Mad McCann Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 Thanks guys. Interesting reading the different transmission set-ups and attendant driving techniques here. Enlightening for one whose steeds all only start in neutral today. D4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 This is the 2nd oldest bus in the fleet and restoration has stalled. A set of doors to reinstate the centre doors has been sourced and got to be collected. New to London Buses as VC23 for route 133, my old local route. New as registration G123NGN then 23CLT A northern counties palatine 1 bodied Volvo Citybus D10M mid engined bus making her 14'9" high. The only volvo city uses bought by London buses. image.jpeg image.jpeg Mike. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2018 Having been able to compare red and green RMLs side by side at Uxbridge and having for a time made fairly regular use of the 207 (HL and UX red ones), 347/A (GR and HH green ones) and 457/A (WR green ones) I believe they all originated with the normal Routemaster style of gear-change and were able to pull away in second if in automatic mode Mention of RMCs southwards from Croydon recalls that vehicles of that class which had become surplus following service reductions and one-man conversions in (particularly) Hertfordshire came south to Chelsham permitting retirement of some venerable RTs there. The Routemaster coaches, later also joined by some long RCL ones following the conversion to SNC Leyland National operation of the final crew-worked Green Line route 709 from Godstone, were used randomly on the 403 (Wallington - Chelsham), its peak-hour blue-blind express variant between West Croydon and Warlingham / Chelsham and those duty filling turns on the 453 (Caterham - Chelsham) which had not been converted to SM one-man operation. It was those which were required to storm the big hills around Caterham which they did with aplomb. Never fast, but with a Routemaster you knew you would get up. SMs overheated halfway all too often. There were a few instances of RMC use on the 409 in its last crew-operated days as Godstone’s RML fleet dwindled and wasn’t repaired. These were vehicles begged and borrowed on a daily basis from Chelsham. They only worked the West Croydon - Godstone secion as the East Grinstead extensions had already been converted to one-man SNB operation. The peak time extensions to Lingfield remained on the crew roster but I cannot find evidence of RMC use on those, only standard RMLs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 Many years ago, more than I care to remember, I knew a guy with a preserved RT - and I was offered a chance to have a go, on private land of course, and he went through the preselector routine - preselect, operate, preselect, operate. .. Stewart I still remember clearly when those unbelievably modern preselector gearchange RTs first replaced the old external staircase (former London General) buses on route 10 to Abridge in 1947. The RTs seemed impossibly quiet and smooth compared to the backfiring petrol engined crash gearbox (ST ?) buses we'd all had fun playing silly Bs on the back stars of while riding home from school. dh 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 Having been able to compare red and green RMLs side by side at Uxbridge and having for a time made fairly regular use of the 207 (HL and UX red ones), 347/A (GR and HH green ones) and 457/A (WR green ones) I believe they all originated with the normal Routemaster style of gear-change and were able to pull away in second if in automatic mode Indeed 3 red RML's were allocated to Godstone to allow it to fully change from RT to RML in one go. http://www.countrybus.org/RML/RML.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RThompson Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) Mike. This has been removed, the slogan for beaverbus in Leicester The bendibuses they had there said "bend it like a beaver" Probably be banned now on RM Web Edited March 5, 2018 by RThompson 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RThompson Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) Having been able to compare red and green RMLs side by side at Uxbridge and having for a time made fairly regular use of the 207 (HL and UX red ones), 347/A (GR and HH green ones) and 457/A (WR green ones) I believe they all originated with the normal Routemaster style of gear-change and were able to pull away in second if in automatic mode Mention of RMCs southwards from Croydon recalls that vehicles of that class which had become surplus following service reductions and one-man conversions in (particularly) Hertfordshire came south to Chelsham permitting retirement of some venerable RTs there. The Routemaster coaches, later also joined by some long RCL ones following the conversion to SNC Leyland National operation of the final crew-worked Green Line route 709 from Godstone, were used randomly on the 403 (Wallington - Chelsham), its peak-hour blue-blind express variant between West Croydon and Warlingham / Chelsham and those duty filling turns on the 453 (Caterham - Chelsham) which had not been converted to SM one-man operation. It was those which were required to storm the big hills around Caterham which they did with aplomb. Never fast, but with a Routemaster you knew you would get up. SMs overheated halfway all too often. There were a few instances of RMC use on the 409 in its last crew-operated days as Godstone’s RML fleet dwindled and wasn’t repaired. These were vehicles begged and borrowed on a daily basis from Chelsham. They only worked the West Croydon - Godstone secion as the East Grinstead extensions had already been converted to one-man SNB operation. The peak time extensions to Lingfield remained on the crew roster but I cannot find evidence of RMC use on those, only standard RMLs. RMC1490 was a Chelsham garage bus and used on the 403 before becoming a driver trainer and then X15 bus. Quite ironic that 3 of the 5 buses I have ran in Croydon, but none at the same time. The VC and RMC would have met in Bank in the late 80's and early 90's and both carrying Routemaster registration CLT plates at the time. Edited March 5, 2018 by RThompson 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RThompson Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) I would show the other 3 buses but they range from 1994 to 2001 so probably a bit out of the old range. 2 of them are unusual though and the first of their type to be preserved. Again it's down to what I was brought up with being born in December 1985 Edited March 5, 2018 by RThompson 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2018 2 of them are unusual though and the first of their type to be preserved. I wouldn't mind seeing them if they are a pair of Bristols. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERS Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 I wouldn't mind seeing them if they are a pair of Bristols. Mike. I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them it was a keen advocate of Bristol’s who gave the Beaver its name when he went to work for Plaxton, but it was. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) The Stones slumming it in 1964 before the Rolls Royces and Bentleys arrived... Edited March 5, 2018 by Rugd1022 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 5, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2018 I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them it was a keen advocate of Bristol’s who gave the Beaver its name when he went to work for Plaxton, but it was. Is that why Beaver-bodied minibuses are so bouncy??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 6, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2018 Is that why Beaver-bodied minibuses are so bouncy??? That must be the extra padding in the seats? Unless they are made from old Corsairs! Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Not a beaver in sight, sorry...! Charing Cross Road, 1936... The Strand, 1952... 1950s pea souper... I'm sure someone here will recognise this LT depot.... anyone know where it is...? 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 8, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2018 Stockwell Garage (SW) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 8, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2018 IIRC Stockwell garage is now listed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 8, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2018 Grade 2 listed. When built it featured the largest unsupported roof / covered area in the country I believe. A feature very much appreciated by all the drivers who have had the luxury of parking up without needing to worry how close that pillar was. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 (edited) . Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549 Removed pointless guff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 1950s pea souper... FB LT Fog.jpg That's a pretty feeble 'pea souper'! Glasgow used to get some crackers in the early 1950s. We moved out of Glasgow in 1954, mainly because my young sister had spent 18 months of her first three years ill with bronchitis. I remember on one occasion travelling several miles on a Glasgow Corporation bus with the conductor walking in front of the bus. He was close enough that he could signal to the driver, and the driver could see him, but by walking in front he doubled the distance the driver knew was clear in front of the bus. Even then, we bumped (gently) someone who stepped off a kerb. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted March 8, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2018 The photo with the two Policemen sweeping the snow is the main gates of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Square, not The Strand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekEm8 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 That's a pretty feeble 'pea souper'! Glasgow used to get some crackers in the early 1950s. We moved out of Glasgow in 1954, mainly because my young sister had spent 18 months of her first three years ill with bronchitis. I remember on one occasion travelling several miles on a Glasgow Corporation bus with the conductor walking in front of the bus. He was close enough that he could signal to the driver, and the driver could see him, but by walking in front he doubled the distance the driver knew was clear in front of the bus. Even then, we bumped (gently) someone who stepped off a kerb. When I wer but a lad I can remember Manchester Corporation trolley buses were guided by small Fordson vans in the 'pea supers'. The vans had light bulbs all round the back (must have been packed with batteries) to keep the trolley buses under the wires. (Never seen a picture of these vans -but would love to see one) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolseley Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Here's an Australian one: a Route 440 bus at Circular Quay, Sydney. Unfortunately I didn't record the date, but it was some time between 1974 and 1979. And some more photos taken around the same area, around the same time: 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Looks like a Tasman or Kimberley in the LH background of that last shot. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 9, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2018 Not a beaver in sight, sorry...! FB LOndon scrapper.jpg Close though, the AEC could have been a Leyland Beaver! Mike. Tenuous links department. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERS Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Close though, the AEC could have been a Leyland Beaver! Mike. Tenuous links department. More likely the box van might have been! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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