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Worst ever bus fire ?


Guest transit

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Guest transit

...yesterday (sat jan 30) saw what has been dubbed the "worst ever" bus fire to a locally owned bus , between jnc 2 and 1 , M18. Thankfully no casualties as the bus was returning back from Doncaster after being on loan for the races . The bus was 30566 , an 02 reg Volvo ALX 400 based at Olive Grove (East Bank) depot in Sheffield. - Pic 1 shows the bus sat in Olive Grove the following morning (sun) As you can see it is a total loss.

It just goes to show how quickly these modern , aluminium built buses can "dissolve" and begs the question why bus fires / arson/ electrical faults ect seem to be becoming more regular of late ?

Until yesterday the bus with this unwanted record was 1357 , which caught fire on Mansfield Rd , and was later rebodied to the newer style Park Royal body , and survives in preservation at Sandtoft . Pics 2 , 3.

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Guest bus man

Is it not a case of it been "dubbed " it is factually correct. I can not think of another incident where a double deck bus based at a sheffield depot has sustained damage as bad as yesterday .

There have been single deck buses in sheffield that have had fire damage worst than 1357

I was shocked when I saw it and I knew it was bad , indeeed some reports say it was a single decker

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Guest transit

Is it not a case of it been "dubbed " it is factually correct. I can not think of another incident where a double deck bus based at a sheffield depot has sustained damage as bad as yesterday .

There have been single deck buses in sheffield that have had fire damage worst than 1357

I was shocked when I saw it and I knew it was bad , indeeed some reports say it was a single decker

...yes , i was stuck in the traffic for over an hour on way to Sheff . When i finally passed , there was three fire engines still dousing down which were at the rear of what i thought was a container lorry . It was only when i had passed the front , (yes , i know rubberknecking !) that i could just tell it was a bus as the fibreglass headlight panel was visible with the remnants of Firstbus livery . I could only see part of reg plate showing .02.. but could make out it was a Volvo ALX400 from the front panel.

Although too far gone to be rebuilt/repaired , it will be interesting to see what the replacement will be , as ALX 400 's are no longer built.

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It just goes to show how quickly these modern , aluminium built buses can "dissolve"

Aluminium does not burn easily but being a reactive metal once it starts it really does go.

Further to this, aluminium in contact with corroded less reactive metal (rusty iron / steel for example) can set up a "thermite reaction" which will boost the temperature above the melting point of both metals, - hence the use of this reaction to weld railway track together on site.

When HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentine Exocette missile in the 1982 Falklands conflict much of the damage to the Sheffield was caused by the burning aluminium used on the ships superstructure. Although a steel hull and a lighter aluminium superstructure is good for the ships speed and stability it is certainly a bad thing on a warship in which fires are likely.

As for fires on buses, how do they get started?

It takes a really strong fire just to get the aluminium started, so short of electrical faults they must be deliberate arson!

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Guest transit

Aluminium does not burn easily but being a reactive metal once it starts it really does go.

As for fires on buses, how do they get started?

It takes a really strong fire just to get the aluminium started, so short of electrical faults they must be deliberate arson!

fortunately/unfortunately most bus fires are usually electrically caused rather than arson . Check out this video of similar bus - (NOT 30566)- which was stopped in time ........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lx6ZVfI1JY

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Guest bus man

Just to confirm as far as I am aware arson is not suspected on 30566 (WU02 KVG) neither was it suspected here

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o24/T....=PENTAX1408.jpg

this was an electric fault if you look closley at the front below the cab window you will see a "hot spot" thats where the fire started in an electrical switch - allegadly .

Handsworth June ish 2008

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Guest shielsy

...yesterday (sat jan 30) saw what has been dubbed the "worst ever" bus fire to a locally owned bus , between jnc 2 and 1 , M18. Thankfully no casualties as the bus was returning back from Doncaster after being on loan for the races . The bus was 30566 , an 02 reg Volvo ALX 400 based at Olive Grove (East Bank) depot in Sheffield. - Pic 1 shows the bus sat in Olive Grove the following morning (sun) As you can see it is a total loss.

It just goes to show how quickly these modern , aluminium built buses can "dissolve" and begs the question why bus fires / arson/ electrical faults ect seem to be becoming more regular of late ?

Until yesterday the bus with this unwanted record was 1357 , which caught fire on Mansfield Rd , and was later rebodied to the newer style Park Royal body , and survives in preservation at Sandtoft . Pics 2 , 3.

i got sent out to it on the m18 the fire started at the rear off the engine

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Guest seanybaby

After seeing the photos on the SY Transport Forum, I must say it is very lucky that the vehicle wasn't in service at the time. I guess the fire damage was only worst on 30566, due to it been on the Motorway, with no buildings to shelter the vehicle from the wind etc. Looks a fair old mess!

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I remember seeing the one on Mansfield Road after coming out of the Manor Pictures it was awful and if I remember rightly it was caused by someone taking a can of petrol or parafin on.

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Guest bus man

I remember seeing the one on Mansfield Road after coming out of the Manor Pictures it was awful and if I remember rightly it was caused by someone taking a can of petrol or parafin on.

Yes correct I understsand that no ever claimed there can back !

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Guest littlemalc

One of the problems is that bus panels are not made of pure aluminium, but an alloy, a small percentage of which is magnesium, it is the mag which burns so savagely when it gets to a high enough temperature, and only a specialised foam will put it out.

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Guest transit

One of the problems is that bus panels are not made of pure aluminium, but an alloy, a small percentage of which is magnesium, it is the mag which burns so savagely when it gets to a high enough temperature, and only a specialised foam will put it out.

....another major factor why the bus (30566) was so destroyed was the fairly open surroundings on that stretch of motorway , plus the cross winds which fanned the flames , plus the time/distance taken by the nearest fire engines getting there. In my past 3 years of travelling on the M18 , i have seen many - mostly lorries- totally burnt out on the hard shoulder due to the speed and spread of the flames.

Back to 1357, on Mansfield Rd. This bus was probably part shielded by buildings when it caught fire , and would have probably have gone up as bad as 30566 did , had it not been for the Fire Station at Elm Tree just up the road!

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Guest bus man

Sorry thought this one was so well known it didnt need any info , however, forgot the year but H677 THL was coming back from bakewell on the 2315 ish journey , it was snowing !

When he go to foxhouse the bus was comming up from grindleford and was approaching the main road with the intention of turning right.

The driver was heading towards the give way sign , as this was - allegadly - the rear wheels of the bus got caught in the grass verge , this was of course under the snow so the driver couldnt see it. As a result of the wheels spining the bus caught fire.

You see the result at around 1500 hours in the afternoon , the bus spent a lot of time at olive grove depot in sheffield ( older members read East Bank !) it was cut up as the cost of geting the chassis up to standard was I beleive £25.

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Sorry thought this one was so well known it didnt need any info , however, forgot the year but H677 THL was coming back from bakewell on the 2315 ish journey , it was snowing !

When he go to foxhouse the bus was comming up from grindleford and was approaching the main road with the intention of turning right.

The driver was heading towards the give way sign , as this was - allegadly - the rear wheels of the bus got caught in the grass verge , this was of course under the snow so the driver couldnt see it. As a result of the wheels spining the bus caught fire.

You see the result at around 1500 hours in the afternoon , the bus spent a lot of time at olive grove depot in sheffield ( older members read East Bank !) it was cut up as the cost of geting the chassis up to standard was I beleive £25.

Nearly 30 years away from Sheffield, not all of them interested in the places history; you should have seen me laughing when I read (much after the event) about an airport.

Lesson to us all (especially me) put enough detail on for folks from wherever to be able to make sense of it).

Thanks Bus Man, I wouldn't have thought anything other than an explosion would have caused that in this day and age.

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Guest bus man

Nearly 30 years away from Sheffield, not all of them interested in the places history; you should have seen me laughing when I read (much after the event) about an airport.

Lesson to us all (especially me) put enough detail on for folks from wherever to be able to make sense of it).

Thanks Bus Man, I wouldn't have thought anything other than an explosion would have caused that in this day and age.

It wont happen again !

Perhaps it would have been better to PM me !

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Guest transit

great pic Busman ! - not seen that before ....

....must be the single deck equivalent of carnage to 30566 in post 1 - although that was DOUBLE deck so still holds the title !?

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It wont happen again !

Perhaps it would have been better to PM me !

Apologies if I've offended you; was meant as a general reminder to everyone (especially me, as I said).

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Guest bus man

Apologies if I've offended you; was meant as a general reminder to everyone (especially me, as I said).

You have done I was short of time partly due to replying to emails from the admin at this group .

If it is a general reminder then why is it in a section that most people on this group dont use ?

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Guest sheffbusman

This is former Daimler Fleetline 1108 UDT108L stolen from Midland road, taken for a joyride, then set alight when the idiots got stuck in a field!!! At the time stealing buses was very rare, so this could be the earliest case of arson in the PTE years? Unless you know better Busman?

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Guest bus man

Mmmm not sure in PTE days of course buses were nicked on a regualar basis the deroofed dominator and 245 (fleetline) which was taken under the bridge at the Bridge Inn on London Rd

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This is former Daimler Fleetline 1108 UDT108L stolen from Midland road, taken for a joyride, then set alight when the idiots got stuck in a field!!! At the time stealing buses was very rare, so this could be the earliest case of arson in the PTE years? Unless you know better Busman?

Stealing buses? :unsure:

Not the fastest, most monoeverable or most discrete of getaway vehicles for criminals are they. :huh:

Now stealing a bus while there are still passengers on could be classed as Hijack or kidnapping <_<

"Take this bus to Cuba!" lol

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Guest bus man

This is serious : during PTE days there was a serious problem with buses been stolen usualy from the bus park(s) in town or from leadmill, usualy it was a case of someone wanting a lift home so they borrowed a bus. This is why the "secret" starting switches were fitted so they couldnt be started .

The other problem was that they had such a high turnover of drivers that a fair proportion of the population knew how to drive a bus.

IT still happens today , I bus was stolen in west yorkshire last year and taken on a long journey which caused a lot of damage.

I can never recall a bus been stolen with passangers on , there was a case in north west where someone stole a bus and actually colelcted passangers and fares but that was some time ago.

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