For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Derek 19B]

Used to catch the Wigmores on Bawtry road after a visit to my uncles ,opposite Tinsley yard.Uncle was a driver at Tinsley.

[BernardTPM]

The body style of that was usually applied to small, local authority buses. Not seen it on a VAL before!

[Johann Marsbar]

Another VAL with different bodywork after being converted to a caravan....

 

 

....though this one was at Wanaka in NZ back in 2000 (attending Warbirds over Wanaka that year).

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John M Upton]

That Bedford VAL went for fifty quid short of three grand in the end.

 

Will be interesting to see if it returns to the road once more, other than behind a tow truck to its new owner that is.

[Mike_Walker]

If you want VAL14 with unusual bodywork how about this...  The only Weymann Topaz built. Originally on prototype VAL chassis 472DYK later transferred to production chassis and registered BMK345A and sol to Rowson (Embassy Coaches) of Hayes in West London.  That Kiwi one above has a certain similarity.

 

Official Weymann photo.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Mike_Walker

[Dunsignalling]

The Kiwi one looks to me like it has ECW bus or DP bodywork similar to the Bristol RE type, but with the coach-style front.

 

This less salubrious example appears similar but in one version on the net it's captioned as Strachan-bodied. Still looks more like ECW to me.

 

It appears to have once belonged to North Western, a fleet I'm not conversant with; maybe someone who is could comment. 

 

John

Edited November 23, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Moxy]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

The Kiwi one looks to me like it has ECW bus or DP bodywork similar to the Bristol RE type, but with the coach-style front.

 

This less salubrious example appears similar but in one version on the net it's captioned as Strachan-bodied. Still looks more like ECW to me.

 

It appears to have once belonged to North Western, a fleet I'm not conversant with; maybe someone who is could comment. 

 

John

 

Here is a more complete version (not necessarily the same vehicle as the one above, but the same series)

 

 

Not my picture, found on Flickr

[Mike_Walker]

North Western had ten.  They were designed to operate a route which traversed the low canal bridge at Dunham Massey.

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

 

I have by chance just stepped off a 258. Not one of those though, but I certainly remember them out of HD on that route. Today’s version has a top deck and resembles a big red box. 
 

The 217B was a late variation to the RT-worked 217/217A which served the fast-growing Ninefields Estate. The 217 ran to Upshire slightly to the north while the 217A was diverted from Honey Lane to loop through Ninefields South. All of which is beyond “red bus” territory these days. If I remember correctly only the new route 151 between Lewisham and Kidbrooke (Ferrier Estate)  was  a later addition to the RT network before the type left London service. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Gwiwer
Unable to enter new text outside the quote box.

[Gwiwer]

5 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

North Western had ten.  They were designed to operate a route which traversed the low canal bridge at Dunham Massey.

A very low bridge. And one which kept getting lower until it eventually collapsed. 

[PhilJ W]

58 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

North Western had ten.  They were designed to operate a route which traversed the low canal bridge at Dunham Massey.

They were replaced by ECW bodied Bristol RE's with a similar roof profile.

54 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

A very low bridge. And one which kept getting lower until it eventually collapsed. 

By the time that happened the route had been diverted.

[Gwiwer]

58 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

North Western had ten.  They were designed to operate a route which traversed the low canal bridge at Dunham Massey.

Link to image showing bus under Dunham Massey bridge.  Not my image therefore not displayed.  

 

http://www.xcrosville.20m.com/cgi-bin/i/images/srl_244_at_dunham_bridge.jpg

 

 

[45669]

Evening All,

 

A splendid place to visit if in the area is the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville which is near Lowestoft in Suffolk.  It's a while since I was last there, but I recently came across a couple of minutes footage of the trolleybuses that were in action that day:

 

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

TTFN,

 

Ron.

[Rugd1022]

 

 

[John M Upton]

55 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

 

 

Somewhere east of Holborn Circus with Chancery Lane tube in the background?

 

Edit - Yes: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5181254,-0.1106298,3a,75.5y,297.29h,101.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saFWAmT4PFObKr31BE-hjjA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

The statue seems to be about the only thing to have survived.

Edited December 14, 2021 by John M Upton

[45669]

Afternoon All,

 

A 1954 Dennis Lance was giving rides to the public at Alresford during the Mid-Hants Railway Autumn Steam Gala in October:

 

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

TTFN,

 

Ron.

[PhilJ W]

11 minutes ago, 45669 said:

Afternoon All,

 

A 1954 Dennis Lance was giving rides to the public at Alresford during the Mid-Hants Railway Autumn Steam Gala in October:

 

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

TTFN,

 

Ron.

My friends young son would have loved a ride on that. Even his dad wasn't aware that buses with the sunken gangway on the offside existed until a few years ago. The lads favourite buses though are the open toppers, even in the pouring rain.

[Gwiwer]

Nice.  I missed the Lance though remember the very occasional Lancet turning up on the Guildford - Horsham run.  And of course the later Lolines which at one time comprised 100% of "Have-a-shot-and-risk-it's" double-deck fleet.  

[stewartingram]

A lovely looking bus with a beautiful livery, until those of today.

[Rugd1022]

Christmas is approaching, it must be time for 'The Italian Job' on BBC2 at 1pm on Boxing Day....!

 

 

 

 

[37114]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

Christmas is approaching, it must be time for 'The Italian Job' on BBC2 at 1pm on Boxing Day....!

 

 

 

 

Big shame that the coach didn't survive, it was around until the 1990s

[russ p]

45 minutes ago, 37114 said:

Big shame that the coach didn't survive, it was around until the 1990s

 

What happened to it ? Hope it didn't finally go over the cliff. 

Do any vehicles survive from the film ?

[PhilJ W]

It was used as a normal coach and like many similar coaches once life expired was scrapped. One or more of the Minis may have survived.

[Dunsignalling]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

It was used as a normal coach and like many similar coaches once life expired was scrapped. One or more of the Minis may have survived.

Though I understand they "used" rather more than three during production and relatively few of them survived the stunts, let alone the ravages of time since....

 

John