For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[vitalspark]

The Western and Central buses reside at the excellent GVVT garage in Glasgow.

Good collection o9f Scottish buses and coaches plus many others too and well worth a visitor on one of the many open days.

 

Few pics of same.

 

Central Lodekka in yard.

 

inside the garage.

 

 

 

 

Immaculate Y type in Western SMT black & white coach livery.

 

Dave.

 

 

 

 

[vitalspark]

Couple more..

 

One of the two Western PD3s.

 

Top deck.

 

Lower deck.

 

The famous 1958 Atlantean  LAI one of the first in the country.

 

Dave. 

 

 

[RANGERS]

When is the GVVT garage open?

 

I'm in Glasgow frequently but have never been I think a visit is long overdue.

[laurenceb]

When is the GVVT garage open?

 

I'm in Glasgow frequently but have never been I think a visit is long overdue.

7&8 October

[vitalspark]

We have an open Weekend Oct 7th/8th plus there is still one more 'Open Sunday' ..the first Suns of the month May to September..on Sun Sept 3rd.

 

The Open Sundays allow you to walk round the garage at your leisure and a free preserved bus service is provided from the north side of George Square outside Queen St Station on the hour from 11.00 until 15.00 with return buses back to city centre leaving the garage at quarter to the hour.

 

The Open weekend has a bit more available with guided tours of ther various areas including workshops also there are sales stands with books etc plus of course the excellent Clippies cafe for refreshments including home baking.

The same preserved bus service applies but from 10.00 and the route also includes the Riverside transport museum for those wishing to visit.

 

Admission price is I believe Open Sundays  £3.50 adult with concessions for oap child and family and on the Open Weekend £6 plus usual concessions and as said the preserved shuttle bus is free.

 

Check the website for full details including a stock list and come along and enjoy the day. 

 

Dave.

[leopardml2341]

Link posted at #350

[mark374]

I enjoy the GVVT openday  been a couple of times and well worth a visit  and it has the feeling of a old depot,  partically when its the end of the day and all the buses are starting up and theres a thin layer of exhaust fumes hanging in the air and the smell of diesel fuel fills the air 

 

 

heres some photos i took last year,  hoping to get up again this year  as belive there two Class 50s due in glasgow the same day

 

 

Mark

[mark374]

Nice selection Mark, a bit of info wouldn't go amiss on each photo please.

 

Mike.

 

 

Love to know where the Western SMT PD3s and Central Lodekka FLF were pictured.  I'm guessing they're preserved somewhere, as they appear to be in liveries from a slightly different time, as I think the Lodekka is in a later version, as I don't recall seeing them with Central Scottish on the side, or the St Andrew's cross.

 

Of course my memory ain't what it was, so I could be totally wrong.

 

 

my bad,  all try and edit the post with any info i have,  my knowelge on old buses isnt to good, i know some info on the models   might have to dig out any programmes from the shows, 

[leopardml2341]

There are full details of the collection on the website, see link in post 350!

[mark374]

the old proverb   You wait for one bus.........

 

 

cavalcade of leyland nationals and two leyland lynxs  on a industrial estate in kirby  liverpool,  at the NWVRT Built in workington day 2014,  wish i got a photo of every bus in the cavalcade 

 

cavalcade as follows, 

Selnec Mkl

John fishwicks Mkl

WTHT Mkl

ribble Mkl

Ribble Mkll

Halton transport Mkll  (last one built)

Lynx G142 HNP

Halton Mkll lynx

last bus is unkown  sadly

 

 

Mark

[tamperman36]

Spent a great day out riding several vintage Leeds buses on Sunday at the Leeds running day. I will try to download some pics shortley

[45156]

Thanks Andy and others.  Interesting that two Ayr PD3s with consecutive numbers/registrations are still together after about 50 years.  I have many memories of travelling to school on Kilmarnock's fleet.  The PD3s started to be supplanted by PD3A/3, and Albion Lowlanders, Lodekkas, and Daimler Fleetlines while I was there, and by the time I left, the PD3s were well on the way out.

Edited August 23, 2017 by 45156

[vitalspark]

Nothing to beat a PD3 thundering across the Fenwick moors at over 50!

Edited August 23, 2017 by vitalspark

[45156]

Yes, as I have recalled here before, some of Western's PD3s could realy shift.  There was one in particular, KD1658 which was a star turn on the Darvel and Stewarton runs, and which was a real flier - it was a later PD3A/3 with the more modern looking front end. 

 

The one thing that I do remember is that some PD3s still had an open platform, and others had a door which was manually operated by the conductor, who might not bother to close it.  Hammering along was just a bit more draughty then.

[Legend]

Yes, as I have recalled here before, some of Western's PD3s could realy shift.  There was one in particular, KD1658 which was a star turn on the Darvel and Stewarton runs, and which was a real flier - it was a later PD3A/3 with the more modern looking front end. 

 

The one thing that I do remember is that some PD3s still had an open platform, and others had a door which was manually operated by the conductor, who might not bother to close it.  Hammering along was just a bit more draughty then.

I can beat that. What about going round Blair Drummond Safari Park, including the Lions enclosure on an ancient Patons of Renfrew double decker on a school trip. They did fit cages to the open back doors ! Actually thinking about it it was probably a miracle that they made it from Paisley to North of Stirling anyway. No M80 back in the late 60s

[vitalspark]

I followed one in my first car in their last days and had 60 on the clock on the Triumph Vitesse which was probably a good 55.

 

They could shift once they were wound up and the Fenwick moors was an ideal stamping ground.

 

Patons used mostly 2nd hand stock I think and it was colourful to see Patons..Cunninghams..Western..McGills & Youngs all at Paisley cross.

 

Fairburn Tanks and Black 5s too in Gilmour St and Canal stations.

 

Great days.

 

Dave. 

[pH]

The one thing that I do remember is that some PD3s still had an open platform, and others had a door which was manually operated by the conductor, who might not bother to close it.  Hammering along was just a bit more draughty then.

 

If they were working locals, no conductor/conductress would close a manual back platform door. Could you imagine having to get to the door at every stop from wherever on the bus you were currently collecting fares? (Actually, you were supposed to bell the bus to start using the platform bell, but nobody ever did. You would have been off your schedule after the first couple of stops.)

 

I followed one in my first car in their last days and had 60 on the clock on the Triumph Vitesse which was probably a good 55.

 

They could shift once they were wound up and the Fenwick moors was an ideal stamping ground.

 

 

One factor in possible top speed was the governor setting. I have heard of a couple of AEC double-deckers which had had the governors removed in preparation for withdrawal hitting 70MPH with full loads of passengers.

[PhilJ W]

One factor in possible top speed was the governor setting. I have heard of a couple of AEC double-deckers which had had the governors removed in preparation for withdrawal hitting 70MPH with full loads of passengers.

The RCL and RMA Routemasters could easily reach 90 mph.

[RANGERS]

The RCL and RMA Routemasters could easily reach 90 mph.

With the right gearing, AECs were real flying machines and the deckers were no exception. Most had AV590 engines which in upright form could run at over 200bhp in the truck range. They were intended for 30t GVW so the 12t of a fully laden decker would be no problem. The RMC and RMA did even better with the free revving 690 designed for the coming of the motorway age.

[45156]

The RCL and RMA Routemasters could easily reach 90 mph.

A bit scary though, bucketing along at 90 with a decker, methinks.

[RANGERS]

A bit scary though, bucketing along at 90 with a decker, methinks.

 

Hitting 90 was fine, it was the stopping bit that could cause a few anxious moments. Thankfully the AECs were blessed with decent brakes, though being drums they were still prone to fade and the drivers could get into serious bother if they didn't manage that.

[Enterprisingwestern]

the old proverb   You wait for one bus.........

 

 

, and a row of bread vans with windows turns up!

 

Mike.

[vitalspark]

I've never heard of buses travelling at the speeds discussed here apart from the Midland Red motorway coaches in the 60s but yes stopping was an issue with a full load.

 

A retired driver friend recalls the heart in mouth moments with the Western PD3s with vacuum brakes.

 

Apparently air was deemed too severe for standing passengers but I would have thought that in an emergency a severe stop would be preferable to a severe prang.

 

The Blackpool PD3s had air I believe and they managed ok so its was likely more to do with cost.

[Welly]

For those who go to rallies,

here is a popular subject currently with Lodge's, Essex in its original Princess Mary, Staple Hill then Gloucestershire livery.

Bedford SB/Duple Bella Vega EDD685C. IMG_20170521_183346.jpg

My old boarding school had one of those coaches in a different livery during the early 1980s, until some scallywag sixth former nicked it for a drive around! The twit forgot to put the lights on when driving it along the motorway at dusk, a police car gave chase merely to remind the driver to turn the lights on but what happens when you see blue lights in the rearview mirror of the vehicle you nicked? He actually got the old crate to 80mph before crashing it into the central reservation - that incident was actually reported on the local TV news that day which caused a lot of excitment among the pupils.

[pH]

A retired driver friend recalls the heart in mouth moments with the Western PD3s with vacuum brakes.

 

Apparently air was deemed too severe for standing passengers but I would have thought that in an emergency a severe stop would be preferable to a severe prang.

 

Lodekka FLFs had air (or, at least, air-assisted) brakes and most of the Western's were used on locals, often with the full allowed 8 standing. And, yes, severe stops could be interesting for anyone not in a seat.