Modern buses

I have a few in a Modern Truck thread, but they are swamped, so I'll start a different thread with this photo, and eventually copy the other ones across. This one shows a variety of types and operators. I have done portrait crops for the yahoo group busphotosaustralia.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

010503Th Warrnambool Cup (Vic.). Shuttle-bus park at the racecourse. (A Brownell, Roderick Smith collection).

I rode this one on Saturday, exploring the remains of a railway branchline (closed 60 years ago), to mark the centenary of its opening.
From Australian Bus Fleet Lists: 0889AO Volvo B10MSE Volgren 6.1997 C49F.
I have a few older vehicles photographed, to be posted progressively in other threads. One farm was full of discarded Internationals, but I didn't get a photo.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140531Sa Ben Nevis - Navarre (Vic.). Endeavour Volvo/Volgren. R Smith

I like to rotate around different threads, and can't keep pace with a vintage truck per day.

This one is from a former contributor and RNV assistant; I inherited her transport collection.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

0405xx Box Hill (Melbourne, Vic.). Driver Volgren CR221L with its ramp for easy access extended. (Annabel Brownell, Roderick Smith collection).
This bus has since been sold to CDC Eastrans.

This is from my prolific contributor Jeff Bounds. I have been unable to track any history. It must have been at Tumut or Gundagai, but it now has Victorian registration. I guess that it may end up converted to a campervan.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140526M Elsternwick (Melbourne, Vic.). Ford bus ex Gundagai. J Bounds.

Rod

the Ford bus brings back memories.

Whle I think the one I knew of may have beena slightly earlier model - but still a D400 chassis.

It was the local school bus - and only bus in the country town.

Anyway - the school hired it to take a mob of kids on a camp to the Carnarvan Gorge (Springsure area in QLD).

When the time came - the driver turmed up with a recently broken left arm (in a cast). The last 50 odd klm into the Gorge was pretty rough going - lots of hills and creek crossings etc. AAll amounting to lot of gear changes.

It soon became obvious (to me anyway) - that the driver wasin pain due to having to use his broken left arm. So - I positoned myself on the engine cover beside the gear stick - and took over the gear changing job for the rest of the trip. We worked well together - even had no trouble on the changes back to the non syncro 1st gear in many places. All nice clean changes even I say so myself.

Oldfulla

St Kilda Rd at Commercial Rd (Melbourne, Vic.). Bus replacing route 72 trams during track work. Sun.21.10.01. (Jeff Bounds)
I think that I can read 'Leyland' across the front, but what model? What operator?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

It was a Centurion-bodied Leyland Tiger, part of the Mt Dandy fleet, taken over by Ventura, and now withdrawn.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Why are some many modern buses catching fire? Read about another one up in Queensland or somewhere the other day.

Gas powered engines. We have had a few catch fire in WA. I believe that the problem has been fixed with different designs.

TDU

Same reason so many trucks catch fire! Extra heat generated via engine and insulation on body and electrical not up to the requirements. Saw a Irizar yesterday in Skinny Dog red that had an electrical fire, which may have also been the result of the one on the Sunnshine Coast during the week.

Brakes overheating as well and drivers, who also may not have a lot of experience after they have been recruited from a retail environment or unrelated work to "drive our bus"

Fast becoming the time when Fire detection and also suppression will become a standard build feature in buses. In Brisbane they have fitted up suppresion to a lot of the early gas buses and are moving into later models now, it is just the cost of fitment- but if it stops a fire which destroys a $400K bus and all its passengers, it is worth every cent!

Gas engines from my experience havn't really had any increase in fire "worthiness"
Mainly fires still appear to be contributed to a lack of engine cleanliness and maintenance generally.
The gas will come out at a controlled or slow rate, and if it did come out in a big rush, as in a rupture of a cylinder, it would just blow out the flame, as the gas needs to be around 15% of the air volume to catch alight.

The biggest danger is the bottle as it can turn into an unguided missile