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Post by harlesden on Nov 20, 2010 18:35:49 GMT
I'd love a ride on one - hopefully a rear platform model that I rode on as a kid. Most Bridgemasters in Google Images seem to be front entrance.  |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 20, 2010 19:23:06 GMT
I don't know of any Bridgemasters surviving but two or three of the similar 'Renown' model survive.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2010 9:15:54 GMT
"Bridgemaster"? I'm a tad puzzled, being too young for rear-entry buses; does it refer to a reduced-height bus, aka "lowbridge" DD bus?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2010 9:21:50 GMT
It was a model of AEC bus that was a low height model. Believe it or not AEC was also producing the Routemaster at the same time - you can see how ahead of its time the RM was.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2010 9:31:09 GMT
Thanks, Rob, for clearing that up.
ISTR reading that low-height buses had issues... like a slightly mucked-up seating layout and stuff...
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 21, 2010 10:06:59 GMT
Thanks, Rob, for clearing that up. ISTR reading that low-height buses had issues... like a slightly mucked-up seating layout and stuff... That was before the Bristol Loddekka etc. Where a lower than normal double decker was required, the upper deck aisle was on the offside and as much as a foot below the rest of the floor with the seats 4 abreast and with a corresponding lower roof. You had to mind your head sitting upstairs and on the offside downstairs seats were the gangway intruded. This made access and fare collection difficult. Bristol made the first mass produced low floor double decker from the mid 50's. This was followed by similar products from many of the major bus manufacturers including the AEC Bridgemaster. The Bridgemaster differed from the other low height buses in that like the Routemaster it did not have a chassis, in fact it was a low height version of the Routemaster. But like the Routemaster it was expensive to produce and as a consequence sales were sluggish so it was replaced by the Renown which had the same layout but with a separate chassis. |
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Oracle
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Post by Oracle on Nov 21, 2010 11:20:08 GMT
We published an excellent article on the Dennis Loline, which was imporved and licence-built Lodekka, in VINTAGE ROADSCENE. The article mentioned about its rivals. Author Robin Hannay worked foir Dennis and then AEC. It was a three-parter in the Oct/Nov/Dec 2009 isues. Renown: www.countrybus.org/RX/RX.htmBridgemaster at 1956 Commercial Show:   |
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SE13
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Post by SE13 on Nov 21, 2010 19:53:15 GMT
It's infinitely possible that one was displayed this year at the Lincoln vintage vehicle centre open day: www.lvvs.org.uk/ or in previous years, there's loads of pictures on their website. |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 21, 2010 20:00:30 GMT
According to the website they are looking for a Bridgemaster and are trying to track down one that is reportedly in County Durham.
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SE13
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Post by SE13 on Nov 21, 2010 20:17:12 GMT
According to the website they are looking for a Bridgemaster and are trying to track down one that is reportedly in County Durham. Whoops! I really ought to pay more attention! The place is only about a twenty minute walk from my house as well.  Another place I thought of was the Beamish museum, they seem to have all manner of rarities. |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 21, 2010 20:33:34 GMT
There was only 147 Bridgemasters made. Far more Renowns were made and outwardly there was little to tell them apart.
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Post by roythebus on Nov 21, 2010 21:26:56 GMT
there was one advertised on Ebay recently, ex Grimsby. front entrance. A customer of mine in Germany was thinking of buying it. a dealer friend in hull said not to, it was an absolute dog, despite being immaculate. It had rear air suspension, low speed diff, 35mph maximum and gave a vert bad ride.
Not one of AEC's best products. ISTR there's one in the Oxford Bus museum.
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 21, 2010 22:33:31 GMT
there was one advertised on Ebay recently, ex Grimsby. front entrance. A customer of mine in Germany was thinking of buying it. a dealer friend in hull said not to, it was an absolute dog, despite being immaculate. It had rear air suspension, low speed diff, 35mph maximum and gave a vert bad ride. Not one of AEC's best products. ISTR there's one in the Oxford Bus museum. The Oxford bus museum have two examples, 312MFC and 324NJO, Both are front entrance. That makes 3 possibly 4 survivors, not bad considering only 147 made. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 3:37:18 GMT
I rather think the need for lowbridge DD's was negated by the introduction of the drop-axle, and later, low-floor... Am I right?  |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 22, 2010 9:14:20 GMT
I rather think the need for lowbridge DD's was negated by the introduction of the drop-axle, and later, low-floor... Am I right? Yes, the Bridgemaster/Renown had a low floor and a drop axle. Even then Bartons had a Renown fitted with a sunken aisle body that was only a little over 12 feet high. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 9:16:47 GMT
I rather think the need for lowbridge DD's was negated by the introduction of the drop-axle, and later, low-floor... Am I right? Yes, the Bridgemaster/Renown had a low floor and a drop axle. Even then Bartons had a Renown fitted with a sunken aisle body that was only a little over 12 feet high.  That's... low... |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 22, 2010 9:48:39 GMT
Yes, the Bridgemaster/Renown had a low floor and a drop axle. Even then Bartons had a Renown fitted with a sunken aisle body that was only a little over 12 feet high. That's... low... I rode on a bus in Germany in the 70's that was even lower. It was a one-and -a-half decker, basically a single decker with a double deck part stuck on the back. The aisle was about 2 feet below the upper floor and you had to literally crawl into the seats. A trolley bus version is preserved in this country IIRC at Sandtoft. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 9:51:42 GMT
That's... low... I rode on a bus in Germany in the 70's that was even lower. It was a one-and -a-half decker, basically a single decker with a double deck part stuck on the back. The aisle was about 2 feet below the upper floor and you had to literally crawl into the seats. A trolley bus version is preserved in this country IIRC at Sandtoft. I don't envy riding that. |
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Oracle
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Post by Oracle on Nov 22, 2010 9:58:21 GMT
This is Barton's one-off Dennis Loline which was the lowest Double-Decker in the country  The final Mk.2 chassis was also bodied by Northern Counties and attracted a tremendous amount of interest when it appeared at the 1960 Commercial Motor Show. Built to meet special needs of Barton Transport, it had a full fronted, lowbridge 68 seat body with wrap round windscreen on both deck. It is the lowest double deck bus built in this country, measuring 12 feet 5½ inches overall. This unique vehicle is fortunately, also preserved. The chassis was ordered in May 1960 for building in July to be in time for bodying for the Show at the end of September. I ordered the O.600 engine at the same time from Leyland who promised delivery in July. It eventually arrived in December, 5 months late in contrast to the A.E.C. engines which arrived in 8 weeks against the 10 weeks promised! This meant the bus had to be towed to Wigan, then to Earls Court, back to Guildford where it remained immobile for another 2 months. One advantage of the delay was that an improved gearbox designed for the Mk.3 was fitted. |
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Post by phillw48 on Nov 22, 2010 11:04:27 GMT
A little story. Back in the early 60's my late father used to drive buses for Eastern National. They still had a few of the old side gangway low deck buses. On one late turn a young couple used to pay their fares before going upstairs and allways going to the second row of seats. The finding of several (used) items and once a pair of knickers made it pretty obvious what they had been up to! The problem was that the conductor was unable to catch them in the act as by the time he got to them they had stopped. One evening instead of trying to catch them my dad told the conductor to let him know when they were 'at it'. This the conductor did just as they were approaching a hump back bridge. My dad simply accelerated the bus and it went over the bridge at about 35 mph and came down heavily. When the conductor went upstairs he found the couple wedged between the seats in the same position as before the bus went over the bridge. Needless to say that was the last that was seen of this pair.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 15:10:41 GMT
A little story. Back in the early 60's my late father used to drive buses for Eastern National. They still had a few of the old side gangway low deck buses. On one late turn a young couple used to pay their fares before going upstairs and allways going to the second row of seats. The finding of several (used) items and once a pair of knickers made it pretty obvious what they had been up to! The problem was that the conductor was unable to catch them in the act as by the time he got to them they had stopped. One evening instead of trying to catch them my dad told the conductor to let him know when they were 'at it'. This the conductor did just as they were approaching a hump back bridge. My dad simply accelerated the bus and it went over the bridge at about 35 mph and came down heavily. When the conductor went upstairs he found the couple wedged between the seats in the same position as before the bus went over the bridge. Needless to say that was the last that was seen of this pair. Nice; reminds me of an old thread, about the NYC Subway and two cases from a conductor (what we call the guard). This is good, but his was better ;D Clicky. |
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That's... low...
