TRIVIA: Can you get a really hard worked bus now?

[BULLSAREMAGIC]

Don't get me all misty eyed for the past...oh, ok! There are specific journeys that will live with me with Lynxes, VRs and even Bristol LHs.

However, the most impressive machines were the Gardner turbocharged MCW Metrobuses that Northern had. They could catch pigeons down the A19!!

If we want to get truly nostalgic the sound of Halifax Hebble and Bradford AEC Regent Vs climbing from Stump Cross up to Shelf or one of the many steep gradients in West Yorkshire has a roar and a whine that even after all these years can be recalled.

 

[D6130]

If we want to get truly nostalgic the sound of Halifax Hebble and Bradford AEC Regent Vs climbing from Stump Cross up to Shelf or one of the many steep gradients in West Yorkshire has a roar and a whine that even after all these years can be recalled.

....or Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall or Old Town via Pecket Well ?

 

[BULLSAREMAGIC]

....or Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall or Old Town via Pecket Well ?

Happy days|| Can there be any harder working drivers than those of Todmorden JOC?

 

[GusB]

It mostly depends on the vehicle's capabilities and the attitude of the driver. There no guarantees of buses being worked hard on hilly or dual carriageway routes if the driver is economically minded.

The use of telematics systems such as Green Road also encourages more efficient driving and I've certainly noted a lack of "spirited" driving in latter years.

I own a bus operation (not in the North East) and strong vehicle performance is important as the vehicles can turn up anywhere - intensive urban routes, motorways or mountains. My policies include the buses having 6 button gear selectors, kickdown enabled and airtight boost pressure circuits. The servicing intervals are set accordingly to keep on top of them.

This is an interesting point. Modern automatic gearboxes change up so quickly these days and don't seem to want to stay in a low gear for too long. I was on an E200MMC the other day and the bus was in 4th very soon after setting off.

When we had the Volvo B10M/Plaxton Interurbans the gear hold facility was regularly used on hills and I experienced some lively trips on them. Having said that, life hasn't been quite the same since the 6-speed manual fell from favour...

Don't get me all misty eyed for the past...oh, ok! There are specific journeys that will live with me with Lynxes, VRs and even Bristol LHs.

However, the most impressive machines were the Gardner turbocharged MCW Metrobuses that Northern had. They could catch pigeons down the A19!!

Is that the batch that had the 6LXDT engines? That engine was 12.7l as opposed to the 10.45l of the 6LXB/LXCT, so no wonder they shifted!

 

[BULLSAREMAGIC]

The use of telematics systems such as Green Road also encourages more efficient driving and I've certainly noted a lack of "spirited" driving in latter years.


This is an interesting point. Modern automatic gearboxes change up so quickly these days and don't seem to want to stay in a low gear for too long. I was on an E200MMC the other day and the bus was in 4th very soon after setting off.

When we had the Volvo B10M/Plaxton Interurbans the gear hold facility was regularly used on hills and I experienced some lively trips on them. Having said that, life hasn't been quite the same since the 6-speed manual fell from favour...


Is that the batch that had the 6LXDT engines? That engine was 12.7l as opposed to the 10.45l of the 6LXB/LXCT, so no wonder they shifted!

A six speed B10M preferably with Van Hool body was a thing of beauty and a joy to drive

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Is that the batch that had the 6LXDT engines? That engine was 12.7l as opposed to the 10.45l of the 6LXB/LXCT, so no wonder they shifted!

Them’s the ones. They hurtled along the dual carriageways - absolute beasts

 

[D6130]

May I offer the Isle of Wight?.... particularly the steep hills out of Ventnor towards Shanklin, Wroxall and Whitwell.

 

[RJ]

This is an interesting point. Modern automatic gearboxes change up so quickly these days and don't seem to want to stay in a low gear for too long. I was on an E200MMC the other day and the bus was in 4th very soon after setting off.

I've got the systems figured out so I can reprogramme most of them to liberate their performance. One project was to get kickdown working on Volvo B9TLs which required some hardware and software changes, but figured it out in the end.