAM.

 

Whilst I am aware that many of you won't know what this means, it's pantshitting when it does happen.

 

In this case we had "the perfect storm" - brake lining and brake drum worn down to the point that the brake more or less siezes on after a heavy application of the brakes.

 

I've had it happen once before many years ago and if you're travelling at speed it'll take the steering wheel out your hands.

 

In this case the driver claims he didn't even notice a brake pull let alone a brake dragging; the result is a wheel that got so hot it melted the wheel flags.

 

New brake drums and shoes ordered - 91 quid each delivered so did the pair - and done in an afternoon. The driver has since left us.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[hairnet]

yeah ya flash git

 

does it come up like that on gov.uk?

 

speak to them sounds like theyve written down on too many bits of paper

[Captain Furious]

Weirdly, I do know what jumping the cam means in relation to HGV air brakes. At some point in the dim and distant past I have seen either a YouTube vid or TV program explaining it complete with an animation

 

One of those little trinkets that for some reason stays with you.

 

Keep up the udates though, great stuff.

[cms206]

MOT TESTS

 

Many new vehicles arriving have thrown my usual MOT schedule to pot. As a result I have six MOTs in three weeks, before a gap of around a fortnight before another five are due. The first two were quite far apart in terms of vehicle ('92 Leyland Tiger 72-seater and a 16-plate Temsa MD9 34-seater) but both passed with no advisories at our local ATF. The remaining tests for the next few weeks are a 12-plate Iveco Eurorider, a 14-plate Temsa Safari, a pair of 55-plate Volvo B7Rs, a '98 Volvo B10M, a 10-plate Neoplan Tourliner, a 56-plate Citroen Berlingo, an '84 (or '86?) Leyland Olympian and the other '92 Leyland Tiger. I shall update on these as they go.

 

REPAINTS

 

Our paint man hates having folk sitting about. Detests it. He phoned us.

 

"Ah dinnae want these cunts a' sittin' aboot" he says. "Hiv ye a'hin ae get pentit?".

 

We did. We also had no money for repaints in the budget. This made me sad as I've got two absolutely hanging Volvo B7Rs running in Stagecoach Beachball livery.

 

"Ye's are guid payers. Send the fuckers up and square us up later, so these cunts urnae sittin' aboot daein heehaw."

 

Three are due to head up for repaint any time now, starting with one of the 55-plate Volvos on Monday coming.

 

 

 

DRIVER "DOESN'T NOTICE" HE HAS REVERSED INTO A FIRE STATION* (ALLEGEDLY)

 

We started a mechanic on three days a week as an extra pair of hands. I have used him for many years on my cars and he is a known quantity who works like a bastard.

 

Until now though, I didn't know he could do bodywork to a reasonable standard...

 

Last Sunday a bus was out on a railway shift and came back in with a hole in the back bumper. The backshift driver hadn't checked the bus when he took over from the earlyshift so one or the other did the damage. Malky, for that is his name, said on Monday "I can sort that nae hassles".

 

Results are better than I hoped.

 

(* may not have been, but it's all we can think of near where he'd have had to reverse.)

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[hairnet]

not so bad - looks like a bollard - was he gan shappin?

[cms206]

not so bad - looks like a bollard - was he gan shappin?

No fucking idea Mark; the worst about it is that is one of only two coaches we own with reversing cameras.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Inspector Morose]

"It was like that when I took it over"* said all drivers everywhere.

 

 

* can be applied to all manner of damage, mechanical faults, bus in sea etc etc

[hairnet]

No fucking idea Mark; the worst about it is that is one of only two coaches we own with reversing cameras.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

panda has revesing sensors

 

didnt stop the old giffer before us putting a big scrawp in the back bumper

[320touring]

Top update, and mad bodywork skillz by Malky

[Noel Tidybeard]

whats happened to Dave-the-chrain aka decker dave?

[quicksilver]

Have a thread bump as I had a very rare opportunity to actually travel on some Jolly Green Giants yesterday, thanks to an enthusiasts' tour featuring these three now owned by Walters of Oxford and normally confined to school runs.

 

 

 

 

I'll do a full report of the day soon as Walters' yard is a proper shiters' paradise. Old buses and coaches everywhere in various states of disrepair and 20-odd Rovers languishing at the back.

[cms206]

HOLY THREAD RESURRECTION!!! etc.

 

I'll post a more betterer update tomorrow, but as a taster... how would YOU like to own your very own Jolly Green Giant?

 

Our friends at the Council have finally made their minds up and the contract which gives the JGGs meaningful employment will finish two years early on Friday June 28th 2019 meaning that our three will be disposed of shortly thereafter.

 

You have ten months or so to save up and find storage if you're interested...

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Tickman]

HOLY THREAD RESURRECTION!!! etc.

 

I'll post a more betterer update tomorrow, but as a taster... how would YOU like to own your very own Jolly Green Giant?

 

Our friends at the Council have finally made their minds up and the contract which gives the JGGs meaningful employment will finish two years early on Friday June 28th 2019 meaning that our three will be disposed of shortly thereafter.

 

You have ten months or so to save up and find storage if you're interested...

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I will not be showing this to the Mrs, she wants a bus for some reason!

[320touring]

I will not be showing this to the Mrs, she wants a bus for some reason!

Do it

[Zelandeth]

Would absolutely love one...sadly lacking in the space of relevant licence entitlement.

 

Sorry to hear they're pulling the contract early...defeats the purpose of putting dates on them really doesn't it...

[Tayne]

I will not be showing this to the Mrs, she wants a bus for some reason!

 

 

 

They might take an elderly Land Rover in partX.

 

Can you imagine the reactions "oh my god Mrs Tickman, where did you get your huge bus?"

"hubby traded a Land Rover and a broken x-box for it!"

[cms206]

I will not be showing this to the Mrs, she wants a bus for some reason!

CMS DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Tickman]

No, just no.