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Best bus driven or passenger

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Eyersey468

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Geordie driver said:
It's stuff like this that makes me wonder if manufacturers ever sit with someone who has driven a bus for considerable periods or if it's just a bunch of engineers and managers that decide.
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I've thought for a while that designers of buses don't seem to know much about them, the Primos we had were a case in point, the mirrors were put in a stupid place on them at just the right height to hit street furniture and the way the door opened was ideal for hitting things as well.
 
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gimmea50anyday

gimmea50anyday

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I note the Cummins engined Olympians have been mentioned a few times. OK Travel had 6 F105/6/7UEF and K108/9/10YVN with NC Palatine 1 bodies and were predominantly used on service 724 Bishop Auckland-Newcastle service. On stretches of the A167 between Chester Moor and Pity Me and between Cock Of The North and Croxdale they would pick up some significant speed during rush hour! The service was rarely late on account of the route still employing clippies and the very experienced drivers knew how and where to thrash them to keep to time. F106UEF is now preserved and is noteworthy as the last OK Travel vehicle to be retired from the GoNE fleet while K110YVN now resides at Ongar Airfield minus its top deck and used as a tree lopper. F105UEF self combusted itself spectacularly on the A1 near Team Valley when just a few months old. Pictures of its remains can be found online following its tow back to OKs garage in Bishop Auckland
 
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Bcn1973

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RustySpoons said:
As a passenger, the B10BLE with Wright Renown bodywork. More specifically the ones that Blazefield got in 2001, the Y-HRN batch for Burnley & Pendle. As a regular traveler along the Mainline back then they were comfortable, quiet, rattle free, double glazed so you could always see outside whatever the weather and always seemed to be warm. The B7RLEs that replaced them weren't really any of those things. And the Versa's that replaced them... well...

Some of that original Y-HRN batch are still in service, just as comfortable and quiet as they were new, going on for 20 years pretty much continuous service out of the same depot. Although with only one interior refurb since new they're starting to show their age slightly inside. They're completely wasted on local town services now that they're mostly unsuitable for which is a shame.
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Agreed, best buses Burnley ever bought should still be on mainline duties way better than the versas and their rattly harsh ride
 
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LancasterRed

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Optare Metroriders were always fun to ride, as were the original lot of Preston Bus Optare Solos.

Also these are enjoyable to ride
 
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Bcn1973

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Old school would be a batch of y type short leopards that Burnley and pendle had bit bouncy but really comfortable seats and pretty rapid, more recent are Volvo Volvo b10ble/renowns also in Burnley pushing 20 years old but still the best vehicles in the fleet fro a passenger perspective and I believe the drivers
 
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Jamdougnut

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Although this isn’t technically a bus, Van Hool alizees with B10M engines are the best. Full stop. Optare Tempos and Omnicities are also cool too.
 
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Pat1105

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Cummins ISBe versa hands down! Nice and powerful and make a great sound! Also like the Caetano 2 B11r. Quite like the i-shift on these.
 
GusB

GusB

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Jamdougnut said:
Although this isn’t technically a bus, Van Hool alizees with B10M engines are the best. Full stop. Optare Tempos and Omnicities are also cool too.
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In the early 90s, Stagecoach brought in around half a dozen ex-Shearings B10Ms (D-MVR batch) to replace a fairly mixed bag of Leyland Tigers and Metroliners on the Inverness - Aberdeen and other longer routes; they were a world apart from what we had before. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Tiger (as a passenger), but the oldest were W-plate examples from the original Dominant 3 batch that the SBG had delivered in the early 80s, and had already spent much of their lives hammering up and down on cross border services.
 
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Volvo142

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Only one answer for me as a passenger....

The second generation of Marshall bodied Volvo City buses, which as far as I know was a unique body / manufacturer combination supplied to Derby City Transport on B registration plates!
 
class387

class387

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Ensign's BCIs are very comfortable - well built and the ride quality is the best out of any modern bus IMO. It's a shame so few have been ordered.
 
bussnapperwm

bussnapperwm

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Being a bit biased, but as a passenger I grew up with (and loved) a batch of Beaver bodied Varios (P25xRUM).

Nowadays it has to be a batch of ex Reading E200s (NX WM 731-4) or the ex Kent Top Travel Esteem B7RLEs
 
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CN04NRJ

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Volvo142 said:
Only one answer for me as a passenger....

The second generation of Marshall bodied Volvo City buses, which as far as I know was a unique body / manufacturer combination supplied to Derby City Transport on B registration plates!
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I drove one of them about 10 years ago, though it wasn't in the best of health by then!

Only got one picture of it before the engine blew and it was scrapped; https://flic.kr/p/8fPvJj
 
fairysdad

fairysdad

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London, Surrey... bit of a blur round here...
When I was growing up in North Devon, these were the buses that generally served where I lived so do have some good memories of them! They seemed to be able to get a fair speed to them (depending on the driver!) and as a passenger were actually quite comfy! There were an older fleet that were similar, but had individual seats rather than the bench ones which weren't quite as comfy and I used to inwardly groan whenever I saw one pull up to the bus stop, but thankfully that was actually pretty rare!

Anybody know if there are any still around anywhere or did they all go to the great bus depot in the sky?
 
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Mwanesh

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My favourite is the Wright Pulsar. It just glided along. Its a pity Arriva dont buy them anymore.
 
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Pat1105

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Mwanesh said:
My favourite is the Wright Pulsar. It just glided along. Its a pity Arriva dont buy them anymore.
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Arriva Telford have quite a few 59 & 63 plates, normally allocated to the 5/A/6 between Telford Centre and Stafford/Muxton and Stafford to Rickerscote. The 5 is a great ride, with quite a bit of thrash once you get out of Telford!
 
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