For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Mad McCann]

Stopping sharply with a modern bus can still be an occasionally interesting experience, so I can only imagine how interesting it might have been with vacuum and drums! ;-)

 

D.

[JDW]

Modern buses will stop VERY quickly if you just whack your foot to the floor.  The trick, of course, is being able to stop quickly and smoothly...

[laurenceb]

Talking to an ex Midland Red driver he said that there home made buses could shift, stopping however!!!!!!!!!!!

[runs as required]

Deckers  good for 90mph sounds to me like Aspinall’s High Steppers and City of Truro ‘doing the ton’ stories.

 

My dad had a pale blue 1949 Mark IV Hillman Minx saloon firm’s car that frequently had its speedo needle swinging between 90 - 100 mph along the East Lancs road. Disappointingly the same model Minx tested for 'The Motor' was good for no more than a top speed of 67 mph.

 

At about the same time, on our way home from school, we’d crowd up against the bulkhead of a North Western RC newly rebodied Weymann Bristol J to peer around the driver to watch the speedo rise as he clonked the 5LW into overdrive top.

We never saw much more than 50 up as he got the ‘road car' sailing along long straights on the deserted afternoon A6 for our benefit.

 

dh

[Gwiwer]

One could usually see the speed while enjoying Routemaster trips if seated downstairs front nearside. I have made a good many journeys by RCL on both Green Line and local bus work. Running to time they coped very easily with the schedule while if late they had a very good turn of speed after a slightly ponderous start. Opportunities for very fast running were few and far between but a late-running 414 one morning was perfectly comfortable on the undulating and winding road between Horsham and Dorking at speeds above 50mph. Likewise a 709 delayed by traffic most of the way from Baker Street to South Croydon then "went for it" on the homeward leg to Godstone Garage topping 50 with ease and in perfect comfort. I could believe the type might manage 70mph. But 90mph I question.

 

For PD3 fans Southdown offered a treat on the 12 road between Brighton and Eastbourne. Over the cliffs from the start with short sharp drops back to sea level the route then ran through some fairly open countryside beyond Seaford which included some long steep climbs. Heading west back to Brighton the driver would be faced with the lengthy climb up East Dean Road onto the South Downs. Often requiring first gear this was a nail-biter if the golf club stop was requestef half way up or the load was (as it often was) full and standing. I have been overtaken by pedestrians walking up more than once but despite the snail's pace the Leyland engine echoing off the hills, revs slowly falling and pulling hard, was quite something. It's still the 12 today but Brighton & Hove's modern vehicles make much lighter work of it.

 

Back in the day die-hard PD3 fans could ride much of the Sussex coast aboard Southdown's famous Queen Marys. Eastbourne to Brighton in around 80 minutes then the four-hour marathon from Brighton to Southsea on the 31. Rounded off with almost another 2 hours on the 45 from Southsea to Warsash deep in Hants & Dorset territory.

[runs as required]

Talking to an ex Midland Red driver he said that there home made buses could shift, stopping however!!!!!!!!!!!

Why are Midland Red's 'home made' buses and coaches so neglected? 

Especially when set against contemporary Birmingham Corporation vehicles which enjoy much wider coverage in modelling.

 

The BMMO always seemed years ahead of the conservative British pack in its vehicle development under Donald Sinclair.

 

dh

[royaloak]

A bit scary though, bucketing along at 90 with a decker, methinks.

I have had a Leyland Olympian with a TL11 engine do about 100mph down the slip road at Dodworth onto the M1, well I assume it was about 100mph because the tacho needle was firmly wedged the wrong side of its stop (I obviously wasnt running using the tacho), it did slow down a bit when the motorway levelled off so the needle was pointing straight down which I estimate to be just over 90mph.

 

I have also left National Express Liners eating my dust.

 

I used to enjoy working West Ridings X32 and X33, happy days. 

Edited August 27, 2017 by royaloak

[royaloak]

Modern buses will stop VERY quickly if you just whack your foot to the floor.  The trick, of course, is being able to stop quickly and smoothly...

I would have thought the trick would be to ensure the passengers stopped as well, no point stopping the bus if the passengers are all thrown forward, been there done that.

[Enterprisingwestern]

One could usually see the speed while enjoying Routemaster trips if seated downstairs front nearside. I have made a good many journeys by RCL on both Green Line and local bus work. Running to time they coped very easily with the schedule while if late they had a very good turn of speed after a slightly ponderous start. Opportunities for very fast running were few and far between but a late-running 414 one morning was perfectly comfortable on the undulating and winding road between Horsham and Dorking at speeds above 50mph. Likewise a 709 delayed by traffic most of the way from Baker Street to South Croydon then "went for it" on the homeward leg to Godstone Garage topping 50 with ease and in perfect comfort. I could believe the type might manage 70mph. But 90mph I question.

 

For PD3 fans Southdown offered a treat on the 12 road between Brighton and Eastbourne. Over the cliffs from the start with short sharp drops back to sea level the route then ran through some fairly open countryside beyond Seaford which included some long steep climbs. Heading west back to Brighton the driver would be faced with the lengthy climb up East Dean Road onto the South Downs. Often requiring first gear this was a nail-biter if the golf club stop was requestef half way up or the load was (as it often was) full and standing. I have been overtaken by pedestrians walking up more than once but despite the snail's pace the Leyland engine echoing off the hills, revs slowly falling and pulling hard, was quite something. It's still the 12 today but Brighton & Hove's modern vehicles make much lighter work of it.

 

Back in the day die-hard PD3 fans could ride much of the Sussex coast aboard Southdown's famous Queen Marys. Eastbourne to Brighton in around 80 minutes then the four-hour marathon from Brighton to Southsea on the 31. Rounded off with almost another 2 hours on the 45 from Southsea to Warsash deep in Hants & Dorset territory.

 

For "music", you could do no better than Sheffield, built famously on 7 hills and 7 valleys, virtually every route had a climb of some magnitude. Regent 3's with crash boxes were my particular favourite, but all the front engine vehicles could put on a performance.

 

Mike.

[Gwiwer]

For "music", you could do no better than Sheffield, built famously on 7 hills and 7 valleys, virtually every route had a climb of some magnitude. Regent 3's with crash boxes were my particular favourite, but all the front engine vehicles could put on a performance.

 

Mike.

 

I've also done City - Darnall a fair few times on Volvo Ailsas.  That front-engined design which failed to live up to its promise.  And which proved utterly gutless around Sheffield.

[Welly]

For "music", you could do no better than Sheffield, built famously on 7 hills and 7 valleys, virtually every route had a climb of some magnitude. Regent 3's with crash boxes were my particular favourite, but all the front engine vehicles could put on a performance.

 

Mike.

I still remember the sight of old double decker buses doing the school run contracts in Sheffield during the early 1990s. Absolutely rammed full of kids with engines working hard up Fulwood Road! That was one of the few moments that I was grateful that I went to a boarding school!

[Enterprisingwestern]

I've also done City - Darnall a fair few times on Volvo Ailsas.  That front-engined design which failed to live up to its promise.  And which proved utterly gutless around Sheffield.

 

Luckily, without a hill of any consequence!

 

Mike.

[runs as required]

I want to ask about steep hills and also the characteristically high pitched squeaky brakes of old Bristol buses :

I'm remembering NWRCC Bristol Js of pre & postwar vintage in the Derbyshire Peak and east Cheshire highlands.

 

We lived on the top of the 1 in 12 climb out of Whaley Bridge on the Blind Jack of Knaresborough engineered turnpike (B5089) across to Macclesfield.

My getting up signal in the morning was the 7.40 am long fast descent (over the county boundary) of the 88 bus from Kettleshulme to Chinley Station and a cacophony of braking for an acute bend between the tall dry stone walls at the very top of our village. As it passed my bedroom it would violently double de-clutch down for the turn and continue off downhill.

 

Unlike many a week-end joy rider, bus drivers never botched that the corner.

Later, once the BET standard Leyland underfloor vehicles took over after I'd gone off to college, the performance was a lot more muted.

 

So my question to PSV drivers what was it about those Bristol (Tilling era) brake specs?

And that double de-clutching down with the right foot - with the left foot still hard on the brake pedal  - was it heel and toe stuff !

 

dh

[leopardml2341]

I've also done City - Darnall a fair few times on Volvo Ailsas. That front-engined design which failed to live up to its promise. And which proved utterly gutless around Sheffield.

Luckily, without a hill of any consequence!

 

Mike.

They were used for a (very) short while on the 80 something services to Bents Green, Ecclesall etc and they were very noisy and slow up them there 'ills.

 

IIRC they had a 3 speed auto box, albeit with 'gear hold' but on the hills the ratios were too far spread, now, on the 277/8 Sheffield - Doncaster services; a very different kettle of fish indeed, but they didn't seem to be used a lot on those either.

 

I also remember the trial vehicle in CIE orange livery doing the rounds of the 3 PTE districts, again IIRC, 621 ZO was it's reg mark.

 

Edit: Here it is in Doncaster

https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7015/6808611359_5a87cf38b7_b.jpg

Edited August 27, 2017 by leopardml2341

[Ohmisterporter]

One thing I have learned on bus rides around the country is that passengers who once were called "standing" are called "standees". Usually written in a sentence like "One wheelchair equals five standees". And gone is the command that "Children travelling at half fare must not occupy a seat whilst adults are standing". Not that they seem to take any notice anyway.

[PhilJ W]

The RCL's certainly had a good turn of speed. The last 'turn' on the 721 finished at the Robin Hood in Brentwood just after midnight and the bus then returned empty to the garage in Romford (London Road RE). Coming out of Brentwood there is Brook Street Hill, dropping away about 1 in 12 and dead straight. I was courting a young lady from Brentwood at the time and on several occassions I followed the bus into Romford in my car and I couldn't keep up with it.

[RANGERS]

One thing I have learned on bus rides around the country is that passengers who once were called "standing" are called "standees". Usually written in a sentence like "One wheelchair equals five standees". And gone is the command that "Children travelling at half fare must not occupy a seat whilst adults are standing". Not that they seem to take any notice anyway.

 

In the case of the children, its no longer legal (if indeed it ever was) as it amounts to discrimination on grounds of age! The recent Supreme Court case brought by Doug Pauley has brought a new dimension to this however, if a pushchair is occupying a wheelchair space, the driver must make a reasonable request for the pushchair to be folded in order for a wheelchair user to board. In the event this request is refused, the driver can, if he judges the refusal to be unreasonable, refuse to drive on and terminate the service.

[pH]

The RCL's certainly had a good turn of speed. The last 'turn' on the 721 finished at the Robin Hood in Brentwood just after midnight and the bus then returned empty to the garage in Romford (London Road RE). Coming out of Brentwood there is Brook Street Hill, dropping away about 1 in 12 and dead straight. I was courting a young lady from Brentwood at the time and on several occassions I followed the bus into Romford in my car and I couldn't keep up with it.

Quite probably the fastest a bus travelled on a backshift - running 'Private' back to the garage from the outer terminus after the last run of the shift.

[mark374]

Some more photos for you all

 

GMT Daimler Fleetline park royal - Blackpool south 22/10/16

 

Finches  of wigan  Northern palatine bodied olympian at Salford Quays 6/4/16

 

Allder Valley Bristol VR at Kirkby Stephen rally 5/4/15

 

Western  Leyland Titan opentop  Stagecoach openday lillyhall 23/5/15

 

Leyland double decker at Metrocenter 1/5/16

 

 

 

Mark

[John M Upton]

The open top Bristol VR there is one of the batch we were talking about earlier in the thread when the Scottish Bus Group pulled the plug on the supposedly unreliable long ECW Bristol VR's and exchanged them en-masse for pretty much every FLF Lodekka they could get their hands on that were with NBC operators.  This one is one of a batch that came all the way down to Sussex and Southdown (of blessed memory) in exchange for BH&D FLF's but fairly swiftly moved on again to northerly neighbours Alder Valley who did the open top conversion in which guise it is now magnificently preserved,

[runs as required]

Some more photos

20160501_121728.jpg

Leyland double decker at Metrocenter 1/5/16

Gosh! That 62 Chilly Road bus used to turn around just in front of our lakeside house at Killingworth township the year we first got back from Africa.

But why is it not yalla like its Newcastle mates in the photo either side?

 

Especially in its PTE phase that yellow/white+blue was a most attractive livery. Unusually it resulted from a passengers' questionnaire issued on board the vehicles in the late 1970s.

Deregulation quickly put paid to all the Tyne&Wear bus/Metro co-ordination - unlike lucky effing London that gets all the perks

dh

[mark374]

Few photos from Metrocenter bus rally in 2016

 

Northern MCW Metrobus

 

Tyne and Wear Transport  Scania BR112

 

South Sheilds Busway Leyland Atlantean

 

South Sheilds Busway Leyland Atlantean

 

Northern counties boidied Leyland Oylmpian

 

 

wait for one bus............

 

 

Mark

 

 

[Mad McCann]

Modern buses will stop VERY quickly if you just whack your foot to the floor.  The trick, of course, is being able to stop quickly and smoothly...

 

And of course, provided you want all your passengers in the cab beside you!   ;-)

 

D

[mark374]

I dont mind some modern buses,  but the ones round area are normally on there last legs and the depot try to get what ever they can out of them before scrapping,  some barely manange to climb hills and some are so quick that when they brake you are lauched in to the next century,  

 

Mark

[Rugd1022]

Didcot Station c.1960...