Steepest gradient on a bus route in UK

[TheGrandWazoo]

Traveline gives a start date of 15 July & a finish date of 6 September in 2019.

Thanks - didn’t know if it had survived as it’s had a few challenges - is it commercial? Did it used to be a joint operation between Southern National and Red Bus?

 

[philjo]

The road out of Robin Hood's Bay used by the buses towards Scarborough has a steep hill along Sled Gates with a sharp bend halfway up which is an interesting rider on a double decker ! The road sign on google streetview shows 25%.

 

[Typhoon]

Thanks - didn’t know if it had survived as it’s had a few challenges - is it commercial? Did it used to be a joint operation between Southern National and Red Bus?

We will know in a couple of weeks whether it has definitely survived. I am a little wary because I am aware that other heritage routes in the south west have had difficulties. No concessionary fares so it would seem to be commercial, although more a labour of love, I guess. I am afraid my knowledge of the route is very limited - I once walked along the coast between the two places so made a note of the route and times in case I needed a 'get out of jail' card if things went wrong. My interest was piqued because I remembered how unflat the walk was. You may be right as I sent to both Red Bus and Southern National for timetables.

 

[carlberry]

Does the 300 still run?

For this year. The operator was advertising it during this year's Minehead running day (whilst running a free version of the same route!).

http://quantockheritage.com/time-tables

 

[Ken H]

Does the Mountain Goat in the Lake District have any regular services that qualify?

Seem to remember that they were sometimes seen on the Wrynose pass route.

they sold their stage carriage services to Stagecoach. They kept the kirkstone pass route, but abandoned the hard knott/wrynose pass one.
Mountain goat now do tours only.

 

[Busaholic]

Thanks - didn’t know if it had survived as it’s had a few challenges - is it commercial? Did it used to be a joint operation between Southern National and Red Bus?

I remember it from 1966/7 summers when I was working in Minehead, route 460 comes into my mind, worked by Western National Minehead depot with SUs, I think (Bristols were never my specialist subject, being a London busman!). Happy to hear it's still going, if only for the holidaymakers.

 

[johnnychips]

Around Whitby, there are a few. The 840 climbs up Cow Wath Bank out of Goathland and Blue Bank at Sleights. All having 1:4 climbs.

However, Lythe Bank at Sandsend has quite a bit near the bottom which is a proper 1:4 and is served every 30 minutes.

All three had warning signs and bus drivers had to compulsorily stop before ascending or descending, see https://flic.kr/p/juVFAgb
https://flic.kr/p/XeHp7h

Which they never, ever did in all the times I was on them!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Which they never, ever did in all the times I was on them!

Definitely did on Lythe Bank when I travelled on the X56, about 30 years ago, several times. Mind you, most were fully automatic Nationals so they needed to drop into first and “held”

 

[Cowley]

Out of curiosity and slightly off topic. Does anyone know what the steepest route regularly covered by a heritage bus might be?
The one that runs from Totnes to Paignton as part of the River Dart ‘Round Robin’ trip has a fairly hefty climb out of Totnes...

 

[Dai Corner]

I seem to remember a sign at the top of Rownham Hill near Bristol on the A369 from Portishead instructing Bristol Omnibus drivers to stop and descend in low gear. It seems to be gone now.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

The road out of Robin Hood's Bay used by the buses towards Scarborough has a steep hill along Sled Gates with a sharp bend halfway up which is an interesting rider on a double decker ! The road sign on google streetview shows 25%.

I came here to say this. That hill is an utter brute - and even more "fun" if the X93s pass at the corner, as happened last time I used it. Arriva got late-model (ex-dealer stock) B9TLs for the route and I can see why. That said, Coastliner's B5TLs seem to cope surprisingly well with the brutal climbs over the Moors on the 840, although I suspect experience is needed getting over the narrow bridge at Goathland Station and then getting the acceleration right around the corner and up the bank out of the village.

Where I am in London nowadays, there are three steep (for London!) hills near me that are regularly used - Muswell Hill has the frequent W7 and 144 (11%), Highgate Hill (143, 210, 271, W5, 10%) and then Highgate West Hill -12.9%, and the 214 goes up and down 24hrs a day. The latter converts to electric BYD/ADL E200 MMC shortly - the current E200 and particularly the older DLDs that were the mainstay of the route for about twelve years, were absolutely done-in by the route.

 

[RJ]

Do some buses not have D 1 2 N R so not fully automatic. Sorry can't remember the term they use when using 1 or2. Some of the hills on the Isle of Wight are steep especially around ventnor or the climb from shanklin esplanade

They are fully automatic, the 1 and 2 buttons just send a signal to the transmission to hold in a particular gear. Ironically those buttons aren't any use going downhill, because the bus will shift up regardless once the transmission reaches a certain speed to prevent damage. They are more useful going up hill to prevent the bus shifting into a higher gear and losing speed.

The retarder doubles as a gear hold control and should be used in conjunction with the brakes to control speed going downhill.

Some drivers use those buttons on flat roads because they simply enjoy thrashing the engine. I had them installed on my bus but will isolate them when I'm not the one driving it as they can FUBAR the gearbox in a matter of seconds if used inappropriately!