Your favourite-sounding bus?

[SouthEastBuses]

For me:

Mercedes Citaro Euro 3/4/5 with Om906hla engine, Voith or ZF

Any Scania that is Euro 4 and above (e.g. the CN270UB Omnicities, or the N280UD Enviro400 City CNG)

Dennis Trident 2 with Voith gearboxes

Volvo B7TL with ZF or Voith gearboxes

I quite like the Stagecoach E200s Voith too to be honest.

 

[Flange Squeal]

I quite like most things with a Voith, as just one journey on some vehicles can produce a seemingly wide array of completely different sounds! Always happy when I'm given one of the Voith vehicles in the fleet to drive. Can understand why some passengers aren't keen on them compared to other vehicles though, as I can imagine they're rather annoying for those not interested in the 'music'.

I have no idea what engines and transmissions were mated in the mid-90s Merc 709d minibuses with Stagecoach, but the sound of those are what I'll always associate with my childhood though, so I guess I have a fondness for those also.

 

[J-2739]

I like the sound of the B7TL with the ZF gearbox, coupled with that crazy loud fan!

 

[Richard Scott]

I have no idea what engines and transmissions were mated in the mid-90s Merc 709d minibuses with Stagecoach, but the sound of those are what I'll always associate with my childhood though, so I guess I have a fondness for those also.

If auto probably an Allison box? Sure that's what London ones had when I was there in 1990s?

 

[AM9]

How about a decent (trolley) bus?

 

[David Goddard]

Bedford OB
Bristol VR

 

[Strathclyder]

For those who have mentioned them up-thread...

TL11-powered Leyland Olympian

Dennis Trident

 

[Class465pacer]

My top 10:
1. ALX400/President Trident (Voith Euro 3)
2. Pointer 2 Dart SLF, Optare Solo and others (Allison Euro 2)
3.Eclipse Urban, DAF SB220 and others (ZF Ecomat Euro 2/3/4)
4. Eclipse Gemini 1/ALX400 B7TL (Voith and ZF Euro 3)
5. Enviro400 MMC (Voith Euro 6)
6. OmniCity/Enviro400/MMC Scania N series
7. ALX400/President Trident (Voith Euro 2)
8. Eclipse Gemini 2 (Euro 4/5)
9. Dart SLF/Evolution/Enviro200/etc (Allison Euro 3, 4, 5)
10. Electric buses inc. City EV, MetroDecker EV

 

[delt1c]

Leyland 0690 engined RM, the 1st to be withdrawn so many on here will never have heard them.

 

[83G/84D]

A Bristol RE accelerating away is my best bus sound. The engine and exhaust noise is very distinctive.

 

[Glosbusspotter]

Got a few for me:

TransBus Enviro 300 with 5.9L Cummins and a 5-speed ZF

I like the ELC Vyking body but any B7TL with either 6 or 5 speed ZF

Enviro 500 trident with ZF

Any Euro 3/4 trident that’s got the voith

 

[stuart81]

Used to get a Scania L94UB to work which always sounded good. Trip home was a "spare bus" duty so could throw anything up but loved a Scania L113CRL, especially if the driver tried to keep up with an impossible timetable.

Also got a soft spot for the DAF DB250LF

 

[MackTen]

Bristol VR.

Definitely a childhood thing. You could hear it coming a mile off in my leafy estate, its hilly windy roads perfectly suited to it.

If ever a buses sound matched its appearance (and ultimate use), it was the VR. Or at least my version, the ubiquitous VRTIII, with presumably Gardner engines. Sounds a bit odd to call a bus elegant and understated, while still clearly being up to the job, but it really was.

 

[Richard Scott]

Bristol VR.

Definitely a childhood thing. You could hear it coming a mile off in my leafy estate, its hilly windy roads perfectly suited to it.

If ever a buses sound matched its appearance (and ultimate use), it was the VR. Or at least my version, the ubiquitous VRTIII, with presumably Gardner engines. Sounds a bit odd to call a bus elegant and understated, while still clearly being up to the job, but it really was.

Sorry this is slightly off topic but interesting to know how many still doing useful service, one round by me on school service (was up until recent closure) and saw it every day, can't quite remember reg but something like XJJ655V.

 

[Busaholic]

Leyland 0690 engined RM, the 1st to be withdrawn so many on here will never have heard them.

Not to forget RML3, the Leyland engined, Leyland bodied precursor, later renumbered RM3 for a time to distinguish it from the longer Routemasters which usurped the suffix, and never looked right with that unstylish half bay added. My favourite has to be the RTL, though, with its Leyland chassis and engine, great sound when roaring up a hill or traversing the original, two way Blackwall Tunnel.

 

[fgwrich]

Also a Voith fan here, in part thanks to the wonderful ex Portsmouth X-VAP batch of Super Pointer Darts we once had. I could hear them come up my road from half a mile away.

My list would have to be (in no particular order):

Bristol RE with Gardner Engine
Bristol RE with Leyland 680
Bristol VRRRR with Leyland 680
Bristol VR with 510
Plaxton Pointer Dart with Cummins / Voith combination - The ex Portsmouth X-VAP Batch were deep throated monsters!
Wrightbus / Volvo B10RLE
Volvo Ailsa - Just, absolutely, mad.

And, as modern vehicles go, I have to admit I'm growing a little fond of the Enviro 300.

 

[PG]

The unmistakable clatter and whine of the 510 engined Mk1 Leyland National, there's nothing else quite like it!

 

[jp4712]

I’m glad people like the RE - here’s a clip of me driving mine.

 

[Devon Sunset]

Bristol RE
Leyland Fleetline
Volvo Ailsa
Leyland Lion
Dennis Trident

 

[Jordan Adam]

The Cummins ISL engine on First Aberdeens ADL Trident3/Enviro500s sounds quite immense. 38210 (already linked above), 38215, 38217, 38219, 38220, 38224 and 38225 particularly are fantastic. Few modern buses have the bass and grunt that they do.

 

[Strathclyder]

Also got a soft spot for the DAF DB250LF

YouTube is one's friend.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Like some others in this list, memories of younger days dominate mine too.

Yorkshire Traction's D-reg, low-height Metrobuses were noisy and melodious, but also powerful and suited to the hilly terrain south of Huddersfield - and so much more interesting than the dull Olympians that worked alongside them.
Maidstone & District in the Medway Towns in the early eighties had infinite variety, it seemed. Again, the Metrobuses there were great, and the Invictaway Olympians had a great sound with the TL11 engine.
Then, back to Yorkshire, the growl of the West Riding/Yorkshire Woollen Lynxes as they plied the many routes criss-crossing West Yorkshire (at points in the early nineties, they seemed to be everywhere).
In London in more recent years, I've always been fond of the gruff sound of the DAF/VDL DB250s.

 

[SteveyBee131]

I've got a few, mainly memories from younger days, in no particular order...

Volvo B10b (not sure on the gearbox but know they had Alexander Strider bodies*)
Leyland Olympian (Gardner LXB engine, semi-automatic gearbox)
Dennis Dominator (Rolls Royce or Gardner, SYT ones)
AEC Regal 3 (specifically Doncaster 22)

Among others, some already mentioned.

*EDIT: Think Plaxton and Northern Counties ones I've experienced sounded similar so probably had same gearbox, but Striders stand out more to me

 

[MackTen]

Thanks to another thread, for the purposes of this one, I've only just realised how lucky I was to grow up in a town where my two most used bus stations, were enclosed concrete dungeons, served by an operator with a fairly wide variety of vehicles. Great for acoustics and almost subconsciously picking up on the difference between models. Not so great for the lungs.

Fittingly, the VR's design seemed to be quite respectful to ones ears when in enclosed spaces. You could imagine that the worst of the sound only comes out the bottom, given the lack of any obvious engine compartment, and so it just gets nicely muffled by the tarmac. I almost don't want to look it up, to see how wrong I was.

 

[185]

Mine was DAF when working on National Express. Bit of oversteer due to everything being in the back, but deathly quiet.

Each day you got either a DAF or a Dennis Javelin. Known to most staff as DAF... or deaf.

 

[fgwrich]

Leyland-powered REs had a soundtrack all their own, despite the powerplants in question being used in other bus applications. Can always rely on them to set car alarms off and rattle windows!

Ah, good old TRY. It's a noisy beast but drinks fuel like there's no tomorrow. Another absolute monster of an RE was former Red and White liveried GHB148N - Now that one did set a few Car Alarms off!

(Not my video)

 

[Stan Drews]

Ah, good old TRY. It's a noisy beast but drinks fuel like there's no tomorrow. Another absolute monster of an RE was former Red and White liveried GHB148N - Now that one did set a few Car Alarms off!

(Not my video)

That is probably the most sedate ‘thrash’ I’ve heard. Still the young ‘uns seem to like using the word cause they’ll get more views/likes!
...at least we weren’t offered any ‘kick-down’!!

 

[fgwrich]

That is probably the most sedate ‘thrash’ I’ve heard. Still the young ‘uns seem to like using the word cause they’ll get more views/likes!
...at least we weren’t offered any ‘kick-down’!!

It does seem to be an overused term these days. Perhaps this one is more noisy?!

 

[Stan Drews]

It does seem to be an overused term these days. Perhaps this one is more noisy?!

That one certainly ticks the raucous category ...but that’s harder to spell.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Leyland-powered REs had a soundtrack all their own, despite the powerplants in question being used in other bus applications. Can always rely on them to set car alarms off and rattle windows!

My goodness that takes me back. Almost certainly ridden that bus on the E6 back in my childhood. Amazing that it lasted into Busways and even Stagecoach Busways days.