Trivia: Routes Used By Demonstrators To Test Buses In Each City

[tbtc]

The below comment in the Lothian Buses thread (https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...east-coast-buses.208948/page-283#post-6074260) states that the 23 is Edinburgh’s testing ground for any demonstrator vehicles, since it gives them a good testing environment

Here in Sheffield, it’s the 51 (the hills around Manor Top and Crosspool separate the men from the boys, in terms of stretching the capabilities of some relatively boxfresh bus that claims great fuel efficient and reliability on flat roads)

Do other cities/ operating areas have a dedicated route for trails? And are there any examples of this route changing over time (the Edinburgh 23 and Sheffield 51 are largely recognisable from pre-deregulation)?

Our do some places just stick them on any old route because there’s not any/many services that require things like great hill climbing (e.g. Norwich)?

The only reason it was on the 23 (regardless of it being single or double deck) is because all alternative fuel demonstrators get used on that due to its hilly nature - there’s no point trialling it on a relatively flat route to make a substantial purchase and find they aren’t suitable.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

Strathclyde's Buses service 66 used to be a favourite for single deck demonstrators. Some notable examples I can think of arrived shortly after the Larkfield Depot fire in the early 90s were the 2 Scania N113/Plaxton Verde which eventually were purchased outright and the 5 DAF/Ikarus.

There was also 2 Volvo B10Bs trialled, one with Alexander Strider bodywork and the other with Northern Counties and these were also normally seen on the 66.

 

[Intercity110]

In Northampton The first Enviro 400 MMCs started testing on the circular 12/12a as it goes through the very outskirts of Northampton and the town centre, if I remember correctly.

 

[DanNCL]

Go North East generally trial double deck demonstrators on the 21. Single deckers vary, but most recent ones have been trialled on the 53/54.

On the rare occasions Stagecoach Newcastle have any demonstrators (twice in the last 10 years?) the route of choice seems to be the 38 for double deckers and the (now suspended) 100 for single deckers.

 

[_toommm_]

Here in Sheffield, it’s the 51 (the hills around Manor Top and Crosspool separate the men from the boys, in terms of stretching the capabilities of some relatively boxfresh bus that claims great fuel efficient and reliability on flat roads)

The X78 did have a few demonstrators on it a few years back - a bright blue Optare double decker, and possibly even a Streetdeck (although my memory fails me).

 

[Man of Kent]

Historically Edinburgh/Lothian used to put most demonstrators on the 19 Circle.

 

[SSmith2009]

First Leicester trialled the Electroliner demo (LY71GJE) on service 54 then 16 and 74 as they have hills and tight turns

Arriva used the same bus on their 47/48 and 50/51 routes around Leicester

 

[SouthEastBuses]

The below comment in the Lothian Buses thread (https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...east-coast-buses.208948/page-283#post-6074260) states that the 23 is Edinburgh’s testing ground for any demonstrator vehicles, since it gives them a good testing environment

Here in Sheffield, it’s the 51 (the hills around Manor Top and Crosspool separate the men from the boys, in terms of stretching the capabilities of some relatively boxfresh bus that claims great fuel efficient and reliability on flat roads)

Do other cities/ operating areas have a dedicated route for trails? And are there any examples of this route changing over time (the Edinburgh 23 and Sheffield 51 are largely recognisable from pre-deregulation)?

Our do some places just stick them on any old route because there’s not any/many services that require things like great hill climbing (e.g. Norwich)?

In Oxford, the 11X tends to be the route where demonstrator buses are used because it goes from the city centre to the outskirts and nobody ever uses it.

 

[DunsBus]

Historically Edinburgh/Lothian used to put most demonstrators on the 19 Circle.

This was to keep them close to Central Garage. The 19 (and its later 19/39 incarnation) was a short circle, the furthest away point being Pilton.

 

[JD2168]

The X78 did have a few demonstrators on it a few years back - a bright blue Optare double decker, and possibly even a Streetdeck (although my memory fails me).

35101 is the Streetdeck demo that was trialled on the X78, still runs in Sheffield & noticeable as the only one with a glazed staircase. The other demonstrator 35102 also runs in Sheffield as well.
There was also a B5TL EvoSeti decker trialled at the same time.

 

[Roger1973]

I don't remember any specifics in London for either demonstrators or experimental classes.

Some demonstrators / prototypes / experimental buses were based at Turnham Green garage, which was about the closest to Chiswick Works (for example the RT modified to semi-automatic rather than pre-select, the ex Leeds Daimler / Roe that was effectively a Dennis Dominator test bed.)

Clapton - Bow route 208 (later S2) had a few single deck demonstrators in the 1950s, and had an early batch of Leyland Nationals and the small class of Metro Scania single deckers run on it, but this may have been coincidence. A Metro-Scania demonstrator had earlier run from Plumstead Garage on route 99.

Route 170 / Sunday 44 was used for the 'alternative vehicle' trials c. 1985, but I'm not sure if there was a particular reason, or if it just required about the right number of buses.

In general, LT tended to move prototypes or experimental classes around, to get experience on a variety of routes.

 

[Busaholic]

I don't remember any specifics in London for either demonstrators or experimental classes.

Some demonstrators / prototypes / experimental buses were based at Turnham Green garage, which was about the closest to Chiswick Works (for example the RT modified to semi-automatic rather than pre-select, the ex Leeds Daimler / Roe that was effectively a Dennis Dominator test bed.)

Clapton - Bow route 208 (later S2) had a few single deck demonstrators in the 1950s, and had an early batch of Leyland Nationals and the small class of Metro Scania single deckers run on it, but this may have been coincidence. A Metro-Scania demonstrator had earlier run from Plumstead Garage on route 99.

Route 170 / Sunday 44 was used for the 'alternative vehicle' trials c. 1985, but I'm not sure if there was a particular reason, or if it just required about the right number of buses.

In general, LT tended to move prototypes or experimental classes around, to get experience on a variety of routes.

Turnham Green also trialled RM2 on the 91 route for those reasons.

One of the small MS class of Metro-Scania on the S2 also demonstrated that it could float on Clapton Pond during the first week of operation and, unfortunately for the manufacturer, someone was on hand to photograph it for posterity!

Route 284 at Potters Bar (later renumbered PB1) by virtue of being that London rarity a one bus route also trialled both double deckers and minibuses!

 

[Deerfold]

In Oxford, the 11X tends to be the route where demonstrator buses are used because it goes from the city centre to the outskirts and nobody ever uses it.

Which is why it runs every 10 minutes, 7 days a week.

 

[goldisgood]

Which is why it runs every 10 minutes, 7 days a week.

At risk of getting off topic: the route is the former shuttle bus for drivers between the Oxford Bus depot and Queens Lane, made public a year or two back (which is why it's a relatively empty service).
For more demonstrator routes around Oxford, withdrawn route 500 used to see demonstrators a fair amount, with route 300 seeing some nowadays.

 

[Eyersey468]

Under the Shipps East Yorkshire used to put any demonstrators on several of the Hull routes especially the 66

 

[bussnapperwm]

National Express West Midlands tend to test electric buses on the 6 in Birmingham. When they had the various diesel demonstrator B7RLEs, they used to often get allocated to the 246 (Dudley) but sometimes appeared on the 205 or X96 (both Dudley routes)

 

[MotCO]

I don't remember any specifics in London for either demonstrators or experimental classes.

Some demonstrators / prototypes / experimental buses were based at Turnham Green garage, which was about the closest to Chiswick Works (for example the RT modified to semi-automatic rather than pre-select, the ex Leeds Daimler / Roe that was effectively a Dennis Dominator test bed.)

Clapton - Bow route 208 (later S2) had a few single deck demonstrators in the 1950s, and had an early batch of Leyland Nationals and the small class of Metro Scania single deckers run on it, but this may have been coincidence. A Metro-Scania demonstrator had earlier run from Plumstead Garage on route 99.

Route 170 / Sunday 44 was used for the 'alternative vehicle' trials c. 1985, but I'm not sure if there was a particular reason, or if it just required about the right number of buses.

In general, LT tended to move prototypes or experimental classes around, to get experience on a variety of routes.

I may be mis-remembering, but I thought GoAhead London often had demonstrators - the one I can recall is the BCI 6-wheeler imported by Ensigns.

 

[Roger1973]

I may be mis-remembering, but I thought GoAhead London often had demonstrators - the one I can recall is the BCI 6-wheeler imported by Ensigns.

I think I know the one you mean.

You've reminded me that Selkent did trial a bendy bus and a 3 axle bus on route 180 in 1992 - photos (not mine) on Flickr here and here

I was away from London then and didn't see them, and can't remember much about it, not sure if there was a particular reason for route 180.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

At risk of getting off topic: the route is the former shuttle bus for drivers between the Oxford Bus depot and Queens Lane, made public a year or two back (which is why it's a relatively empty service).
For more demonstrator routes around Oxford, withdrawn route 500 used to see demonstrators a fair amount, with route 300 seeing some nowadays.

Yeah, the dual door Translink Belfast Electroliner 3575 (YUI 3575) was used on the 300.

 

[Strathclyder]

On the rare occasions First Glasgow has had demostrators (I can only think of one or two right off the top of my head, no doubt there were others), the 61 (Summerston - Tollcross/Sandyhills) & 62 (Faifley - Baillieston) seemed to be the routes of choice, given their intensive, cross-city nature. The unique, right-hand drive Hispano Habit-bodied Volvo B7L (BX03 OVZ) that eventually found it's way into the McGill's fleet (via a spell with Arriva Fox County) was used on both routes when being trialed at Parkhead depot in mid-2005.

First Glasgow BX03OVZ

Unique Hispano bodied Volvo B7L was operated on loan to First Glasgow in 2005 (I think). It is now owned by McGill's.

www.flickr.com

First Glasgow BX03OVZ

A rear shot of this unique vehicle while on loan to Parkhead Depot of First Glasgow, seen in Renfield St in mid 2005

www.flickr.com

FIRST GLASGOW (DEMONSTRATOR) BX03OVZ

BX03OVZ was a Volvo B7L / Hispano B41F built as a demonstrator for Volvo Bus, Warwick in July 2003. It was borrowed by First Glasgow in 2005, and was loading in Chalmers Street in Clydebank. Little did we realise at the time that it would return to the area to join the fleet of McGill's on a...

www.flickr.com

(linked images copyright of David Devoy & Phil Halewood respectively)