Bristol VR RMA442V Leyland Engine

[spekendedautch]

IVE JUST BOUGHT A 1977 BRISTOL VR WITH A LEYLAND ENGINE IN.....IT SOUNDS GREAT IL TRY AND PUT A VIDEO UP SOON

[EWS60008]

Nice sound, I remember going to school on a 501 engined VR similar to this when Stagecoach Viscount had VR's. The Fleetnumber was 713, but I cannot remember the reg for the life of me.

[ianmax69]

Where there swings and roundabouts between operators specifying the XLB or the 501?

I would imagine big operators may have prefered the 501 as it would have common bits with the National..

Did the Gardiner return better economy or was it just more reliable overall..

Was the Leyland option cheaper? but deliver slightly worse fuel consumption?

Id love to know many thanks Ian

[video47]

The Leyland 501 was less powerful, and I know that the Gardner 6LXB was a very efficient engine.

[mondyboy81]

@video47 - was it, as far as I know both were about 170bhp. The Leyland was also turbocharged so probably put out a bit more torque than the Gardner engines which were extremely reliable but old fashioned engines. I believe Leyland engines were offered because of problems getting hold of Gardner engines during the 1970's because of strike action delaying production of parts. The 501 had its faults and Leyland eventually offered its more reliable 0.680 as an option in VRs.

[mrspivvy]

@ianmax69 Gardners were usually the engine of choice for operators who COULD specify what engine they wanted. They were super reliable, extremely durable and always the most economical option. 510s were not one of leyland's best efforts really, but things like the mk1 national came pre-packaged. It had a 510, like it or lump it. with vehicles like this Bristol, you had a choice, most people only choosing Leyland if Gardners were in short supply (which did happen)

[wayne77beetle]

This bus is now on Ebay! Grab it while you can. Hope it does not end up on the scrap heap.

[ianmax69]

Thanks for the info Wayne I have already sent some questions about her, but if shes still the same as this video from a few years ago She sounds fine to me!!

[maesfforddfilmunit]

yep, definitely a leyland. More clatter than anything else! Lacks the purposeful growl of a gardner!

[schiff38]

As worked on the buses with these engines leylands heaps of crap Gardner 6lxb anyday i have a ex bus engine in my boat and also a gardner generator

[purple001chicken]

Always thought the VR sounded better with a Gardner unit in, but it's all down to personal preference

[red347]

VRs always sound best with the Leyland 501 engine like this one. Even better if the exhaust is blowing a bit!

[TomMetrobus]

That's definately a Leyland! Random cat?

[islandtraction]

The 510 engine in the VR was as disastrous as the Leyland National itself. A series of political compromises in which the NBC found itself ensnared in the hopeless endeavour of keeping British Leyland alive. Perkins were eliminated as an engine supplier for the LH, and Gardner despite their legendary reliablility were set on the road to ruination by the arse licking follies of masonic controlled british industy.

[mondyboy81]

and you overlook the tightly unionised employees who did their level best to refuse to adapt to new types of vehicles and ways of working on them. Plenty of operators got good life out of Nationals, but they needed different maintainence to previous vehicles.

Gardner only had themselves to blame for their demise, their engines were clunky and outdated and they didn't move with developments in turbocharging for better performance until it was too late to develop it reliably.

[mrspivvy]

I agree. Gardners were the rolls royce of commercial diesels back in the day,however they just didnt move with the times. they stuck with 180s when everyone else was going to 220/250. They effectively eliminated themselves from the truck market in the '80s, the last ones being monstrous 16 litre engines that still only made 350 bhp with ruinious fuel consumption.. performance and emmissions could not be improved to modern standards which also finished them in the bus market

[gitface007]

A sound I haven't heard since East Yorks withdrew their last highbridge JKH-V deckers many moons ago.

Great vid

[video47]

You may be interested to know I have put onto youtube ex East Yorkshire VR XAK910T somewhere with me switching it on, not sure if it is actually tagged as the registration plate, however I think you may remember it with a Leyland engine? When I started it up it had a Gardner fitted.

[smiffy1071]

This is without any doubt a leyland 500 engine. The 680 engine is a much deeper roar!

The whine noise refered to elsewhere, is caused by thestraight cut gears in the drop centre back axle. Bristol RE buses do this aswell

[jaggass]

leyland were allegedly unreliable engines any good but i do like the roar the atlantean and the clatter of a TL11

[duncanjazz]

I used to go to school on this bus!!! The sounds brought it all back to me! I remember it being pretty nippy though, seemed faster than a Gardner.

[AdrianFull]

Anyone got a video of a LPG gas fuelled Gardner 6LXB VR? We had 2 in Bath at one time, and didn't they rev hard! I took BH5614 (MUA 873P) to the Bristol Rally one year and had it at over 70 mph along the Keynsham bypass.

[video47]

Wow, didn't know they existed, unfortunately not, however could have found some top deck footage of the Bath Tour VR's, but all you get is a lot of commentry on the 'haha wall' and the rounded buildings in Bath and how Bath quickly grew, so only a little bit of VR thrash on UFX860S I think it was.

[AdrianFull]

Bristol OC No.5545(EWS 753W) is preserved with it's Leyland 0.680 - and what a noise it makes! I had it from Brislington to Bitton last summer and the owner opened up the engine cover INSIDE the bus! With the driver pushing it hard the sound was amazing. Originally this batch had automatic gearboxes, but most (all?) were converted to semi. Not your typical VRT, but very nice. Oh, and 5545 is still in Badgerline livery, with genuine adverts - its as close as I've come to a time machine!

[video47]

I have done this on Atlantean A706LNC if you search youtube for a video of it. Fantastic sounds when all I did was lift up the seat cushion.

[darrowby1972]

Thats a Leyland 0.500 OHC for sure!

[hamster1992monton]

If wonder if there's a leyland 680 engined VR as i wansn't much of the fan of the 500 series. Clattering as usual for the series of lelynad engines. The whine from the gearbox seems worse than from a 6LXB engine.

[video47]

A lot of people like the whine that VR's make. I think that that was the only type of Leyland engine that was fitted to a VR, these were quite rare compared to Gardners.

[hamster1992monton]

The Gardner engines did sound better as I do come from the town that used to build the engines.

[trakmac]

Yes, Bristol Omnibus Company's DHW-W and EWS-W and some of Southdown's JWV-W batches of Bristol VRs had Leyland 680 engines. They had a quite a gutsy sound to them. Unfortunatly, most of these were later re-engined with Gardner 6LXBs. Thankfully, two Leyland 680 engined VRs, Bristol OC No.5545(EWS 753W) and Southdown No.275(JWV 275W), are preserved.

[HORNEBEEDUBLO]

Does anyone remember if Leyland O.680 powered VRTs sounded similar to Atlanteans? Ive never come across one.

[trakmac]

Leyland 0.680 powered Bristol VRTs certainly had a distinctive deep-throated roar. However, I wouldn't say they sounded like Leyland Atlanteans in quite the same way that Leyland 0.680 powered Daimler Fleetlines did!

[HORNEBEEDUBLO]

Did the Leyland O.680 powered VRTs sound similar to O.680 powered REs?

[trakmac]

Not exactly! The Leyland 0.680 engined Bristol VRTs didn't quite have the very loud rasping noise as the simlarly powered Bristol REs.

[mrspivvy]

The RE would have had the horizontal version of the 680 I think

[billlmf]

It sounds like Volvo THD100 & THD101 series on the oldest Volvo B10M~~

[metrobus2]

Can see where your coming from yeah, might upload one of them one day too.

[FT9910]

Leyland O.600 engine?

[jaggass]

i didnt know leyaland made engines sounds good though and very distinctive

[jaggass]

didnt they have leyland engined national's as well?

[video47]

Yes the Leyland National MK1s were fitted with a Leyland 500 series engine. The VR's had a 501 engine while the Nationals had a 510 engine. They all sound about the same. The Leyland engine VR is not as powerful as a Gardner and not as efficient. They were only fitted as a cheaper and quicker alternative and some were replaced by Gardners eventually by some companies.

[Robster981]

Having only ever driven Gardner engined VRs that is a strange experience listening to a Leyland engined VR. Another very good video!

[video47]

Thanks, Leyland engined VR's are somewhat rare now.