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The Great Bus Shortage c1980?


GrinderBloke

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Does anyone recall the winter when Sheffield bus garages has so many vehicles off the road that SYPTE had to hire in old vehicles from other operators... Leicester City, Burnley & Pendle, Tyne & Wear PTE etc. I think it was about 1980.

Interesting time for bus enthusiasts.

Anyone have any pictures?

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We had a similar problem in County Durham at about the same time, but for a different reason.

The main United depot in the City centre burnt down with the loss of quite a few vehicles.

I was only little at the time and may be wrong on this but seem to remember some tale about a heater, used to stop the diesel sludging up, falling over and catching fire.

United, being part of the NBC empire simply borrowed vehicles from other NBC companies and we ended up with National's and stuff from all over the country. The main thing I remember about was having a all consuming urge to ride on one of these weird "green" National's.

Then it happened.

Waiting with my Mam to get the bus to Peterlee, I saw this green beauty come down the road. Then I was utterly crushed when I realized that the Green "Ribble" buses where the same as the proper red ones of United.

I, in my child like mind thought they would be different inside somehow and was gutted when they weren't.

I have looked on the net tons of times but never found any mention of the depot fire but I did read somewhere that United only borrowed a few vehicles but I seem to think that there where tons of them about.

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Guest plain talker

In about 79/ 80 I remember buses in the gaudy, orange, greater manchester transport livery being used on at least the number 51 (to herdings, as was) route. (i lived near hurlfield school at the time, and used that bus route to get home from school)

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Guest bus man

Remeber there was also a "hire in session " in the early 70s when leyland had a parts problem and as STD had a lot of them there were problems this saw Edinboro PDs , Huddersfield CVG's , Chesterfield PDS and doncaster buses working in sheffield .

The 1980's one was very good for enthusiasts especially saturday morning when you had to work out what had arrived as buses went out from central works on Friday night so it was a case of looking to see what was were

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Found this on YouTube...

Some shots of said buses....Leicester,Derby,Greater Manchester,Tyne & Wear,Nottingham,NBC United ,plus a few Dommies,Van Hools and the old MAN and Leyland bendy buses! lol

Sheffield Buses in the Early 80's

I remember when the new Van Hools arrived at East Bank i was one of the first to drive them luckily we still had some Conductors then due to the driver being to far away from the passenger entrance to be able to use on the one man services.

The suspension was so soft they used to say you could stike a match on the pavement when cornering.

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I remember when the new Van Hools arrived at East Bank i was one of the first to drive them luckily we still had some Conductors then due to the driver being to far away from the passenger entrance to be able to use on the one man services.

The suspension was so soft they used to say you could stike a match on the pavement when cornering.

Didn't they also have gear change problem in the early days? They had Voith gearboxes and they changed gear in a random fashion.

Seemed like good vehicles once the bugs got sorted.

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Guest bus man

They also had brake problems.

We were due to do a tour on one but all had been withdrawn (there were only 3 in service at time) as one had gone through a red traffic light with the police near by.

They were not the most success full bus every used in SY

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Guest transit

Can remember when these buses first appeared and thought how modern and futuristic they looked , and still seem so today 30+ years on! I remember when the first one was delivered , and visited the SYPTE Head Office on Exchange St (below Castle Market) and all the management staff etc came out to admire the bus. What i liked about them was the "whistling "engine ! Being as they were front engined, the driver had to get in through his own door on the offside ,although some younger /fitter drivers sometimes clamboured over the engine cover! (One bus was ,431, was actually a rear engined Atlantean bodied by Van Hool ,and although looked the same as an Ailsa ,it did not have the big rectangular grille below the windscreen. This bus also appeared on display at the 76/77 Motor Show.) To see South Yorkshire 388 , LWB 388P being driven - go on youtube , print in Ailsa bus ,on the videos and scroll down till you find it. The actual bus featured (388) is currently undergoing major restoration at Greasbrough museum as we speak.

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Guest coolmo

Yes i remember when we had a whole bunch of new buses, i didnt have a clue there was a shortage until reading this link as i was only young ;-)

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Guest plain talker

I remember the volvo-van hools in about 1976/77, and the single seats on the upper deck on the drivers' side.

I remember them being used on the 26-Beauchief route, as they weren't much "cop" when confronted with hills like ours in Sheffield, (Beauchief was about the most level route, I believe)

I STR that the vanhool buses were fielded out to Doncaster, which was apparently much flatter than Sheffield, and did not have such an adverse effect on the engines/ gearboxes.

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Guest bus man

Mmmmm thought the hill climbing capabilities of the Ailsa's were not in doubt suspect the trade unions would have had something to say if it was bad as the EB/GR ones worked some hilly routes 52/75/75/95/265 indeed the only really flat routes they worked were 69 & 24.

Think the reason they were sent to dony was staff costs: the doncaster trade union agreed that they could be used on OMO routes where in sheffield they were confined to conductor routes only , it was only in the very final months of operation that they were used OPO - as it then was - in sheffield.

The untion oposition to use on OPO was the fact that the driver had to get out of the bus and walk round if he or she needed access to the inside of the , the union could not of course condone the normal practice of climbing over the engine .

While on the subject of Doncaster I was once on one one chilly evening when I came downstairs and asked the driver to put the heaters on the conductore (It was on a conductor route ) sugested I came downstairs and sat at the back where the engine was. He looked a bit surprised when I asked him what the big black thing was he was sitting on was.

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Guest transit

Used to catch the Ailsa"s on the "hilly" 71 route up through Norfolk Park from school. The whistling engines sounded great up Park Grange rd when fully laden! I always sat upstairs front looking at the view through the "MASSIVE" screen , but would have thought twice on the return downhill if i had known the braking system was suspect! <_< (the upper seating at the front was -double seat over the drivers side immediately infront of the staircase well,and unusual 3 single seats at passenger side)

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Guest gareth388

Yes, I have to agree with 'busman' about the performance of the Vanhools. Having driven a number of examples, the only negative thing i would say is that they can be a little slow at pulling away, due to the small capacity(6.7litres) engine. When the turbo wakes up, and the enginge is revving well, the performance can be astonishingly quick!

I remember driving one out of Chapeltown, up Station Road, and with the bus still in top gear it was happily climbing the rather steep hill, and still accelerating, not even needing to change down a gear.

The crews in the SYPTE days often refered to them as 'Flying Volvos'.

The only one of the surviving vanhools currently on the road - (PSJ825R) - has lively performance but it has to be wound up a bit , but the one currently under restoration SYPTE 388(LWB388P), is outstanding!

The 388 Group(who own it) have a website thats currently still under construction in parts. Have a look - www.the388group.webeden.co.uk.

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Guest wayney g

was fitter for sypte from 1976 to mid to late 80's any more of tou out there ?

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Guest wayney g

I remember when the new Van Hools arrived at East Bank i was one of the first to drive them luckily we still had some Conductors then due to the driver being to far away from the passenger entrance to be able to use on the one man services.

The suspension was so soft they used to say you could stike a match on the pavement when cornering.

soft suspension ! handled like adream with no passengers believe me us mechanics pushed them to their limits on rd tests ! almnost bullet proof engines not like RReagles as in MCW etc !!!!

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Guest gareth388

he he Have to agree with that last comment. The Vanhools really were, and still are superb machines, particularly in semi automatic guise. Handle great, super performance, and if you like it, all the right sound effects to go with it!

I've added a picture of an East Bank Ailsa, on High Street, Sheffield.

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Guest wayney g

he he Have to agree with that last comment. The Vanhools really were, and still are superb machines, particularly in semi automatic guise. Handle great, super performance, and if you like it, all the right sound effects to go with it!

I've added a picture of an East Bank Ailsa, on High Street, Sheffield.

Is that realy high street ? im not a bus "buff" but worked on them from leaving school !! Know em all from 76 to mid80's ! during my time did a stint at every garage in sheff ! finished at herries rd ( THANKS A BUNCH MAGGIE )

From there went to chesterfield (all downhill from there ) andrews, sheffield omnibus back to andrews etc etc left trade & got into hydraulics & eventualy left england doin ok at mo but miss home (sort of ) !!!!!!!!

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Guest transit

Is that realy high street ? im not a bus "buff" but worked on them from leaving school !! Know em all from 76 to mid80's ! during my time did a stint at every garage in sheff ! finished at herries rd ( THANKS A BUNCH MAGGIE )

From there went to chesterfield (all downhill from there ) andrews, sheffield omnibus back to andrews etc etc left trade & got into hydraulics & eventualy left england doin ok at mo but miss home (sort of ) !!!!!!!!

Hi Wayne - try this site , http://www.m3group.fotopic.net/ , showing the superb restoration of the towing vehicles ,amongst others, which i am sure you may have worked with around South Yorks , enjoy! :rolleyes:

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Guest bus man

In answer to your question :

Yes it is high st the pub is in the background if you were to put a bus there now supertram would have a heart attack

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Guest wayney g

Hi Wayne - try this site , http://www.m3group.fotopic.net/ , showing the superb restoration of the towing vehicles ,amongst others, which i am sure you may have worked with around South Yorks , enjoy! :rolleyes:

Thanks i will have a gander at that site !!! Packed missus of to Jersey till tommorow so got pc to myself !!!!! HAPPY DAYS ! lol

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