Two Mercedes-Benz coaches of Autocares Rodrigues from Los Gallardos in Almeria Province in Spain.
The 29 seater is at Almeria Airport, and the 20 seater is on Paseo De Mediterraneo in Mojacar.
Ray Smyth.
cav551:
ramone:
Are there many original AEC engined Routemasters leftYes but I can only hazard a guess at how many - probably around 30-50, nearly all privately owned with the exception of those owned and operated by Ensignbus of Purfleet and the London Bus Company of Northfleet. who are the biggest operators of ex LT buses for private hire. Both however put out every available vehicle if requested by TfL when there are travel difficulties in London. In fact both operators put out RTs and RFs as well in these circumstances.
There were something in the region of 600 RMLs withdrawn from service between 2003 and 2005 followiing the announcement by London Mayor Ken Livingston that the Routemaster was to be removed from service to comply with disability access regulations. In fact these regulations IIRC did not come into force until 2017. By the final day of service in December 2005 there were only two or maybe three still AEC powered in semi regular use. RM 5, RM 613, and RML 2760. Practically all of the vehicles withdrawn in 2005 are still running in some form somewhere in the world.
In 1990/1 almost the entire RML fleet and a few score RMs had their AEC engines removed and modified (N/A) ■■■■■■■ C series or Iveco 8361 power substituted. AFAIK there were never any ■■■■■■■ C engines fitted to RMs. AEC had ceased trading in 1978 so spare parts were becoming hard to come by, the engines had also been in service for up to 30 years and accumulated significant mileages. In that time they had been overhauled numerous times resulting in core components being no longer recoverable. LT’s own Chiswick Works overhaul factory had closed in 1988 and LT was forced to use outside contractors to carry out engine overhauls. For some time before that the time between overhauls (TBO) for AEC engines had been getting shorter, now it had become a serious concern; the engines were simply worn out and the quality of replacements had deteriorated to an unacceptable level. By around 2000 virtually all the remaining RMs with AEC power and few score Iveco engines were replaced with Scania DS9 units. In around 2001 TfL had decided that it needed more open platform buses and another score or so RMs were resurrected or purchased from other operators or individuals and put through a complete modernisation programme, emerging with ■■■■■■■ 6 BTA engines and Allison MT 643 or T270 automatic gearboxes along with significant interior updates.
The situation now is that AEC or Leyland power is considered rather too fragile by most of the Private Hire operators outside London, it being difficult to find drivers sympathetic enough to keep the speed down on sometimes quite significant dead mileage to and from hire pick up points. To give some indication the bus with the M.A.N engine had, I’m told, consumed four AEC engines in something like the same number of years.
Another great reply Cav , thanks
Tyneside
Wigan Corporation fleet number 114 is on route 3, a cross town route from Martland Mill to Hindley.
This Leyland PD2 with bodywork by Northern Counties has just left Park Road, and is about to enter
Market Street and on to its town centre stop in Library Street. Picture by Martin Llewellyn.
Ray Smyth
How it used to be done. Tyneside
Two coaches of Autocares Rivera from the city of Jaen in central southern Spain,
seen here on Paseo De Meditteranio in Mojacar in Almeria Province. A Scania and
an Iveco. Just 200 yards to the rear of the Iveco coach is where me and my wife
have spent many holidays, in one of the upper apartments, facing the sea.
Pictures from Google Earth.
Ray Smyth.
Two Alexander Dennis buses of the Stagecoach fleet in King Street West in Wigan town centre.
The bus facing the camera is on the " Kitt Green Circular " route, numbers 3 and 4.
Ray Smyth.
cav551:
In that time they had been overhauled numerous times resulting in core components being no longer recoverable.
I was interested to find this photo of 2 Ribble low height Leyland Atlanteans in Carlisle
well into the 1970s. The double deck Carlisle buses that I remember were Leyland
PD2 and PD3 full height machines. Perhaps these and others were surplus to several
Ribble depots elsewhere because of the arrival of Leyland Nationals in large numbers.
Picture by Sholto Thomas.
Arriva bus on Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Wigan, on route 375 from Southport. 1/11/2019.
I think it is a Volvo, but not certain. Ray Smyth.
In the early 1950s, Ribble received 145 Leyland Royal Tiger coaches with bodywork by Leyland.
Standerwick, the Ribble subsidiary acquired 28 of these coaches. Fleet number 1065 is seen here
passing through Skipton on route X87 to Leeds. I don’t know where route X87 commenced, perhaps
Blackpool or Liverpool. Picture by J.S.Cockshott.
Hebble, a local firm to me in Halifax, had some all Leyland coaches. Being in the same livery, red and cream, and having a very similar fleet name, they were easy to confuse with the Ribble ones.
The only obvious difference was that Hebble ones had the front panel " tucked under ", which, dare I say, made them look more stylish 
Regards. John.
old 67:
Hebble, a local firm to me in Halifax, had some all Leyland coaches. Being in the same livery, red and cream, and having a very similar fleet name, they were easy to confuse with the Ribble ones.
The only obvious difference was that Hebble ones had the front panel " tucked under ", which, dare I say, made them look more stylish0
Regards. John.
That’s a name from the past, we sometimes used the Hebble when i was very young from the old bus station up near the Alhambra , i think they were Bristols
ramone:
old 67:
Hebble, a local firm to me in Halifax, had some all Leyland coaches. Being in the same livery, red and cream, and having a very similar fleet name, they were easy to confuse with the Ribble ones.
The only obvious difference was that Hebble ones had the front panel " tucked under ", which, dare I say, made them look more stylishRegards. John.
That’s a name from the past, we sometimes used the Hebble when i was very young from the old bus station up near the Alhambra , i think they were Bristols
Hi Ramone. Do you mean the old bus station in Halifax ? This is a photo of a Hebble bus in the bus station with the Alhambra in the background.
Hebble also operated out of the old Chester street bus station in Bradford, which as I’m sure you know, was quite near the Bradford Alhambra.
Regards. John.
Ramone wasn’t the Hebble bus fares cheaper, and didn’t one route go round Harecroft, Cullingworth, Wilsden, Bingley Eldwick etc etc. Les.
Chester street Bradford 1955.
0
old 67:
ramone:
old 67:
Hebble, a local firm to me in Halifax, had some all Leyland coaches. Being in the same livery, red and cream, and having a very similar fleet name, they were easy to confuse with the Ribble ones.
The only obvious difference was that Hebble ones had the front panel " tucked under ", which, dare I say, made them look more stylish1
Regards. John.
That’s a name from the past, we sometimes used the Hebble when i was very young from the old bus station up near the Alhambra , i think they were Bristols
Hi Ramone. Do you mean the old bus station in Halifax ? This is a photo of a Hebble bus in the bus station with the Alhambra in the background.
0
Hebble also operated out of the old Chester street bus station in Bradford, which as I’m sure you know, was quite near the Bradford Alhambra.
Regards. John.
Hi John, That’s a great picture of the Hebble AEC Regent, its bodywork looks very much like Northern Counties from Wigan, Cheers, Ray.
Yes Ray, the Regent has a Northern Counties body, as does this, the only rear engine bus ever bought by Hebble.
Regards.John.
les-p:
Ramone wasn’t the Hebble bus fares cheaper, and didn’t one route go round Harecroft, Cullingworth, Wilsden, Bingley Eldwick etc etc. Les.
Chester street Bradford 1955.
0
Not sure if they went to shipley glen Les could have sworn we once went there on one or it could have been a next yorkshire as i called them when very young
Old 67 i meant the chester st station in bradford i totally forgot the name
Ray Smyth:
Arriva bus on Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Wigan, on route 375 from Southport. 1/11/2019.
I think it is a Volvo, but not certain. Ray Smyth.
Its a shame they no longer seem to tell the world what make of vehicle is under the bodywork.
Its frustrating looking at a vehicle and not being able to identify it.
Ray Smyth:
old 67:
ramone:
old 67:
Hebble, a local firm to me in Halifax, had some all Leyland coaches. Being in the same livery, red and cream, and having a very similar fleet name, they were easy to confuse with the Ribble ones.
The only obvious difference was that Hebble ones had the front panel " tucked under ", which, dare I say, made them look more stylish1
Regards. John.
That’s a name from the past, we sometimes used the Hebble when i was very young from the old bus station up near the Alhambra , i think they were Bristols
Hi Ramone. Do you mean the old bus station in Halifax ? This is a photo of a Hebble bus in the bus station with the Alhambra in the background.
0
Hebble also operated out of the old Chester street bus station in Bradford, which as I’m sure you know, was quite near the Bradford Alhambra.
Regards. John.
Hi John, That’s a great picture of the Hebble AEC Regent, its bodywork looks very much like Northern Counties from Wigan, Cheers, Ray.
The AEC Mk.V ranges of both lorries and PSVs was AEC at its best, both in terms of styling and engineering.