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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 12, 2022 19:09:16 GMT
Updates
Replacement Bus Hire underwent a routine audit at customer request, to ensure it functions correctly as a bus operator. Pleased to say it passed comfortably so the buses will continue to appear in service.
Fleet
TA23 - the gearbox it had has been binned. Project with a replacement underway, stay tuned for more news on that...
VLA170 - has been reinstated as an active spare. Recommissioning involved refitting of blinds, a maintenance inspection being carried out with defects rectified, tax paid and insurance being livened up. It doesn't have the creature comforts 176 has like charging facilities and cruise control, but still good fun to drive! The boost pressure has also been increased and the foot pedal tweaked so it requires a lot more effort to engage the kickdown. It should perform a lot like the 06 plate WVLs did, only slightly more responsive below 5mph.
VLA176 - out of service while maintenance works are carried out.
All the fleet will be getting 5 or 6 button selectors and wheel markers in the near future.
Next job will be a late shift on Barnes to Feltham via Hounslow tomorrow.
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Post by londonbuschannel on Feb 13, 2022 9:32:29 GMT
Updates Replacement Bus Hire underwent a routine audit at customer request, to ensure it functions correctly as a bus operator. Pleased to say it passed comfortably so the buses will continue to appear in service. Fleet TA23 - the gearbox it had has been binned. Project with a replacement underway, stay tuned for more news on that... VLA170 - has been reinstated as an active spare. Recommissioning involved refitting of blinds, a maintenance inspection being carried out with defects rectified, tax paid and insurance being livened up. It doesn't have the creature comforts 176 has like charging facilities and cruise control, but still good fun to drive! The boost pressure has also been increased and the foot pedal tweaked so it requires a lot more effort to engage the kickdown. It should perform a lot like the 06 plate WVLs did, only slightly more responsive below 5mph. VLA176 - out of service while maintenance works are carried out. All the fleet will be getting 5 or 6 button selectors and wheel markers in the near future. Next job will be a late shift on Barnes to Feltham via Hounslow tomorrow. Any idea of what times you’ll be out on Barnes-Feltham and what bus you will be on?
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Post by M1104 on Feb 13, 2022 16:21:58 GMT
TA23 - the gearbox it had has been binned. Project with a replacement underway, stay tuned for more news on that... Anxiously awaiting
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 13, 2022 18:30:23 GMT
Updates Replacement Bus Hire underwent a routine audit at customer request, to ensure it functions correctly as a bus operator. Pleased to say it passed comfortably so the buses will continue to appear in service. Fleet TA23 - the gearbox it had has been binned. Project with a replacement underway, stay tuned for more news on that... VLA170 - has been reinstated as an active spare. Recommissioning involved refitting of blinds, a maintenance inspection being carried out with defects rectified, tax paid and insurance being livened up. It doesn't have the creature comforts 176 has like charging facilities and cruise control, but still good fun to drive! The boost pressure has also been increased and the foot pedal tweaked so it requires a lot more effort to engage the kickdown. It should perform a lot like the 06 plate WVLs did, only slightly more responsive below 5mph. VLA176 - out of service while maintenance works are carried out. All the fleet will be getting 5 or 6 button selectors and wheel markers in the near future. Next job will be a late shift on Barnes to Feltham via Hounslow tomorrow. Any idea of what times you’ll be out on Barnes-Feltham and what bus you will be on? It’s VLA170 today. 1837 from Feltham to Barnes, 1946 Barnes to Twickenham, 2208 Twickenham to Barnes and 2316 Barnes to Staines.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 13, 2022 19:42:43 GMT
TA23 - the gearbox it had has been binned. Project with a replacement underway, stay tuned for more news on that... Anxiously awaiting So the engine and gearbox TA23 originally came with had a lot of problems so they were removed and replaced by those from TA18. Attention was summoned to the gearbox because the retarder stopped making the trademark sounds when engaging/releasing and suspected there was a wiring issue. However on closer inspection it needed a lot work and has been removed and replaced with the original gearbox which was rebuilt. It’s more well behaved than TA18’s - it doesn’t have the characteristic bang when downshifting, but still some way to go with it. However there is an aspiration to retrofit TA23 with a 5HP500 transmission - rare but not unknown with the Cummins C series engine. May happen, may not, time will tell!
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Post by M1104 on Feb 13, 2022 20:18:29 GMT
Anxiously awaiting So the engine and gearbox TA23 originally came with had a lot of problems so they were removed and replaced by those from TA18. Attention was summoned to the gearbox because the retarder stopped making the trademark sounds when engaging/releasing and suspected there was a wiring issue. However on closer inspection it needed a lot work and has been removed and replaced with the original gearbox which was rebuilt. It’s more well behaved than TA18’s - it doesn’t have the characteristic bang when downshifting, but still some way to go with it. However there is an aspiration to retrofit TA23 with a 5HP500 transmission - rare but not unknown with the Cummins C series engine. May happen, may not, time will tell! I did wonder if the 5HP500 box or similar was going to be an option as i believe some late euro2 Tridents from Stagecoach had them from new.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 13, 2022 20:47:35 GMT
I did wonder if the 5HP500 box or similar was going to be an option as i believe some late euro2 Tridents from Stagecoach had them from new. I think they had the 5HP502 version - characterised by the tuneful 1st gear which is locked by default, where as the HP500 is unlocked by default. Sadly it’s not as simple as finding a transmission out of an AVL/PVL or VA - the same model number has different part number for each engine paired with so it’s a case of finding one out of a Trident! Might be a non-starter but worth a look anyway!
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Post by 6HP502C on Apr 18, 2022 20:33:30 GMT
Some updates New additions to the fleet. LX04 LCC - will be numbered 23065 V311 KGW - will be numbered TA 11 TA23 is being kept warm for some jaunts later this year and PSVAR upgrades are still in scope. VLA170 and VLA176 are the active buses, behaving themselves nicely. 176 was out a couple of weeks ago on Chessington/Leatherhead runs. One of them will be out on rail replacement this Sunday. Hoping to expand operations with a second O licence
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Post by galwhv69 on Apr 19, 2022 12:19:42 GMT
Some updates New additions to the fleet. LX04 LCC - will be numbered 23065 V311 KGW - will be numbered TA 11 TA23 is being kept warm for some jaunts later this year and PSVAR upgrades are still in scope. VLA170 and VLA176 are the active buses, behaving themselves nicely. 176 was out a couple of weeks ago on Chessington/Leatherhead runs. One of them will be out on rail replacement this Sunday. Hoping to expand operations with a second O licence Are TA11 & 23065 permanent additions or loans? Might need to get yourself a yard at this point 😆
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Post by 6HP502C on Apr 30, 2022 18:10:23 GMT
Some updates New additions to the fleet. LX04 LCC - will be numbered 23065 V311 KGW - will be numbered TA 11 TA23 is being kept warm for some jaunts later this year and PSVAR upgrades are still in scope. VLA170 and VLA176 are the active buses, behaving themselves nicely. 176 was out a couple of weeks ago on Chessington/Leatherhead runs. One of them will be out on rail replacement this Sunday. Hoping to expand operations with a second O licence Are TA11 & 23065 permanent additions or loans? Might need to get yourself a yard at this point 😆 23065 is a permanent addition. TA11 is leaving the fleet - surplus to requirements. Fleet news. VLA170 has been withdrawn once again and is stored serviceable. It last ran on Friday. VLA176’s long term low power issue has been fixed and now sounds like a normal B7TL. A part of the boost hose, deep in the bay behind the turbo had a big hole in it. It was replaced and now is a very strong performer. It has also had injectors replaced, improving the smoothness of fuel delivery and had a new turbo and exhaust manifold. However it is VOR while its exhaust is looked at. TA23 will have its first day in revenue earning service tomorrow - but not on rail replacement. 23065 is on the road and operated a free trip from Heathrow Central to Kingston last night. It got around the 111 with no issues. That’s about it for now.
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Post by 6HP502C on May 5, 2022 23:50:27 GMT
Fleet news.
VLA170 is back once again! It has had cruise control activated, boost hose reinstalled and the saloon heaters have been reinstated. It turns out the heater cab switch had been taped up, cable tied and hidden in the murky depths of the wiring loom and the relay removed. It appears this may have been done to make room for something else in the dash.
Its cooling fans are no longer running at full pelt - the radiator was identified as hindering the water flow and a fix now means it’s operating correctly. Should get a few more miles out of the fuel and alternator now.
It is allocated to Clapham Junction to Twickenham on Sunday.
VLA176 is still VOR while its exhaust is worked on.
TA23 had its first day in revenue earning service on Sunday and performed without fault.
23065 was taken out route testing on Monday and encountered no issues. It is fully ticketed and able to work in service.
That’s about it for now.
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Post by capitalomnibus on May 6, 2022 0:50:22 GMT
Fleet news. VLA170 is back once again! It has had cruise control activated, boost hose reinstalled and the saloon heaters have been reinstated. It turns out the heater cab switch had been taped up, cable tied and hidden in the murky depths of the wiring loom and the relay removed. It appears this may have been done to make room for something else in the dash. Its cooling fans are no longer running at full pelt - the radiator was identified as hindering the water flow and a fix now means it’s operating correctly. Should get a few more miles out of the fuel and alternator now. It is allocated to Clapham Junction to Twickenham on Sunday VLA176 is still VOR while its exhaust is worked on. TA23 had its first day in revenue earning service on Sunday and performed without fault. 23065 was taken out route testing on Monday and encountered no issues. It is fully ticketed and able to work in service. That’s about it for now. The saloon heaters were deactivated on many of them on refurb/repaint from around 2006 onwards. This was down to TfL who changed their specs, because of drivers having heaters on in the summer. The problem with this was mainly the upper deck bar type floor radiators. The bus operators then took the sledge hammer to crack a nut approach and in the winter people suffered freezing cold buses and imo was just like riding a bus from the 70's and 80's. The heater switches for the saloon and cab aircon on the VLA/VLW/DLA/DW mk1 were disconnected on many of them or taped up with relays or even the switch itself moved. The B7TL radiators need flushing every now and again, and the lack of doing this and using pure water instead of coolant makes them get blocked up and fans over racing out as the viscous clutch gets screwed.
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Post by 6HP502C on May 6, 2022 7:12:08 GMT
The saloon heaters were deactivated on many of them on refurb/repaint from around 2006 onwards. This was down to TfL who changed their specs, because of drivers having heaters on in the summer. The problem with this was mainly the upper deck bar type floor radiators. The bus operators then took the sledge hammer to crack a nut approach and in the winter people suffered freezing cold buses and imo was just like riding a bus from the 70's and 80's. The heater switches for the saloon and cab aircon on the VLA/VLW/DLA/DW mk1 were disconnected on many of them or taped up with relays or even the switch itself moved. The B7TL radiators need flushing every now and again, and the lack of doing this and using pure water instead of coolant makes them get blocked up and fans over racing out as the viscous clutch gets screwed. Makes sense! At Replacement Bus Hire it is considered important for all of the buses to have working heating when it’s cold outside. Investment has been made in a new boost pump to get the water up to the upper deck too. The upper deck heating is very easily isolated by closing the tap to the coolant pipe that feeds the upper deck saloon circuit. Of course, not a driver’s job to do this. 176’s heating switch was removed - until a replacement is sourced, the saloon heat wiring is hooked up to the air con switch - with the air con being isolated (pump belts not present in either B7!) and the Mk1 fan and window being used for cooling.
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Post by londonbuschannel on May 6, 2022 19:23:31 GMT
Fleet news. VLA170 is back once again! It has had cruise control activated, boost hose reinstalled and the saloon heaters have been reinstated. It turns out the heater cab switch had been taped up, cable tied and hidden in the murky depths of the wiring loom and the relay removed. It appears this may have been done to make room for something else in the dash. Its cooling fans are no longer running at full pelt - the radiator was identified as hindering the water flow and a fix now means it’s operating correctly. Should get a few more miles out of the fuel and alternator now. It is allocated to Clapham Junction to Twickenham on Sunday. VLA176 is still VOR while its exhaust is worked on. TA23 had its first day in revenue earning service on Sunday and performed without fault. 23065 was taken out route testing on Monday and encountered no issues. It is fully ticketed and able to work in service. That’s about it for now. Any clue as to what times VLA170 will be out on CLJ-TWI?
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Post by 6HP502C on May 8, 2022 8:38:49 GMT
Fleet news. VLA170 is back once again! It has had cruise control activated, boost hose reinstalled and the saloon heaters have been reinstated. It turns out the heater cab switch had been taped up, cable tied and hidden in the murky depths of the wiring loom and the relay removed. It appears this may have been done to make room for something else in the dash. Its cooling fans are no longer running at full pelt - the radiator was identified as hindering the water flow and a fix now means it’s operating correctly. Should get a few more miles out of the fuel and alternator now. It is allocated to Clapham Junction to Twickenham on Sunday. VLA176 is still VOR while its exhaust is worked on. TA23 had its first day in revenue earning service on Sunday and performed without fault. 23065 was taken out route testing on Monday and encountered no issues. It is fully ticketed and able to work in service. That’s about it for now. Any clue as to what times VLA170 will be out on CLJ-TWI? 23065 is running instead. Ex Twickenham 1232 1532 1832 2132 Ex Clapham Junction 1036 1336 1636 1936 2236
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