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Post by swfcforever on Jul 3, 2010 14:04:19 GMT
How come SYPTE ended up 1 Leyland Atlantean/Van Hool McArdle-NAK431R, when the others were the Volvos, has in another thread. From what I seem to remember there was some problems?? Pic here:- thebusgalleryarchive.fotopic.net/p36495112.html |
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Post by captainsharpe1 on Jul 3, 2010 14:48:45 GMT
It got dropped at the Docks-so SYPTE shoved an AN68 chassis under the body. Very much un-loved.
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transit
Traffic Manager
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Post by transit on Jul 3, 2010 15:03:23 GMT
...sorry capt ! - think you'll find it was 430 - the Ailsa that ended up being the "Showbus "- which got dropped at the docks ! I know cos we had inaugural tour on it when it eventually arrived - after most of the others had already entered service !! 430 was repaired and became a MK2 , but all the others were Mk1's, although you could'nt tell the difference , so must have been chassis/ mechanical diffence. 431 , the Atlantean , was exhibited at the Motor Show in '77 before being delivered . On a side note , it was wierd riding on 431 , without the massive engine cover up front , and no legendary Ailsa "whistle" ! Notice also , no drivers door on the o/s. Another one which escaped preservation  |
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Post by captainsharpe1 on Jul 3, 2010 15:05:14 GMT
Thats the one! cheers Transit!.
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Post by maltabus on Jul 4, 2010 1:05:22 GMT
Rumor was that an Independant wanted to purchase it after it was withdrawn, but it ended up being scrapped :-(
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Post by gareth388 on Jul 5, 2010 0:49:49 GMT
and courtesy of transit, here is 431, damn shame this wasnt preserved!  I understand that the bus ran its last days out in Doncaster from Dunscoft depot, before being scrapped at less than 10 years old, due to it being 'non standard'. I would imagine that it would have probably been rusty as well though! Compare 431 to the 'standard' angular body work on this Irish example. Here is the link - dublinbusstuff.com/Route62.html |
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Post by gareth388 on Jul 5, 2010 1:05:10 GMT
Rumor was that an Independant wanted to purchase it after it was withdrawn, but it ended up being scrapped :-( Yes, you are correct. I was told that a Doncaster area independent wanted to buy it, and return it to bus specification - that would have been quite a project! - but something that they would have happily carried out. There was also an attempt to preserve it but this did not happen either of course, and it ended its life at PVS. Here is is - gareth.fotopic.net/p50079038.htmlI never had the chance to ride on 430. A 3 speed Voith with the Hamworthy axle grinding away - very different. |
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andyrad
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Post by andyrad on Jul 5, 2010 7:45:46 GMT
why did the exhaust go up through the body and through the roof on 430 when it was the showbus by the way? was it so the engine could be kept running at shows to provide power?
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Post by jamieh on Jul 5, 2010 10:54:33 GMT
Going back to 431 (the Atlantean), I've heard a couple of thoughts from a relative who worked for the PTE about how / why it probably came about. Not sure if either is the actual reason, but they seem to make sense.
One was that SYPTE wanted to find an alternative bodybuilder which could deliver faster (and maybe cheaper) than Alexander (hence the reason for the odd choice of bodywork on the Ailsas in the first place). So it made sense to have an AN68 bodied by VanHool McArdle to see how it turned out.
The other was that VanHool McArdle was building a batch of bodies for SYPTE and "A1 Service" at the same time. It had, in effect, a spare body so SYPTE got them to fit it to an Atlantean rather than order another Ailsa.
As I said, it may be that neither of these is the true reason, but they seem feasible.
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Post by jamieh on Jul 5, 2010 11:04:55 GMT
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Post by busman3 on Jul 5, 2010 13:49:21 GMT
The A1's ailsa's were added to the end of the pte batch as that was the cheapest way to do them , think 431 was just a way of van hool exhibiting something at the motor show in the hope they could get more orders .
Remember that at the time the van hools were only bought because you doucldnt get buses bodied due to the number of vehicles been bought there were bus chassis stood in fields all over the place a number of fleetline chassis were kept in a depot at Rotherham.
Part of the problem was that the pte had announced that no bus would be kept after it was 12 years old , then realised that it couldnt get replacements. So in order to get buses they agreed to van hool bodying them , technically the contract was in breatch of its own rules as they were foreign ie souther irelend .
Just as an aside when 430 was new it used on a SOES tour to operators in lancashire we couldnt of course resist the tempation to put it out side the leyland works, at which point the security man came out and said he was pleased to see it back as he was on when it left the factory !
Bit odd as
only chasis's leave the factory.
It was a volvo !
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Post by gareth388 on Jul 5, 2010 16:30:21 GMT
why did the exhaust go up through the body and through the roof on 430 when it was the showbus by the way? was it so the engine could be kept running at shows to provide power? Yes, that is correct Andy. |
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Post by jamieh on Jul 5, 2010 17:55:42 GMT
Remember that at the time the van hools were only bought because you doucldnt get buses bodied due to the number of vehicles been bought there were bus chassis stood in fields all over the place a number of fleetline chassis were kept in a depot at Rotherham. Yes, it's odd looking back at how hard it was to get hold of new buses in those days. Some of the new buses entering PTE service in 1978 had been ordered by Sheffield Transport. |
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Post by maltabus on Jul 5, 2010 21:37:25 GMT
and courtesy of transit, here is 431, damn shame this wasnt preserved! I understand that the bus ran its last days out in Doncaster from Dunscoft depot, before being scrapped at less than 10 years old, due to it being 'non standard'. I would imagine that it would have probably been rusty as well though! Compare 431 to the 'standard' angular body work on this Irish example. Here is the link - dublinbusstuff.com/Route62.htmlNo it was at Leicester Avenue it ran out its last days -- IIRC its last day was spent on 179 Wheatley Hills |
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