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For those interested in old buses (and coaches)


Joseph_Pestell
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The crowds have just about all gone as three of Eastbourne Corporation's finest line up at Eastbourne railway station a the end of the local annual running day - 5 July 2015 
KHC369 a 1963 Regent V with East Lancs bodywork; AHC442 a 1951 classic AEC Regent III with bodywork by Bruce; and BJK673D a 1966 built Leyland Titan PD2 with East Lancs bodywork. 
 
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Former CIE Leyland PD3/2s, with bodywork from the CIE's own workshops, at Dublin Transport Rally - Sunday 27 September 2015.
Left to right: RA106 new 9/60 withdrawn 2/82; RA73 new 12/59 withdrawn 1/82; RA37 new 5/59 withdrawn 2/82
Edited by bingley hall
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Also Phibsboro and Stephen's Green.

RA37 was a regular on the 27B when I were a nipper. Almost a family friend.

 

Nice to see 3 of the 4 liveries carried by these buses.

 

I must try to upload my pictures of the same event. Were you a passenger on the (overloaded) C class mini tour?

Edited by 108
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Also Phibsboro and Stephen's Green.

RA37 was a regular on the 27B when I were a nipper. Almost a family friend.

 

Nice to see 3 of the 4 liveries carried by these buses.

 

I must try to upload my pictures of the same event. Were you a passenger on the (overloaded) C class mini tour?

 

 

No - it was a very rushed visit. I came down from Belfast on a RPSI steam tour, but it was running rather late so time was tight.

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The last pic of that d/d says to me that there might be a market for s/h Boris buses when they are withdrawn!

 

Stewart

 

These were taken in 1983 - I'm not sure what their buses look like these days?

 

:)

Edited by bingley hall
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Optare Solo's?  Had a ride on one to Bosham and back last year.  Horrendous experience!!  How the thing didn't fall apart like a clown car on every bump and pothole I will never know.

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Optare Solo's?  Had a ride on one to Bosham and back last year.  Horrendous experience!!  How the thing didn't fall apart like a clown car on every bump and pothole I will never know.

We had a really odd Optare here in Lancaster, which I think is still running - it was an Optare 400 chassis, but had a Cummings engine, which came out of a Dennis Dart.  Sounded a bit odd, and the drivers had very mixed opinions on it. 

I know that's off topic, so onwards and upwards.

Edited by 45156
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Didn't some of "Red Ken's" bendy-buses end up in Malta?

 

They did, and some of them promptly caught fire.  Having visited Malta last year and seeing just how tight the roads are I was surprised they were obtained for the island by Arriva, but then it had the Franchise stripped from them.

 

They are all now dumped in a field, covered in guano.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/railwaydave/24410068582/in/photostream/

Edited by chris p bacon
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Didn't some of "Red Ken's" bendy-buses end up in Malta?

 

 

They did, and some of them promptly caught fire.  Having visited Malta last year and seeing just how tight the roads are I was surprised they were obtained for the island by Arriva, but then it had the Franchise stripped from them.

 

They are all now dumped in a field covered in guano.

Like a previous generation of ex London buses sent to Malta. The SMS type AEC Swifts that went into service in Malta in the early 80's were at least six feet longer than the usual Maltese buses. I visited Malta at the time and I witnessed one of these buses having to shunt to and fro to negotiate a tight and narrow corner. They did however have less of a tendency for self immolation than the bendy-buses only one having done so AFAIK. Many survived in service, though much rebuilt until the Arriva take over.

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There were still some Swifts when we visited Malta nine years ago - shortly before the Arriva fiasco.

 

Maltese roads have some fairly spectacular potholes so I don't think that any integral body vehicle such as the Solo is going to survive long there.

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There were still some Swifts when we visited Malta nine years ago - shortly before the Arriva fiasco.

 

Maltese roads have some fairly spectacular potholes so I don't think that any integral body vehicle such as the Solo is going to survive long there.

Routemasters, ex London Titans and Metrobuses operate or have operated in Malta and all of those are integral. What would be more of a concern would be the lack of ground clearance of modern low floor buses.

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We had a really odd Optare here in Lancaster, which I think is still running - it was an Optare 400 chassis, but had a Cummings engine, which came out of a Dennis Dart.  Sounded a bit odd, and the drivers had very mixed opinions on it. 

I know that's off topic, so onwards and upwards.

 

The Cummins engine was a standard option in the Solo from around 2002, although comparatively rare compared to the infinitely more popular Merc unit. Neither were that refined, the Cummins was a little smoother but revved much higher than the Merc so swings and roundabouts really. They also had a brief flirtation with self destructing MAN units around 2004-5 which had a life expectancy of around 100,000km before the EGR valves clogged up and starved the engine of oil.

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Routemasters, ex London Titans and Metrobuses operate or have operated in Malta and all of those are integral. What would be more of a concern would be the lack of ground clearance of modern low floor buses.

Titans are pretty hardy buses, bizzarely for a Bristish Leyland product of the 70's they were over engineered in many areas. 

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Titans are pretty hardy buses, bizzarely for a Bristish Leyland product of the 70's they were over engineered in many areas. 

 

Weren't they developed specifically for, or at least in conjunction with, LT? - That may explain it.

 

Pity they weren't that successful in terms of 'other' sales.

Edited by leopardml2341
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Titans are pretty hardy buses, bizzarely for a Bristish Leyland product of the 70's they were over engineered in many areas. 

 

 

Weren't they developed specifically for, or at least in conjunction with, LT? - That may explain it.

 

Pity they weren't that successful in terms of 'other' sales.

The Routemaster predates the takeover of AEC by Leyland by about ten years. The Titan incorporated many features of the Routemaster but by then Leyland was in trouble and trying to keep their head above water by flogging off the factories in Southall and Park Royal. The Metrobus was not built by Leyland but suffered problems such as corrosion.

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The 'Titan' was really the last London design before the 'New Routemaster'. Seems both will be built in relatively small numbers.

The new 'Borismaster' has finished production. No more will be built largely due to the extra 20% cost per bus.

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