Have any petrol buses ever existed.

[stadler]

Has there ever been such a thing as a bus with a petrol engine?

I have never seen a bus on anything other than diesel (or electric or hydrogen), but petrol must have been tried at some point. I seem to recall that a few petrol locomotives and petrol railcars existed decades ago in the pre-BR era. I would be surprised if it was never tried with buses too.

You can run cars on either petrol or diesel, so you would think a bus could manage petrol too. Is anyone aware of any petrol powered buses and if so which ones were these, and what was the last petrol engine bus to be built?

 

[Snow1964]

Yes until the 1920s petrol engines were common, then diesel (at the time sometimes called oil engines) came along. Many garages changed whole fleets at same time to avoid misfuelling.

Think last petrol ones were phased out during 1930s

 

[hexagon789]

Has there ever been such a thing as a bus with a petrol engine?

I have never seen a bus on anything other than diesel (or electric or hydrogen), but petrol must have been tried at some point. I seem to recall that a few petrol locomotives and petrol railcars existed decades ago in the pre-BR era. I would be surprised if it was never tried with buses too.

You can run cars on either petrol or diesel, so you would think a bus could manage petrol too. Is anyone aware of any petrol powered buses and if so which ones were these, and what was the last petrol engine bus to be built?

Yes, plenty.

Petrol was the usual on early motor buses in the 1910s and 1920s. Diesel appeared more so in the 1920s and generally began to supplant from the 1930s as technology improved.

 

[RT4038]

Has there ever been such a thing as a bus with a petrol engine? I have never seen a bus on anything other than diesel (or electric or hydrogen) but petrol must have been tried at some point. I seem to recall that a few petrol locomotives and petrol railcars existed decades ago in the pre BR era. I would be surprised if it was never tried with buses too. You can run cars on either petrol or diesel so you would think a bus could manage petrol too. Is anyone aware of any petrol powered buses and if so which ones were these and what was the last petrol engine bus to be built?

Petrol Engined buses were common before the Second World War. In London, the ST type and the first 558 of the STLs instance. These were only phased out after the war. I think the last petrol engined London buses were the Inter-Station one and a half deck Leylands (C Type) that lasted into 1950.

 

[gc4946]

Several operators based in seaside resorts ordered new petrol vehicles well into the 1930s, including Wallasey and Bournemouth Corporations.
Bournemouth Corporation didn't order any diesel-engined buses until 1943

https://www.lthlibrary.org.uk/library/PDF-196-1.pdf

 

[JKP]

Many Bedford OB built during the 1940s had petrol engines. The Bedford SB coach launched in 1950 initially was only available with a petrol engine. A local operator I know had an early petrol engine Bedford SB used as a seat store. He told me that the coach was withdrawn because fuel consumption was just 4mpg.

 

[jumble]

Has there ever been such a thing as a bus with a petrol engine?

I have never seen a bus on anything other than diesel (or electric or hydrogen), but petrol must have been tried at some point. I seem to recall that a few petrol locomotives and petrol railcars existed decades ago in the pre-BR era. I would be surprised if it was never tried with buses too.

You can run cars on either petrol or diesel, so you would think a bus could manage petrol too. Is anyone aware of any petrol powered buses and if so which ones were these, and what was the last petrol engine bus to be built?

We have ridden on one in Winchester on one of The King Alfred running days a few years ago

https://www.kingalfredbuses.org.uk/albion-victor-756

Victor 2 - AAA 756​

Albion Victor-​

---

• Fleet Number: Victor 2
• Registration: AAA 756
• Year: 1935
• Chassis: Albion Victor PK114
• Engine: Albion petrol
• Body: E.D. Abbot of Farnham C20C

One of two Albion Victors bought by King Alfred Motor Services in 1935, it was followed by another (COT 647) which came in 1938. Two had Duple bodies but AAA 756 had its body built by Abbot of Farnham, delivered without seats as the Chisnells required it to carry the seating from the 1922 Deluxe charabanc.
It entered preservation in 1959 when bought by the Rolls brothers. It was then bought by David Hurley in 1963. During his 50 years of ownership it was gradually restored in a specially oversized garage in his garden at home in Worthing and after 1995 when it was complete it was displayed at the Scottish Bus Museum at Lathalmond. Friends of King Alfred Buses was offered the opportunity to purchase it in 2013, which it did following a successful appeal for funds.

 

[Wawanesa]

As others have said, buses were originally all petrol. Thomas Henry Barton of Barton Transport introduced the first diesel engine in 1930 and most operators moved to diesel during the 1930s. Smaller operators favoured petrol as they were smoother and they found them easier to maintain hence the popularity of Bedfords. Salopia Saloon Coaches were famous for taking the very last full size petrol engine Bedford coaches circa 1970. Bournemouth Borough Transport did take a petrol midibus in the 1970s for use on a town centre shuttle to reduce pollution.

 

[GusB]

Many Bedford OB built during the 1940s had petrol engines. The Bedford SB coach launched in 1950 initially was only available with a petrol engine. A local operator I know had an early petrol engine Bedford SB used as a seat store. He told me that the coach was withdrawn because fuel consumption was just 4mpg.

In the early 50s Alexander's had a couple of batches of petrol-engined Bedford SB coaches with Burlingham bodies. Presumably the petrol engine was more refined and thus more suited to touring work.

I'm not 100% certain, but I think some of the Bedford SBs that the RAF used were also petrol powered rather than diesel. They were a regular sight around here when I was younger.

 

[Thames99]

I think petrol powered fire engines were produced up to the 1950s. They were considered to be more powerful than contemporary diesels which were comparatively sluggish especially when cold.

 

[AWWisher]

Keighley-West Yorkshire bought 2 petrol Bedford B30F OB's in 1948 (fleet K616/7 - changed to KSP3/4) and withdrawn in 1957/55. They were for routes K13-15, which crossed lightweight wooden bridges over the canal, and replaced 2 petrol Dennis Ace B20F from 1934.

West Yorkshire RCC also had 2 B30F OB's (SP1/2) and 2 C25F OB's with coach bodies (CP1/2) [I accept, not buses - but similar]. CP1 lived on and is (almost certainly) the coach seen in the last episode of "Summer Wine"

 

[JohnofWessex]

I travelled on a Bedford OB on the Isle of Wight in the 90's (?) which had a petrol engine

We were passed going uphill by a couple on a Tandem.

My late father was an Army driver in WW2 and most of the heavy vehicles were petrol

 

[Acathater]

I think petrol powered fire engines were produced up to the 1950s. They were considered to be more powerful than contemporary diesels which were comparatively sluggish especially when cold.

I can remember reading about one reserve machine which was based in Whitby and called to the Flixborough disaster in 1974. The author said when they heard the order "make pumps 100" over the radio the driver got it up to something like 80+ mph

 

[spyinthesky]

Whilst serving I remember some Bedford RL’s knocking about in the early 90’s. I certainly drove the truck variant as the MK/J wasn’t suitable for a specific equipment load.

 

[38291018]

May be a bit off topic but why was diesel buses more preferred overtime, over the petrol conterparts that was most common before

 

[Roger1973]

Petrol Engined buses were common before the Second World War. In London, the ST type and the first 558 of the STLs instance. These were only phased out after the war. I think the last petrol engined London buses were the Inter-Station one and a half deck Leylands (C Type) that lasted into 1950.

I agree. Most operators were buying petrol engined buses until some point in the mid 30s before switching to diesel. I believe London Transport had a few re-shuffles of buses to separate petrol / diesel buses to different garages as much as possible.

And yes, Ken Glazier's book 'Routes to Recovery, London Buses 1945-52' confirms this about the inter-station Leyland Cubs. It says that many buses were re-fitted with diesel engines (from withdrawn buses) in the late 40s.

 

[Dwarfer1979]

May be a bit off topic but why was diesel buses more preferred overtime, over the petrol conterparts that was most common before

In many ways for similar reason as car drivers chose diesel, running costs are lower - in particular fuel consumption - in particular circumstances and these are more common with commercial work.

There are particular additional advantages to adoption for larger vehicles like buses and trucks in that diesel engines have better torque characteristics, which is very useful when shifting loads more efficiently.

 

[BVW]

In Bedford's chassis code system, SB3, VAM3 and VAS3 were all petrol engined variants along with the earlier SBG designation.

 

[Steve440]

In Bedford's chassis code system, SB3, VAM3 and VAS3 were all petrol engined variants along with the earlier SBG designation.

Yes, because Bedford was owned by the American General Motors group, the SBG (G for gasoline) was petrol and the SBO (O for oil) was diesel.

 

[NCT]

China was still producing petrol engined buses into the early 2000s.

 

[ChrisPJ]

May be a bit off topic but why was diesel buses more preferred overtime, over the petrol conterparts that was most common before

Simpler engines with no distributor or spark plugs for example

 

[High Dyke]

The Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society has a number of petrol engined buses in its museum. Mainly Leyland models.

Buses – LVVS

www.lvvs.org.uk