Leeds - Wakefield Buses

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Mon 23 Jul, 2012 10:29 am

BIG N wrote: The 400's are, to be honest, past their best but I would still prefer one to some of the newer stuff we have replaced them with at our depot. we had 460 to 472 at Hecky for a little over three years, they came to us in turn from Dewsbury and replaced our Dennis lances ( 801 to 830 ).Yes they are slow on hills, dont like going backwards and are prone to overheat if they pass as much as a fire place shop but they were comfortable to drive ( once our fitters sorted out the ill fitting, rattling cab windows ), had great visability and a cab you could swing a cat in.Given a choice between a 400 or an Enviro 400 ( 1900 series or one of those abismal 1600's ( East lancs / VDL's )) I would take a 400 any time. One here for the bus lads.....have just watched what I think was an Arriva(cas depot) bus 153 servise go past our way towards Middleton....It was a single but was too far away to identify model.What I did spot however was an unusual number plate......TWY 7.I would have thought this number would have been in the private domain but.......? Any thoughts lads ?By the way.....R747KWT is indeed still running and appears to have received some magical treatment down at Belle Isle bus depot....It got me back last week from Wakefield.....still struggling somewhat but quite game on hills ! Those mechanics would be able to squeeze the last turn of the crankshaft on some of their vehicles.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 23 Jul, 2012 12:03 pm

somme1916 wrote: One here for the bus lads.....have just watched what I think was an Arriva(cas depot) bus 153 servise go past our way towards Middleton....It was a single but was too far away to identify model.What I did spot however was an unusual number plate......TWY 7.I would have thought this number would have been in the private domain but.......? Any thoughts lads ? Being an ex South Yorkshire Road Transport (and successors) driver I can solve this for you Somme !!TWY 7 was originally a SYRT Leyland PD2 double decker, with twin TWY 6, and when withdrawn on age grounds was for some reason stored (complete) for many years behind the garage. Just after the last conductors had gone with the coming of 100% OPO the proprietors had a plan to use the PD2, with assorted employees acting as conductors, on "heritage" or "fill in" service journeys. Very sadly for we enthusiasts the scheme never materialised. However, in 1988 a brand new Leyland Olympian/NCME double decker which should have been registered E *** TUB was given the vintage number, causing much puzzlement to the Pontefract and area clientile. In order for this to be done, the old girl had to be MOT'd and re-registered with the number NNW 985 A - after years behind the depot it sailed through the MOT with minimum attention and was sold to a dealer, later becoming a driving school training bus for many years.The Olympian TWY 7 (SY 107, later 614 with West Riding etc) was a dreadful beast with smelly Cummins engine which defied ALL efforts to cure it, violent and unpredictable fully automatic ZF gearbox and many other nasty vices. It eventually got its cummupence in Wheldon Road, Castleford when it was driven under a low bridge and totally de-roofed. It was then sold and become a London sightseeing open topper. I should just make clear here that I love most Olympians and consider them one of the all time best ever double deckers, but that particular specification, and that brute in particular, were just an exception.The next bus to inherit "TWY 7" was one of the Pontefract Depot long Dennis Darts and is really number 167 (W 167 HBT) - one of four which we had primarily for the Pontefract - Tadcaster service. It has since had spells at Selby depot and elsewhere and is now at Castleford as you've just seen - I imagine not for long though as most of its siblings are already withdrawn. No doubt there'll be another "TWY 7" before long !!

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Mon 23 Jul, 2012 12:55 pm

BLAKEY wrote: somme1916 wrote: One here for the bus lads.....have just watched what I think was an Arriva(cas depot) bus 153 servise go past our way towards Middleton....It was a single but was too far away to identify model.What I did spot however was an unusual number plate......TWY 7.I would have thought this number would have been in the private domain but.......? Any thoughts lads ? Being an ex South Yorkshire Road Transport (and successors) driver I can solve this for you Somme !!TWY 7 was originally a SYRT Leyland PD2 double decker, with twin TWY 6, and when withdrawn on age grounds was for some reason stored (complete) for many years behind the garage. Just after the last conductors had gone with the coming of 100% OPO the proprietors had a plan to use the PD2, with assorted employees acting as conductors, on "heritage" or "fill in" service journeys. Very sadly for we enthusiasts the scheme never materialised. However, in 1988 a brand new Leyland Olympian/NCME double decker which should have been registered E *** TUB was given the vintage number, causing much puzzlement to the Pontefract and area clientile. In order for this to be done, the old girl had to be MOT'd and re-registered with the number NNW 985 A - after years behind the depot it sailed through the MOT with minimum attention and was sold to a dealer, later becoming a driving school training bus for many years.The Olympian TWY 7 (SY 107, later 614 with West Riding etc) was a dreadful beast with smelly Cummins engine which defied ALL efforts to cure it, violent and unpredictable fully automatic ZF gearbox and many other nasty vices. It eventually got its cummupence in Wheldon Road, Castleford when it was driven under a low bridge and totally de-roofed. It was then sold and become a London sightseeing open topper. I should just make clear here that I love most Olympians and consider them one of the all time best ever double deckers, but that particular specification, and that brute in particular, were just an exception.The next bus to inherit "TWY 7" was one of the Pontefract Depot long Dennis Darts and is really number 167 - one of four which we had primarily for the Pontefract - Tadcaster service. It has since had spells at Selby depot and elsewhere and is now at Castleford as you've just seen - I imagine not for long though as most of its siblings are already withdrawn. Good old Blakey....well done.That was certainly some story ! I knew there had to be something behind it and you have satisfied my query in splendid fashion.It's surprising what local history lies beneath the surface once you dig and talk to the correct folk.I particularly liked the bit about the bus being decapitated under a low bridge,then used as a sightseeing open top bus in London ! How very appropiate....perhaps the old girl just wanted a change of scenery ?

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Wed 25 Jul, 2012 2:38 am

BLAKEY wrote: The next bus to inherit "TWY 7" was one of the Pontefract Depot long Dennis Darts and is really number 167 (W 167 HBT) - one of four which we had primarily for the Pontefract - Tadcaster service. It has since had spells at Selby depot and elsewhere and is now at Castleford as you've just seen - I imagine not for long though as most of its siblings are already withdrawn. No doubt there'll be another "TWY 7" before long !! Lets hope Arriva Yorks have the foresight to retain the number plate for a future vehicle eh Blakey.I suspect your thoughts on the imminent demise of the current holder of the plate are not far from true, I was at head office in Wakey today for CPC training and found out from ear wigging a conversation between a Cas driver and one of our instructors that Cas are shedualled for an influx of brand new vehicles in the autumn.No real details as yet but the interesting thing was the instructor was discussing the fact he had to be familiarized on these new vehicles as they are hybrids .

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Wed 25 Jul, 2012 2:49 am

BLAKEY wrote: Big N, My own lasting impression of the Dennis Lances - I drove a few of the Castleford Depot ones - is of an excellent vehicle except for one very annoying and uncomfortable feature - the very heavy hard brakes, and it was advisable to apply the handbrake or engage neutral at all but the very briefest of stops, or they were likely to sneakily "ease off" and allow the bus to move. Your right knee certainly knew about it after a few hours in one of the Lances !! Agree one hundred percent there Blakey about the lances, as nice as they were to drive ( most of the time anyway ) they did have the annoying habit of trying to creep away while you were still loading or unloading.The Dennis Arrows ( double deckers ) were worse still, not only did they try and creep away, they had a brake that at best could be described as a bit poor, coupled with the fact the throttle was an air powered one, as opposed to a more standard throttle cable, they had a tendancy to come off the power a second or so after you had removed your foot from the pedal, not too bad in general driving conditions but it could be a nightmare when trying to edge forward in heavy traffic.As you said, the tendancy to try and creep away was extreamly annoying but what made it worse, and I found this with all varients of Dennis, was they would do it so smoothly and gently that you might not notice till you were rolling forward at about a half a mile an hour but try as you might to actually leave a bus stop smoothly and it was almost impossible lol.

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Wed 25 Jul, 2012 11:28 am

BIG N wrote: BLAKEY wrote: The next bus to inherit "TWY 7" was one of the Pontefract Depot long Dennis Darts and is really number 167 (W 167 HBT) - one of four which we had primarily for the Pontefract - Tadcaster service. It has since had spells at Selby depot and elsewhere and is now at Castleford as you've just seen - I imagine not for long though as most of its siblings are already withdrawn. No doubt there'll be another "TWY 7" before long !! Lets hope Arriva Yorks have the foresight to retain the number plate for a future vehicle eh Blakey.I suspect your thoughts on the imminent demise of the current holder of the plate are not far from true, I was at head office in Wakey today for CPC training and found out from ear wigging a conversation between a Cas driver and one of our instructors that Cas are shedualled for an influx of brand new vehicles in the autumn.No real details as yet but the interesting thing was the instructor was discussing the fact he had to be familiarized on these new vehicles as they are hybrids . Hi Big N,would you happen to know a certain Neville Langton from Selby depot....i believe he is the union rep for them ?

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Wed 25 Jul, 2012 12:27 pm

Apologies Somme but the name doesn't ring a bell with me i'm afraid but we have very little to do with the union at Selby as they are a completely different branch to ours.

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Wed 25 Jul, 2012 12:49 pm

BIG N wrote: Apologies Somme but the name doesn't ring a bell with me i'm afraid but we have very little to do with the union at Selby as they are a completely different branch to ours. No problem bigN.....he's one of my step-brothers that's all.I don't see him very often but every so often bump into him at stepmams....in Leeds.I sometimes catch the odd snippet about this and that and I seem to recall something about new buses due for Cas(which is also under his union jurisdiction)...I know he has to go to HQ on a very regular basis for "meetings".

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Fri 31 Aug, 2012 11:18 am

One for BigN,Blakey and other bus techies I suspect.Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a passenger on an Arriva single deck bus on the Morley - Castleford route(No 153 service).I asked the driver for details but he just shrugged his shoulders and said "I only drive 'em mate !".The reg no was W109EWU.....not a modern bus I would imagine but a really comfortable ride with it's coach like suspension and coach type seating(albeit a bit threadbare).It glided over potholes,bumps with ease without the usual judder and was a really quiet motor.The acceleration was impressive too as was it's all round handling.I just wished all modern buses could be built in this fashion.It would make passenger's journeys much more comfortable and enjoyable.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 31 Aug, 2012 9:28 pm

somme1916 wrote: One for BigN,Blakey and other bus techies I suspect.Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a passenger on an Arriva single deck bus on the Morley - Castleford route(No 153 service).I asked the driver for details but he just shrugged his shoulders and said "I only drive 'em mate !".The reg no was W109EWU.....not a modern bus I would imagine but a really comfortable ride with it's coach like suspension and coach type seating(albeit a bit threadbare).It glided over potholes,bumps with ease without the usual judder and was a really quiet motor.The acceleration was impressive too as was it's all round handling.I just wished all modern buses could be built in this fashion.It would make passenger's journeys much more comfortable and enjoyable. This one...?http://flic.kr/p/8qrYbp"Arriva Yorkshire 109. This Wright Renown bodied Volvo B10BLE is in interurban livery and was previously at Selby with Arriva Yorkshire North until late last year."