This is a young me getting into one of my old Mans Comets ready for a run to the
Kursaal.
He did like his Fodens though
I did move them around aged about 11,but not very accurately!!
This is the same site a few years later.
The far one is a rear engined 2 stroke diesel Foden 33 seater Duple body,and the one in the garage is a conventional 4 stroke Gardiner 180 underfloor 41 seater with a Plaxton body.
Aww bless don’t you look sweet in shorts 
ace photos man,a bit of nostalgia.
Duple body.
now i havn’t heard that for a while, i worked there for a short time.
Always thought the Gardner engines ran very smoothly. I’m talking about buses but they were the most quiet buses I drove when at first bus. they had them engines in the old Leyland deckers. Also had Leyland tri axle deckers with ■■■■■■■ engines and they were bloody rapid
The quickest one we ever had was a Commer TS3,it flew but it needed oil change at 3000 mile intervals!!!
It was funny driving all the different deckers, they all had their own character that you find older vehicles have. Some Gardner engined ones were so lax that they would only do 40 flat out as that’s all they were geared to (maybe higher gears were goosed and locked out) and had a burning oil smell all the time and some went like hell. There was this one in an H plate and when you had the cab window you could well tell this engine was giving it the beans and then some. Pin you to your seat material. I wish I had that bus all the time. Stuff the brand new ones!! These were the old air operated gas pedals where you press the pedal, wait 2 seconds then it comes to life 
As I was saying…character
Steve-o:
It was funny driving all the different deckers, they all had their own character that you find older vehicles have. Some Gardner engined ones were so lax that they would only do 40 flat out as that’s all they were geared to (maybe higher gears were goosed and locked out) and had a burning oil smell all the time and some went like hell. There was this one in an H plate and when you had the cab window you could well tell this engine was giving it the beans and then some. Pin you to your seat material. I wish I had that bus all the time. Stuff the brand new ones!! These were the old air operated gas pedals where you press the pedal, wait 2 seconds then it comes to life
The Leyland Olympians I rarely drove Gardner engines fitted and they were slow as hell!!!
On a cold winters morning I took a Leyland out and a mile down the road it started filling up with smoke, so pulled over and phoned up about it - “dont worry its always doing it” 
Had to drive with all the windows open and the door open 
Some of the Volvo Olympians we had, had ■■■■■■■ and it was hit and miss as to which one went well and which went like a bag of bolts!!!
God, how I DONT miss driving buses
DAF95XF:
Steve-o:
It was funny driving all the different deckers, they all had their own character that you find older vehicles have. Some Gardner engined ones were so lax that they would only do 40 flat out as that’s all they were geared to (maybe higher gears were goosed and locked out) and had a burning oil smell all the time and some went like hell. There was this one in an H plate and when you had the cab window you could well tell this engine was giving it the beans and then some. Pin you to your seat material. I wish I had that bus all the time. Stuff the brand new ones!! These were the old air operated gas pedals where you press the pedal, wait 2 seconds then it comes to lifeThe Leyland Olympians I rarely drove Gardner engines fitted and they were slow as hell!!!
On a cold winters morning I took a Leyland out and a mile down the road it started filling up with smoke, so pulled over and phoned up about it - “dont worry its always doing it”
Some of the Volvo Olympians we had, had ■■■■■■■ and it was hit and miss as to which one went well and which went like a bag of bolts!!!
God, how I DONT miss driving buses
When I left service work they were all saying “you’ll be back”…RIGHT THEN
The Kursaal …now that reminds me of a few things
Blissy:
The Kursaal
Happy days eh?
Steve-o:
It was funny driving all the different deckers, they all had their own character that you find older vehicles have.
Seems a world away doesn’t it; that smell of old leather, steamed-up windows, no seat belts, smoking allwed upstairs and the bus full of noisy schoolkids.
i’ve never been anorakish about buses but I did have one particular favourite on the school run; Trent used to have one old Leyland Titan half-cab in the early 70’s, all the rest having been replaced by the ubiquitous Atlanteans. Can still remember the old girl struggling up the hills, driver battling with what we now call a “proper” gerarbox!