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Your Favorite Bus Type

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Strathclyder

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Since we have a thread for the most hated bus, I thought I'd create this thread for listing off your personal favorite bus type to balance it out.

I'll get the ball rolling with a few of my faves. Feel free to list yours below. Be interesting to see what people's responses will be. :)

Volvo B10M/Citybus
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Volvo Olympian/Alexander Royale
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Volvo B10LA/Wright Fusion
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Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
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Volvo B7L/East Lancs Nordic
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Volvo B10M/Alexander PS (noticing a trend here? lol)
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Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban
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Am quite parital to Volvos, as you can plainly see lol
 
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GaryMcEwan

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I've got a couple myself...

Volvo PS
ADL E300 (Voith box)
Leyland Olympian

When I was growing up, it was always a PS or an Leyland that Stagecoach used to use on my local service.
 

fowler9

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Leyland National 2, Leyland Lynx, Optare Delta, the tri axle Alexander Olympians in Hong Kong, E400's from certain angles.
 

Andyh82

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Volvo Olympian particularly with Northern Counties Palatine I bodywork was a favourite.

First Leeds had some Scania N113/Alexander RH which were great, like the preverbal off a shovel.

Of current models on sale now, the Enviro 400 MMC is the best of the double decks.
 

J-2739

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I have a few...
Boris bus (someone had to say it!)
Citaros that used to work in London (nostalgia)
Go-Ahead ALX400 B7TL on route 63(nostalgia)
Go-Ahead Presidents B7TL V,W,X and Y reg (nostalgia)
Tridents on ALX400 (thrash)
Stagecoach East Lanc Vykings (loud fans)

Lovely stuff :)
 

Cambus731

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Bristol VRT
Bristol FLF
MCW Metrobus
AEC Regent III
AEC Routemaster
Metropolitan
Leyland Titan
Volvo Ailsa
Leyland Fleetline
Leyland Lynx
Volvo B7R
 

Y961 XBU

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Wright Axcess Ultralow, Wright Renown, Wright Liberator and Northern Counties Paladin are the ones at top of my head
 

fowler9

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Liverpools Alexander bodied Atlanteans. They were the sounds and sights of my childhood. Bristol VR's.
 

Alex 2901

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In a particular order:

1) MCW Metrobus Mk2 (the ex Timesaver ones at Travel West Midlands especially!)
2) Volvo B10L/Wright Liberator
3) Leyland Olympian/Alexander RH
4) Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
5) Mercedes O405N, integral body
6) Dennis Lance/Plaxton Verde

Honourable mentions:

Lance SLF/Wright Pathfinder, Volvo B6LE/Wright Crusader, Early Volvo B7RLE's, DB250LF/Optare Spectra, or Alexander ALX400

You can tell I grew up in an area dominated by TWM & at a later date, Travel A2Z!
 

GrimsbyPacer

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My favourite bus is a unique one, now sadly scrapped :(
The Cyclops, the big bus!

Internal layouts are important for me and the Grimsby & Hull Simplibuses are nice and easyto get on. Enviro's I think.
 
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fgwrich

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Here's mine in no particular order:
Bristol RE
Bristol VR
Plaxton Pointer 2 SLF With the Voith gearbox and retarders.
Alexander Royale - the smartest of all the Olympian bodyworks.
ECW / Leyland Olympian - I've got a soft spot for those!


But, the best? A tie between the Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban & Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown. I regard the Renown as the modern Bristol RE. A Very well built bus that still looks as modern as it's newer rivals. And the Eclipse - A Modern Timeless design.

If I were comparing Wrights of the to ADL, It would be like comparing Siemens to Bombardier, Porsche to Vauxhall, John Lewis to Tesco.
 

Strathclyder

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But, the best? A tie between the Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban & Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown. I regard the Renown as the modern Bristol RE. A Very well built bus that still looks as modern as it's newer rivals. And the Eclipse - A Modern Timeless design.
Hit the nail on the head there. The B10BLE was Volvo's finest hour, while the Renown was arguably Wright's. The B7RLE/Eclipse Urban was more than a worthy successor (the less said about the B7L/Eclipse Metro, the better lol).

The only drawback of Glasgow's Renowns (Ex-Hutchison's 66281-282 excepted) is the seating. Threadbare doesn't even begin to cover it. Fit all the B10BLEs with seats found on the B7RLEs and you pretty much have the perfect bus...
 

Greenback

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Mrs Greenback knows nothing at all about buses, but says she likes the Boris bus design very much. I'm sure Boris himself will be delighted with this endorsement!
 

ChathillMan

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In no order:

The old Scania N113 double deckers (the Newcastle Busways ones anyway)

Optare Delta

Leyland Olympian (the East Lancs/ex Greenline ones)

Optare Solo

Mercedes Citaro




Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
 

SpacePhoenix

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Were the Low Floor Optare Spectras the first double deckers in the UK to both have no entrance step and a now floor and also have the "kneeling" feature?

I remember when Optare Solos were first introduced here, it took a little getting used to for the drivers having the front wheels virtually at the very front of the bus
 

class387

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I like anything built for LT that is the RM variants and older.

As for modern buses, my favourite is either the new Enviro 400H City or the Citaro.
 

beermaddavep

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Single deck- Bristol RE

Double deck- Bristol VR

Bendi- Icarus 280

Mini- Metrorider

Trolley- Skoda 15Tr

Coach-Leyland Tiger
 

Lrd

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ADL Enviro 200 (14 plate or older)

Volvo Wright Gemini 1

Dart
 
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randyrippley

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AEC Reliances.
Went to school on them for years, quick and comfortable. Favourite was Hutchings & Cornelius's CYA181J - a Plaxton bodied one which was our usual ride, and was faster than the rest (which had Willowbrook bodies). When new and the full gearbox range was available it went like a rocket - I understand the current owners have blanked off top gear............I wonder why?
Some pix (not mine) only one of which shows it in its prime
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/cya181j,derwent/Interesting

When Leyland stopped building AECs, H&C switched to buying Fords and Bristol LHs - and both were bone shaking rattleboxes in comparison
 

507021

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I really like the Alexander Dennis Enviro range, so I'd say they're my favourite buses.

I also like anything with a DAF/VDL, Leyland (double deckers only), Optare, Volvo or Scania chassis.
 

richw

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Mrs Greenback knows nothing at all about buses, but says she likes the Boris bus design very much. I'm sure Boris himself will be delighted with this endorsement!

And I think this is more relevant than a bunch of enthusiasts, what do the general public like?

Personally I was at Padstow a few weeks back, and First and Plymouth City Bus offerings were next to each other. The comments from the waiting passengers was how much better PCB's 08 plate Enviro 200 with bright red leather seats, looked compared to the scruffy P reg Olympian with thread bare seats.
Naturally as I was on a Ride Cornwall I caught the Olympian. Unfortunately most of the passengers didnt have a choice due to completely different routes,
 

TheGrandWazoo

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And I think this is more relevant than a bunch of enthusiasts, what do the general public like?

Personally I was at Padstow a few weeks back, and First and Plymouth City Bus offerings were next to each other. The comments from the waiting passengers was how much better PCB's 08 plate Enviro 200 with bright red leather seats, looked compared to the scruffy P reg Olympian with thread bare seats.
Naturally as I was on a Ride Cornwall I caught the Olympian. Unfortunately most of the passengers didnt have a choice due to completely different routes,

The general public aren't that discerning as to types. They are more concerned with a) is it on time b) is it clean/warm/comfortable c) is it affordable

FWIW, my favourites on a practical level are:

  • Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini
  • Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
  • Volvo B10M or Scania 113/Alexander PS (bombproof but obviously not great for access)
  • Leyland Olympian/NC Palatine 2
  • Leyland Olympian/ECW DP
  • MCW Metrobus DP with Gardner 6LXCT engine - Northern had a batch and they were hell fire
  • Volvo Citybus/Alexander R - still going for the next month in Cornwall even at 30 years of age

The e400mmc is also up there and is a massive leap forward from the previous incarnation

I also have a soft spot for various Bristol/ECW combinations of the past but that's the enthusiast part of me. They really aren't appropriate for today though, much as I like them.
 

Tetchytyke

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And I think this is more relevant than a bunch of enthusiasts, what do the general public like?

The public want something cheap (to ride on), comfortable and reliable.

In terms of ticking those boxes, really you're looking at very modern buses. The E400 MMC is a step above everything else at the moment.

For enthusiasts, it's more about nostalgia than anything else. I have a fondness for the ECW/Bristol VRT and the Leyland Olympian- either Roe or ECW, none of the later ones- because they're the buses I grew up riding around on as a kid. But you look back at pictures of this or this
and you can't imagine you ever thought they were good buses.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The public want something cheap (to ride on), comfortable and reliable.

In terms of ticking those boxes, really you're looking at very modern buses. The E400 MMC is a step above everything else at the moment.

For enthusiasts, it's more about nostalgia than anything else. I have a fondness for the ECW/Bristol VRT and the Leyland Olympian- either Roe or ECW, none of the later ones- because they're the buses I grew up riding around on as a kid. But you look back at pictures of this or this
and you can't imagine you ever thought they were good buses.

I remember that VR when it moved to United. For 13 years old, it was in exemplary condition.

However, the world has moved on. Enthusiasts may love nostalgia, tan vinyl and high steps but passengers don't.

I agree on the e400mmc. The original version was decidedly iffy but this new version is a massive leap forward in terms of looks (ok, that's subjective) but also functionality and build quality
 

pdq

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I guess for some, 'favourite' will go back to childhood memories of smell, noise etc, and the circumstances behind the travel. For today's transport, a bus is a bus, and just gets me from here to there, with no emotional attachment.

So, my 'favourite' childhood buses will be those operated by Silcox (RIP 2016). I can remember loving the noise the Leyland Leopards made - engine, gearbox, the lot - and the excitement of the occasional new vehicle. I was in tears of excitement in 1980ish (age 7) the first time I rode on their brand new Leopard/Duple Dominant bus BDE140V (yes I still remember number plates from 35 years ago). But equally fine was an elderly Leopard NDE440F, complete with wooden veneer seat backs.

In infant school, these elderly Bristols used to pick us up most of the time - known to me as 'Dull and Dirty'.

Less impressive were the myriad Bristol LHs they bought in the late 80s, though, like this one.

Coach-wise, nearly all Leopards - a couple of Bristols and later Tigers and DAFs - with a mixture of Duple and Plaxton bodies.

So loads of memories of favourite Silcox buses and coaches. I could tell you the chassis and coachbuilder of many of them, and no doubt some quirk or other. This is the beauty of the small operator - you get to know the vehicles and the drivers over time.

And thanks to Flikr - particularly this site for a brief trip down memory lane!
 

Spartacus

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Probably the Leyland Lynx, because they were like a bolt from the blue locally when introduced, so much quicker, especially up hills, than the buses they replaced. Outside lane in one on the Aston Expressway was quite an experience too, even though that one was past it's prime.
 
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