Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally & Running Day - Sunday 17th May

[Class 33]

Looking forward to this! A good chance to ride classic old buses in Bristol for a day.

Let's hope though that unlike the 2012 and 2014 events, this one isn't also CANCELLED! Last years event was cancelled due to Bristol City Council doing essential roadworks in the area, and 2012's event was cancelled due to there being some other big event in the area also taking place. So let's hope this year's event does actually go ahead.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Going to book the day off work and go to this!

 

[Dennis]

Looking forward to this; I've found it one of the best events in the calendar for variety of vehicles, while the Bristol hills makes for some good running (although the traffic can be a problem).

 

[Class 33]

Not long now till this now! Glad it's not been cancelled this year like last year and 2012! Will probably be my only bus rally/running day I'll be going to this year. So I will be making a full day of this one.

I hope they've got at least one or two Leyland Olympians(the original ones, not the 1990's versions) running. From my experience, seems to be rare to see any of these running at these events! Also would be good to see and ride on a Leyland National or tw in Bristol again as well! I also didn't see any of these during the Bristol Harbourside 2010, 2011, and 2013 events. Plenty of opportunity to ride on the likes of Bristol VR's and Bristol RE's and various other buses though.

Would be good if you could order the programmes in advance to start planning which services you're going to ride on.

But whatever, should still be a good day.

 

[83G/84D]

Not long now till this now! Glad it's not been cancelled this year like last year and 2012! Will probably be my only bus rally/running day I'll be going to this year. So I will be making a full day of this one.

I hope they've got at least one or two Leyland Olympians(the original ones, not the 1990's versions) running. From my experience, seems to be rare to see any of these running at these events! Also would be good to see and ride on a Leyland National or tw in Bristol again as well! I also didn't see any of these during the Bristol Harbourside 2010, 2011, and 2013 events. Plenty of opportunity to ride on the likes of Bristol VR's and Bristol RE's and various other buses though.

Would be good if you could order the programmes in advance to start planning which services you're going to ride on.

But whatever, should still be a good day.

For Warminster running day you can send off for programmes / vehicle rosters in advance so that you can plan ahead although it is still worth checking on arrival for any late changes.

I am looking for a list of vehicles attending the Bristol event.Having not been before, is there such a list made available prior to the event or is it "find out when you get there"?

 

[Dennis]

I expect the many of the usual vehicles will be there, but I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the poo bus that First have now confirmed will be attending.

To get an idea of likely vehicles in attendance just search Bristol Harbourside bus on flickr; plenty of shots from previous events on there.

Must say the online publicity for this event seems very poor....

 

[carlberry]

I expect the many of the usual vehicles will be there, but I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the poo bus that First have now confirmed will be attending.

To get an idea of likely vehicles in attendance just search Bristol Harbourside bus on flickr; plenty of shots from previous events on there.

Must say the online publicity for this event seems very poor....

It's as good as it ever is this year as it's got the timetable of the service that links Temple Meads and Broadmead to the site!

The rally will have a 'green' theme this year because of Bristol being the green capital so, I suspect, the Crosville and Bath Hybrids might appear.

Other than that it's all secret and that even goes as far as the drivers of the free services not being told until the morning what they covering!

 

[Class 33]

Pretty good day. But dissapointed when I brought the programme and opened it up, to discover that there was a reduction in services/routes again, and most of the routes being fairly short. There was just the 18 to Clifton Rocks Railway, the 22 to The Downs, the 54 to Stockwood, the 80 to Dundry, and the usual City Centre Circular/Temple Meads service. There was also a service 373, but this wasn't published in the timetable so I don't know where that went? Back in the 2010 & 2011 events there were about a dozen different services and a number of them running out to the Bristol suburbs such as Avonmouth, Patchway, Henbury, Staple Hill, etc, as well a few country services to places like Nailsea, Pucklechurch, etc. So a bit dissapointing that the range and length of services were cut back yet again, it did used to be a lot better. But still, can't complain really for a free event(though £5 if you buy the programme and fleet list). Still a very good day out.

Great to see that an original Leyland Olympian was running in this event. And got a ride on it, albeit on a fairly short journey really on the 22 to The Downs and back. But great to have got a ride on one of these again, as it's been about 9 years since I last got on one of these(on the 70). Took me back to the 80's and 90's!

The Bio Bus was actually running today and not just a static display. It was on the City Centre Circular service. I also noted a Streetdeck was running too, would have liked to have tried a ride on that, but as I chose to get a ride on a Leyland Leopard on a 54 to Stockwood, the timings clashed so it wasn't possible. There was also a 1990's Leyland Olympian on the 54 to Stockwood which was great, but I was unable to get a ride on that as it clashed with the timings of the journeys on the original Leyland Olympian and the Leyland Leopard I got on.

Didn't get a ride on an RE today, though a few of them were running. Nor a Leyland National. Would have LOVED to have got a ride on a National, but I don't think any were running according to the fleet list. I was planning on this being my only Bus Rally of the year, but I might have to try and squeeze another one in. Probably the Brislington Running Day in August.

Was quite surprised when I got a journey on a Lodekka on the 22 when I noticed a young woman put her hand out and looked annoyed when it didn't stop! Though it did say 2 Bristol on the destination display. But even most non bus enthusiasts would surely know an old fashioned bus like this nowadays would not be a normal bus service!

 

[ValleyLines142]

I completely forgot about this!

I didn't realise that there would be buses running on actual routes throughout the day! I just thought they'd be parked up on display only with normal modern buses on the shuttle!

Was 46603 there, by any chance?

 

[Class 33]

I completely forgot about this!

I didn't realise that there would be buses running on actual routes throughout the day! I just thought they'd be parked up on display only with normal modern buses on the shuttle!

Was 46603 there, by any chance?

You missed what would have been a good day out on the buses! You'll have to make sure you don't miss next years event(unless it gets cancelled, which seems to happen half the time!) Of course, there was buses running throughout the day, as it is called the Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally & Running Day. It's all about people getting the opportunity to ride vintage buses, as well as a small selection of newer buses like the Streetdeck and Bio Bus.

I expect in particular you would have enjoyed the ride on a 1990's Leyland Olympian in City Line livery on the 54 to Stockwood and back. https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilj...oDt-sMLxzr-t5gq5p-rebmqQ-rvDAbi-rvC1y4-rvDrE1

This might have actually confused some normal passengers waiting for the 2 between Centre and Stockwood, and seeing this bus. As it was only a year or so back that there was a service 54 to Stockwood and for many many years too. And the bus doesn't look that old really, unlike a lot of the other buses running today which looked really old fashioned.

There was also a Dennis Dart on the 54 today too. https://www.flickr.com/photos/neiljennings/17159286983/


There is another good Bus Running Day in Bristol in a few months. On Sunday 9th August, based at Brislington Park & Ride. Not sure if I'll be able to make that event now, as I might be somewhere else that weekend!

 

[ValleyLines142]

You missed what would have been a good day out on the buses! You'll have to make sure you don't miss next years event(unless it gets cancelled, which seems to happen half the time!) Of course, there was buses running throughout the day, as it is called the Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally & Running Day. It's all about people getting the opportunity to ride vintage buses, as well as a small selection of newer buses like the Streetdeck and Bio Bus.

I expect in particular you would have enjoyed the ride on a 1990's Leyland Olympian in City Line livery on the 54 to Stockwood and back. https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilj...oDt-sMLxzr-t5gq5p-rebmqQ-rvDAbi-rvC1y4-rvDrE1

This might have actually confused some normal passengers waiting for the 2 between Centre and Stockwood, and seeing this bus. As it was only a year or so back that there was a service 54 to Stockwood and for many many years too. And the bus doesn't look that old really, unlike a lot of the other buses running today which looked really old fashioned.

There was also a Dennis Dart on the 54 today too. https://www.flickr.com/photos/neiljennings/17159286983/


There is another good Bus Running Day in Bristol in a few months. On Sunday 9th August, based at Brislington Park & Ride. Not sure if I'll be able to make that event now, as I might be somewhere else that weekend!

Sounds like a really good day! Nice to see the traditional older vehicles at the event, but also what I call the 'modern-old' vehicles, such as the the Olympian and the Step-entrance Dart, which were both still in service in Bristol only up until a couple of years ago!

Will have to try that upcoming event you just posted about in August!

 

[DaveHarries]

With the orderl of 25x Enviro400 to Bristol (which, I heard from a FirstGroup person there, will be the MMC style) that is due later this year it was good to see Reading Buses had sent E400 MMC 767 (YY15 OYJ) for the day. Lovely vehicle, and good to get an idea of what to expect. The driver said the handing was superb: lets hope they prove to be the same on the 42-45 routes in Bristol.

In the meantime my thanks go to all who ran and organised the day as well as those providing the various trips. Here's to 2016.

Dave

 

[ValleyLines142]

I have to admit the Enviro 400MMC doesn't feel like an Enviro 400 to be honest!

 

[DaveHarries]

No it doesn't feel like a traditional Enviro400. MMC is short for Major Model Change and it sure is. I will try and grab a ride on one if / when Bristol get theirs. I also heard, interestingly, that one of First Bristol / First S&A's Crusader 2 fleet is to get a paintjob later this year which could look very interesting and might lead to its preservation if someone took it on.....

Dave

 

[carlberry]

Pretty good day. But dissapointed when I brought the programme and opened it up, to discover that there was a reduction in services/routes again, and most of the routes being fairly short. There was just the 18 to Clifton Rocks Railway, the 22 to The Downs, the 54 to Stockwood, the 80 to Dundry, and the usual City Centre Circular/Temple Meads service. There was also a service 373, but this wasn't published in the timetable so I don't know where that went? Back in the 2010 & 2011 events there were about a dozen different services and a number of them running out to the Bristol suburbs such as Avonmouth, Patchway, Henbury, Staple Hill, etc, as well a few country services to places like Nailsea, Pucklechurch, etc. So a bit dissapointing that the range and length of services were cut back yet again, it did used to be a lot better. But still, can't complain really for a free event(though £5 if you buy the programme and fleet list). Still a very good day out.

Was quite surprised when I got a journey on a Lodekka on the 22 when I noticed a young woman put her hand out and looked annoyed when it didn't stop! Though it did say 2 Bristol on the destination display. But even most non bus enthusiasts would surely know an old fashioned bus like this nowadays would not be a normal bus service!

The harbourside rally suffers because, as far as I know, it’s the only event of it’s type that’s held in the middle of a large city. The event is constrained because of it's location (and, of course, the availability of the location has caused it's cancellation twice recently). There’s only so many vehicles that can fit on the site, and allow movement and there’s only so many movements that can happen given the number of people that are wandering around all the time, plus the number of possible pickup points. Removing cars from the loop around the arrival/departure point would help however I suspect the organisers aren’t able to control this.

Another problem is that most people want runs of less than an hour (especially the general public, but lots of enthusiasts as well). Bristol’s traffic plays a major part in this (even on a Sunday!) so the fairly short run to Stockwood takes over an hour, Clifton (1 mile from the site as the crow flys) takes 45 minutes round trip! The longer runs tend to get less people and, in past years, tend to end up running late as well.

The running days at Alton or Warminster are good examples of what’s possible centred on a fairly small town so you can get onto an open road fairly quickly and a good number of vehicles available (including many Leyland Nationals most years!). Even Warminster suffers from a lack of space at the hub however.

The number of people volunteering vehicles is also a constraint. I suspect that the numbers have gone down over the years, and a huge percentage of yesterdays were supplied by the Bristol Omnibus Vehicle Collection however, even then, the collection has to find enough drivers to cover.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I expect in particular you would have enjoyed the ride on a 1990's Leyland Olympian in City Line livery on the 54 to Stockwood and back.
This might have actually confused some normal passengers waiting for the 2 between Centre and Stockwood, and seeing this bus. As it was only a year or so back that there was a service 54 to Stockwood and for many many years too. And the bus doesn't look that old really, unlike a lot of the other buses running today which looked really old fashioned.

There was also a Dennis Dart on the 54 today too. https://www.flickr.com/photos/neiljennings/17159286983/


There is another good Bus Running Day in Bristol in a few months. On Sunday 9th August, based at Brislington Park & Ride. Not sure if I'll be able to make that event now, as I might be somewhere else that weekend!

It was indeed Dart 46603 - odd that it was only about 6 months ago that I saw it waiting time in Chilcompton to run the 173 short working to Wells!

And of course, 9621 (aka 34621) doesn't look too old as some of its sisters are still working hard for First Kernow!

 

[anthony263]

Enjoyed my visit to Bristol Habourside for a good few years.

I came down on the robin hood liveried duple 425 from Cardiff.

MOD571P was a surprise and I enjoyed at least 1trip on her to Clifton Rocks Railway.

 

[Dennis]

I thought yesterday was fantastic; stuck mostly to the Stockwood route for some reasonable running (Tempo , Cityline Dart and Olympian) plus a blast up the M32 and back on a National Holidays Tiger (A811 CCD).

Highlight of the day has to be the Weston open topped VR on the mystery tour.....don't think I've ever gone up Park Street so fast!

Gutted to have missed a run on MOD 571P though.....

Excellent day and the organisers and exhibitors are to be congratulated.

 

[Class 33]

The harbourside rally suffers because, as far as I know, it’s the only event of it’s type that’s held in the middle of a large city. The event is constrained because of it's location (and, of course, the availability of the location has caused it's cancellation twice recently). There’s only so many vehicles that can fit on the site, and allow movement and there’s only so many movements that can happen given the number of people that are wandering around all the time, plus the number of possible pickup points. Removing cars from the loop around the arrival/departure point would help however I suspect the organisers aren’t able to control this.

Another problem is that most people want runs of less than an hour (especially the general public, but lots of enthusiasts as well). Bristol’s traffic plays a major part in this (even on a Sunday!) so the fairly short run to Stockwood takes over an hour, Clifton (1 mile from the site as the crow flys) takes 45 minutes round trip! The longer runs tend to get less people and, in past years, tend to end up running late as well.

The running days at Alton or Warminster are good examples of what’s possible centred on a fairly small town so you can get onto an open road fairly quickly and a good number of vehicles available (including many Leyland Nationals most years!). Even Warminster suffers from a lack of space at the hub however.

The number of people volunteering vehicles is also a constraint. I suspect that the numbers have gone down over the years, and a huge percentage of yesterdays were supplied by the Bristol Omnibus Vehicle Collection however, even then, the collection has to find enough drivers to cover.

Not so sure the longer trips necessarily get less people. From my rides during the 2010 event, the journeys out to Sea Mills, Patchway, and Stockwood were full up or near enough full up. But yes I can see what you're saying, in that the traffic conditions can make the longer services more likely to be late. That was a great selection of services, the 2010 event. I might have the old programme of it somewhere, or I may have binned it. If I find it, I'll do a rundown of what services were running.

Still a pretty good event though as I said. It was good that they at least had one service running out to the suburbs though(the Stockwood service) with a good journey time of roughly half hour in each direction. For future events if they at least have just one service like this running, then I'll be happy with that. Though ideally, from next year onwards, somewhere different other than Stockwood every year! Maybe somewhere like Henbury(the same route as the long running service 1) for example. Another good service would be to Bromley Heath via the M32(the old X62 route), would be especially suited to a Leyland Olympian! And still also retain at least just one of the country services(albeit only a segment of one), like the 80 to Dundry, or a service out to Nailsea and back.

Yes the Warminster event is very good. I've only ever been to that event just once, and that was back in 2011. There were a good number of Leyland Nationals running that day. And a number of good services running where it goes out into the country and the buses get some good speed going! Might have consider going there this year if I can, as I would like to get another ride or two on a Leyland National again!

Will look forward to Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally in 2016. That's if it doesn't get cancelled again!

 

[Dennis]

Might have consider going there this year if I can, as I would like to get another ride or two on a Leyland National again!

Warminster is not happening this year, Salisbury 10 event instead on 14th June.