Todays question, which was raised on the Exhibition National whilst it was at the Aire Valley Running Day at Bolton Abbey. What gearbox was fitted to the 1962 ex Albion Lowlander Demonstrator 747 EUS which was a sold to Bamber Bridge Motor Services later in 1962, becoming Ribble (1968) in 1967, when Ribble took over B.B.M.S. ?
Was the vehicle fitted with a manual or a semi-auto gearbox, when it operated out of Preston Selborne Street Depot, when it was in service with Ribble ?
What gearbox was fitted to the 1962 ex Albion Lowlander Demonstrator 747 EUS which was a sold to Bamber Bridge Motor Services later in 1962, becoming Ribble (1968) in 1967, when Ribble took over B.B.M.S. ?
Was the vehicle fitted with a manual or a semi-auto gearbox, when it operated out of Preston Selborne Street Depot, when it was in service with Ribble ?
747EUS was new as chassis designation LR1
LR1 = pneumocyclic
LR3 = manual
LR5 = pneumocyclic with rear air suspension
LR7 = manual with rear air suspension
Ribble 1851-60 were LR3
Ribble 1861 - 6 were LR1
Sources of info ; Leyland Bus by Doug Jack and http://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk
Mark
I beg to differ Mark.
Leyland Bus - D. Jack Page 318, Quote - "The LR3 (manual) model was exclusive to the South Notts Bus Co. (5), plus the Bamber Bridge ex-demonstrator and one early chassis which was eventually sold to Western S.M.T." (a total of 7.)
So the Ribble original 10 Ribble examples could not have been LR3, but LR1.
52 years of Ribble - Ribble Enthusiasts Club and P.S.V Circle list
the 1964 build of ten UCK 851 - UCK 860 (1851 - 1860) and the six 1965 build ARN 861C -ARN 866C (1861 - 1866) as being LR1, which agrees with D. Jack as above and disagrees with Bus Lists on the Web.
I beg to differ Mark.
Leyland Bus - D. Jack Page 318, Quote - "The LR3 (manual) model was exclusive to the South Notts Bus Co. (5), plus the Bamber Bridge ex-demonstrator and one early chassis which was eventually sold to Western S.M.T." (a total of 7.)
So the Ribble original 10 Ribble examples could not have been LR3, but LR1.
52 years of Ribble - Ribble Enthusiasts Club and P.S.V Circle list
the 1964 build of ten UCK 851 - UCK 860 (1851 - 1860) and the six 1965 build ARN 861C -ARN 866C (1861 - 1866) as being LR1, which agrees with D. Jack as above and disagrees with Bus Lists on the Web.
I've talked to friends who worked for Ribble in the late 1960s / early 70s and drove both types of Lowlanders. They say the Ribble ones had pneumocyclic gears while the dreaded 747 EUS had a manual box. As is well known the latter was detested by most (all?) drivers and was used by Wigan depot as spare bus to deter requests for a changeover.
Ray
Albion Lowlander Demonstrator 747 EUS definitely had a manual gearbox when my father aquired it for B.B.M.S. in 1962.
J.R.P.