[FusionRail]

todays trip back from Yardley Chase TA/C involved a ride on an old Atlantean double decker, travelling at about 40mph on the A45 being over taken by chavs swearing at you... it rocked from side to side and also nearly tipped on a roundabout.. ive seen better suspension on a pacer!

ohh and it was hellfire when it started up!

anybody else had any fun experiences on old buses?

[mbonwick]

Not really, the only oldish one I've been on was a Volvo B10M (L-reg)that was a stand-in when the regular bus (K or N reg) broke down. Thing sounded like it was going to fall it bits!

I know K is older that L, but the K's are better maintain, whereas this bus normally resides in the back of the deport. Obviously it got taken out in a hurry- the paint was peeling of the handrails, not a good public image booster for Stagecoach!

[westcoaster]

once went on a mk1 leyland national in stockport, when it started up the bus filled with exhaust fumes, and was like this all the way to altchrinham.

[william]

I liked the old single deckers with the high backed, train style seats. Never had a better bus ride since them.

The Leyland National. The old Go Northern 231 service. Used to get it to college every morning.

[ChrisCooper]

Talking about "hellfire" old double deckers, I'm join owner of a Leyland Fleetline that is currently under restoration, and on sunday we started it up for the first time in well over a year. It is currently lacking an exhaust, or the bustle over the engine, so was incredibly loud, although suprisingly not that smokey (infact the restored sister vehicle smokes a lot worse). Also, for some reason the normal starting circuit doesn't work, so the only way to start is is with a screwdriver across the contacts on the starter motor, and since it's 24v and on starting draws a few hundered amps we melted a few screw drivers (and rarther irritatingly one of my T keys that had been borrowed to open another bus), and the stop wouldn't work either, so the only way to stop it was the fuel cut off switch. The restored one is quite an experiance in itself, particularly for the driver, with leaf spring suspension, no power steering (despite this being almost standard by the 1970s), and a big tendancy to weave and understeer at anything like high speed due to the bad weight distribution.

[Max]

http://www.eyms.co.uk/fleet%20images/539a.JPG

This ancient G-reg Volvo B10M (heap) often turned up on our schoolbus for a time (the destination blind is even set to our schoolbus' number and destination in this photo!).

[Bighat]

Originally Posted by Max

http://www.eyms.co.uk/fleet%20images/539a.JPG

This ancient G-reg Volvo B10M (heap) often turned up on our schoolbus for a time (the destination blind is even set to our schoolbus' number and destination in this photo!).

I often arrive into Hull along the A63 between 3-4 pm on a weekday, and frankly, am amazed at some of the old tat of EYMS rumbling out to Hessle, Melton and beyond for the afternoon school runs.

They would be more suited on regular services on Greatfields, Brandsholme and Orchard Park estate services methinks. They certainly couldn't be wrecked any more.

[beermaddavep]

Originally Posted by william

I liked the old single deckers with the high backed, train style seats. Never had a better bus ride since them.

The Leyland National. The old Go Northern 231 service. Used to get it to college every morning.

The 'real' old 231 joint United/Northern between Hartlepool and Newcastle? Or the later H/pool-Sunderland version? The replacement X35 still turns up the fairly unusual optare bodied lances, not bad on a fast run.

I'm guessing the single deckers you refer to were the coach seated Wear buses nationals, or possibly the early ex OK travel Deltas with high back bus seats a la original pacer?

Peterlee area has always been home to elderly deckers, current arriva stalwarts are L reg scania 113s, which replaced 20+ year old olympians.

[william]

The 'real' old one, I believe they were the leyland nationals with coach seats, on the Newcastle-CLS-houghton-Peterlee-Hartlepool run. I have tried to find a picture of one on tinternet but to no avail. You say these were Wear buses, but like you say they were under the Northern patch I believe.

Can you remember the old 535 double deckers? They were Wear buses in the old green and white livery. Do you know of any pictures of these? They used to run every 20 minutes from South Hetton to South Shields.

RE the X35 optare buses, yes I say one today, but I no longer use the buses as I drive, but remember fondly walking 1/2 mile up the road to Easington Lane over the county border and travelling anywhere in Tyne and Wear for 15p. Do they still operate these fares for the young traveller?

[Tom B]

Hmm - we always had a new V reg decker which was in a state despite it's age - roof leaked, fire door didn't shut, fuel tank had a massive split in etc.

One of the replacements is worse mind - an A reg Olympian with no functioning destination equipment, moss growing on one of the windows, and I don't think it's been cleaned in several years.

(and no Bighat, neither are ex-LT!)

[Bighat]

Originally Posted by Tom B

Hmm - we always had a new V reg decker which was in a state despite it's age - roof leaked, fire door didn't shut, fuel tank had a massive split in etc.

One of the replacements is worse mind - an A reg Olympian with no functioning destination equipment, moss growing on one of the windows, and I don't think it's been cleaned in several years.

(and no Bighat, neither are ex-LT!)

Perish the thought!

[87015]

Bristol VR Ashford to Dunkirk via Calais was a superb day out I'm no great bus basher but it was absolutely outrageous!!!

[beermaddavep]

Originally Posted by william

The 'real' old one, I believe they were the leyland nationals with coach seats, on the Newcastle-CLS-houghton-Peterlee-Hartlepool run. I have tried to find a picture of one on tinternet but to no avail. You say these were Wear buses, but like you say they were under the Northern patch I believe.

Can you remember the old 535 double deckers? They were Wear buses in the old green and white livery. Do you know of any pictures of these? They used to run every 20 minutes from South Hetton to South Shields.

RE the X35 optare buses, yes I say one today, but I no longer use the buses as I drive, but remember fondly walking 1/2 mile up the road to Easington Lane over the county border and travelling anywhere in Tyne and Wear for 15p. Do they still operate these fares for the young traveller?

Found a piccy of the 536 here- http://john668.fotopic.net/p31482783.html

Years ago used to pay Peterlee to Snippersgate then 5p! child fare to Newcastle on the X5 to save pocket money- if we were lucky some drivers would let us stay on without repaying on the way backhome-imagine that happening nowadays.

Nexus still only charge 40p per journey for the under 16s, us old gits have to splash out £7.00 for an explorer or £5.00 for an all day pass.

If you do fancy sampling 26 year old double deckers in fast service, try the mid-day Arriva X41 from Durham to Newcastle- one of the pair of W reg Ex London metrobuses often turns up.

[960012]

My friend used to now someone with a Bristol LH and we used to take it to rallies, it was so much fun!!!!

[Tom B]

We have some, er, 36 year old buses? -N reg. They turn up only rarely, when nothing else is available.