For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[GrumpyPenguin]

19 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

Not many of those left )Geof or is it Jeff Price has one or two).

I have some pictures of another one if anyone is interested.

[russ p]

4 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

I believe they are actually going to eventually construct a trolleybus depot as part of the "1950's Town" development.

 

I've actually driven T291 on the public highway carrying passengers.........

 

 

 

The chap who owned it previously was originally from this area and he brought it down to Ipswich in 1993 for the 90th Anniversary of Municipal Transport in the Town (at that time we weren't sure if we'd make 100..... though have just celebrated 120 years last year!)

Ipswich Buses fitted a towing hitch to the back of T291 and we borowed a generator trailer from a chap who owns a Solingen trolleybus based in this Country and we ran trips between the Transport Museum and the former Airport turning circle.

 

It spent a few years at EATMS, Carlton Colville as well after that time so I did get a chance to drive it in proper trolleybus mode there as well.

 

Fantastic,  did the generator provide enough power for it to drive properly? 

I remember the teesside trolleybuses when I was a kid

Be great to see a regular trolleybus route at beamish.  I noticed when I was up there a few years ago on a NENTA tour they had a section of overhead for them 

[SRman]

18 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

My how the Southdown fleet has shrunk! 

 

They must've used hot water instead of cold!

[Johann Marsbar]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Fantastic,  did the generator provide enough power for it to drive properly? 

I remember the teesside trolleybuses when I was a kid

Be great to see a regular trolleybus route at beamish.  I noticed when I was up there a few years ago on a NENTA tour they had a section of overhead for them 

 

Certainly on the flat or minor slopes it worked OK and when you werre sitting in the driving cab you couldn't actually hear the generator working away, so all you heard was the contactors working and other electrical noises!

It was a big problem on hills though, as we originally intended it to run on the shuttle bus workings between the IB Constantine Road depot and the Museum but it could only just manage to lift itself up Bishops Hill or Landseer Road hill without anybody onboard. Thats why a quick rethink was had and it ran from the Museum to the old Airport route trolleybus turning circle which was on Nacton Road opposite Cranes works. We carried full loads on most of those trips.

 

I would think the trolleybus circuit at Beamish will be a big attraction once it's in use, given the proposed length and topography of the site.

[J. S. Bach]

Not an historic bus, but one that I saw in Harrisonburg, VA when walking from the motel to the burger joint next door:

 

 

The place that I worked for (Broward County Transit) had a number of these also:

 

Edited July 1 by J. S. Bach

[DIW]

16 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

 

 

 

 

Is that was is advertised as a self-charging electric vehicle? 

 

(Asking for an acquaintance with a large extended family) ......

[Gwiwer]

12 hours ago, SRman said:

 

They must've used hot water instead of cold!

They had a Queen Mary PD3 which boiled up every time it went out on service.  257 was fitted with an experimental heating and ventilation system with the radiator moved to beneath the stairs.  Not at all successful.  It seldom reached Brighton 10 miles from its Worthing base without steam issuing forth.  Crews would refuse to take it on warmer days which resulted in the cancellation of a service - something unknown in the halcyon days of Southdown.  Put it onto any route with any sort of hill and kiss it goodbye; High Salvington, North Lancing, the 1:8 of Arundel's main street, even the very modest climb up Durrington Lane to the Lamb Inn and it would boil over.  

[phil_sutters]

Three from Eastbourne's running day last Sunday - may be more to come, when I have done enough modelling for one day.

[45568]

32 minutes ago, phil_sutters said:

Three from Eastbourne's running day last Sunday - may be more to come, when I have done enough modelling for one day.

Typical, you wait ages for a bus then three of the same come along at once!!!

 

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

[Oldddudders]

9 hours ago, 45568 said:

Typical, you wait ages for a bus then three of the same come along at once!!!

Worse things happen at sea!

[phil_sutters]

10 hours ago, 45568 said:

Typical, you wait ages for a bus then three of the same come along at once!!!

 

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

Sorry about that folks. Glitches with uploading. The excess posts now deleted, or rather 'hidden', as RMweb likes to keep a record of our mistakes.

Edited July 12 by phil_sutters

[GrumpyPenguin]

For those in Kent tomorrow the Annual Thanet Vintage Bus Run ;

 

https://allevents.in/ramsgate/thanet-vintage-bus-road-running-day/200026416785117

 

Looks like there will be more Vintage Buse's on Thanet Roads than there will be Stagecoach on Sunday.

[J. S. Bach]

On 13/07/2024 at 04:50, GrumpyPenguin said:

 ...snip... Looks like there will be more Vintage Buse's on Thanet Roads than there will be Stagecoach on Sunday.

Ah, just two vintage busses?

[GrumpyPenguin]

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Ah, just two vintage busses?

There were at least six, mostly East Kent/Maidstone & District plus an RML & (IIRC) an ex London Transport Fleetline.

A great day out, one thing we both noticed was the absense of rattles from the vintage busses.

 

Quite a good public turn out too with most of the trips at or near capacity.

However, one mature lady was complaining quite loudly that they timetables had changed a bit (probably, because one of the busses, which was about 60 years old was not running well. When you think that the people that own & run these vehicles give up their spare time & fund their own diesel then I thought that she was being very ungrateful.

 

Many thanks to all who took part in providing the event & raising money for "Cats in Crisis".

[stewartingram]

 

I went to the local Manea village gala on Saturday. Quite a few classic cars, 2 lorries, and these two Bristol buses.

 

Edited July 15 by stewartingram

[RANGERS]

1 hour ago, stewartingram said:

 

I went to the local Manea village gala on Saturday. Quite a few classic cars, 2 lorries, and these two Bristol buses.

 

I once had the “pleasure” of driving 552 to Epsom for the Derby, it was a godsend that all bar the first mile and the last 7 or 8 were on motorways which reduced the attention the gear lever required to a minimum. Arrival on the downs at 7am helped as well.
 

It’s hard to believe it was a mere 25 years old at the time but compared to the contemporary vehicles of the day, it may as well have had horses in front of it such was the progress that had been made in that quarter century.

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, stewartingram said:

these two Bristol buses.

BKE 861T is a 13' 8" (i.e. standard) height ex-Maidstone & District Bristol VRT once 5861 in that fleet and with an equally standard Eastern Coachworks body of its time.  It has lost its lid at some point although the top front screen appears to be original with just minor modifications.  All 58xx VRTs were 13' 8".  M&D also operated both other heights of VRT namely 14' 6" (51xx fleet number series) and super-low 13' 5" to deal with a low bridge in the Hastings area where the capacity of a 'decker was often required (66xx number series; only 6xxx-series deckers were permitted beneath the bridge) 

 

JAH 552D is a Bristol FLF new to Eastern Counties originally numbered FLF452 and passed from them to Cambus (as its 552) as the NBC split the operation with an eye to the then-forthcoming privatisation.  Again it has lost its roof but otherwise has the standard Eastern Coachworks body of a slightly earlier generation.  It was used as a sightseeing bus for a number of years and was retained post-privatisation by Stagecoach as a part of its heritage fleet.  It still carries its Stagecoach "national" fleet number of 19952.  

[5944]

 

Tucked round the back of Duxford this morning was this RM. No ID, but it is fitted with Swedish plates! Downstairs has been converted into a sort of dining room with seating reversed and tables added. 

 

Edit - apparently it's RM977 (WLT977) and in the past had been a chip shop in France! Now in use as a motorhome.

Edited July 19 by 5944

[russ p]

On 15/07/2024 at 21:02, RANGERS said:

I once had the “pleasure” of driving 552 to Epsom for the Derby, it was a godsend that all bar the first mile and the last 7 or 8 were on motorways which reduced the attention the gear lever required to a minimum. Arrival on the downs at 7am helped as well.
 

It’s hard to believe it was a mere 25 years old at the time but compared to the contemporary vehicles of the day, it may as well have had horses in front of it such was the progress that had been made in that quarter century.

 

Was it just the very last Eastern counties FLFs that got the semi auto box?

[RANGERS]

2 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Was it just the very last Eastern counties FLFs that got the semi auto box?

Not sure that any of the Eastern Counties Lodekkas had the semi-auto, Eastern National’s last FLFs did along with a few others in the Tilling and SBG groups but 552 had the standard 4 speed crash box. I do seem to recall some swapping of gearboxes on both the Cambus ones, 4 to 5 speed or vice versa, but can’t remember what the story behind it was.

[phil_sutters]

[GrumpyPenguin]

Looks like it was a good event with a nice variety of preserved vehicles.

 

It must take considerable effort and funds to keep these vehicles on the road and so well presented.

 

Seeing some of the supporters in period uniform is a nice touch too.

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, GrumpyPenguin said:

It must take considerable effort and funds to keep these vehicles on the road and so well presented.

Huge amounts of time and money. 
 

As many events which offer rides do so on a no-hire-and-reward basis (i.e. free) which allows the use of older non-DDA and emission-compliant vehicles and sidesteps the need for any service registrations there is no guarantee of anything going back into the owner’s pockets. 
 

They may also be uninsured against accidental damage caused by passengers leading to more out-of-pocket expenses. 

Many events charge for programs with any surplus from sales donated back to the owners. Usually this helps with but does not entirely cover the fuel bills. 
 

I maintain my support of two bodies who both organise running days. Even though I can’t get there I still buy a program knowing that I am helping to sustain these events. 

Edited July 25 by Gwiwer

[GrumpyPenguin]

13 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Huge amounts of time and money.

I do understand as I have, in the past restored three full sized Fire Appliances to fully equiped operational standard.

 

I've supported a few local events and fully understand the legalities regarding fares. I have asked if they can accept funds for diesel but it has always been declined for legal reasons. It's a great pity that there is no framework to contribute towards the diesel. I should imagine that the fuel consumption is sub 10mpg with most of them ?

[Gwiwer]

53 minutes ago, GrumpyPenguin said:

I have asked if they can accept funds for diesel but it has always been declined for legal reasons

There must be no suggestion of "Hire and Reward".  The legal definition of offering ones' vehicle for use in return for any form of income.  But there is no limit on donations.  Not perhaps specifically "for the diesel" but I have, and have seen, this done by simply presenting a crew member with some folding money and offering thanks for their time and a good day out.  I have also seen it done when refuelling (which of necessity is sometimes done during the proceedings rather than or in addition to before / after) when a generous soul has nipped into the shop with their card before the owner.  the latter has then gone to pay and found their costs already covered.  

 

Fuel consumption varies but perhaps 8 - 11mpg would be in the ball park.  More recent vehicles which are now paraded as "heritage" are more thirsty usually because they have larger more powerful engines also expected to drive more auxiliaries.  A Leyland National might only manage 5 - 6mpg for example.  When they were new this was a significant cost burden to operators - most of whom were forced by NBC to accept fleets of these buses whether they were wanted, suitable or not - and somehow fund the very much higher running costs from steadily-diminishing fares revenue.