Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Discussions about the Bus and Coach Preservation scene for Midland "Red" Motor Services and related companies.
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TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by TimBrown » 20:51 Monday 17th April 2017

Here is the final batch of preserved vehicles at Wythall today.
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 165.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 136.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 143.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 149.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 155.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 161.jpg
17 April 2017 Transport Museum Wythall 163.jpg

MattW
Posts: 979
Joined: 20:42 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Cornwall

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by MattW » 21:00 Monday 17th April 2017

Great photos as usual mate, really enjoyed today as it was my first visit. Enjoyed rides on a Metrobus (a first for me), Leyland National (which I hadn't done since I was a child in Malvern in the 80s!), Optare Spectra and a great jaunt around the local countryside in a D9, which was amazingly quiet, much more so than any modern bus I have ever been on.

Won't be my last visit thats for sure :)

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by TimBrown » 18:50 Tuesday 18th April 2017

MattW wrote:
21:00 Monday 17th April 2017
Great photos as usual mate, really enjoyed today as it was my first visit. Enjoyed rides on a Metrobus (a first for me), Leyland National (which I hadn't done since I was a child in Malvern in the 80s!), Optare Spectra and a great jaunt around the local countryside in a D9, which was amazingly quiet, much more so than any modern bus I have ever been on.

Won't be my last visit thats for sure :)
There is always a lot going on during the event days at Wythall, over 90 vehicles in various stages of restoration from derelict right up to the pristine fully road worthy class 5 and class 6 examples to admire and travel in. Then there are always many well stocked sales stands for bus enthusiasts looking for books, photographs, DVD's, models and memorabilia of their favourite PCV's.

For me it was a day to sample some of the Bristol buses giving rides, including unusual two door 1951 build Bristol Tramways LS5G (NHU2), 1950 build Western National KS5G (LTA 813), 1962 build Crosville/Carters FS6G (314 PFM) re-engined with Gardner 6LX and 1967 build Cheltenham RELL6L (KHW 306E) all with very individual character and making all the right engine, exhaust and gearbox noises!

A ride on 1965 build London Transport Routemaster RCL2219 (CUV 219C) to Henley-in-Arden and back gave ample opportunity to sample the very comfortable seats and very refined ride of this bus.

I was really pleased to manage a ride in 1947 Barton Leyland PD1 (JNN 384) which looks very ornate from outside with all the brightwork on the front entrance Duple double deck body. The biggest revelation was the interior treatment with moquette lining the interior and stairs with two mirrors mounted on the front bulkhead, beautiful art deco sculpted light covers on window pillars and a shell shaped lamp above the entrance door. Amazing attention to detail for a stage carriage bus, many coaches of the time were not so luxuriously appointed! Performance from the small 7.4 litre Leyland engine was surprising good for a heavy bus with full seated load of 55 passengers.

DD12
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Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by DD12 » 21:32 Wednesday 19th April 2017

Thanks for the photos Tim - I would have loved a ride on JNN384 !

I hadn't realised any of the Lodekkas (like 314PFM) without a lower front radiator had been preserved !
- Did the big upper-front vents somehow provide engine cooling ? -
I remember them as being part of the heating system by "Cave-Brown (-Brown)" -
sorry if that's a bit cuckoo !

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by TimBrown » 09:06 Thursday 20th April 2017

DD12 wrote:
21:32 Wednesday 19th April 2017
Thanks for the photos Tim - I would have loved a ride on JNN384 !

I hadn't realised any of the Lodekkas (like 314PFM) without a lower front radiator had been preserved !
- Did the big upper-front vents somehow provide engine cooling ? -
I remember them as being part of the heating system by "Cave-Brown (-Brown)" -
sorry if that's a bit cuckoo !
With regard to JNN 384 have since had time to search a number of websites devoted to Barton Buses and the 7.4 litre E181 engine has a bore of 4.375 in. stroke of 5 in. which produced 100 BHP at 1,800 RPM, plus torque of 328 lb/ft at 1150 RPM.

It appears that these Duple bodied deckers were mainly used on route 5 between Nottingham and Derby and sometimes operated as duplicates on summer Saturdays on route 9 from Long Eaton via Nottingham to Skegness which appears to be around 90 miles each way - probably an all day job with maximum speed of 40 MPH! Some PD1's were based at Melton Mowbray so may have worked into Leicester - I seem to remember seeing this type at St Margaret's Bus Station in the late 1950's and early 1960's. At the time I only travelled on Midland Red buses with an Anywhere Ticket and now wish I had sampled some of the Barton buses on offer. Can anyone confirm the routes operated by these buses please?

314 PFM does have a Cave-Brown-Cave heater and radiator system mounted above the cab and engine canopy and originally did not have a conventional radiator mounted at the front of the engine bay, hence the winged adorned plain metal front panel without an air intake grille. I am led to believe that it was modified with the fitment of that Gardner 6LX engine. Either way there is a substantial water feed pipe running up the inside of the central windscreen pillar, so very little need for cab heating as built!

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by chason » 09:07 Thursday 20th April 2017

Excellent photos as always and bags of nostalgia.

The Lodekka heating system with the large air intakes was actually Cave-Brown-Cave. I often wondered what it meant until I came across the then manager of the Abbey Hotel in Malvern who was Mr Cave-Brown-Cave, the only triple barrelled name I think I have ever heard of.

DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by DD12 » 19:21 Thursday 20th April 2017

Thanks for the interesting extra info Tim.
I had it my memory that Barton used their DDs on some long-distance services - I assume that JNN is a lowbridge decker (?) - so, "imagine" what it must have been like sitting upstairs four-abreast with the hordes going on holiday to the coast !

I think I first saw references to Cave-Brown-Cave, in bus magazines or books in the late '60s, and now after all these years, thanks to CHASON, I now know - for the first time that there are triple-barrelled-names !!!
- I just googled those last three words - and near the top of the webpage is the name Cave-Browne-Cave !
(One lives and learns !) :)

MattW
Posts: 979
Joined: 20:42 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Cornwall

Re: Transport Museum 17 April 2017 part three

Post by MattW » 21:07 Thursday 20th April 2017

Also finally managed to bag myself the Corgi D9 with the '144 - The Malverns' destination from one of the traders. One of every model bus ever made was seemingly present somewhere!

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