For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Mad McCann]

I'm hoping to join GVVT once I revert to part time and hopefully discover the handling secrets of these older beasts in due course. I do fancy having a go on an Atlantean and a Y-Type in particular.

Meanwhile on the modern types with automatic boxes, smoothness still has to be worked at. Anybody trying to get a smooth start from an Optare Solo will know what I mean. Darts on the other hand are pretty silky in that respect.

 

D.

[RANGERS]

I'm hoping to join GVVT once I revert to part time and hopefully discover the handling secrets of these older beasts in due course. I do fancy having a go on an Atlantean and a Y-Type in particular.

Meanwhile on the modern types with automatic boxes, smoothness still has to be worked at. Anybody trying to get a smooth start from an Optare Solo will know what I mean. Darts on the other hand are pretty silky in that respect.

 

D.

 

The transmission-engine set-up is key, some combinations just don't get on. The Darts with the Allison are fairly smooth but those with the ZF AMT are trickier, a point and shoot driver will have passengers all over the shop. The trick looks akin to that required for the pneumocyclic gearboxes on Leylands (and others), the driver needs to match engine revs to road speed and gear to avoid it snatching.

 

4 speed Leyland boxes are different altogether but the technique is similar to that required for a smooth change on the semi-autos, get the speed and revs right and you can dispense with the clutch. Try practising on your car!

[bingley hall]

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.

 

What a fantastic collection. Thanks for posting the pics. I'll have to make a point of visiting the next time I'm back in the country.

[leopardml2341]

...... the technique is similar to that required for a smooth change on the semi-autos, get the speed and revs right and you can dispense with the clutch. Try practising on your car!

No practice needed my car is a semi auto

 

It is possible to, and I do, get very smooth down changes by using the manual change option and giving the engine a bit of a blip when you know the drive is momentarily between gears.

 

Back on topic, my local bus company (Trent Barton) seem to be very good at maintaining their auto transmissions; though why most drivers insist on holding the bus in gear when stationary is beyond me.

[Rugd1022]

[Prometheus]

4 speed Leyland boxes are different altogether but the technique is similar to that required for a smooth change on the semi-autos, get the speed and revs right and you can dispense with the clutch. Try practising on your car!

 

With that technique, matching speed and revs, it was quite possible to drive a number of the Taff Ely crash-box Arabs, at least those with a slower change. Pulling away sans clutch was definitely not on however!

 

Tony

[runs as required]

With that technique, matching speed and revs, it was quite possible to drive a number of the Taff Ely crash-box Arabs, at least those with a slower change. Pulling away sans clutch was definitely not on however!

Tony

Aha! You read like you might the right kind of 'Guy' to answer my (still unanswered) question in post #388 above about:

double de-clutching down with the right foot - with the left foot still hard on the brake pedal  - was it heel and toe stuff :

The bus in question would be a 1947 Bristol J 5LW (with ECW body)

 

And regarding hills (which was the reason for the query), I seem to remember that it was a Welsh valley service that achieved notoriety for having to negotiate the steepest climb in Britain immediately after a sharp turn under a railway bridge - and vv.

IIRC the 1950s vehicles were AEC Regals with specially lowered gearing.

 

dh

Edited August 30, 2017 by runs as required

[PhilJ W]

And regarding hills (which was the reason for the query), I seem to remember that it was a Welsh valley service that achieved notoriety for having to negotiate the steepest climb in Britain immediately after a sharp turn under a railway bridge - and vv.

IIRC the 1950s vehicles were AEC Regals with specially lowered gearing.

 

dh

Bargoed Hill, the first buses built for use on that route were on Leyland Bull heavy goods chassis. The AEC's which replaced them were Regent V double deck bus chassis fitted with single deck bodies.

[Gwiwer]

Bargoed Hill, the first buses built for use on that route were on Leyland Bull heavy goods chassis. The AEC's which replaced them were Regent V double deck bus chassis fitted with single deck bodies.

 

Llandudno' Great Orme also lay claim to the steepest bus route in Britain.  1:3½ and originally worked by a Saurer with sprag brakes IIRC.

[runs as required]

Llandudno' Great Orme also lay claim to the steepest bus route in Britain.  1:3½ and originally worked by a Saurer with sprag brakes IIRC.

We always much preferred the tram (after disembarking at the end of the pier on a day trip from Liverpool on the St Tudno)

 

dh

[ColinK]

I sometimes drive the Sunday 881 Dalesbus service, Morecambe - Lancaster - Ingleton - Settle - Malham Tarn - Malham. 7 miles of single track roads and 1 in 5 with hairpin bends on the climb out of Langcliffe. We use a short narrow Optare Solo, nothing bigger will get over the bridge at Malham. Was great fun on Bank Holiday weekend with standing passengers, Sunday drivers and inconsiderate parking.

[PhilJ W]

Llandudno' Great Orme also lay claim to the steepest bus route in Britain.  1:3½ and originally worked by a Saurer with sprag brakes IIRC.

They later had some special bodied Dennis dust cart chassis.

[Gwiwer]

The Dennix Pax.  Nowhere else had them bus-bodied.

[Prometheus]

Aha! You read like you might the right kind of 'Guy' to answer my (still unanswered) question in post #388 above about:

The bus in question would be a 1947 Bristol J 5LW (with ECW body)

 

dh

 

From memory, the pedals were too distant to allow for any sort of heel and toe procedure. Besides, their shape would require the right foot to be bent at right-angles to the rest of the leg!

 

Changing down with a crash box when travelling downhill was just a matter of careful timing: slow the bus with the woefully inadequate vacuum brakes and then drop down a cog. As long as you understood the timing of the box in question, and as long as the throttle blip was just sufficient [low speed:low revs], you'd be OK. That said, you really didn't want to miss a change. Freewheeling in neutral downhill in a loaded decker, relying on brakes which threatened to exhaust themselves, was not for the faint-hearted! I had brake fade on more than one occasion, but not as a result of missing a gear.

 

What I did master was pulling away from a stop when travelling uphill without having to use the hand brake. This involved holding the bus on the foot brake and having already selected first [or second if the incline was gentle], keeping the other foot on the clutch. Careful timing on the release of the brake just as the clutch bit resulted in a really smooth take off. Shocking practice though [but nobody knew!].

 

Tony

[Enterprisingwestern]

From memory, the pedals were too distant to allow for any sort of heel and toe procedure. Besides, their shape would require the right foot to be bent at right-angles to the rest of the leg!

 

Changing down with a crash box when travelling downhill was just a matter of careful timing: slow the bus with the woefully inadequate vacuum brakes and then drop down a cog. As long as you understood the timing of the box in question, and as long as the throttle blip was just sufficient [low speed:low revs], you'd be OK. That said, you really didn't want to miss a change. Freewheeling in neutral downhill in a loaded decker, relying on brakes which threatened to exhaust themselves, was not for the faint-hearted! I had brake fade on more than one occasion, but not as a result of missing a gear.

 

What I did master was pulling away from a stop when travelling uphill without having to use the hand brake. This involved holding the bus on the foot brake and having already selected first [or second if the incline was gentle], keeping the other foot on the clutch. Careful timing on the release of the brake just as the clutch bit resulted in a really smooth take off. Shocking practice though [but nobody knew!].

 

Tony

 

There were more than a few Sheffield buses with the bottom of the steering wheel bent upwards at a jaunty angle after the driver had been involved in a similar battle against gravity.

 

Mike.

[Welly]

My old boarding school had one of those coaches (Duple Bella Vega) 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.

I regret to say that I learned today that the lad I mentioned above has recently and unexpectedly passed away in his early fifties. Don't worry, he was very proud of that youthful escapade and it was a legend and joke among those of us who were at the school then! 

[phil_sutters]

In addition to this shot - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/81320-1927-dennis-short-bros-bus-uf-1517/

there are a number of other old buses and coaches in my album 'Historic Commercial Vehicle Society 2013 run'

[leopardml2341]

Talking of brakes, it amazed me that having driven my then bus (the WSMT Leopard) from Blackburn to Crich (A6 and associated roads) how hot the brakes must have been.

 

So much so that, when standing next to the offside wheel, I could feel radiated heat and foolishly touched the wheel trim (nut guard) ring - I didn't do that again in a hurry.

 

It only had three points of contact, each about 20mm diameter, with the wheel hub and it was effin hot!

 

Trust me; the pain warranted the expletive

[leopardml2341]

Just a bit concerned that people seem to be liking the fact that I burned mi band, sob!

[JDW]

If you wish, I can rate it as "Craftsmanship/clever" instead?

[Ohmisterporter]

Just a bit concerned that people seem to be liking the fact that I burned mi band, sob!

 

Aha! Now we know, you are Paul McCartney.

[Rugd1022]

Classic road and rail traction at Bodmin Road in 1971...

 

 

I know the Thousand was built at Swindon but knowing next to zero about buses can anyone hazard a guess as to where the bus was built...? A virtual pint of the finest Cornish ale to the winner   

 

 

[40F]

Classic road and rail traction at Bodmin Road in 1971...

 

Bodmin Road D100xx 1971.jpg

 

I know the Thousand was built at Swindon but knowing next to zero about buses can anyone hazard a guess as to where the bus was built...? A virtual pint of the finest Cornish ale to the winner 

 

 

The bus was built at Bristol and Lowestoft ie the chassis at Bristol and the ECW body in Lowestoft 

[leopardml2341]

Classic road and rail traction at Bodmin Road in 1971...

 

Bodmin Road D100xx 1971.jpg

 

I know the Thousand was built at Swindon but knowing next to zero about buses can anyone hazard a guess as to where the bus was built...? A virtual pint of the finest Cornish ale to the winner

 

The bus was built at Bristol and Lowestoft ie the chassis at Bristol and the ECW body in Lowestoft

 

Interesting vehicle, can't find any reference to it in Western National fleetlists.

 

Edit:

 

The reg is KDV137F, and not KOV..... as I first thought.

 

A further search reveals that it's actually a Bedford VAM5 chassis and not a Bristol. Still has ECW bodywork, front entrance 41 seat, new to Western National in 1967 as their fleet number 707.

 

A newer front facing pic here:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35992382@N00/31304160454/in/photolist-PGf1ho

 

There were only 14 built, Western National having 12 (700-711) and Eastern Counties the other 2. Altogether a bit of an oddity.

Edited September 1, 2017 by leopardml2341

[40F]

Keep forgetting that after the NBC was formed Bedford and Ford chassis were used .