noisy buses

Patexpat · Post by **Patexpat** » Mon 31 Aug, 2009 7:25 am

Blakey - just off topic for a mo - when you were based at Bramley did you know Mick Whittaker - stout and ginger hair who is my brother - or Robert Myatt, tall and dark my brother in law? Both were drivers spanning the 70's and 80's i think ...

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 31 Aug, 2009 12:53 pm

trophy wrote: i think leyland went downhill with the awful national.i remember atrip to bradford years ago on a 12 year old bristol re it was quiet smooth and comfortable,the return trip was on a brand new national, engine noise was horrendous everything that could rattle did rattle and it bounced and bumped all the way back. You're absolutely right Trophy about the splendid Bristol RE - in my humble opinion the very best of the "first generation" rear engined single deckers. They were lovely to ride on, as you say, and a real pleasure to drive. Mind you, I doubt if this view is shared by the relatively few drivers who had to handle the original first ones, with manual gearbox connected to the distant lever by "miles" of rods, and air operated clutch and accelerator - I've heard many a splendid symphony played on those to entertain the passengers Once they were made with semi automatic gearboxes though (the vast majority) they became superb in every way, whether Gardner or Leyland engined.You're also spot on about the unforgiveable Mark 1 Leyland National. How on earth they were ever allowed on the roads is beyond me - they certainly wouldn't be today !!. Due to the ghastly turbocharged "fixed head" 500 series engine they stood at stops belching neat black diesel fumes everywhere, and once they moved off under load you couldn't see anything for five minutes behind them. The screaming of the enormous cooling fan, visible through its grill, was enough to send any normally "town wise" horse bolting for cover, and the slow loss of revs by the engine meant that decent gearchanges were either excessively prolonged or impossible. The vehicles also "heeled over" and rolled terrifyingly on corners, and the "sci-fi" saloon heating system was a "sci-fi" joke - fancy admitting warm air (which rises) to the ceiling area so that refrigeration conditions applied in the passenger seating area. Then there were the multitude of safety orientated micro switches everywhere - requent failures to start were usually cured by a swift kick of the engine covers - a spectacle often giving entertainment to bemused onlookers in the latter years of the twentieth century.To be fair though, Leyland did their best to improve matters with the Mark 2 National which was reasonably likeable machine, especially in view of its parentage. The dreadful "500" series engine was banished in favour of the traditional Leyland "600" well tried type or the superb Gardner 6HLX. The radiator was moved from rear to front - better weight distribtion - giving rise to the pleasant looking bulging front cruelly nicknamed "Pregnant National"Suspension was also much better, and I have to say that I've had some very happy miles driving the Mark 2sI won't rant on about the repalcement for the National - the incredibly abominable Leyland LYNX can only be described in language not fit for publication here - the proof of the pudding being in the eating, despitse all the "hype" just under 1,000 were produced before Volvo culled the brute. Frequent passenger groans (fully justifiable) about "Ooh this is a right old boneshaker" and "Ooh what an awful driver" are still ringing in my ears and its about fifteen years since I had to suffer the LYNXES. You couldn't attempt to explain to the folks that the contraptions were not "old" or you would have been accused of being "a bad workman blaming his tools" as the saying goes.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 31 Aug, 2009 1:01 pm

Patexpat wrote: Blakey - just off topic for a mo - when you were based at Bramley did you know Mick Whittaker - stout and ginger hair who is my brother - or Robert Myatt, tall and dark my brother in law? Both were drivers spanning the 70's and 80's i think ... Hello Patexpat - I'm sorry but I wasn't actually based at Bramley, I was at Headingley. While I do remember quite a few of the hundreds of staff there I can't just place those two names. I did just a few spare duties "on the book" there but not enough to know all the lads and lasses. I am invited every year though to the Bramley Satff reunions at the Bramley Band Club and we always have a right good time. I am in touch with one or two folks who may well remember your brother and brother in law (as might I if I saw pictures) so if you need any communication perhaps, do let me know and I'll see what can be done.By the way, a motorcycling pal of mine goes every year to enjoy organised off roading for eight days or so and natters me to go, but as its three planes (22 hours in total) and I'm terrified of the blooming things there's no chance. The tours are based on Chiang Mai - anywhere near you ?? The scenery in his photos is stunning.

Patexpat · Post by **Patexpat** » Mon 31 Aug, 2009 1:23 pm

BLAKEY wrote: By the way, a motorcycling pal of mine goes every year to enjoy organised off roading for eight days or so and natters me to go, but as its three planes (22 hours in total) and I'm terrified of the blooming things there's no chance. But Blakey, it's just like being on a bus ;-)And by the sound of this thread, the aircraft are a damn sight smoother to ride than the newer types of bus!I'll send you an email rather than derail this thread any further!

amber · Post by **amber** » Mon 31 Aug, 2009 11:14 pm

Patexpat wrote: Blakey - just off topic for a mo - when you were based at Bramley did you know Mick Whittaker - stout and ginger hair who is my brother - or Robert Myatt, tall and dark my brother in law? Both were drivers spanning the 70's and 80's i think ... I knew both very well Bob was a driver at Sov st when I was S/i there and knew Mick through his connections with the Garage football team..Give my regards to both I'm sure they will know me

trophy · Post by **trophy** » Tue 01 Sep, 2009 8:07 pm

blakey, you you are right about the RE manual gearbox the driver was frequently out of his seat trying to change gear.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Tue 01 Sep, 2009 8:38 pm

Is there a hint of rose tinted spectacle creeping in here?With no disrespect to anyone, the Atlanteans and Olympians were a disgrace in many respects for a good few years before they were withdrawn - ineffective heating during the winter and water poured into the things when it rained.It wasn't unusual to have a small river of water gushing back and forth under your feet under acceleration and braking - and heaven help you if you chose the wrong seat when you got on.There seemed to be a design flaw in the window frames that no doubt became exaggerated as they years rolled by - I can remember the window frames having additional strengtheners rivetted across the corners, which seemed to have a negligible effect in keeping the water out.I'm not saying the "new" buses don't have their faults, but I can certainly remember getting on a bus and finding every seat adjacent to a window was wet through.It is of course worth pointing out that many of these buses were 20-25 years old when withdrawn

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 02 Sep, 2009 12:29 pm

raveydavey wrote: Is there a hint of rose tinted spectacle creeping in]It is of course worth pointing out that many of these buses were 20-25 years old when withdrawn Definitely no rose tinted glasses here raveydavey, but no offence taken at all and you are quite right about the shortcomings in those two models in their very later years.However to be fair, they were still in very acceptable order, comfortwise, up to around shall we say for a figure, fifteen years. The heating and water leaking problems which you rightly highlight were of course the fault entirely of the bodybuilders' design and construction and the operators' maintenance, or lack of. I wasn't an Atlantean fan although I couldn't criticise their durability, but I do hail the Olympian as one of the finest and most civilised designs I ever worked on. Suspension (when properly maintained) is excellent and roadholding and handling, under all conditions, superb. A couple of the earliest ex Bramley Olympians are still performing well "Beside the Seaside" at Blackpool - although any developing deterioration in suspension could no doubt have been put right with the money that's been spent on painting them in gaudy meaningless "branded liveries" for whichever "Line" they "belong to." So just to return to the topic in general - the industry HAS lost its way altogether.

Patexpat · Post by **Patexpat** » Thu 03 Sep, 2009 6:22 am

amber wrote: I knew both very well Bob was a driver at Sov st when I was S/i there and knew Mick through his connections with the Garage football team..Give my regards to both I'm sure they will know me Thanks Amber - I will! Not that I see them much of course - but Bob and family come here for holidays fairly often ...

Fleetline · Post by **Fleetline** » Fri 02 Oct, 2009 6:27 pm

[quotenick="raveydavey"]Is there a hint of rose tinted spectacle creeping in here? - I can remember the window frames having additional strengtheners rivetted across the corners, which seemed to have a negligible effect in keeping the water out.Hi Ravey That was, I believe was after an upper deck window fell out of one to the first WYPTE Atlantean batch (?6004 rings a bell) and landed on and killed an old lady. I think it happened somewhere near Holt Park.Fleetline