Bus driving! Unique survivor! SHMD Bristol RE with Northern Counties bodywork YLG 717F
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- Опубликовано: 9 июн 2024
- My first drive in a Bristol RE, with a horizontal Gardner 6HLX engine, semi-automatic transmission and a fascinating history! It is the only remaining Bristol RESL with Northern Counties bodywork, and it only just escaped the scrap man!
Huge thanks to owner David for the opportunity. The bus can sometimes be seen at Hooton Park Hangers open days - hootonparkhangars.co.uk
HubNut Merch Store at: hubnut.org
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HUGE respect to David for saving this bus!
I could spend hours listening to David talk about busses,his enthusiasm and knowledge are incredible. Bravo!
I love watching enthusiasts talking about their passions! Terrific bus, and lovely video.
Lovely that Ian,,,, and many thanks to David for preserving this only one Northern Counties RE left !
When you look at older buses, they had a lot of advanced technology, even though they look quite basic.
They're also quite mechanically basic, the engines are quite simple. They're large capacity engines with bags of low down grunt, which means they can last forever. Modern buses have gone the same way as cars, using smaller capacity engines with high outputs, and they really don't last as well. For example, a Wright's Streetlite powered by a euro 6 Mercedes engine will be lucky to do 250,000 miles before they throw a con rod. 250k sounds a lot but in bus terms it really isn't.
buses running today look so much safer...
they have more character and style too
The door opener integrated with the gearshift is a great idea. Here in Sydney around 30 years ago a woman was dragged to her death after her leg became stuck in the door of a departing bus. The solution was to cut the corners off all the doors and cover the opening with rubber flaps.
@@samholdsworth420 The don't, they are mostly plastic.
What a very interesting and knowledgeable man! Ian, you are a good interviewer because you allowed him to speak. Well driven!
Great bus and David is an absolute legend. Fantastic dedication to the cause!
Nice to see David and his bus, a gentleman i met a few years ago at Blackburn bus garage were he was a driver for Blackburn and Darwen council, lovely RE and well done David for keeping it that way, cheers Andy the bus electrician
Nice to hear from you Andy. I hope the Anglia's still going well?
This is a fabulous video. Lovely to hear people talk about their subject so passionately. Could listen to this man talk for a long time 😊😊😊😊😊
I could listen to enthusiasts like him all day, something different but more of thease would be great ❤
More buses to come...
More David! He’s done a great job of the Bristol😊
Got engrossed in David's chat there. We had a bus at our scout group (in Stockport) but it was more like a coach than this Bristol, the engine blew up on a motorway coming back from North Wales so probably went to the scrap heap in the sky long before this was salvaged !!
The notice above the driver...To Seat/Standing is standard Greater Manchester Transport lettering.
Upstairs it usually said Fleas Don't Smoke. ;)
And then there was Please Mind Your Head / Fleas in Your Head.
What a lovely bus and a superb restoration of this 1960s classic.
This has a 1970s Crosville look about it.
Happy memories.😊
"Ting, Ting, Fares Please" !
What a lovely video and THE 1967 BRISOL RE. I'm sure you enjoyed that Ian as we did. And by the way, You Ian are an excellent driver, well done 👍 🏁.
More Like This would be great ! *
The gearbox was a product of a Leyland Motors subsidiary called Self Changing Gears of Coventry and first appeared fitted to the Mk 1 Leyland Atlantean in the very early 60s. It soon became a common fitment to vehicles of all types throughout the bus industry.
Not quite correct. This gearbox was built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles themselves, under licence from Self Changing Gears. SCG was founded by Walter Gordon Wilson, co-designer of the first tanks in the Great War. He conceived the epicyclic gearbox for tank use, though it never saw use in a tank until long after the war. His preselector gearbox only saw success in buses when Daimler obtained the rights to manufacture it, and mated it to the Vulkan-Sinclair coupling, which they christened the "fluid flywheel", later licensing AEC to use the combination. Leyland were twenty-five years behind in adopting the SCG gearbox when they developed their own direct-selection version in partnership with SCG, but they did not buy SCG until 1956, after which AEC, Bristol and Daimler all continued to build their own versions of SCG gearboxes under licence.
I remember Bristol REs being a staple of Eastern Counties buses when I was a child. Good to see one again. Also remember six (and eight) cylinder Gardner engines were used in BR shunters - the Gardner 6L was used in the Class 01s at the Holyhead Breakwater.
A great Tony Bastible video on RUclips about correct operation of the band gearbox. Filmed in Bristol I think.
As a bus enthusiast myself, these are probably my favourite videos of yours. Love me an RE!
David tells a fantastic story about his buses. I don’t ride buses regularly these days. Recently I rode on a Routemaster at a railway event in Loughborough, and was impressed by its smoothness. Then two weeks later a did a journey using a total of four modern Enviro buses around Derby. The ride and vibration were terrible! I find it hard to understand how refinement has gone backwards in 60 years of ‘progress’!
It’s so good people save these old things
Once they are gone they are gone forever
Good one Ian 😍😍👍👍🇦🇺
What a jolly thing. The bodywork and ventless windows makes it look a lot like a coach, especially from the rear.
Ulsterbus had a large fleet of REs, in their striking blue/creamy white livery. I used to travel on one regularly as a school bus. The scream from them as they charged downhill on the overrun was both exciting and terrifying in equal measure!
I, too, used to travel to school on an Ulsterbus, in the late 1970s. Sometimes the bus wasn't there, because they were usually set on fire. You'd always see them burning on the side of a road. I can still smell that burning rubber.
@@FrankJCarver yeah that's the way many of them ended up sadly.
As a kid, in the 80's, I was mesmerized by the craft of bus driving. Every time I tried to stand or even better, sit, in a position from where I could have a front row seat view on a driver driving.
Double clutching, button pushing, rev matching, windscreen wipers operating... All of that. It was the ASMR before there was any such thing 😅
Bristol Buses we all love you in your British Racing Green
When we're waiting at the Bus Stop seldom heard and never seen !
Happy memories of catching these all over Bristol in my youth
Thanks Ian.
Buy the way is that a Lodeka in the back of shout about 9.00 in ?.
Great to hear an audible indicator,a lot of modern buses seem to have problems with silent indicators,so if you see a bus that hasn't cancelled their indicator, this could be why.
I was born in Belfast in the late 80s and Bristol REs were still a common sight when I was a kid... (CityBus flogged them until they were done!) Beautiful buses!
I believe that Ulster continued to get REs for some time after the rest of the UK. My understanding was that the RE was made export only in order to promote sales of the Leyland National, but Northern Ireland was exempt from this due to a requirement that buses have locally built bodies. The REs operated in Ulster had bodies made in Belfast by Alexander, but the National, being unit construction did not allow for this option.
Is that a deliberate Jun Tzu quote?
Being a northern Seventies lad, the Leyland National and Atlantean will always be my favourite buses but that is a truly lovely old thing and looks like it was an absolute pleasure to drive. Never understood why the preselector gearbox went out of favour - they're so good to drive. Great video!
Back in the days when driving a bus was hard work, thanks so much Ian!
Even harder coming soon!
Have to admire the dedication of the bus preservation guys.A friend has nine buses!Right double deckers.Nice Transit Flareside,in the background.
Wonderful Ian, the sound of the Gardner with SCG semi auto, fantastic. What history and what a job on the restoration, like with cars, old buses are far more interesting than new
What a lovely vehicle. I drive modern buses and they are soulless and won't be remembered as fondly as these. Thanks Hubnut.
What a top man David is. First class subject knowledge. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to him. Thanks for posting this excellent review of YLG 717F
Loving the wiper action! It reminds me of when I used to drive Leyland Olympians in service on rainy days.. both wipers doing a completely different thing, it amused me on challenging days when I was a bus driver. Thank you for uploading and interesting bus history.
I love old Busses!!!
I love a wee bus review! Beautifully preserved and looks nice in that livery
Wonderful vintage bus I remember these in Bristol and Gloucester in the sixties….
MIDLAND RED! Their turbocharged coaches were awesome!
As I always see the Bristol RE as well the VR and other bus products by Bristol, they are mostly with Eastern Coach Works, or ECW body due to their relationship with each other, but this NC body RESL really unique indeed!
david is a superstar indeed
Having spent the first 10 years of my life in Burnley, I can just about remember the batch of 5 Bristol RE/Northern Counties buses David mentioned that Burnley, Colne & Nelson had. Great video, it really put a smile on my face seeing an old bus on the road, thank you!
Love the colour of the bus. Very green!!
"Tilling Green"!
From my childhood travelling on buses was a great experience, going to school from Bordesley Green to near East Birmingham hospital was an adventure, waiting for the conductor to get back on after he/she had collected the enamelled tea jug to getting behind the driver in his half cab to watch him swing it round the Broadway island (not roundabout because it was oval I was told by a driver once). Then came the Antaleans no longer able to get behind the driver (bloody stairs in the way) so upfront sideways view, icy blasts in the winter, never wanted the bus to stop for passengers loved the gearshift actions better than a Ferrari gate shift, by 11 years old if given the chance I could have driven one as I had studied loads of drivers techniques.
Cheers HubNuts lovely memories
I live in Mossley and I used to live up on Quickedge so that bus will have passed our house many a time back in the day.
What a great video! Very interesting subject, related by a lovely man who obviously eats, sleeps and breaths his hobby - great to see.
What a gem of a bus❤️👍
What are lovely bus and the owner is full of knowledge as well.
Northern Counties were the best body builders.
Loved it Ian. Brought back memories when I was at college & rode on a bus from Chatteris to Wisbech everyday.
Buses dont do a lot for me, but this video has been a fascinating and interesting lesson. i love the technical info dump about gearing ratios!
Drives Really NICE, May it long survive = solid technology 👌 👍
Congratulations to David for restoring this bus so well. It was interesting to hear it's history and of the options/variations which were available on these buses.
If you get a chance to drive a Leyland 0680 powered RE..grab it. What mellifluous growl they make
Really interesting! And a really nicely restored bus. 👏
Although never been a regular bus user these bring back such wonderful nostalgic thoughts. With a 47mph flat out speed these could be the "future" once again.
The rear end looks very similar to the East Lancs body design. The ECW flat screen design were standard fare for my trip to school in Hereford. Abergavenny also had R4865 (GAX 1C). The Marshall bodied examples had already transferred to SWT.
Fantastic. Lovely to see these beautiful vehicles being restored and cared for. The bus is a credit to its owner. ❤
Good to hear a semi auto Gardner 6HLX on this RE. Love the circular interior rear view mirror 👍
Excellent and what a fab bus. Well done to you but especially to David for preserving this. I don't think I ever rode on one of these but there are so many typical cues, such as the ticket bins, coin trays, signs noises (rattles!) and I'm sure smells for you. While we got an interesting side view, I'd have liked to see this over a pit for the underneath. That indicator seemed a very long way from being ergonomic! Thanks for making and sharing. More please!!
You really make that drive look effortless, fair play Ian.
As a bus driver I can truly appreciate the driving experience, love the fact the door opener is integrated into the gearshift pattern, the modern buses have a "doorbrake" which prevents you moving if the door is open but is not failsafe. That looks stupid simple. brilliant!
Never seen the RE with that type of Body, very Northern Counties indeed! Amazing restoration. My home town of Swansea had a few REs, and I remember riding in them, awed by the body flex and bloody noise!
Great video, thanks.
Lovely bus, glad it was saved.
Could listen to David talk all day, than you Ian for allowing David tell the story and technical details
Great to see an RE again! I have fond memories of one of our school buses which was an ex-Ribble RE. Very comfortable and a pleasant change from the Leyland Nationals!
My mate has a Crosville RE stored at Hooton. Great buses and about 3 miles from where I live! It was Pontins Prestatyn not Haven and where the film Holiday on the buses was filmed. Silver Star in Caernarfon had many RE and LH in service not that long ago!
Yep I remember getting on those Silver Star buses. Lol.
Bristol was owned by British Leyland from the 1960s, so it was always planned that the Leyland National would replace it, but Ulsterbus and Belfast Citybus liked it so much (and had a steady turnover of needing replacements) that it was kept going just for them well into the 1970s
Excellent video. My dad's house still has some of those light switches 😊
Lovely driving. Great gear changes 😊
Absolutely fantastic video Ian miss hubnut ❤👍 what a beautiful old bus and on preservation list and absolutely fantasticly engineering brilliant
That man is a gem, knows more about busses than anyone I've seen on RUclips 😊👍🇮🇪
More bus nerdery coming soon!
Lovely old thing .
I love the way the windscreen wipers rub the water in as apposed to wiping it away.
I really enjoyed this video. Loved hearing such a detailed history of the bus. Personally I prefer old private hire coaches rather than the service busses but all such content is welcome. Thanks David Ian. and Carly
Excellent many Thanks for sharing.
Lovely old bus, love the wipers. Two places I recommend for a visit if you are in the North West are Manchester Transport Museum and Bury Transport Museum/East Lancashire Railway
I went to the South Yorkshire Transport Museum in Rotherham, very interesting place, they do regular bus rides too....
Very enjoyable video. Liked.
Well that was another lovely bus trip! As soon as I saw the semi automatic selector i remembered the pause between gear changes. Took me back to trips to school and back watching the drivers changing gear and listening to the engine revs rise and fall. Brought back some nice memories. More buses please!
Brilliant! Just brilliant! What fun to be able to have a drive!
Super! Thanks for the pictures and the bus ride. And thanks for filming, Cameralady!
🍀🤗🍀
I'm not at all into buses but more bus videos please; they're very interesting!
Well driven. These are great buses to drive.
Great stuff, the RE’s were the first bus I was taken on as a wee child in the 70s, the variant we had though had the steep stairs my mother used to hate because they were awkward for getting a push chair on board.
Drove on RE Coach with that box so know the system well.....company engineer would go mad if he saw you pulling away in 2nd gear , but we have all done it .
Great video again Ian. Wait till you get behind the wheel of a Leyland 680 powered RE, they can be like chalk and cheese compared to the Gardner powered versions. I'm about to start an engine swap on mine (the one in the corner of the shed where I keep the Super National, so the Gardner is coming out and a 680 going back in. A lot of work, but will be worth it in the long run.
Nice, I was brought up driving Bristols, Daimler and Leyland Fleetlines, Nationals as well as Volvo Ailsas in the 80,s when I worked in Edinburgh for Eastern Scottish. I remember we had a Bristol VF decker however it was built just before Leyland took over, however it was licenced as a Leyland although it was badged Bristol. Nice change of video Ian..
Wow! I was born in 77 and I swear I remember riding a Southern National one of these buses although I do remember the Leyland Nationals more and they looked really modern compared.
Great vid and boy does that guy know his buses!
Really enjoyed this one 👌
Another brilliant bus test Ian and thanks to David for letting you drive the bus.
had to stop n write this. gees that got me so emotional, hearing the sounds and i went back in time a long long way! if i was in there, i would get sooo emotional, tbh. you're a brave man Ian, driving that bus and keeping your senses together
A brave man drives an Invacar! This is just bigger
Gorgeous! 👍 I always love how well documented bus lives tend to be. From the details still in existence from the corporations that ran them, to the enthusiasts who'd photograph them.
Nice to see one of my favourite buses, drove hundreds of miles in RE's bus & coach versions, loved the engine roar and the nice semi auto gearbox.
I like your bus videos Ian. I hope you’re edging towards an MCW sometime soon! 😊
absolutely brilliant getting it back into this condition. Used to love driving these bristols on the 353/354 service. Just under the cab door there is a flap, in there used to be a brick to rest your left foot on , as the driving position was high.
Love Bristol buses, I remember riding Bristol VRs run by Colchester Borough Transportation & Eastern National as a kid in the mid to late 90s, used to always wait for them rather than the plaxtons.
Also, I spy a rather nice Transit pickup in the background, be nice to get some info on that as well.
Nice, that this bus has been restored. But let us admit, that in technical terms it was far behind other contempory designs like an Ikarus 280.
Watching Public Eye from the 1970's on Talking Pictures TV Ian ....... loads of single decker green painted bus action. Prior to the Sweeney and the Professionals crime drama was much different lol. Following a suspect who is on a bus in an Avenger !
Brilliant video. What a great person David is to put so much time and energy into preserving these important machines.
Well, that was gentle, jolly fun!
My late father in law was a driver for the Lancashire United Transport (L U T ) in Atherton. They had a large fleet of Bristol R E's they were the long body versions with the Gardner 6LXH some of the fleet, which had a slightly different colour scheme. Were dual purpose in that they could be both a bus or a coach and thus had better seating. He thought very highly of the Bristol marque but disliked intensely the Seddon Pennine bus, which at first glance looked like the Bristol. I remember him telling me the steering on the Seddon was awful and the brakes were rubbish.
Driven like a pro, well done Ian. Chesterfield had a similar small fleet of these with Northern Counties bodies but built on Leyland Panther chassis, one is preserved ENU93H.