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I think the resemblance is more than coincidental; I believe that this batch were the last of the RT-style bodies for Ipswich. The RT influenced this, is my understanding - but others know way more than I do!

@richardwalker_ Thanks!!

We’ll be there too; I think the Chevrolet bus is going this year.

@ Fantastic! That’s one I really want to see!

Good to see you; and thanks.

@ your welcome!

We had a couple of Ipswich Bus Rallies a few years ago where we did that with some motorbuses - the event was held more centrally in town which made that easier (and shorter!). Would be interesting one day to recreate a route with one of the couple of trolleybuses at the museum; I imagine that one day someone will invent a battery compact enough for them to tow… There’s also an exciting project to get one of the earliest petrol-electric buses going again at the museum.

So glad you enjoyed it. It’s exactly this social history that appeals to everyone involved with the transport museum- being able to recreate enough with the various vehicles and scenes to bring back memories from years ago. I sometimes post the route descriptions and sometimes captions for places - have a look through the other videos on the channel; I’ll try to do that more in future and maybe include a sketch map of the route sometimes - a good idea; thanks for watching.

Glad you enjoy being transported back.

@@richardwalker_ Wish I could move back really

Yes, cold but fine.

Perfect coffee break, with biscuits.

Me too - I do like a VR, but the characteristics are quite different, especially the Gardner engined ones. Atlanteans in town, VR for the countryside, I think.

You're welcome - great channel!

@@richardwalker_ Thanks

I always find Scania coaches a bit more cramped in the cab than Volvos, even with the same bodywork - not sure why; but this one does get down the road nicely.

Hello mate!!!!!

I'll look that channel up; thanks.

A Volvo/Van Hool cab tour is here: th-cam.com/video/En8zmfkxX6I/w-d-xo.html

@richardwalker_ cheers Richard I will check it out

Yes this one is. ZF 6 speed manual.

This one is lovely. They can get vague if the linkage isn’t spot on - and also suffer from being very notchy, especially when cold.

Hello 👋🏻

Yes, this has been an ongoing overhaul at the Museum - the plan is to have this reassembled and roadgoing once again, to complement the Chevrolet and Bedford OB.

@ I’ll watch with great interest!

I will try and keep up to date with progress in an update video. Museum re-opens towards Easter 2025.

It is, again.

Hello 👋🏻

It certainly is.

It is, at least by modern standards - it is! And yet everything falls oddly to hand (except, perhaps, the wipers switches…). As commented elsewhere, driving it is it’s a bit like playing a large instrument in a band; once you’ve learned what everything does, it’s fine. Much more room than some vehicles, too.

@@richardwalker_ It is interesting the variations one could find. I remember Edinburgh Atlanteans had the gear selector on a pedestal , not on the steering column. Later GGPTE ones had the selector on the right. I rather like the old Leyland half cabs with the square speedo with black on white.

@christopherhunter2892 Yes, and even between batches there were some detail differences. The Leyland square speedometer and square dials were a work of art, very art deco (considering the limited number of people that would see them!).

Indeed - treat it like no/one else is aware (or words to that effect!).

That’s amazing. I’ve had land rovers for many years now, always a handy utility vehicle. There’s another statistic that something like three quarters of all those ever built are still serviceable. I’ll pop in some progress updates with this in now and again as an occasional midweek extra.

Glad you enjoyed that. I know of several RELLs locally… and a couple have featured briefly being driven. Not many RELHs nearby though unfortunately - will see what comes along!

@richardwalker_ Thanks Richard - I'll look at the RELL videos mentioned!

There’s also a short video of the EATM RELH somewhere in the historic videos. I’ve not yet done any walkaround or cab explanation for either (but RELL and RELH cabs are very similar) - but there’s something else for the future…

Hello 👋🏻

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll focus on some of the exhibits individually and in more detail, later in the year.

I remember sitting at the front as a young teenager trying to work out what was going on! It's a bit like playing a large musical instrument, with the amount of different things going on in harmony, but where the left hand is doing something different from the right... if you liked this, look up my video with the pedal view or the alternate cab view where you can see what is happening from different angles. Glad you enjoyed it; I'll try and do some more explanation videos as/when time allows.

You're definitely not the only one!

I was the same. Went to school on various old buses and coaches which I just loved. One was an Atlantean similar to that shown and I remember being fascinated by the gear changes. Even the sound of the cab door being shut brings back so many memories. I have many classic cars at the moment but can’t get the idea of owning an old coach from the 70s out of my head! The sounds and smells are so evocative!

It’s that social history part of things that I really enjoy; we’re immediately taken back to a scene from many years ago. There’s plenty of vehicles about and ownership can be very rewarding; but beware about storage (availability and cost) if you’re planning to buy - purchase is the easy part!

@@davidw8759 You're right - especially about the smells! My claim to fame (which I've yet to actually test!) - is that blindfolded I could tell if a 1960's/70's coach body was built by Plaxton, Duple or ECW - by their distinctive interior smells alone!

Would be nice, but the one we have has hardly done any work. This and the older coach are more suited to schools work.

@richardwalker_ do you do any Euro 6 work

@@James-zs3cn Very rarely - RL15RSL sometimes goes into London. I've taken it twice in 2 years into the LEZ. Most of the work is schools, private hires and group organised trips.

I’m glad you enjoyed watching the Suffolk countryside go by; you can see the seasons changing across the different videos. Lovely coach this one; I do enjoy a Volvo.

Yes - it's like sitting in your favourite chair. I always remember the first trip out in a coach when I was learning to drive (a Volvo B58 Irizar), everything seemed huge; and yet, after a couple of days everything suddenly became second nature. You're right about Bedfords - can detect a hill before they start to climb it; at one of the places I used to work we had some old Ford R1114 coaches that were even less powerful - in them seemed to be changing gear forever, even on the flat!

​@@richardwalker_I once guided a party of Norwegian tourists on a tour of Yorkshire - and the only coach company I found who were prepared to climb the long twisting 1in 4 ascent of Sutton Bank used a Ford......I began to have doubts about it's abilities earlier on the tour when climbing a much less steep hill.....and by the time we eventually made it to the top of the 'Bank' - at less than walking speed - with engine screaming and the smell of overheating filling the interior, the poor driver suggested I take the Norwegians on a lengthy walking tour of the area whilst the old Ford cooled down. I always remember one of the group remarking: "Next time you should buy a Volvo!"

@ Something of a marathon for a Ford, Sutton Bank! I remember we used to have a group hire holiday back in the 1970s, and the regular vehicle was a Ford (DCA20S) - one year it overheated at the top of a hill in Scotland, another time broke a half shaft on the hill out of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. I later I got to drive a couple or three of them, and realised what hard work it was maintaining any sort of speed, even in the relative flatlands of East Anglia!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Always expect the unexpected!

It does sound particularly good, this one. Was only saying the other day that the current Scania double deckers are a direct fifth generation replacement for the first motorbuses (replacing Tridents, and before them Atlanteans, and before them Regent Vs, before them the Regent IIIs which replaced the trolleybuses).

Yes, it drops the air from the doors, so they can be pulled closed.

Very glad you’re enjoying them. Happy New Year.

For the les hardy souls! Andy was mopping the seats on the OT every time too!

@@richardwalker_ I can imagine!

Many thanks, and glad you’re enjoying it. Would be good to see you next season - the Museum opens again around Easter 2025, with some changes to the exhibits for the new year.

Thanks - Glad you're enjoying the channel. Most of the preserved vehicles here are either from the Ipswich Transport Museum or Colne Estuary Preserved Buses collections - I also film modern buses and coaches in the mix. There's a bit of a back catalogue of videos to search through now.

Thank you, and all the best for 2025.

That one is still about, too, albeit sold on now. Odd what sticks in the mind. The first coach I owned was one I used to go to school on, many years before.

Merry Christmas 🎄

Yes it is - it was speculatively for sale a few months ago, but still his. Usual parking space is beside mine.

@@richardwalker_ Nice

Nice - have you got it working?

@@richardwalker_yeah, but I don’t have a driver log in unfortunately

Yes, same as “travelling light to…” but maybe a bit more descriptive. Moving a vehicle from its base to where it needs to begin service. I rarely film with passengers on board - sometimes at the museum but not usually in commercial service (even though it’s public realm and allowed, it saves any issues).

@richardwalker_ I like it just as much without passengers on board. The B12 is very smooth. Thanks for sharing👍, I'm becoming quite the bus nerd😆

You get to see quite a lot of the countryside this way, as we can take any reasonable route, which can vary depending on the time of day. (That’s how we all started!).

Hello 👋🏻

Yes, plenty of room and everything (at least, the bits that Leyland did) is in the right place. The wiper switches that Roe positioned above your head is a bit odd though! Thanks for the kind words too.

I can just remember the Lodekkas on the Felixstowe service. Reading this doesn’t make me feel so bad at missing the occasional gear! You’re correct that, up until the VR and RE, Bristol products were agricultural by comparison with AEC and others, such as the Atlantean which had been about for many years.