You wait ages for a bus...

[gpo706]

and 200 come at once...

http://www.busweb.co.uk/Svbm/Home.htm

I had a most enjoyable day here today, its about 45m North of Ediinburgh, although the bus I got to Dunfermline was stuck in traffic at 1 foot per minute before we even got onto the Forth road bridge to Fife, and it has been really glorious sunshine all day and I was at a window seat with the sun beating through the windows, with no ventilators for 45m, it was like a microwave.

And here's a picture of my "baby", I used to drive this machine round the garage when I was 13, its had a total strip down to nut and bolt and chassis/body rebuild, so its like as new now, I'm glad it went to such considerate owners, who did such an amazing restoration.

[KeithB]

She's a BEAUTY!!

[Dennis Markham]

Beautiful bus!  I'll bet Briny would like to get his hands on that one.

[bingster]

and it has been really glorious sunshine all day...

Are you sure you were in Scotland?

That's a seriously beautiful bus.  I'm not sure why double-decker busses didn't take off over here.  They had them in New York City in the 1920s and '30s, but I don't know if they were found in other places or not. 

[McHeath]

That is a lovely bus.  I too wonder why double deck busses never went anywhere here in the US.  We do have the super long jobs now with the articulated section in the middle, San Francisco has them.  Here in my hometown, about 60k people, we have free bus service, yes free.  And not only free but door to door, you call them and they come to your house or whatever and take you directly where you want to go.  They use what we used to call short busses, but it's a pretty cool service.  No idea where the money comes from for it but I'm guessing it's taxes. 

[gpo706]

and it has been really glorious sunshine all day...

Are you sure you were in Scotland?

That's a seriously beautiful bus.  I'm not sure why double-decker busses didn't take off over here.  They had them in New York City in the 1920s and '30s, but I don't know if they were found in other places or not.  

Yep in Scotland on bus stuck in a jam - cooking, must have been 28-ish.

I'm off for 9 days so hoping for the same.

"Seriously beautiful" well to me yes, there were 300 of these from 1954 to 1957, to replace the tram network which was abandoned from 1952 to 1956, the Edinburgh Corporation livery suits them.

Others disagreed, one Edinburgh Baillie (councillor) called them "Monsterous masses of shivering tin.." which was a fair comment as they had a lightweight body without such luxeries as Edinburgh passengers had been accustomed to such as ventilators, heaters, interior lining panels, leather upholstery etc, they were pretty thoroughly overhauled by Corporation during their lifetimes.

But the 1954 batch only started being withdrawn in 1970 and the last went in 1975, like 798, which then became a training bus where she lasted till 1982 hence my "birls" round the garage on her.

Heres the sumptuous machine that took me back to Dunfermline on the free shuttle bus from the museum, luxury vehicle - better seats than the bus I got back to Edinburgh.

http://www.busweb.co.uk/svbm/BMS222.htm

[AE_Collector]

Now we need a picture of the Forth Road Bridge in this thread. Now there is some art deco work! Or am I thinking of the train bridge? Haven't been there for waaay too long.

Terry

[gpo706]

The "Forth Bridge" (It's always the singular as it was the first Forth bridge) was 1883 to 1890, its an absolutely stupendous piece of engineering and its now constantly under repair, even today it was swathed in what looked like white bandages over 2 cantilevers.

The story goes that you would have a job for life as a painter on it, as when you finish one end you have start from the beginning, hence the local phrase for an impossible or never ending task - "Its like painting the Forth bridge"!

The "Forth road bridge" was completed in 1964 and is now knackered, and going to be turned into a couple of bus lanes.

The 3rd Forth (road) bridge is yet to be built, but plans are underway.

Not really any art deco here then!

The bridges span the Firth of Forth (not fourth as in 4) but it must be confusing for visitors, well I was as a kid as well.

Now if they build a fourth Forth bridge...

[Greg G.]

Beautiful bus!  I'll bet Briny would like to get his hands on that one.

To ride in, but not to drive.  I bet it's a stick with manual steering, not to mention top-heavy.  Bus drivers in the early days were all beefy males because it took a lot of muscle on the wheel to make a turn.  Most I'd really want to do is take it (empty) around the parking lot, but not in traffic with passengers.

[gpo706]

It was manual steering, took about maybe a turn and a half for full lock, and remember the weight of engine is sitting on top of your steering rack, as well as warming your left leg.

Manual 4 speed synchromesh box, gear lever about a foot and half long for "easy" travel, - if you got the revs right you could snatch change the gears without the clutch and vacuum brakes all adds to the fun.

The steering wheel has 4 spokes at right angles to assit you in pulling it round.

Nowadays buses are easier to drive than a manual car.

Best machine I've ever had a go on!

[Kenny C]

we gots us a traverse(sorry that was the red neck in me) 

[Greg G.]

I'm not sure why double-decker busses didn't take off over here.  They had them in New York City in the 1920s and '30s, but I don't know if they were found in other places or not.  

I don't know about other areas, but security in the top section would be a nightmare in Seattle.  Another transit agency in the county just north of us has double-decker busses, but I've only seen one once.  I don't think they use them on the routes that go to Seattle, and for good reason.  That transit line, Community Transit, has had some serious budget problems recently, so I'm not even sure if they went through with the order to get them.  According to the link, Las Vegas is the only other place in the US that uses double-deckers.

http://www.commtrans.org/Projects/DoubleTall.cfm

[AE_Collector]

Briny: Take the ferry to Victoria BC Canada and you will see some double decker busses raoming the streets. More of a novelty there too though, for the tourists.

[gpo706]

The manufacturer - Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) - is Great Britain's leading manufacturer of double decker buses. In fact, there are more than 4,000 ADL double deckers in service in Hong Kong. When Community Transit decided to acquire a double decker, we went with the industry leader.

Thats an Alexander bodied Dennis Trident, Alexander are based at Falkirk - another local concern.

[Dan/Panther]

Wouldn't one of those make a great motorhome.
Downstairs, living room, bathroom, and kitchen, upstairs 2 bedrooms with bath.
D/P