Bendy Buses

[Yellowrose]

Originally posted by SCENIC

Hi there, when bendi buses were introduced to Sheffield, they had to have a special dispensation from the Ministry of |Transport to run in service.

The drivers had special training to drive them and received a seperate licence. I was one of the lucky people to receive such a licence and was one of the first drivers to take the bendi bus in service on the old route 56 ( Wybourn)

 

Is the licence still valid? Would you have to take the test again if they brought them back?

[Abyss]

wow interesting read,,,,

but how sad, a massive topic on bendy buses lol

[badersbus]

I started work at the sypte back in 1983 as an apprentice Bodymaker. This entailed all the servicing and repairs to the fleets vehicle bodywork. I can remember the bendy buses coming in to service , which i thought was around 1986. I can remember fitting the name plates of the vehicles , what people are talking about , but oddly enough can't remember any of the specific names

I can also remember fitting flags to the frt roof corners , like the England flags we all have flying from our cars at times.

Also , could be mistaken but i seem to remember the first vehicles being painted a different paint scheme to the clipper scheme photo seen earlier on in the thread.

[porkyteacher]

I saw a brand new one on richmond park avenue in rotherham in november 2005 it was on the meadowhell route so maybe theyre making a comeback, mind you it had trade plates on so who knows?

[Little_Alex]

I worked on a few around 1980. We had to fit little flag holders to the sides and also fit plaques to the front I think it was. The plaques had an embossed drawing of a ship (maybe a clipper ) with a name eg Cutty Sark so they all had a name. What a waste of money! Good to ride on though:)

[Plain Talker]

I worked on a few around 1980. We had to fit little flag holders to the sides and also fit plaques to the front I think it was. The plaques had an embossed drawing of a ship (maybe a clipper ) with a name eg Cutty Sark so they all had a name. What a waste of money! Good to ride on though:)

 

I remember the plaques on the city clipper bendibuses, they were all named after the famous clipper ships.

 

I remember the names of Cutty Sark, and Fiery Cross, but I can't remember the names of the rest, sadly.

 

I do remember that a number of schools across the city took part in naming the buses, one of which was my lad's school, St John's, Park.

 

The plaques, indeed, had a picture of an old Clipper ship on them, which also stated the name of the ship the bus was named after, and the name of the school which chose that name.

 

I actually thought it was nice, for the children of the individual schools. Perhaps giving them a sense of ownership, and participation, which would hopefully give them a sense of pride in the vehicles, preventing vandalism?

 

edit to say that the plaques were affixed to the wall of teh bus, inside, just behind the drivers' cabs.

PT

[Shazbat]

Bendy buses were fab! I can always remember on one of the first ones, a woman dropped a loaf of bread just as it went round a corner and had to wait for the bread to come back to her LOL We went to a bus open day at Rotherham Midland Garage and you could walk under one ... only to find out that the bendy part was held together with buckles and straps!!!

 

I used to love getting them to Meadowhall and I can honestly say I never went on the Cutty Sark! I also remember one bad winter when one jack-knifed going down to the Debenhams traffic lights.

[JayneRay]

Bendy buses on the city clipper were great my kids like to stand on the turntable part on the tram they do not believe that buses were made that way

[bus man]

The origional bath consisted of ten 5 from MAN and 5 from Leyland . They were used on the city clipper at first which was free as you couldnt charge on a vehicle towing a trailer. Before they were introduced several demonstrators had visited the city including a yellow left hand drive which was used on short trips from pond street to pond street - you couldnt get off as the doors were on the road side.

 

The city clipper was a shoppers service that ran from pond street to the s&e COOP at the bottom of eccleshall road how somerfield i think

 

When the servie was introduced all buses had data collectors with stop watches do ing timings for a report.

 

When the law was changed they were used on the 56 service (Wybourn) i cant remember them on stocksbridge services.

 

They were withdrawn due to a pay dispute the union wanted a large increase for driving them they thought that they would win as they couldnt see the pte climbing down over the bendis. They were wrong during the final negotians severall single deck buses were being driven to Sheffield from Nottingham for use on the city clipper. The bendis went off service one thursday evening and were replaced by the nottingham buses at first these were on hire but were purchased by the pte. All the nottingham buses were in advert liveries for nottingham firms.

 

At least two of the origional batch still exist

 

Latter on they were reintroduced this time using

[bus man]

Leyland , 13 were bought the last 3 were coach seated and had 2 doors (as oposed to the 3 in the others) and were used on the X91 to Thurnscoe (I think) the ex Dearneways service.

 

The otheres were used on other services including a modified sheffield - rotherham service the 24 I think and were used a modified 41 Jordanthorpe city- Hackenthorpe.

 

The first one was loaned to various operators including belfast , london etc.

 

Some ended up in bath and some in sotherhern island one is for sale at the moment .

 

An interesting period there are plans to reintroduce a third generation but I will believe it when i see it.