For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Gwiwer]

Bus upholstery was often quite vivid in that era. The East Kent pattern would sit comfortably alongside its neighbours from Maidstone & District or Southdown, Green Line coaches and many others. And with real leather trim too. It's only taken 50-odd years to realise leather seats are actually a Good Thing.

[Horsetan]

....It's only taken 50-odd years to realise leather seats are actually a Good Thing.

 

....unless you're wearing shorts.

[Enterprisingwestern]

That upholstery is quite, um, vivid.

 

Sudden, as Bertie Wooster would say.

 

Mike.

[bingley hall]

..and expensive too I would imagine. My own bus is a 74 seater and it's looking like I'll have re-do them all

JF

 

One of the owners did explain it to me at the time although I cant remember the exact details. It wasn't cheap, but they were able to keep things affordable by buying in 'bulk' and sharing the order with a couple of other heritage owners.

[Jon Fitness]

One of the owners did explain it to me at the time although I cant remember the exact details. It wasn't cheap, but they were able to keep things affordable by buying in 'bulk' and sharing the order with a couple of other heritage owners.

Hmm. I know the whereabouts of the last remaining half roll of Bolton moquette, in fact I'm meeting the owner of it this morning, but as he too owns a Bolton bus and I've pestering him about it for years.... I'll have to see if I can sneak it into the van when he's not looking!

JF

[leopardml2341]

Hmm. I know the whereabouts of the last remaining half roll of Bolton moquette, in fact I'm meeting the owner of it this morning, but as he too owns a Bolton bus and I've pestering him about it for years.... I'll have to see if I can sneak it into the van when he's not looking!

JF

See if that window rubber is any good for him please?

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hmm. I know the whereabouts of the last remaining half roll of Bolton moquette, in fact I'm meeting the owner of it this morning, but as he too owns a Bolton bus and I've pestering him about it for years.... I'll have to see if I can sneak it into the van when he's not looking!

JF

I guess that with modern computer techniques it is a lot easier than it used to be to replicate these patterns.

[Horsetan]

I guess that with modern computer techniques it is a lot easier than it used to be to replicate these patterns.

 

Not many producers left in the UK. This is one of them; would they produce limited runs?

[RANGERS]

 

Not many producers left in the UK. This is one of them; would they produce limited runs?

 

Camira are probably the only producers in the UK and emerged from the Holdsworth Group, who were renowned as the world's premier producers of transport fabrics for road, rail and maritime (predominantly wool based moquette) for a century or so from their mills in Halifax. They were still able to produce original patterns from their archive (or at least were still doing so fairly recently) but there was a minimum run which was sufficient for about 4-5 vehicles and short runs such as this worked out significantly more expensive than the mainstream production.

 

The former Holdsworth mill is long gone and modern techniques have replaced the traditional looms, but although the basic principle is still the same, I'm not sure how this impacts on traditional patterns which would be incompatible with the computer generated ones for modern looms.

[laurenceb]

Local operator Midland Classic had an ad in one of their buses for some moquette of a London Transport design after re covering the seats on the prototype Metrobus, So presumably it is available in relatively small quantities.

[Jon Fitness]

See if that window rubber is any good for him please?

It is. He's also interested in the fuel pumps!

[bingley hall]

Now there's a funny coincidence.........

 

First up we have RM 706 doing the tilt test at Aldenham Works in July 1972 (not the greatest quality, taken on dodgy film stock on a Canon Dial half frame camera).

 

17 years later in March 1989, RM 706 again seen when in service with Carlislebus (although it was over two decades later before someone pointed it out the connection to me).

[tetsudofan]

As promised some more pictures of the other East Kent buses attending the Detling show. First pic is of the single decker owned by Stagecoach East Kent reliveried to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the East Kent Road Car Company:

 

 

Rest of the pictures are of "heritage" East Kent buses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't offer any detailed explanation of what each of the above buses and coaches are as I only have a general interest in buses and coaches which probably emanates from the fact that my late Dad did an apprenticeship at the Eastern Coach Works at Lowestoft in the mid-1930s. When he finished the apprenticeship there were no jobs available at ECW so he upsticks and moved to London where he joined the Metropolitan Police and later where he met my late Mum when he was on road crossing duty. Sounds all very romantic!!

 

In the late 1950s/early 1960s we used to return to Lowestoft for our summer holidays and stayed with the grand parents who lived a short walk from the ECW works in Laundry Lane which we visited numerous times. Always looked forward to Fridays when the newly completed buses (mainly Lodekkas) left the factory for their new owners.

 

Now back to the present and my favourite East Kent picture, my friend's coach parked outside my house just before we went for a drive along the coast to Rye:

 

 

Keith

 

 

[PhilJ W]

FYI http://www.basildonbusrally.com

[Mad McCann]

Now there's a funny coincidence.........

 

First up we have RM 706 doing the tilt test at Aldenham Works in July 1972 (not the greatest quality, taken on dodgy film stock on a Canon Dial half frame camera).

5929277137_32449de636_o.jpg

 

17 years later in March 1989, RM 706 again seen when in service with Carlislebus (although it was over two decades later before someone pointed it out the connection to me).

5970065780_f7f761f60d_o.jpg

 

A wee bit different to the Optares I now drive on that very same route! :-)

 

D. 

[Gwiwer]

Now there's a funny coincidence.........

 

First up we have RM 706 doing the tilt test at Aldenham Works in July 1972 (not the greatest quality, taken on dodgy film stock on a Canon Dial half frame camera).

5929277137_32449de636_o.jpg

 

17 years later in March 1989, RM 706 again seen when in service with Carlislebus (although it was over two decades later before someone pointed it out the connection to me).

5970065780_f7f761f60d_o.jpg

But is it the same RM706? As any afficianado of London buses will tell you thanks to the Aldenham identity-swap overhaul process the only way to tell is to check the body number plate.

[John M Upton]

Possibly not.  One has the blanked off brake cooling grilles, incorporated fog lamp and below radiator mounted number plate, the other has plain wing fronts, underslung fog lamp and a bottom of radiator mounted number plate.

 

Anyone who says all Routemasters are the same will suddenly find themselves being deafened by the QI Klaxon....

Edited June 10, 2017 by John M Upton

[Joseph_Pestell]

I noticed yesterday that the Solstice event at Gillingham & Shaftesbury Showground on 21 June is now advertised as a Vintage Vehicle Gathering. So presumably buses and commercials as well as cars.

 

It's a charity event in aid of STARS the Salisbury Hospital Charity with specific reference to cancer treatment.

[bingley hall]

I'm guessing the location at Hayes & Harlington might have something connection with the Western class 52 which finished about then.

 

 

Yep - it was in fact the day of the very last working - the Western Tribute railtour.

[bingley hall]

A couple more Routemasters from the July 1972 visit to Aldenham

 

 

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Report on BBC Breakfast today about a Bedford OB which is being driven from Norwich to Shetland, where it operated for many years. Beautifully preserved. Hope the journey goes well for them.

[John M Upton]

Should do, those old Bedfords were always pretty reliable.

[Enterprisingwestern]

A couple more Routemasters from the July 1972 visit to Aldenham

 

6034889327_3d912e7cf6_o.jpg

 

5932932518_e180d8c16e_o.jpg

 

That first picture is one hell of a tilt test!

 

Mike.

[Guest]

Report on BBC Breakfast today about a Bedford OB which is being driven from Norwich to Shetland, where it operated for many years. Beautifully preserved. Hope the journey goes well for them.

 

Found the link to the article on the BBC website. Makes for a good read.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-40238539

[45156]

Used to get that bus to my work, service 42, Airdrie to Ayr!!  (I only went as far as Mossend).  R

Interesting - I lived on that route, and it made a useful supplement to service 29 from Kilmarnock to Darvel.  I remember the route worked from Kilmarnock garage, except for the first and last services, which were had Motherwell vehicles.  When I travelled, the route was with a conductor, and the Motherwell crew used to work from Airdrie to Galston, and the crews changed back to the reverse service from Ayr.  Kilmarnock crews worked the route from Galston to Ayr.  It was worked then by Leyland PD3s with the odd PD3A/30 - then Albion Lowlines, then Daimler Fleetlines, then single deck Leopards.