As you can guess I really do dislike Enviro 400's-think they are the worst bus that has ever been-can't think of anything that's good about them-a real step backwards as far as progress goes-must be built to a real cheap spec-it shows when you have the displeasure of travelling on one!
Last one of these I rode on just before they finished was 1909 XEM 909W from Birkenhead bus station to Liscard-sounded and rode just like they did when new-last wk went on a 59 reg Enviro 400 decker on a certain rt 192- for a new bus the level of noise was terrible both from the road and engine - utter crap compared to Atlanteans and Atlanteans were even noisy when compared to the Wirral division Daimler Fleetlines which were really smooth!
The ZF Eclofe version of the enviro 400 is awful an monotonus along with the B9TL and is the 192 route the Manchester version shedloads of noisy voith gearboxes there. Got a very noisy one MX08UCJ but not on the 192 though.
I remember travelling on this bus many times between St Helens and Liverpool on the 10/10a service as a kid.Noisy and uncomfortable buses the Atlanteans were.
Noticed 1003 is going along the A41 by port sunlight-all mpte buses on routes to Mill Park (18,28,41,42,43)over the years seemed to get thrashed between new ferry roundabout and croft avenue whether they were Daimler fleetlines,Atlanteans or Ailsa's(and even B15 demo BCK 706R on 28)-the Ailsa's beat everthing else-cars included! Remember National 2's worked the 41 to Mill Park in about 1979/80 for a few months when they were new but did'nt last long before they were moved off to wallasey routes
remember going through wallasey tunnel on this bus when brand new on number31 cross-river service- must have been a seaview rd vehicle-it was fitted with those hard glass fibre moulded seats with moquette bonded to it-not very comfortable! always thought the W-reg onwards Alanteans were brilliant buses to ride on-liked the Ailsa Volvo's that Wirral division had too! nowadays have to sometimes travel on stagecoach Enviro 400's-total crap by comparison!
Well, as the owner and driver of the bus in the video, let me comment. Taking ones foot off the accelerator when changing gear is standard practice on a semi automatic bus. Straight through gearchanges ruin the gear bands and when you pay for the repairs, best not do it.
The bus is MERSEYSIDE PTE standard, derived from Liverpool Corpy practice. It is 4 speed, low geared and will actually start in third gear. I use 1st by choice as get better noises.
Not only do straight-through gearchanges ruin the gear bands, they also shorten the life of the gearbox considerably. I was told by someone who used to work at Lothian's Shrubhill Works that the semi-automatic transmissions on their PDR and early AN68 Atlanteans sometimes lasted as little as two weeks due to this. In most cases the gear bands would end up slipping and it was not uncommon for gearboxes to blow up due to the gear bands sticking.
@HFWallaseybus The GMT atlanteans were fully automatic but could be overdriven in 2nd and 3rd if the driver wished to do so. These buses didn't have an automtic option - they were fully semi-automatic
@HFWallaseybus I would love a ride on this bus if it is attending any events, would be great! I have been on 1365 and that is a very nice example too!
That is strange that the driver's starting off in 1st gear from traffic lights. 2nd gear does the job normally. Either the bus was well loaded, or it had 'Country' gearing on the rear axle, because it didn't sound as if the revs rocketted up as on buses with 'Town' gearing. The pauses were nice, and good that the driver didn't drive the bus 'Leyland National style' ie one hand on the steering, the other on the gear selector!
Aaah. Have only been behind the wheel of a really old atlantean, and the gears were marked 1 thru 4 plus reverse on that one. Probably not the AN-type chassis like this one.
That was possibly a PDR, which used a CAV semi-auto gearchange.
Some Atlanteans (late-model PDRs and early AN68s) had a pedestal-mounted gearchange control unit. Edinburgh Corporation specified this on Atlanteans delivered between 1969 and 1975. Their successors, LRT, switched to automatic gearboxes until the end of deliveries in 1981.
This bus is 100% Liverpool standard. Look at those lovely brown leather seats. Am I right in saying those seats came in two versions? The other being with plastic black corners instead of the silver hand bars?
Love the MPTE logo in the middle of the stering wheel aswell!!
All the atlanteans I've seen have had the gear selector to the driver's left - but they've all been London Country (NBC Colours/Park Royal bodies) and much older.
Great Video! and so many views, I have not yet had a ride on this, but it looks a really nice bus :-)
video47 5 months ago
An excellent driver, who handles the semi automatic gearbox beautifully!!! A wonderful post, many thyanks.
greetpete 5 months ago
Great clip! Takes me back to when I used to catch the 6c/40 from town up to Plessey's...
pjtrain019 7 months ago
Would that be Chris Tunstall at the wheel?
WhiteStarLine401 1 year ago
@WhiteStarLine401 ... No, not on this occassion
DVG452 1 year ago
I remember these on the 33B plus I remember working the 33B with Atlanteans with my Dad driving good times
kie40145 1 year ago
As you can guess I really do dislike Enviro 400's-think they are the worst bus that has ever been-can't think of anything that's good about them-a real step backwards as far as progress goes-must be built to a real cheap spec-it shows when you have the displeasure of travelling on one!
M51057 2 years ago
Last one of these I rode on just before they finished was 1909 XEM 909W from Birkenhead bus station to Liscard-sounded and rode just like they did when new-last wk went on a 59 reg Enviro 400 decker on a certain rt 192- for a new bus the level of noise was terrible both from the road and engine - utter crap compared to Atlanteans and Atlanteans were even noisy when compared to the Wirral division Daimler Fleetlines which were really smooth!
M51057 2 years ago
I too cannot stand Enviro 400's (Trident versions) or Tridents in general - they sound so agricultural.
gcbus 2 years ago
The ZF Eclofe version of the enviro 400 is awful an monotonus along with the B9TL and is the 192 route the Manchester version shedloads of noisy voith gearboxes there. Got a very noisy one MX08UCJ but not on the 192 though.
hamsterbus 2 years ago
Comment removed
M51057 2 years ago
I so want to drive one of these
79hardyboyz 2 years ago
I remember travelling on this bus many times between St Helens and Liverpool on the 10/10a service as a kid.Noisy and uncomfortable buses the Atlanteans were.
2obsessivecompulsive 2 years ago
gear lever makes a lovely "plonk" when engaging! Wish the national I sometimes drive at work did that!
glenrea 2 years ago 2
Noticed 1003 is going along the A41 by port sunlight-all mpte buses on routes to Mill Park (18,28,41,42,43)over the years seemed to get thrashed between new ferry roundabout and croft avenue whether they were Daimler fleetlines,Atlanteans or Ailsa's(and even B15 demo BCK 706R on 28)-the Ailsa's beat everthing else-cars included! Remember National 2's worked the 41 to Mill Park in about 1979/80 for a few months when they were new but did'nt last long before they were moved off to wallasey routes
M51057 2 years ago
Comment removed
M51057 2 years ago
Not as sexy as number 1's seats
cardboardtiger 2 years ago
remember going through wallasey tunnel on this bus when brand new on number31 cross-river service- must have been a seaview rd vehicle-it was fitted with those hard glass fibre moulded seats with moquette bonded to it-not very comfortable! always thought the W-reg onwards Alanteans were brilliant buses to ride on-liked the Ailsa Volvo's that Wirral division had too! nowadays have to sometimes travel on stagecoach Enviro 400's-total crap by comparison!
M51057 2 years ago
Is there a reason the gear selector is on the right hand side?
bluebus270 3 years ago
where can i get to drive one i believe you only need a car licence if the bus is over 30 years old
danielmills3 3 years ago
Well this bus is only 25 years old!
philc201987 3 years ago
Those seats:
Slippery when wet!
philc201987 3 years ago
Reminds me of the LRT Atlanteans - some of their SSG-R batch had VERY shiny seats by the time they came off service.
StevieO1974 3 years ago
Excellent! Brings back memories of travelling to school on these many a time.
kevr83 3 years ago
Well, as the owner and driver of the bus in the video, let me comment. Taking ones foot off the accelerator when changing gear is standard practice on a semi automatic bus. Straight through gearchanges ruin the gear bands and when you pay for the repairs, best not do it.
The bus is MERSEYSIDE PTE standard, derived from Liverpool Corpy practice. It is 4 speed, low geared and will actually start in third gear. I use 1st by choice as get better noises.
Right hand gearchanges on GMT buses too.
HFWallaseybus 3 years ago 4
Not only do straight-through gearchanges ruin the gear bands, they also shorten the life of the gearbox considerably. I was told by someone who used to work at Lothian's Shrubhill Works that the semi-automatic transmissions on their PDR and early AN68 Atlanteans sometimes lasted as little as two weeks due to this. In most cases the gear bands would end up slipping and it was not uncommon for gearboxes to blow up due to the gear bands sticking.
StevieO1974 2 years ago
@HFWallaseybus: Brilliant Driving! Great to see someone using the Semi-Auto, the way it was designed to be used
Mob1006 1 year ago
@HFWallaseybus The GMT atlanteans were fully automatic but could be overdriven in 2nd and 3rd if the driver wished to do so. These buses didn't have an automtic option - they were fully semi-automatic
strange6 1 year ago
@HFWallaseybus I would love a ride on this bus if it is attending any events, would be great! I have been on 1365 and that is a very nice example too!
video47 5 months ago
Nice buses, In Grimsby, we had the Daimler Fleetlines another excelent Leyland Product!
palexandersquires 4 years ago
Teddy bear seats were Crosville weren't they? I remember all the C routes
CheshireQueen1 4 years ago
Remember the red and grey seats?
CheshireQueen1 4 years ago
Yep, with the red seat backs.
Remember the "Teddy Bear" seats?
philc201987 4 years ago
That is strange that the driver's starting off in 1st gear from traffic lights. 2nd gear does the job normally. Either the bus was well loaded, or it had 'Country' gearing on the rear axle, because it didn't sound as if the revs rocketted up as on buses with 'Town' gearing. The pauses were nice, and good that the driver didn't drive the bus 'Leyland National style' ie one hand on the steering, the other on the gear selector!
Sherpowell 4 years ago
5 speed but you dont use 1st unless ur doin a huge hill start yeah mines on the left, but its eay to change, its only a few wires if that.
woffbus 4 years ago
Aaah. Have only been behind the wheel of a really old atlantean, and the gears were marked 1 thru 4 plus reverse on that one. Probably not the AN-type chassis like this one.
glenrea 4 years ago
That was possibly a PDR, which used a CAV semi-auto gearchange.
Some Atlanteans (late-model PDRs and early AN68s) had a pedestal-mounted gearchange control unit. Edinburgh Corporation specified this on Atlanteans delivered between 1969 and 1975. Their successors, LRT, switched to automatic gearboxes until the end of deliveries in 1981.
StevieO1974 4 years ago
Yeah the Sydney ones had pedestal.
gregrudd 2 years ago
Where these 4 or 5 speed 'boxes on atlanteans?
glenrea 4 years ago
I love Atlanteans, nice to hear a O.680 engine doing its thing! well driven aswell!
olympian2174 4 years ago
This bus is 100% Liverpool standard. Look at those lovely brown leather seats. Am I right in saying those seats came in two versions? The other being with plastic black corners instead of the silver hand bars?
Love the MPTE logo in the middle of the stering wheel aswell!!
philc201987 4 years ago
It's a Leyland "Plughole" badge!
glenrea 4 years ago
philc201987 - You're right about the seats - the vertical handrails were also black.
PrentonPimp 4 years ago
That's right, the horizontal bar across the upper deck front windows was black aswell.
Plus, the ledge beneath these windows would be cream rather than black which this version would have
philc201987 4 years ago
is the driver releasing the throttle during gear change?
poohsmells21 4 years ago
All the atlanteans I've seen have had the gear selector to the driver's left - but they've all been London Country (NBC Colours/Park Royal bodies) and much older.
glenrea 4 years ago
Nice video
video47 4 years ago