Ribble decker.
Oily
Standerwick fleet number 60 is one of 30 Bristol VRL double deck coaches put in service
between 1968 and 1970 for the express service to London from the North West of England.
They were mainly based at Blackpool and Colne. The Leyland 680 engine was fitted âFore & Aftâ
on the offside, behind the rear axle. Unfortunately, they were unreliable, and by the mid 1970s
they had all been withdrawn. LRN 60J is now in the care of Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust at
Freckleton near Preston. It is seen here in Leyland in 2010.
Ray Smyth.
AEC Regent in Queensbury on route to Halifax, it snows in the summer in Queensbury 
My favourite buses in Bradford when I was growing up but their drivers didn`t share my liking of them . Apparently the gearboxes were terrible giving a jerky ride around the hilly roads
Returning to the Preselect gearbox, The clip below has only just appeared which gives a good idea of how one is driven properly by someone used to it. At every upward gearchange the pedal is held down until the engine revs match the roadspeed. If you start at 1.15 the bus pulls up behind another stationary bus. Driver has already selected 2nd and moves off, almost immediately preselecting 3rd, the change pedal operated at 1.30. At 1.41 slow traffic requires 2nd, with pedal held down engine is revved and 2nd pre selected with an immediate pedal up engaging the lower gearsmoothly. Within seconds 3rd is preselected but 2nd is held until 1.58 when pedal is opearated to engage 3rd. At 2.01 4th is preselected but never engaged. As he approache traffic lights 2nd is preselected at 3.06 but never engaged. At 3.17 the bus is put into neutral while waiting for the lights to change but immediatley the driver preselects 2nd. At 3.28 with the amber light appearing he operates the pedal to engage 2nd gear and preselects 3rd. He then drives off working his way up through the 'box until top gear is reached when he preselects what he assumes will be the next required gearâŚ3rdâŚ
This is an air operated gearbox, the early 1930s/40s gearboxes engaged the gear with an extremely strong spring. The pedal was operated in a different manner with these unless you wanted it to spring back and hit your ankle bone with some force as the strut and bus bar in the 'box failed to engage. One stamped on the pedal hard as quickly and fully as possible. You only got it wrong the once!
cav551:
Returning to the Preselect gearbox, The clip below has only just appeared which gives a good idea of how one is driven properly by someone used to it. At every upward gearchange the pedal is held down until the engine revs match the roadspeed. If you start at 1.15 the bus pulls up behind another stationary bus. Driver has already selected 2nd and moves off, almost immediately preselecting 3rd, the change pedal operated at 1.30. At 1.41 slow traffic requires 2nd, with pedal held down engine is revved and 2nd pre selected with an immediate pedal up engaging the lower gearsmoothly. Within seconds 3rd is preselected but 2nd is held until 1.58 when pedal is opearated to engage 3rd. At 2.01 4th is preselected but never engaged. As he approache traffic lights 2nd is preselected at 3.06 but never engaged. At 3.17 the bus is put into neutral while waiting for the lights to change but immediatley the driver preselects 2nd. At 3.28 with the amber light appearing he operates the pedal to engage 2nd gear and preselects 3rd. He then drives off working his way up through the 'box until top gear is reached when he preselects what he assumes will be the next required gearâŚ3rdâŚThis is an air operated gearbox, the early 1930s/40s gearboxes engaged the gear with an extremely strong spring. The pedal was operated in a different manner with these unless you wanted it to spring back and hit your ankle bone with some force as the strut and bus bar in the 'box failed to engage. One stamped on the pedal hard as quickly and fully as possible. You only got it wrong the once!
Nice bit of filming! Looks and sounds like an London RT to me. I drove an RTL once with a pre-selector. Give a proper 'box anyday - lol. And dare I suggest that I would have been putting a couple more feet twixt me and the car in front at the lights ! Robert
Silver Star started a bus service about 1923 and continued until 1963, when they
were taken over by Wilts & Dorset of Salisbury. In their early days, they had a bus
garage at Allington, and during World War 2, they had a bus parking facility in the
Porton Down site. These 2 Leyland buses have been saved and preserved and are
seen at Transport Shows and Rallies throughout the year. Silver Star were one of
the earliest bus operators to put a Leyland Atlantean in their fleet in 1959.
This Atlantean, 1013 MW was from about 1962. The Leyland Tiger Cub, MMR 552
is one of 2 Tiger Cubs of Silver Star that have been preserved.
Ray Smyth.
Donât use the bus service much because they donât really go to where I want to.But I went to Burton from Doveridge and back using my pensionerâs card and I suppose you get what you pay for.Went and came back on a Midland Classic Decker and I have never had such an uncomfortable ride in my life.I thought it was me just sitting over the wheels which was the problem but coming back I sat somwhere else and just the same.Didnât know what the body is but I expect it to be a Wright.Whatâs going on here? it would be more comfortable on a tractor.No problem with the drivers at all but do the managers have a ride on them.This particular route the bus stops at Burton Hospital. perhaps a good idea.
Tony
Wilts & Dorset Leyland Tiger Cub with bodywork by Harrington of Hove, seen here leaving Gomeldon village,
en route to Allington, via Winterbourne Gunner and Porton Down. This bus was new to Silver Star in 1958.
The AEC Regal was probably the most used PSV chassis in lorry mode. It was used as furniture vans, pantechnicons, horse boxes, and as low chassis flat. Pilkington Glass of St. Helens had at least 15 Regal Mk.IIs and Mk.IIIs over the years, and I remember seeing them frequently, particularly at Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks in the 1950s and '60s. The driver and mate wore uniforms identical to those of bus drivers and conductors.
ERF-NGC-European:
cav551:
Returning to the Preselect gearbox, The clip below has only just appeared which gives a good idea of how one is driven properly by someone used to it. At every upward gearchange the pedal is held down until the engine revs match the roadspeed. If you start at 1.15 the bus pulls up behind another stationary bus. Driver has already selected 2nd and moves off, almost immediately preselecting 3rd, the change pedal operated at 1.30. At 1.41 slow traffic requires 2nd, with pedal held down engine is revved and 2nd pre selected with an immediate pedal up engaging the lower gearsmoothly. Within seconds 3rd is preselected but 2nd is held until 1.58 when pedal is opearated to engage 3rd. At 2.01 4th is preselected but never engaged. As he approache traffic lights 2nd is preselected at 3.06 but never engaged. At 3.17 the bus is put into neutral while waiting for the lights to change but immediatley the driver preselects 2nd. At 3.28 with the amber light appearing he operates the pedal to engage 2nd gear and preselects 3rd. He then drives off working his way up through the 'box until top gear is reached when he preselects what he assumes will be the next required gearâŚ3rdâŚThis is an air operated gearbox, the early 1930s/40s gearboxes engaged the gear with an extremely strong spring. The pedal was operated in a different manner with these unless you wanted it to spring back and hit your ankle bone with some force as the strut and bus bar in the 'box failed to engage. One stamped on the pedal hard as quickly and fully as possible. You only got it wrong the once!
Nice bit of filming! Looks and sounds like an London RT to me. I drove an RTL once with a pre-selector. Give a proper 'box anyday - lol. And dare I suggest that I would have been putting a couple more feet twixt me and the car in front at the lights
Iâd have probably downshifted it a bit earlier than 1.42 too more like 1.34 as I made it late rushed and mismatched having let the road speed decay too far ( IE a bit too like brakes to slow gears to go for me ) .Also not much difference to driving most pre select clutch actuated splitter type boxes.Might as well usually instinctively pre select it to the opposite split thatâs just been shifted into on the basis that will usually be the next gear required.
On that note I can remember a driver who everyone nicknamed Ginger who was a usual regular driver on the morning schedule 65 route buses from Chessington who really did drive an RT like an F1 racing car in the day.The mutter usually went down the queue we wonât be late Gingerâs driving this one.It would be great to find out if there are any old ex LT drivers etc who knew/remember him. 
The ladies with the handcarts selling fruit were generally known as a âMary Ellenâ. To the immediate right
of the picture is the Pier Head landing stage, where the Mersey Ferries to and from Birkenhead, Seacombe,
and New Brighton would arrive and depart, so the âMary Ellensâ had an all day supply of customers, going to
and from the ferries. These ladies were to be seen at many street corner locations in Liverpool city centre.
The picture is from about 1961, The bus at the far left is an AEC, and the 2 buses furthest away, just left of
centre are Crosville Bristols, and I am fairly certain that the rest of the buses are Leyland PD2s. The red
single deck bus is not one that I am familiar with. Regards, Ray.
Rossendale Borough Council purchased 4 of these Bristol RE buses toward the end of 1975.
The bodywork is by East Lancs Coachworks of Blackburn. Ray Smyth.
This Scania N113 bus was new about 1998, and is still in service now, albeit used as
a spare, and also on busy Market Days. It is seen here at the âParque Commercialeâ
Bus Stop & Taxi Rank in Mojacar, Almeria Province, South East Spain. This bus service
is very handy if you are out for some Tapas and a few Cervezas, so you can have a drink
and no need to drive. Both the Guardia Civil (Green Police), and Police Locale (Blue Police)
are extremely vigilant regarding drinking and driving in Mojacar, the crime rate is low in
the Mojacar area, so it gives them something to do when on duty. The âYellow Busâ is good
value , it costs 1 Euro 20 cents for travelling 1 stop or the whole journey to Mojacar Pueblo.
God willing, I will be in Mojacar from Sept 16th for a couple of weeks. 
Ray Smyth
Bradford council bought a batch of Scania double deckers around 1975 when the AEC Daimler and Leyland half cabs were being phased out in favour of the omo buses . There were big problems with the gearboxes and they were soon disposed of
In good nick.
Oily
oiltreader:
In good nick.
Oily
I worked on LT as a bus driver for 8 yrs in the 80s out of west ham garage which is now a housing estate they did give a road in said estate the name of âroutemaster wayâ which made me chuckle , the garage was very near canning town east london it was a large garage with about 15 routes, of course I drove the RMs which were a perfect vehicle for the job designed by LT and AEC they were a very easy bus to drive as long as you got a good one some had slipping gears and dodgy power steering, I started my psv training out of chiswick depot a huge place where the famous skid pan was my first training bus was a DM similar to the atlantean , this was 82 I think they had stopped the skid test as I was told a DM had gone straight into a building , funny enough on the Q&A papers they gave you to fill in one was âis it fact that a DM bus is bad in the wetâ which they bloody were horrible things really. we did however do cadence braking training on the skid pan, after a week I was moved to another instructor who was based at seven kings garage much closer to my home as I had a 2 hour journey on the district line every day to get to chiswick. my new instructor had a RMA which was a routemaster but had been an airbus hence the A, these had been painted in BEA colours and took people to heathrow with a trailer on the back for the luggage they never had platform at the back but one opening door at the front, this new instructor never thought much of lorry drivers and would often call them âso called profesional driversâ I used to bite my lip as I needed the work as there was a bad recession going on then, however oneday going along oxford street we saw a bus drive go over a very high kerb on a centre island to get past another bus so I had to repeat his remark to him , anyway 3 weeks training passed my test and spent 5 yrs driving RMs then the garage went one man so then spent 3 yrs driving leyland titans and LS single deckers the titans were lovely to drive the LS would bounce all over the place . I should point out I am not a fan of buses or coaches old lorries are my thing but I have read this thread with great interest , a driver at the garage owned with his mate an LT a RM brought from a company up north dont know the name well got a contract to run a vintage bus from burnham station to a transport museum in burnham on crouch and when LT was broke he started blue triangle bus company and won lots of routes and eventually sold the company for a lot of money to I think stagecoach.well in 89 I had enough of the buses and went back lorry driver although I jacked that after a row with the boss and worked for grey green driving a bus on my old routes they had clapped out DMs which Ithink came from sheffield which had to be driven in manual which for those who dont know its only a 3 inch to move but was a pain, but on the late shift on route 173 which ran the length of the a13 to dagenham they put on new scania double deckers which were flyers just as well with the running time given on the late runs these scanias werelovely to drive fully auto no feelof the gears changing and 60 or 70 mph no probs, but I only worked there for 2 weeks while waiting for another lorry job. oOn LT back then many garages had a show bus which the engineers took to shows allover these buses had to work though our one was I am sure RM38 it would go out on morning rush hour for 3 or 4 hrs then the evening rush hour again for 3 or 4 hrs, it was immaculate every bit of brass or copper under the bonnet was polished and they had fitted a diff from an airbus so it would do 60 mph now LT made them pay for this diff never just gave it to them shame as the bus advertied LT and when I pulled into victoria bus station on route 25 it would draw a lot of attention , I wonder what became of those show buses, sorry to go on chaps but trying to recall what I can, I have to say when I worked on the crew buses with a conductor it was just like the reg varney show on the buses lots and lots of laughs and fiddles but thats another story
Hereâs the MB O302 I drove for some 6 or 7 years back in the 1980s. Itâs the only good picture I have of it, and itâs not me on the motorcycle, but my brother and his girl friend of the time. Built in 1974, it was one of the last made and fitted with the brilliant (at least for its time) OM 360 engine developping some 190 bhp, and a 5-speed gearbox allowing a max speed of about 80 mph. Mine was fitted with flapping doors and 11 rows of seats. I must have done some 300.000 kms at its wheel.
Thereâs another O302 of the same fleet, with 13 rows of seats and pneumatic doors and suspension (mine had basic springs).
