On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:27:27 -0700 (PDT), MIG
 wrote:

>
>Not very accessible single-deckers though.  Effectively a double-
>decker without a bottom deck.

You say that, but some of our less agile passengers preferred them to
the Leyland Nationals which eventually replaced them (and for which I
have a very high regard which I know isn't shared by everyone) because
they could heave themselves into it by pulling themselves up with one
hand on each side rail.  Then could even exit backwards the same way if
necessary. With the much wider Leyland National entrance this was
harder.

As for other types (SM, BL, RP) the less said about them the better -
nobody liked them.



-- 
Bill Hayles
http://www.rossrail.com
md@rossrail.com

An interesting "feature" of the RML was the ability to bottom out the front
suspention when taking a sharpish curve on a down gradient.   A nice "thunk"
could be heard and felt.


--
Cheers

Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:-
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/
Latitude:  48° 25' North
Longitude:  123° 21' West

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:29:32 -0700 (PDT), D7666 
wrote:

>On Jun 28, 8:42 pm, Bill Hayles  wrote:
>
>> the Leyland Nationals which eventually replaced them (and for which I
>> have a very high regard which I know isn't shared by everyone)
>
>
>As an engineer involved with the things, the LNational was possibly
>the best thing we had - but let down by the original 501 engine lack
>of durability. Most of the other reliability issues were down to lack
>of training and a ''but we've always done it this way'' approach on
>the garage floor.

I'm glad you posted that.  In A. N. Othergroup, I find myself defending
my liking for the National against a couple of engineers who dismiss me
saying "you only drove the things; we had to maintain them".

At a meeting of the Dunton Green branch of the TGWU in 1977, we passed a
motion requesting that the company make our garage a 100% Leyland
National one.  This was supported by both traffic and engineering staff.
Our engineers obviously had the knack - once the RF had gone, they were
by far the most reliable buses we had.







-- 
Bill Hayles
http://www.rossrail.com
md@rossrail.com

On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:29:16 -0700 (PDT), MIG
 wrote:


>
>The BLs were characterless things of no intereste whatsoever, but the
>RP(?) ... my mind is a blank but it rings a bell somehow.

AEC Reliance bought for Green Line work, but which spent much of its
time limping around on local duties whilst the RFs and Leyland Nationals
did the Green Line:

http://billnot.com/lcbs/rp.html

-- 
Bill Hayles
http://www.rossrail.com
md@rossrail.com