For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Gwiwer]

11 minutes ago, Claude_Dreyfus said:

These two were in action this weekend

RF600 turns up at so many events. It really does its owner credit that at such an age it can run reliably week after week. And is superbly presented with it. 
 

Southdown’s 1835 was new as one of the last batch of grand touring coaches the company received. Famed for many years for its extended British and European tours these were undertaken by specially-equipped coaches. This batch had 2+1 armchair-style seating with a staggered aisle (so that the singles / doubles were not all on the same side) and was kept in tip-top condition. 
 

They only lasted a few seasons on tour work. The market was shrinking and was left to specialist independents rather than an all-purpose bus and coach company. Tour coaches were often not required for six months of the year and could be found delicensed in Freshfield Road garage, Brighton, Royal Parade at Eastbourne or Hyde Park Road in Portsmouth. The economics of that also turned against Southdown who found they could no linger afford to have up to 50 coaches idle for half the year.
 

1835 has had a number of liveries and owners since disposed of but retains the style of its origins.  

[John M Upton]

1 hour ago, Claude_Dreyfus said:

The 1971 Leyland Leopard coach

 

 

At some point in its life, the front dash panel has been replaced with that from a late 1970's/early 1980's version.  A not uncommon modification to many a Plaxton coach over the years, particularly by small independents who looked to update the appearance of some of their stock at low cost.

 

On the Panorama and Supreme series it was fairly straightforward as basically the same design -  with updates, modifications and adjustments for the various different chassis they sat on - was built for the thick end of twenty years.

 

Mind you, the bolting on of a much later Paramount series front end on a Supreme did look odd though...

[Sidecar Racer]

 

 Go to 4:43:29 .

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Sidecar Racer

[Mike_Walker]

£120k restoration and sold for £72k.  Someone's got a bargain.  Reminds me of the economics in "Bangers & Cash, Restoring Classics"!

[Dunsignalling]

52 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

£120k restoration and sold for £72k.  Someone's got a bargain.  Reminds me of the economics in "Bangers & Cash, Restoring Classics"!

Not confined to old cars.

 

If we pay for a loco kit to be professionally built and painted, then sell it on, we'll be lucky to recover even 50% of the outlay. I've seen such models sell at auction for less than the cost of the paint job.

 

DiY loco builders and car restorers might appear to make a "profit", but that's only because they don’t factor in a realistic value for their labour, if any!

 

They do it simply because they enjoy it, and the mark of success is a hobby that is self-financing. 

 

John

Edited September 11, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

 

Wedding vehicle at Shrewsbury Civic Hall this morning.

 

Mike.

[Johann Marsbar]

Our 1948 Karrier/Park Royal trolleybus - Ipswich No.105 - in use at the East Anglian Transport Museum trolleybus weekend this afternoon.....

 

[Johann Marsbar]

A rather nice 1936 Leyland TD4 at the Quorn Bus Event on Saturday......

 

 

1946 Leyland PD1.........

 

 

1963 Albion Lowlander & 1958 Leyland PD3.........

 

 

1964 Leyland PD3 and 1976 Leyland Atlantean......

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Just back from a couple of days in Malta. Sadly, the buses have been updated, and now look like this...

 

 

 

However a few old timers are still kicking around in various guises.

 

One is a souvenir shop...

 

Another is out and about on the roads as a tourist bus...

 

Whilst others, of not as great a vintage, are still plying their original trade.

 

[PhilJ W]

They replaced all the old buses in 2011.

[Rugd1022]

A freeze frame from the 1970 Roger Moore film 'The Man Who Haunted Himself', shot in late '69 / early '70...

 

 

I vividly remember these BEA bus and trailer combos whizzing along the A4 / M4 in the early '70s on family visits to Hammersmith!

 

 

[Rugd1022]

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

 

 

[Hippel]

Love the artic behind the learner.

Paul

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, Hippel said:

Love the artic behind the learner.

Paul

Mid Thirties Scammell.

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SRman]

RTs on route 94 (at least, as far as Petts Wood Station) hold great memories for me. When visiting my grandparents in Petts Wood, we would catch the 94 to Bromley for a bit of shopping sometimes. Mind you, Petts Wood had shops of its own, including a Woolworths - on hot days the staff would leave some of the back doors open and I could watch the trains through there, as well as from my grandparents' house down Queensway.

Rugd1022's photo shows an RT on the last day of RTs on the 94 in August 1978, somewhat after the times of my memories.

Edited December 21, 2023 by SRman

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

[Moxy]

The Leyland Panther was very popular with Preston Corporation, and a common sight when I was growing up.

 

A selection of Flickr photos (not mine)

 

221 (c) Martyn Hearson

 

 

204 (c) Martin Arrand

 

 

They also had a batch with slightly different Marshall bodywork.  Originally intended for Stratford Blue/Midland Red, but never used by them.  They had the windows extended upwards, but only on the nearside.

 

Nearside 241 (c) Alan Snatt

 

 

Offside 237 (c) Mega Anorak

 

 

Edited January 2 by Moxy
Correct the model type

[Gwiwer]

On 21/12/2023 at 11:41, SRman said:

Rugd1022's photo shows an RT on the last day of RTs on the 94 in August 1978, somewhat after the times of my memories.

Back in the days when even the rigid authoritarianism of LT didn’t prevent decoration of last trips. 
 

I was party to something similar when the 87 succumbed to Routemaster conversion. The duty inspector at Barking identified the vehicle which was in the yard during the crew’s meal relief. When they returned it was filled with balloons and streamers and Gibson rolls had been tied to the lifeguards either side and thrown over the top as external decorations. 
 

It was also full of “cranks” who rode the entire second half of the duty finishing with the last RT trip to Rainham.   Any of the very few regular passengers who happened to be about - the Barking to Rainham leg was never busy and dead at night - might well have wondered what all the fuss and singing was about. 
 

I never managed to farewell the 94 though made occasional use of it over the years. I did get “down south” for the last RT rites on the 51, 54 and the infrequent 146 out to Downe. 
 

Good days. Sad days. But still memorable. 
 

 

[PhilJ W]

6 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Back in the days when even the rigid authoritarianism of LT didn’t prevent decoration of last trips. 
 

I was party to something similar when the 87 succumbed to Routemaster conversion. The duty inspector at Barking identified the vehicle which was in the yard during the crew’s meal relief. When they returned it was filled with balloons and streamers and Gibson rolls had been tied to the lifeguards either side and thrown over the top as external decorations. 
 

It was also full of “cranks” who rode the entire second half of the duty finishing with the last RT trip to Rainham.   Any of the very few regular passengers who happened to be about - the Barking to Rainham leg was never busy and dead at night - might well have wondered what all the fuss and singing was about. 
 

I never managed to farewell the 94 though made occasional use of it over the years. I did get “down south” for the last RT rites on the 51, 54 and the infrequent 146 out to Downe. 
 

Good days. Sad days. But still memorable. 
 

 

I was present at the very last RT in service on the 62. My then girlfriend lived in Barking and we were returning to her place the bus (87) had to make its way past the throngs outside Barking garage. I was not permitted to join them however.😒

Edited January 2 by PhilJ W

[Busmansholiday]

1 hour ago, Moxy said:

The Leyland Panther Cub was very popular with Preston Corporation, and a common sight when I was growing up.

 

A selection of Flickr photos (not mine)

 

221 (c) Martyn Hearson

 

 

204 (c) Martin Arrand

 

 

They also had a batch with slightly different Marshall bodywork.  Originally intended for Stratford Blue/Midland Red, but never used by them.  They had the windows extended upwards, but only on the nearside.

 

Nearside 241 (c) Alan Snatt

 

 

Offside 237 (c) Mega Anorak

 

 

They're actually Leyland Panthers, the Panther Cub was a different version with the 0400 engine rather than the 0680 in those. Portsmouth was the biggest operator of the club with Manchester second. 

[Johann Marsbar]

When I went up to sample the RT's on the 62 from Barking about 3-4 weeks before they finished, we were surprised to find that one was out on the 87 that particular Saturday morning.....

 

 

Grotty, faded Instamatic photo I'm afraid!

[Moxy]

1 hour ago, Busmansholiday said:

They're actually Leyland Panthers, the Panther Cub was a different version with the 0400 engine rather than the 0680 in those. Portsmouth was the biggest operator of the club with Manchester second. 

 

Thanks for that, I have updated my post.

[PhilJ W]

7 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Back in the days when even the rigid authoritarianism of LT didn’t prevent decoration of last trips. 
 

I was party to something similar when the 87 succumbed to Routemaster conversion. The duty inspector at Barking identified the vehicle which was in the yard during the crew’s meal relief. When they returned it was filled with balloons and streamers and Gibson rolls had been tied to the lifeguards either side and thrown over the top as external decorations. 
 

It was also full of “cranks” who rode the entire second half of the duty finishing with the last RT trip to Rainham.   Any of the very few regular passengers who happened to be about - the Barking to Rainham leg was never busy and dead at night - might well have wondered what all the fuss and singing was about. 
 

I never managed to farewell the 94 though made occasional use of it over the years. I did get “down south” for the last RT rites on the 51, 54 and the infrequent 146 out to Downe. 
 

Good days. Sad days. But still memorable. 
 

 

 

5 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

When I went up to sample the RT's on the 62 from Barking about 3-4 weeks before they finished, we were surprised to find that one was out on the 87 that particular Saturday morning.....

 

 

Grotty, faded Instamatic photo I'm afraid!

The RT's appeared on the 87 a few times after the Routemasters took over. Someone even managed to photograph one alongside a brand new T type Leyland Titan* at Romford Station. *IIRC on the 165.

Edited January 2 by PhilJ W