With buses being more powerful nowadays it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem, but I guess in the past the decision was between being powerful and having sturdy low stress engines that could put up with daily service. When I was a kid the Dennis Darts that used to run the local services struggled awfully up one of the hills to a local school, slowing down to first gear and crawling up at not much faster than walking pace - and this was at a point in the route when many people had got off. I suspect it was no coincidence that the school run bus was often assigned to a different vehicle which didn't appear to struggle up the hill as much as those old Darts could barely make it half full.
I remember a packed old routemaster once in the early 80s could not even move until some people had gotten off, - and it was only about half as steep as the bus in this vid were traversing!
Try going up that hill on 442... It's hilarious ;-) Love your Plymouth videos by the way! Nice to see some lads filming the buses there whilst i've been gone! Coming back very soo though ;-)
With buses being more powerful nowadays it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem, but I guess in the past the decision was between being powerful and having sturdy low stress engines that could put up with daily service. When I was a kid the Dennis Darts that used to run the local services struggled awfully up one of the hills to a local school, slowing down to first gear and crawling up at not much faster than walking pace - and this was at a point in the route when many people had got off. I suspect it was no coincidence that the school run bus was often assigned to a different vehicle which didn't appear to struggle up the hill as much as those old Darts could barely make it half full.
I remember a packed old routemaster once in the early 80s could not even move until some people had gotten off, - and it was only about half as steep as the bus in this vid were traversing!
Try going up that hill on 442... It's hilarious ;-) Love your Plymouth videos by the way! Nice to see some lads filming the buses there whilst i've been gone! Coming back very soo though ;-)
Got the right buses at the right time! Good to know you're moving back to Plymouth - the entire fleet is great!
ultradude973 It's gonna be great to be back! Loads of ridiculous videos to come >:D
TheIrish RoadSurfer Haha! 18079 on X38 is a good one to do to Ivybridge
For an X-plate PVL to struggle the hill gradient would have to 29%+
I will miss this bus
These buses climbed up shooters hill with no issue when assigned to 89 or 486
It sounds like a voith. That mite explain with it struggles with a hill.
It's a voith with cooling fan that's why u can here a high pitch roar and that classic 2000-2001 squeal when the bus breaks
This bus needs some help, this and also PVL379.
My favourite bus is W415 WGH or Y732 TGH
These buses can handle barnhurst then it can handle these