invacar LightBulbFun's Invacar & general ramble thread, index on page 1, survivors lists on Pages 24/134 & AdgeCutler's Invacar Mk12 Restoration from Page 186 onwards, still harping on...

[cms206]

 

 

what say yee your bus of choice?

 

(if you say Mercedes bendy bus ill have to unsubscribe from my own thread!)

 

Not a bloody Routemaster anyway!!! My own bus ownership history indicates a preference for the Leyland Leopard (5 owned), Leyland National (3, two Mk2s and a Mk1) and breadvans (one Mercedes, one Renault).

 

Other than that... MCW Metrobus, Bristol VR, Leyland Olympian, minibuses in general, Volvo B10M, DAF SB220, even the Dennis Dart... just not a Routemaster!

 

 

 

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[Yoss]

Less of this Routemaster chat or I'll need to unsubscribe from the thread!

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Ok, no more I promise*.

 

So anyway, here's RML900 heading down Oxford Street.

 

Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley.

 

Finchley Bus Garage.

 

Turns out I was right about the carpet on the ceiling but wrong about the lights. The front indicators are not original.

 

Clydemaster badge

So it has small fluorescent lights but with that dark ceiling I'd imagine it's still fairly subdued in there at night.

 

And a couple of pics of Finchley showbus RML903 in service in Glasgow, August bank holiday weekend 1987. RML900's trip to London was a kind've thank you for this.

[cms206]

I shall forgive that for A29 and one of MB6-20 in the background at Eglinton Street.

 

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[Yoss]

Thanks. T'was a good trip. Four days from Finchley to Glasgow and back. They gave us RM447 to run in front of 903. There were about twenty people on the platform and stairs taking pictures. It was running from Thornliebank garage, I've no idea if that still exists, Finchley certainly doesn't. I also seem to remember they gave us a Leopard to go to the chip shop.

[cms206]

 

 

Thanks. T'was a good trip. Four days from Finchley to Glasgow and back. They gave us RM447 to run in front of 903. There were about twenty people on the platform and stairs taking pictures. It was running from Thornliebank garage, I've no idea if that still exists, Finchley certainly doesn't. I also seem to remember they gave us a Leopard to go to the chip shop.

Thorliebank is now a council depot but still very much recognisable. It ceased operations in the early 1990s after less than 25 years' use.

 

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[Yoss]

Thorliebank is now a council depot but still very much recognisable. It ceased operations in the early 1990s after less than 25 years' use.

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I'd love a proper bus garage but they keep disappearing. I'd have to win the Euro millions though, a normal lottery win wouldn't be enough.

[busmansholiday]

Oh thank you very much that would make for a nice read

 

(still not sure what the deal is with that one, pretty sure it does have its stock engine, but the DVLA says its 900cc LOL)

 

 

 

Screenshot 2019-03-16 at 20.44.59.png

 

looks like Mr Q plate has found the Microcar facebook page (i did not direct him to it yet, so must of found it on his own )

 

Model 70 in Autoshite colours one thing that imidently caught my eye was the rear light clusters, one would say there not stock, but at the same time, I swear iv seen another Model 70 with the same rear lights, ill have to try and dig that photo up and see what the deal is....

 

54257684_10213519191842545_6003278993111908352_o.jpg

 

I also wonder if its had a rear end shunt and repair at some point, much like what Zel has done to TPA, cuz that rear end lip looks a bit short and I dont see a rear number plate light

 

(also Woo 1500th post )

There was clear bodywork damage to her, the fns was a different shape and there was aluminium mesh on the engine compartment as well. Guess the dose of paraffin hasn't done the carbs any good.

 

Wonder if the damage is why she ended up at the scrappies in Lincoln.

[LightBulbFun]

Ok, no more I promise*.

 

So anyway, here's RML900 heading down Oxford Street.

 IMG_20190318_163619.jpg IMG_20190318_163647.jpg

 

Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley.

 IMG_20190318_163710.jpg

 

Finchley Bus Garage.

 IMG_20190318_163749.jpg

 

Turns out I was right about the carpet on the ceiling but wrong about the lights. The front indicators are not original.

 

Clydemaster badge

 IMG_20190318_163823.jpg IMG_20190318_163909.jpg IMG_20190318_163934.jpg

So it has small fluorescent lights but with that dark ceiling I'd imagine it's still fairly subdued in there at night.

 

And a couple of pics of Finchley showbus RML903 in service in Glasgow, August bank holiday weekend 1987. RML900's trip to London was a kind've thank you for this.

 IMG_20190318_164145.jpg IMG_20190318_164238.jpg

 

Awesome stuff

 

pretty cool to see pictures of the event, iv just heard about it in writing until now

 

they really did RML900 up nice, same for RML903, shame Metroline let her go so badly.... (in more recent years shes been spruced up a bit, but during the Mid 2000s it was not pretty)

 

must of been quite fun driving a RM to and from Scotland-London and vice versa

 

(will say that carpeting does make things look a bit gloomy)

 

There was clear bodywork damage to her, the fns was a different shape and there was aluminium mesh on the engine compartment as well. Guess the dose of paraffin hasn't done the carbs any good.

 

Wonder if the damage is why she ended up at the scrappies in Lincoln.

 

aye yeah if im reading his texts correctly too i think some water got into the carb too,

 

(when I saw the side on pictures and saw the funky rear lights, went to check your pictures and realised you could see em there too, I missed them the first time round whoops LOL)

 

id not be surprised if thats why she ended up in the scrap yard, especially given 1997 was towards the end of the scheme so if they really did need to give the user a Model 70 back there would of been plenty being withdrawn at the time for them to use

 

(I know a few people here have crashed into invalid cars at one point or another, anyone remember plowing into the rear end of one by the registration MPH736P?  )

 

well I say that but MPH736P was last taxed in 83, so would of been off the road for some time even in 1997, wonder if 83 was when the shunt happened then she sat around while people decided what to do with her for 10 years...

 

 

Thought this may be of some interest to you The Invacars Russian cousin!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMZ_cyclecar

 

 

yeah iv seen those around the place on the web

 

a bright green one popped up for sale in the UK on ebay a while back

[LightBulbFun]

heres an interesting one (ignoring the incorrect information, *grumble* ) https://www.themiamiautomuseum.com/1977-ac-invacar-c-313.htm

 

 

 

 

 

if im reading the odometer right, its a Model 70 with almost 100K on the clock!

 

but the most interesting bit to me is, whats the big thing next to the fuel tank? I dont think iv seen it in another Model 70 before...

 

[SiC]

A brake servo. Assists the brakes making them easier to use.

http://www.triumph-spitfire.nl/servoimages.htm

[Yoss]

You mean the big round thing to the right? That's a brake servo. Identical to the one on my Triumph in fact. That would give it some stopping power.

 

The demise of RML903 was a sad affair. Finchley kept it mint until they closed which was a tragedy in itself. Too many bus garages keep closing but Finchley kept all their buses like that. When it closed their Routemasters were transfered to Holloway which was the worst garage in London, they didnt care about anything and the MTL livery was just about the worst of the private companies.

[Yoss]

A brake servo. Assists the brakes making them easier to use.

http://www.triumph-spitfire.nl/servoimages.htm

You beat me to it, and in far more detail too.

[LightBulbFun]

Ah cool yeah the round thing

 

seems quite overkill for a Model 70, wonder why it was fitted... 

 

(Maybe a miss guided attempt to placate the complainers? I say miss guided because of all the complaints iv heard, the inability to stop was not one of them)

 

(going by the large speedo, its a later Model 70)

 

Aye yeah the MTL Routemasters where a sad affair they didn't even get a painted mid band which is a must on a RM IMHO, (there was technically a 4th RML that "escaped" the refurbishment program, London Transport sold off a high number RML (Cant recall which atm) in the 1970s for some reason, but sadly its one of the few RMLs that no longer exist)

[Yoss]

RML2671? I think it was that one. Ended up in Sweden or Finland though I can't remember why it was sold in the first place.

 

 

EDIT: it was 2691 not 2671.

[LightBulbFun]

Yeah, I wonder why LT sold it off so early? where they offered a silly amount of money for it or something?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33747326@N05/8419772472/in/photostream/

 

one thing thats iv not had a clear answer on is, why did many RMs and RMLs lose their front fog lamp during the 1990s+?

[barrett]

You've probably already seen this nice double-exposure snap on ebay

[Yoss]

 

one thing thats iv not had a clear answer on is, why did many RMs and RMLs lose their front fog lamp during the 1990s+?

 

Simple economics. It wasn't a legal requirement so it's easier to remove than fix.

[LightBulbFun]

You've probably already seen this nice double-exposure snap on ebay

s-l1600 copy 3.jpg

 

 

Aye yeah saw that a week or 2 ago

 

was contemplating posting it here

 

but thank you for sharing it regardless

 

shame about the double exposure (Iv been trying to work out what the 2nd exposure is but im not sure LOL)

 

it must be one of the very few colour Photos of an invalid car when new, thats a Model 67 (Model 67-Mk14 I think), 197cc villiers engine, backbone chassis with out riggers, like whats in Eggs Mk12

 

it may look similar to the Model 70, but the Model 70 is Way more robust and much faster/car like

 

I like to think the guy in the picture was the new recipient of it, and very happy about it, because I know back then Colour film would of been quite expensive and not used lightly

 

 

 

Simple economics. It wasn't a legal requirement so it's easier to remove than fix.

 

ah yeah makes sense, looks bloody naff when they removed it on RMs with the older grill style where theres a cutout for it,

 

I noticed ensign bus still do this sadly, ER882 (the bus in my avatar, photo taken by my brother when Mike fuller kindly provided a private outing for me when I was 8  ) has lost its fog lamp since being sold back to ensign

[egg]

I can haz Stuart's book now, seems only fair to put a few pounds his way for the help he has provided via LBF.

 

It is a 'print on demand' book, i.e. they only print it when you order it (from my local bookshop). It's almost as though it is a niche subject

 

[LightBulbFun]

Awesome stuff I was planning on buying one for the same reasons, because even if the book only gives a brief over view of things, its worth it alone if nothing else as a show of support (plus even tho it did not tell me anything I didn't already know about the Model 70, it was cool reading about all the other invalid carriages )

 

interesting on the print on demand thing, I was wondering about that, because I know the book dates a few years back, but my copy has a QR code in it

 

(its pretty clear the book was written for the general public, rather then the die hard enthusiast I very much look forward to stuarts next book, which is supposed to basically be a brain dump of everything he knows   )

[quicksilver]

To prove the point, here's RML903 in the year 2000. Red paint everywhere and no fleetnames. It looks awful yet someone actually took it to a show looking like this!

 

Metroline WLT 903 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

(before anyone asks, the green one next to it is RMC1476. I've no idea why it had LT roundels on NBC green)

[LightBulbFun]

I think these days it at least has a painted mid band now, but no fleet names still...

 

also on wrong wheels too, without any nut covers, I hate it when people run around with their nuts on show 

 

 

as for RMC1476, thats because it was a ex learner, LT Just quickly slapped LT roundels on it to donate its their bus then just pushed it into training service

 

(although I think a couple did actually get repainted in green LOL)

 

one RMC was in NBC Green with maroon wheels, made for an interesting combination

[cms206]

More RM chat... jesus bejesus bee.

 

bzzzzzzzzz

 

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[LightBulbFun]

fine fine...

have a picture of TA1 I have fond memories of this bus type as well, as it was the Bus stagecoach ran on the 3 most local routes here (26 48 and 55), and I even remember TA1 specifically, because unlike the rest which had normal stagecoach seat patterns and plastic seat frame, TA1 had Routemaster style seat frames with the grey/rainbow stripe seat pattern.

 

 

[lanciamatt]

My favourite buses from been a kid well into my 20s were leyland national mk1 Barnsley and District had shit loads of them, they all went when stage coach took over

[Jikovron]

Leyland nationals are my favourite as per this thread seemingly as it's great to read total enthusiasm about machinery I can barely remember on the roads , I rode on the number 8 L.N. from Scottswood road to Kenton bar back in 2006 before they succumbed to progress and journey wise it included decent stretch of hill rising out of lemington most likely a good 1:10 of which provoked the Leyland 510 plant coupled to I guess a slow shifting automatic gearbox into a rather deafening rhythmic symphony of measured mechanical taps and cylinder pressure waves, memorable stuff especially when juxtaposed against contemporary modern quiet efficiency.

[lanciamatt]

It's a nice clatter from the 510 engine. If you go on you tube there is some good videos of mk1 nationals. Watch the one from south riding in Sheffield trying to start about 6 of them.

[lanciamatt]

They have semi auto gearboxes the lever is to the right of the driver

[Ghosty]

Useful* fact: whichever Invacar it is that's held by the Lakeland Motor Museum (plates not visible alas), is fitted with a steering wheel. Not sure how the controls work on that one.

[captain_70s]

IIRC the one in Glasgow Transport Museum also has a steering wheel.