I have come across I this bus today

1980's : http://www.flickr.com/photos/7541633@N08/2480471468/

1995: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10479482@N ... olvo_ailsa

what makes it different?



See if you can hear the difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx1spq-jsZc

http://davidgreentransportphotos.fotopi ... 05297.html


as from January this year : http://www.flickr.com/photos/welshpete2007/4309360824/

i;m lead to believe it should be going in to preservation

What is a SCG gearbox,

Self Changing Gears, its a type of Semi-Automatic gearbox found mainly on Bristol VR's, RE's (and the odd LH) and most Volvo Ailsas had it fitted too.

So I take it 1983/1984 when the MkIII come out the changed the gearboxes to Voiths?

Im sure I have seen citybuses with silver box that looked like a gear stick like the ones on the Y types?

Citybuses either had ZF or Voith fully auto.

Remember getting told that the SCG gearbox was standard on all Ailsas, but some operators like Cardiff Bus and Strathclyde specified the Voiths, which were a option, as they were more suited to stop start town work.

That Ailsa you posted above is a MKIII and it has SCG fitted, I think they meant it was unique in Merseybus fleet and not in the UK.

As for what a SCG gearchange looks like, well it looks like this in an Ailsa (silver liver to the right of the steering wheel)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobester_35/3648414708/

and like this in a VR/RE and so on (this time on the left of the steering wheel)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24485745@N02/3281654651/

I believe the SBG orders had SCG. thanks for the info



I have seen a few citybuses, with Voith gearbox that look like that.

You sure?

This is a B reg Citybus with a Voith box http://cuthbus.fotopic.net/p62996042.html

not sure now! Im sure seen one with silver like thing

The SCG 5-speed fully automatic gearbox was fitted in Glasgow Ailsas A6-40, 62-81 IIRC. A1-5, 41-61 and 82-133 were all 3-speed Voith. AV1-18 were SCG semi auto, and second hand purchases A134, 136 and 137 were SCG fully auto. I always preferred the SCG 'box to Voith in Ailsas.

As an aside, the SCG semi-auto was also offered as an option on the B10M and B10M Citybus, but I'm unaware if any were actually produced for the UK.

Here is another one, the person think this is ailsa, but I think its something else


http://www.busexplorer.com/PHP/MidPage.php?id=2490

What engine is it?

is that no a bristol vrt?

Yep, its a Alexander bodied Bristol VRT. Only a few batches of em were made, Cardiff got quite a few of em IIRC.

Tayside had a batch, that ones ex-Northampton.

Yeah thought Northampton has some, they had some East Lance bodied ones as well which looked weird

We have another on to add to the file:

First 30107: K174 EUX:

I have found a pic on the web of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_92/4009764850/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mse062/4344642720/

No idea of the engine but it aint NO Olympian, sounds like a citybus

whats the DEAL with this one?

Erm........it IS an Olympian, a Volvo one to be precise. It was imported from Singapore and started its new life in Manchester before moving north with the Tri-Axle ex-Hong Kong Olympians a good few years ago! Metroline also imported a similar vehicle years ago, though im unsure where it is or if it still even exists.

The Metroline vehicle is M650ELA, and was last in service with Transdev York. I'm told it isn't very reliable and likes to jam in 1st gear. Apparently Metroline had plenty of problems with it too.....just as well they didn't import the rest of the batch like they were planning to then!

ahh i thought that bus had come from the far east . its usually on the 118

I've only ever been on K174EUX once.......and straight away i vowed NEVER to get on it again, so much so that if i'm waiting on a 118 and it does turn up.....i wont get on that 118.......walking is better!

that what I show it on and the X8