For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[37114]

It's sobering to realise the 'low floor' revolution started over two decades ago. My first encounter with a low floor Dennis Dart was on one being demonstrated to Flight's back in '96, prior to delivery of their batch of 10 for NEC car park shuttles. The driver and I concurred that it handled pronounced 'rough' road surfaces well, but small deviations, such as across painted roadmarkings, caused irritating rattling vibrations - something that caused a smirk over a decade later when I was asked to report on one of my employers routes as to why it was registering a higher than average axle attrition rate (the boss & maintenance staff blamed speed humps at the outer end of the route, whereas my conclusion was the damage was caused by the 'buses being thrashed over two wrecked roads around the town centre that for some reason or other were resurfaced just a few months later!)

 

Anyway, time marches on, and such devices are now entering preservation. T315SMV, new to Metrobus of Orpington, but retains the colours of its final operator, Hansons of Lye:

T315SMV 230618-1.jpg

 

Also now in preservation, this DAF DB250 with an Optare Spectra body was the first UK 'low floor' 'decker (albeit the 2nd to enter service):

R1NEG 230618-1.jpg

 

To get back to more interesting kit, here's 1486 GOE486, a 1947 Daimler CVA6 with Metro-Cammell body:

GOE486 230618-2.jpg

 

Or, for period value, in simulated B&W! :

GOE486 230618-1.jpg

 

 

(All pictures taken at West Midlands Travel's Acocks Green garage 90th birthday event on 23/06/18)

The first low floor spectra in service was due to be preserved but sadly caught fire in service a couple of years ago. Quite a coup at the time for ABus to get R1AJP in service first..

[coachmann]

To get back to more interesting kit, here's 1486 GOE486, a 1947 Daimler CVA6 with Metro-Cammell body:

GOE486 230618-2.jpg

 

(All pictures taken at West Midlands Travel's Acocks Green garage 90th birthday event on 23/06/18)

I love that Birmingham variation of the Met-Camm body which is basically pre-war design. Only 26' long too I wouldn't wonder. Drop it on a Daimler with AEC or Gardner engine and you have gearbox heaven!  Oldham Corporation got some of these buses for scrap and re-used the Daimler engines. They were better than anything else Daimler in the North West.

Edited June 29, 2018 by coachmann

[John M Upton]

I found this lovely looking beast parked outside Barnham Station this afternoon.  Why it was there I have no idea whatsoever!!!

Ex London Transport RT2043 (LUC 291) Barnham 29/6/18 by John Upton, on Flickr

Made a change from the usual procession of Enviro 200's...

[Gwiwer]

I found this lovely looking beast parked outside Barnham Station this afternoon.  Why it was there I have no idea whatsoever!!!

Ex London Transport RT2043 (LUC 291) Barnham 29/6/18 by John Upton, on Flickr

Made a change from the usual procession of Enviro 200's...

Rail replacment service?

 

It’s been quite a while since I found one of those on such a duty. Must have been ‘78 just before they finished in London. Bromley-by-Bow to Plaistow was out on the District Line and BK (Barking garage) had the job of providing the replacements. They were all supposed to be Routemasters but someone “adjusted” some paperwork to ensure one was an RT. And it was full of enthusiasts all day.

 

Incidentally I thought the low floor revolution began with the Bristol FLF. That could probably have had a ramp fitted and taken wheelchairs had our thinking been along such lines when they were about.

[PhilJ W]

IIRC a preserved Dennis Loline has been adapted to take wheelchairs.

[RThompson]

Did someone say rail replacement?

 

This was last night doing Chester to Crewe after I had been out on a private hire in Leek!

 

She has done some miles this week!

[gismorail]

Did someone say rail replacement?

 

This was last night doing Chester to Crewe after I had been out on a private hire in Leek!

 

She has done some miles this week!

What a wonderful replacement far better than anything the modern railway can offer on a Chester to Crewe run 

[RThompson]

What a wonderful replacement far better than anything the modern railway can offer on a Chester to Crewe run 

She was popular with everyone all round. The passengers must have felt like celebrities on board!

 

She's pretty nippy without pushing her and I had cars slowing down my progress on the A51.

[coachmann]

My son was with us getting messages from his wife caught up in the railway mess at Crewe. She got to Rhyl at 8pm after being stuck for some 6 hours I believe.  A shame the RM isn't at Glydyfrdwy this weekend.

[RANGERS]

Ensignbus have all manner of ex LT half cabs which get used on rail replacement when required.

[RThompson]

Ensignbus have all manner of ex LT half cabs which get used on rail replacement when required.

Ensignbus certainly do, usually but not exclusively for strike days. TFL don't allow Routemasters on pre planned rail anymore unlike when I started 14 years ago.

 

Around this way I am unique though and have gained a good reputation with the railway companies.

 

All roads I travel on are national speed limit so the buses need to do at least 48mph and involve long distance.

 

Again this is the RMC with ATW blinds having done Shrewsbury to Caersws due to the heavy snow early this year and features on ATW's website.

[RThompson]

My son was with us getting messages from his wife caught up in the railway mess at Crewe. She got to Rhyl at 8pm after being stuck for some 6 hours I believe.  A shame the RM isn't at Glydyfrdwy this weekend.

She's been doing a special service for the Welshpool & Llanfair railway on Saturday and Sunday, 2 narrow gauge railways in just over a week.

 

I got the call at around 14.00 about Crewe to Chester but couldn't assist as I was booked to do a Prom in Leek later but when it was finished I checked with control and asked to call in to assist still.

[E3109]

Did someone say rail replacement?

This was last night doing Chester to Crewe after I had been out on a private hire in Leek!

She has done some miles this week!

I note with interest, that your RM is in fact an RMC.

Well done!

 

Always thought the twin headlights looked miles better than the standard version.

[coachmann]

I wonder how many hundreds of metal framed buses Leyland sold with this body before the war. Leyland later rounded the rear dome and removed the flare from the rear splashers. I rode of one from school as they were fascinatingly different from other Oldham buses in having the offset rear Stop & indicator oval, off-set route indicator and offside route indicator over the window. Interior-wise, they looked rather spartan compared with the Roe bodies.  It formed the basis for the postwar body found on PD1's and PD2's. Interestingly, the front bulkhead was moved back slightly leading the the short window on the lower deck being at the front rather than at the rear.

 

I have been searching YouTube for film of restored prewar Leylands to little avail, so it looks like they are probably too old now for taking out on the road. I just want to hear the sound of a TD4 or 5 again.

 

Edited July 1, 2018 by coachmann

[tetsudofan]

Yesterday half a dozen preserved double-deckers with local connections (East Kent buses or  "foreigners" resident in Kent) were called upon to join a parade along Hythe High Street as part of the Hythe Festival ending at one of the open spaces at the other side of the town.

 

First up is my friend's East Kent NBC AEC Regent V in Sealink livery on which I was acting as conductor for the day:

 

 

Keeping the Sealink bus company were two more East Kent Roadcar buses in the standard maroon and cream livery. The bus on the right is owned by Stagecoach and carries Hornby Hobbies  adverts:

 

 

Next to the East Kent buses were two locally-owned London Transport buses - an RM and an RT. Understand that the guy who has the RT has had it for around 40 years ….. and his Mother was not happy when he turned up at home with his new purchase!!

 

 

The last bus was representing Maidstone & District which has connections with both Hythe and Folkestone as the Rte. 10 from Maidstone to Folkestone via Ashford was a joint Maidstone & District/East Kent Service:

 

 

Keith

Edited July 8, 2018 by tetsudofan

[Gwiwer]

M&D and East Kent shared honours on a few long routes of which the 10 (Folkestone - Maidstone via Ashford) was one.  Others included the Maidstone - Sittingbourne - Canterbury route which I knew as the 333 but which has carried various numbers over the years and the very rural and now vanished Maidstone - Charing - Canterbury 67.  They also shared duties on what is now a regular daily service but was once a twice-daily, peak-season only operation between Hastings and Dover.  Each operator provided one vehicle for a single round trip with a long layover away from home.  My notes state the route number was 499 though that has also been used for the regular Hastings - Rye route.  There was also a single through vehicle working advertised as such in the timetables on Sunday evening from Folkestone to Gravesend running as a 10 to Maidstone then on to Borough Green (as a 9 IIRC) and thence to Gravesend as a 122; that would have been an M&D vehicle.

 

One more operation needs mentioning here.  For a brief period in the recent era Stagecoach ran through along the coast from Dover to Brighton as the 712.  The majority of traffic was carried on the Brighton - Eastbourne section which is now Brighton & Hove's route 12 and runs at least every 10 minutes.  At the time in question B&H shared the route as far as Eastbourne with Stagecoach who incorporated it with the Hastings - Rye, Rye - Camber, Camber - Folkestone and Folkestone - Dover services to provide a through journey every two hours.  The sight of what were nominally East Kent vehicles in Brighton was incongruous even if they were superficially identical to those running in from Lewes / Eastbourne (several routes pre-B&H takeover at Lewes), Henfield / Horsham (17) and several West Sussex coastal depots on the 700.  

 

The Regent on the left (PFN874) is from the first batch built for EK having a full front.  All subsequent builds had the more traditional half-cab.  Four PFNs were converted to open-top and ran on the 69 between Birchington (Minnis Bay) and Ramsgate Harbour (and on to Pegwell Bay for a few years) in "reversed" livery.  They were repainted into "reversed" NBC livery as well, white with poppy red 'tween decks bands.  

 

What would really make an East Kent event would be the sight of an early Reliance with its boat rack laden with sea-going craft.  Three such were converted and when not required to operate to regattas on behalf of the respective rowing clubs they could often be found on local stage work.  Rack on, but empty.  And with a warning notice in the cab about the significant additional height!

[Kiwi]

I’ve been asked by a family member to try and identify the people in this picture, who are believed to be family members. I’m pretty sure I’ve done that OK, assuming the picture is from about 1920. If so it will be a father and son who are / were distant cousins.

 

Can any of the experts here help confirm that date based on the bus? For added interest any information about the bus would be great too.

 

[petethemole]

The bus is a Bristol 2 Ton, introduced in 1921, their first model with the driving position alongside the engine http://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/wp-content/themes/Old-Bus-Photos/questions/grove_park_depott.php

[PhilJ W]

The registration, which I assume is HL, was issued in Wakefield. This fits in with the West Riding fleetname. The HI registration is an Irish one (Tipperary).

[Kiwi]

The bus is a Bristol 2 Ton, introduced in 1921, their first model with the driving position alongside the engine http://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/wp-content/themes/Old-Bus-Photos/questions/grove_park_depott.php

Thanks. That date is just the confirmation I needed.

 

Just for interest, has any manufacturer ever made a model or kit of this early Bristol?

[Kiwi]

The registration, which I assume is HL, was issued in Wakefield. This fits in with the West Riding fleetname. The HI registration is an Irish one (Tipperary).

Thanks Phil. Yes, I read it as HL, and Wakefield makes perfect sense. The two men I identified lived in that area.

[PhilJ W]

Thanks. That date is just the confirmation I needed.

 

Just for interest, has any manufacturer ever made a model or kit of this early Bristol?

None that I am aware of but there was a crude diecast van that bore some resemblance to the bus in the pic, I think it was made by Corgi or possibly Lledo.

[coachmann]

The early 1970's was when whitemetal bus kits were a their peak with manufacturers such as Pirate models, Anbrico, Westward Models,  Cotswold Models, Alan Brackenborough and others.  The bus as we know it with low floor really came into being in 1928 with the Leyland TD1 and AEC Regent 1. Prior to that the chassis were rather like those of lorries and s several steps had to be surmounted to climb aboard. I am sure at least two pre-1928 bus kits were done but I have forgotten by who.

Edited July 10, 2018 by coachmann

[stewartingram]

Model Bus Zone tries to list all models: (might have to search around a bit).

 

http://modelbuszone.co.uk/tmb/index.html

 

Stewart

[John M Upton]

Do any bus kit manufacturers even still exist now? I have got the bits of a little Dennis midibus somewhere, very crude by modern standards but still pretty accurate in appearance.