Strange ways to write off/seriously damage a bus

[northernrail]

Hi,
looking over the forums i see a few bus fires and overturned bus's, but has anyone got any stories or pics of some unusual ways that a bus has been writen off or seriously damaged.
last year this happened around the corner from my house at a bridge a couple of yards from the Depot.(So close that the single deckers cleared for that bridge are'nt even out from under the bridge when they enter the depot gates)

 

[Striker]

Yes. At 3:00.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozjN_bmfI5c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[43021HST]

Secendary School I used to go to, this happened: Driver was driving the schoolbus to the school when he decided to pull over and have a fag, he then decided to leave the bus unattended and go to the near by shops.

15 minutes later the kids were getting really bored and were begining to worry about being late for school, so a sixth former climbs into the cab and starts to drive the bus, fortunately he only gets 100yds down the road before the driver realises his bus is moving and starts chasing after it.

Fortunatley the sixth former stopped the bus and let the driver climb in, the sixth former and the bus driver then have a massive arguement. The bus driver eventually drives off again.

I think the driver got sacked after that incident.

I have a few more school bus stories!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes. At 3:00.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozjN_bmfI5c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Ha I love the young ones

 

[Ploughman]

In Southport they used to have a lot of double deck Open top buses.
The main cause used to be the late fitter or last drivers missing the staff bus to town from the depot in Canning st. They used to grab the first bus to hand and go home in it to return next morning. However they usually forgot that Peel St bridge was on route and that usually took the top off the bus quite nicely.

 

[WestCountry]

One fell through the road in Norwich quite a while back.
EDIT:
A picture (not mine)

 

[ChrisCooper]

The Norwich one wasn't actually that badly damaged and went back into service pretty quick.
We had an open top Leyland Titan around here that was converted after some kids decided to take one joyriding and encountered a low bridge. Stopped in service for many years, including doing a few Leicester City parades.
Another interesting local one was where a car took off on a humped back bridge and flew into the front of an oncoming bus. The kids in the car were killed (little darlings presumably) but amazingly no-one on the bus was hurt (driver must have reacted very quick to get out of the way). Again though the bus survived and re-entered service and is now preserved.

 

[mbonwick]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29411541@N03/5654919832/in/photostream

18 year old nicks bus, drives straight onto roundabout at 50is mph.

That was the 4th bus he'd stolen over the last 3 years; 3 Leyland Olympians from Barrow which escaped unharmed, and MAN/ALX300 22809 V809DFV from Lancaster bus Station, which required a full repanel.

 

[O L Leigh]

One fell through the road in Norwich quite a while back.
EDIT:
A picture (not mine)

The very next morning, Cadburys had rushed out a full page newspaper ad with a picture of this poor unfortunate vehicle and the ad-line "Nothing fills a hole like a Double Decker". Classic!!

O L Leigh

 

[wintonian]

The very next morning, Cadburys had rushed out a full page newspaper ad with a picture of this poor unfortunate vehicle and the ad-line "Nothing fills a hole like a Double Decker". Classic!!

O L Leigh

:roll::roll:

**Hands out coat**

Found this:

 

[northernrail]

I think the destination blind is perfect
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My JP Bus is actually being repaired wich suprised me

 

[Yew]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29411541@N03/5654919832/in/photostream

18 year old nicks bus, drives straight onto roundabout at 50is mph.

That was the 4th bus he'd stolen over the last 3 years;

You would think he would be a better driver than that after three busses

 

[LE Greys]

Buses kept running during the Blitz, unfortunately for this one (10th image down the page)

http://www.globalnational.com/wideangle/Looking+Back+Blitz/3490992/story.html

 

[HST Power]

:

The best! I can just picture an OAP walking up and saying 'is this one not in service today?'

 

[mbonwick]

You would think he would be a better driver than that after three busses

Umm...put it this way, every time he's been caught, either in a nicked car or bus, he's been under the influence of either booze or drugs.

Nuff said.

 

[ChrisCooper]

I think the destination blind is perfect
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My JP Bus is actually being repaired wich suprised me

Are they doing it as an open topper? That would be pretty normal in cases like that, if there is use for one. Can't see them putting the roof back on though, unless they have another East Lancs bodied bus like that they they can use the roof off, which has either terminal damage downstairs or serious chassis or running gear problems (perhaps a Volvo Olympian, which of that age tend to suffer bad corrosion on the chassis).

Writing a bus off totally is very hard though due to their high value and ease of repair (compared to something like a car). It's the same with trains. Out of all those pictures, the first one is the only one I would expect to be written off due to the severity and the age, although like I said in the right circumstances maybe not.

 

[O L Leigh]

:roll::roll:

**Hands out coat**

Did you not like that one...?

O L Leigh

 

[trentside]

I once heard an unusual story about a Leyland Leopard which somehow managed to catch fire while being towed. The bus had become quite troublesome, a famous photograph in the local paper showing it broken down on the rail crossing in Lincoln. It's most recent disgrace had been to dump all it's oil onto a nice neat grass verge in a village north of Lincoln. On being retrieved it was sent on to Grimsby to be repaired by the company workshops there. On the way, the tow truck driver was flagged down by passing motorists and he quickly realised that the bus was on fire. Apparently caused by an electrical fault!

The bus was owned by the now defunct Appleby's Coaches - though their trading name lives on with another firm.

 

[wintonian]

Did you not like that one...?

O L Leigh

Well ok after I stopped groaning

 

[BrummyBoy]

Not my photo but quite like this one

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mc2493/5076402508/in/pool-847441@N23/

 

[43021HST]

I once heard an unusual story about a Leyland Leopard which somehow managed to catch fire while being towed. The bus had become quite troublesome, a famous photograph in the local paper showing it broken down on the rail crossing in Lincoln. It's most recent disgrace had been to dump all it's oil onto a nice neat grass verge in a village north of Lincoln. On being retrieved it was sent on to Grimsby to be repaired by the company workshops there. On the way, the tow truck driver was flagged down by passing motorists and he quickly realised that the bus was on fire. Apparently caused by an electrical fault!

The bus was owned by the now defunct Appleby's Coaches - though their trading name lives on with another firm.

Oooh a cursed bus

 

[StoneRoad]

Not my photo but quite like this one

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mc2493/5076402508/in/pool-847441@N23/

Reading the comments under the image, the driver was badly injured. which makes it rather more than just an "Oh 5h1t" situation.


When I can find the info, I've been told an interesting story how TWPTE managed to get a bus for the summer service to St Mary's.....

 

[Madge Wildfire]

I was once on a Cardiff bus heading west in the direction of Ely. In those days the RAF base at St Athan had a driver training school for new recruits learning on Land Rovers and light trucks.

The bus was following one of the L plated Land Rovers along the A48 when just in front the traffic lights turned amber. It was one of those situations where as a driver you decide that stopping would probably be more dramatic than carrying on, and the Land Rover learner driver must have had that thought, certainly the bus driver did.

Unfortunately, the RAF instructor decided that jumping the lights was not good practice and must have ordered the squaddie to stop asap, which he did. The bus driver was quite unprepared for this and although he jammed the anchors on as soon as he realised what was happening, it did not prevent him from piling into the back of the Land Rover and pushing it about 20 yards over the junction.

There was a bit of a fracas between the RAF instructor and the bus driver, some details were exchanged, but because the Land Rover was blocking the junction, after a quick inspection of the rear of the vehicle it was driven off with no apparent damage.

The same could not be said for the double decker which was one with the engine at the rear and only a big radiator at the front, which was all stoved-in. Water was pouring out onto the road and the drivers' side headlamp area was all smashed.

We passengers were turfed off and told to wait for the next service, while the bus driver went to summon the tow truck.

It was a great testament to the toughness of the bog standard Land Rover.