What do you think are the ugliest buses ever built?

[Statto]

Don't think there's a thread for this one, but what are the ugliest buses ever made, the Marshall deckers to name one then Willowbrook on the Atlantean & Dominator, but winner had to be Dublin Buses, both Bombardier, & Metsec Atlantean,

Dublin Metsec Atlantean

Dublin Bus Leyland Atlantean 'DF522'

Dublin Bus Leyland Atlantean / CIE Metsec 'DF522' on route 10. Scan from a slide.

www.flickr.com

Bombardier

Route 42B, Lower Abbey Street to Blunden Drive, Dublin Bus, KD12, April 1996

Route 42B, Lower Abbey Street to Blunden Drive, Dublin Bus, (Clontarf Garage), KD12, (12 JZL), Bombardier was photographed in April 1996 outside Busarus (Central Bus Station) on Amiens Street, despite it's main destination scroll displaying An Lar/City Centre, the bus is actually heading out of...

www.flickr.com

 

[northern506]

The Designline Olymbus electric buses used on the Quaylink services by Stagecoach before Go North East took it over are definitely up there.

Stagecoach - 61007 - NK05RWL - StagecoachNE20070369

Company: Stagecoach in Newcastle Fleetnumber: 61007 Registration: NK05RWL Chassis: Designline Olymbus Bodywork: Designline Location of Photo: South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays Previous Registrations: N/A New to: Stagecoach in Newcastle (Fleetno: 61007) Other Notes: N/A

www.flickr.com

61007 NK05 RWL

Stagecoach Busways in Newcastle Designline Olymbus low floor electric bus on Neville Street in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with a Q1 Newcastle to Gateshead Quaylink service. This vehicle was new to Stagecoach Busways Travel Services Limited in July 2005.

www.flickr.com

 

[CBlue]

Fowler bodied Atlantean

Fishwick 6 (MTE 186K)

Fishwick Leyland Atlantean / Fowler 6 (MTE 186K) Leyland 25/10/75 The only Fowler bodied double decker. BKP

www.flickr.com

I understand that Fowler, the coachbuilder, only had space to build one deck at a time - so the upper deck was built separately and then attached outside. Can you tell?


I'd also like to nominate the Wright Streetcar "FTR" artics that were used around Leeds, York and Swansea....the damn things just looked like giant purple slugs!

 

[RustySpoons]

Fowler bodied Atlantean

Fishwick 6 (MTE 186K)

Fishwick Leyland Atlantean / Fowler 6 (MTE 186K) Leyland 25/10/75 The only Fowler bodied double decker. BKP

www.flickr.com

I understand that Fowler, the coachbuilder, only had space to build one deck at a time - so the upper deck was built separately and then attached outside. Can you tell?

Looks like the upper deck was built by a separate team who didn't have the measurements for the lower deck...

 

[GusB]

Most stuff build by East Lancs

 

[duncombec]

Looks like the upper deck was built by a separate team who didn't have the measurements for the lower deck...

Compared to the bus next to it, it also looks extremely tall. Does anyone know the (overall) height of the vehicle?

It looks like the sort of thing that gave ideas to JK Rowling!

 

[GLC]

Any Northern Counties Palatine for me

Volvo Olympian Northern Counties Palatine

34014 First Essex Buses P554EFL leaving Chelmsford bus station. This is one of a couple of Essex Palatines branded for the Colchester station-Wivenhoe service which runs via Essex university. But in true First fashion its operating out of Chelmsford to Witham instead!

www.flickr.com

Arriva North East, Northern Counties Palatine "2" Volvo Olympian 7411 P411CCU. Alnwick Bus Station.

I have always been very fond of this design of body built by Northern Counties at Wigan just prior to the demise of the company. Arriva North East 7411, P411CCU is a Volvo Olympian and is used by Arriva in Northumberland and is seen here departing Alnwick Bus Station on the route 423 to...

www.flickr.com

 

[DunsBus]

The 30 Willowbrook-bodied Atlanteans built for Tyne & Wear PTE in the late-seventies, which were top-heavy and rather ungainly. Problems with the tilt-test, due to them having a nearside staircase (as specified by the PTE at the time) delayed delivery and led to them being dubbed "Wallybrooks" when they did eventually arrive.

They also rusted badly: withdrawals started in 1986, when the buses were 8 years old, and all were off by 1990.

A few of them lasted long enough to received Sunderland Busways livery, which I always felt suited these buses better as the green relief bands took away some of the severity of the body lines.

 

[Statto]

I quite liked the Northern Counties bodys

 

[DunsBus]

Looks like the upper deck was built by a separate team who didn't have the measurements for the lower deck...

Agreed. That body is an absolute stinker!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Most stuff build by East Lancs

Was just going to say this, anyone who knows me off this site can attest to my hatred of East Lancs bodies! They built one decent looking bus (Olympus) then went out of business.

 

[PG]

Most stuff build by East Lancs

Even more so anything rebodied by East Lancs

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Most stuff build by East Lancs

Nothing wrong with a Vyking!

...that's if it's low height, gasket glazed and preferably Strathtay-spec.

But yes I agree, the majority of East Lancs stuff is pretty damn ugly.

 

[PaulMc7]

I don't know why but there's just something about the Alexander Dennis E400s I just don't like at all. Don't know if the low height aspect of them plays a part in that though. I'm only 5 ft 10 and can't stand up fully upstairs on one without cracking my head off of the ceiling of 1. I'm also only 26 so I feel like all of my memories of buses and their designs are fairly limited. Only really learned to pay attention to bus types on here last year

 

[Jordan Adam]

Nothing wrong with a Vyking!

...that's if it's low height, gasket glazed and preferably Strathtay-spec.

But yes I agree, the majority of East Lancs stuff is pretty damn ugly.

The Vyking looked dated even for it's time and the upper deck doesn't look right either, far too boxy and the upper deck windscreen looks out of proportion to the lower deck.

 

[PG]

Problems with the tilt-test, due to them having a nearside staircase...

Do they not tilt them both directions? I can't see why a staircase being moved should cause a tilt failure, after all Nottingham had nearside staircases for years though their standard deckers looked decidedly odd...

 

[DunsBus]

Do they not tilt them both directions? I can't see why a staircase being moved should cause a tilt failure, after all Nottingham had nearside staircases for years though their standard deckers looked decidedly odd...

Good point. I think it was because Willowbrook was more used to small batches than large orders and had never built buses with nearside staircases before. These 30 Atlanteans were to have had Alexander bodies, but were diverted to Willowbrook due to a backlog at Alexander.

 

[DunsBus]

Nothing wrong with a Vyking!

...that's if it's low height, gasket glazed and preferably Strathtay-spec.

But yes I agree, the majority of East Lancs stuff is pretty damn ugly.

The Alexander R-type knock-off especially so. Had that order on Dennis Dominators for South Yorkshire PTE (which is where I believe it originated, as SYPTE wanted to keep parts stocks to a minimum and asked East Lancs to body them to resemble the R-types already in the fleet) been a one-off, all would have been forgiven.

Only East Lancs could offer a body style based on one which was used by another bodybuilder!

 

[Statto]

Most stuff build by East Lancs

I quite liked the East Lancs Myllenniums although loathed the urban 90 seating in them, the ones with roof pods reminded me of the Leyland National.

 

[GusB]

Nothing wrong with a Vyking!

...that's if it's low height, gasket glazed and preferably Strathtay-spec.

But yes I agree, the majority of East Lancs stuff is pretty damn ugly.

East Lancs body with Strathtay livery. That's the dictionary definition of ugly right there

 

[Jordan Adam]

East Lancs body with Strathtay livery. That's the dictionary definition of ugly right there

Careful, @ross4122 won't like those words.

 

[PG]

East Lancs body with Strathtay livery. That's the dictionary definition of ugly right there

If you were unfortunate enough to have to drive one of Strathtays EL2000 Leyland Tiger rebodies (416) then the livery was the least of your worries!

Tigers were normally childs play with good ergonomics, not these ones - Indicators so noisy you had to cancel them in order to issue a ticket, wipers colliding with such force they'd frequently stop working, cab door catch with sharp edge proud of top of the door and positioned just where you'd strike it with your left elbow when heaving the enormously heavy steering round (honestly a B15 Titan was easier to steer), semi auto gears that changed with an almighty thunk, I could go on....

 

[Cambus731]

I thought those AEC Bridgemasters looked odd
also the Leyland Titan Queen Marys

 

[jammy36]

Some of my personal 'favourites'

The Tynesider - Northern General's attempt to convert a Leyland PD3 for one man operation.

3000. MCN 30K: Northern General (The Tynesider)

Explore chucklebuster's 18826 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

I always thought vehicles with Nottingham's 'Standard' style bodywork ugly, but I know they have their followers.

F387 GVO

Nottingham's standard body always appears ungainly on Atlantean/Fleetline chassis, but in the late 1980's it was really well past its municipal best, but still being ordered for modern vehicles like the Volvo D10M Citybus. 387 is seen at depot, the Emblings coach was parked up during the...

www.flickr.com

Nottingham - 447 ORA447W

Explore Zippy's Revenge's 29014 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Talking of Nottingham, there's also this one off special

Preserved Bus - ARC666T - Preserved-Bus20160482

Company: Nottingham City Transport Fleetnumber: 666 Registration: ARC666T Chassis: Leyland Atlantean Bodywork: Northern Counties Location of Photo: Nottingham Area Bus Society Running Day 2016 Previous Registrations: N/A New to: Nottingham City Transport (Fleetno: 666) Other Notes: N/A

www.flickr.com

Frazer-Nash Research's experimental Bristol Superlight also has some interesting styling cues

Travelling light

I have finally managed to grab some decent shots of an experimental electric-drive battery powered carbon fibre bus that lives local to me. RX15HSU is a 'Bristol Superlight' built by the Frazer-Nash Research company based in Farnborough, Hants. The bus was first registered on 28/08/2015 and...

www.flickr.com

There are some pretty awful early Wright bodies. The Wright TTs delivered to Maidstone Corporation (Boro'line) were especially horrendous looking things

Boro'line Maidstone - 239 CKM139Y - Bedford YMT - Wright TT

Maidstone Borough Council bought ten of these ugly things. God only knows why! This was the third in a batch of seven new in 10/1982. It was originally numbered 139 and is seen here climbing Maidstone High Street on 16/05/1991. Sister 240, CKM140Y is seen in the background. That was new at the...

www.flickr.com

But my personal ugly favourite has to be an East Lancs product and in particular Hartlepool's East Lancs bodied Dennis Dominator. Not the most attractive from the front (an element of municipal bin lorry)

BEF709T Dennis Dominator Hartlepool Corporation Transport

Hartlepool Corporation Transport's Dennis Dominator BEF709T, with an East Lancs body, is seen in Victoria Road, Hartlepool, on November 13th 1982.

www.flickr.com

But it's at the rear where things really get interesting, with their odd lean-to engine bay extension that looks to be cobbled together from leftovers (surely this wasn't actually designed).

What do you mean, you forgot to include the engine compartment into the design?

'She looks like the backend of a bus' is a term often used by men to describe women they don't find particularly attractive. However, if a man said that a woman looked like the backend a Hartlepool Dennis Dominator, then they’d have to be saying that she’s worse than ugly. ...As the backend of...

www.flickr.com

 

[Bayum]

Fowler bodied Atlantean

Fishwick 6 (MTE 186K)

Fishwick Leyland Atlantean / Fowler 6 (MTE 186K) Leyland 25/10/75 The only Fowler bodied double decker. BKP

www.flickr.com

I understand that Fowler, the coachbuilder, only had space to build one deck at a time - so the upper deck was built separately and then attached outside. Can you tell?


I'd also like to nominate the Wright Streetcar "FTR" artics that were used around Leeds, York and Swansea....the damn things just looked like giant purple slugs!

Oh. Wow.

 

[Andyh82]

I think modern East Lancs bodies looked ok, it was the old stuff like this

Londonlinks

ARRIVA Midlands Volvo Citybus / East Lancs 4391 - H656 GPF is pictured in Derby working route 40 to Osmaston Park Road. The bus began life with London & Country.

flic.kr

Those Dublin models in the first post were bad, the Bombardier looked literally like it was just flat panels bolted together, without any style. The upper deck front window looks like it should be a back window.

And as for the Atlantean, how many different shaped side windows did they use?

 

[scosutsut]

Wright Handybus for me, especially with the split screen.

Dennis Dart Wright Handybus DW15

Dennis Dart Wright Handybus, DW15 JDZ2315. New to London Buses' Centrewest division, it was allocated to Westbourne Park Garage (X) to operate on Gold Arrow routes 28/31 where they replaced the MA class Mercedes Midibuses. After leaving London, I believe it was used in service in the West...

www.flickr.com

Not my photo, credit on the link.

 

[J-2739]

The East Lancs Kinetecs (or Kinetics??) are pretty rancid looking. And I'm not talking about the exterior...

 

[Redmike]

A couple of Leyland Swift bodies come to mind. Both are pictured in Macclesfield coincidentally.

amn1138c

Leyland Swift GC Smith

flic.kr

PMT 313 (F313REH) 15121991a

PMT was awarded the contract to operate Cheshire Bus tendered Sunday service E9 to the Moss Rose Estate from November 1989. The service was renumbered 9 in April 1990. PMT 313 (F131REH), a Leyland Swift with PMT Knype 37 seat bodywork that was new in November 1988, was photographed at...

flic.kr

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Was just going to say this, anyone who knows me off this site can attest to my hatred of East Lancs bodies! They built one decent looking bus (Olympus) then went out of business.

Don't think they were all bad https://www.flickr.com/photos/80122...-2i4tMAD-2ia2Jhf-FyJGJ5-8T3s91-22GEKyv-dDsmNT

Blackburn East Lancs/Atlantean 117

Boulevard Blackburn - 19/9/1980

www.flickr.com

Dynamic Dominator

The standard Drawlane Group decker was supposed to be the East Lancs bodied Dominator, with EL in Drawlane Group and Geoffrey Hilditch being the main advocate for the chassis. It was a combo that I quite liked though it wasn't perpetuated. 3835 H805AHA was delivered to Crewe depot for the 84...

www.flickr.com

However, the EL Spryte and Flyte were shockers

P2BFB Big Foot Buses

Scania L113CRL with East Lancs Flyte body in Leeds May 1997. Associated with the Geldard company. Later sold to Black Prince and re-registered P818 AWT then further sold on to First Leeds.

www.flickr.com