Modern buses

Holy crap that is one big coach, with a bit of digging about I believe it is 56' long !!!!

A lot of bus use is in freeway or divided highway conditions. However, not all of the bus stations are out of town, on the freeway. Many are in town, and the towns are like Spanish colonial ones: grid layout, narrow streets, now run as one way and there is a lot of going around a block to position. I would be surprised if the twinsteer could cope; perhaps restricted use?

Today's photo shows a typical older bus terminal. It served the major city Campo Grande, and has been superseded by a much larger one, which is where our passengers alighted/boarded. This older one had this company's garage behind it, so the bus was fuelled and watered, and probably the crew changedm while we had breakfast at the lanchanette.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140831Su Campo Grande (Brazil). Andorinha bus (make not noted). R Smith.

This is from my regular contributor, Jeff Bounds. I am not sure if it is the same operator which had a depot at Flemington Bridge, and threatened to pull out of Melbourne when Melbourne City Council banned its open-top buses. Most/all of that fleet came secondhand from Hong Kong.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
140707M Dohertys Rd, Laverton (Vic.). Sightseeing bus. J Bounds.

Because of there being no boat for a few days, I had to return to Campinas (near Sao Paulo) from Santarem instead of Belem. This was about 50 h, in two stages. The first was on a considerably worse road than my northbound to Porto Velho: good gravel, Nullarbor length, but not as ruggedly adventurous. However, when the road ahead was blocked, and we were in a stop-start crawl, the driver diverted via farm-access roads and lanes for over 30 min. This is the supper stop that night, at a roadhouse more minor than other so far, but still with an adequate range of hot snacks and cold beer.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140909Tu. Supper stop, Ouro E Prata (means Gold & Silver) bus company. R Smith.

What part of the world are you in Roderick???? Sounds like South America?

I'm in Victoria, Australia. I have met many HCVC members and vehicles at rallies. The Brazil series came from a 5 week holiday earlier in the year. I've also put up the Cuba 2010 series; earlier trips to central & South America predated going digital: they are unscanned slides and prints.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Picton (NSW): Thirlmere bus. Wed.17.9.14. (Jeff Bounds) From Australian Bus Fleet Lists:
Picton Buslines 5 7017MO Mercedes-Benz O500LE Bustech "VST" 11/11 B55FW

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140917W City Rd Jn (Sydney, NSW). Articulated Volvo B12BLEA. J Bounds.

Hi Roderick
Here is one for you
Good for getting the kids to school on time

Ian

I loved the dragster bus.
Here is another from Jeff Bounds. Yet again, the operator names have been rebranded as a pretence that services have been improved.

Broadmeadow Rd (Newcastle, NSW). Former Waratah line, Volvo 2395ST, Sunnyside Hotel. (Jeff Bounds)
From Australian Bus Fleet Lists:
2395 ST Volvo B7RLE Volgren "CR228L" VT0235 1/12 B43DW Transport NSW Newcastle

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor