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Just looking at this bit of film:

And I got to think how do the go on to wash a trolleybus in the bus wash? Surely they didn't wash them in the bus wash with 550 volts DC running through it at the time. That'd be a shocking experience.

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I am pretty sure they went through the washers while on the wires. They were well insulated after all they ran in the rain. the washer would only have reached the top of the sides.

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#4.

Not quite correct !

During periods of heavy rain the bus could become live a little, current would look for an easy way to ground & the handle at the back would become live, you would notice that when you got on or off the bus during heavy rain, with one foot on the pavement & one on the bus whilst holding on to the bar when getting on or off. This would have been a much lower current than the wires carried but could make you swear a little.

The pole was always bound with plenty of white plastic tape but was not 100% insulated.

When the bus became "live" a warning light came on in the cab & in the cab were always a pair of stout leather gauntlets for the driver to put on his hands.

There are more qualified & experienced electricians on here who could explain this better, mine is the "layman's" version.

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Yes Malc they did, but could not travel any great distance though.

Nearly forgot, when the bus became "live" the secret was to board & alight the bus by not touching anywhere on the bus when on the pavement. !

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  • 2 years later...

That bloke was later replaced by a proper bus washing machine ! Bulwell Depot like other out of town depots had a Jet Wash .

Note the chrome grill surround  AEC badge on the grill, later removed possibly knowing the council to save a bit of money !

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Dad was never a fan of them. He did some shifts out of Sherwood when they had an allocation of them for the 31/50 in the late sixtes and early seventies, and he said that they always suffered from badly adjusted clutches, which would slip whilst climbing Woodborough Road. He did enjoy driving the two ex WBUDC examples 393/4 which were often to be found on the GEM/ASDA contract to Clifton. These had semi-automatic boxes and in his words were "like driving around in your favourite armchair."

 

My memories of the AEC Renowns were when they were allocated to Bilborough in 1972, and a fully laden one struggling to climb up Ilkeston Road from Radford Boulevard to Canning Circus one Saturday lunchtime on the 60. The whine from the transmission was something to behold. Having said that they could also fly as you said, particularly when Bilborough used them on the 53 which was limited on setting down and picking up local passengers between Clifton Bridge North and Clifton Estate.

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10 minutes ago, Deepdene Boy said:

Dad was never a fan of them. He did some shifts out of Sherwood when they had an allocation of them for the 31/50 in the late sixtes and early seventies, and he said that they always suffered from badly adjusted clutches, which would slip whilst climbing Woodborough Road. He did enjoy driving the two ex WBUDC examples 393/4 which were often to be found on the GEM/ASDA contract to Clifton. These had semi-automatic boxes and in his words were "like driving around in your favourite armchair."

 

My memories of the AEC Renowns were when they were allocated to Bilborough in 1972, and a fully laden one struggling to climb up Ilkeston Road from Radford Boulevard to Canning Circus one Saturday lunchtime on the 60. The whine from the transmission was something to behold. Having said that they could also fly as you said, particularly when Bilborough used them on the 53 which was limited on setting down and picking up local passengers between Clifton Bridge North and Clifton Estate.

I think to be honest DDB, Your dad like the rest of us were spoilt by Fleetlines !  With a FL the conductor could stand & chat to the driver at the front !

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Incidentally NCT wanted to convert the Renowns for one man operation, converting bus 354 as a trial, I think your dad along with Harry Ball put a stop to that silliness straight away.

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Dad's all time favourites were the AN68 Atlanteans 540-571 which were allocated from new to Trent Bridge. Dad was on the rota that transferred there from Parliament Street when Trent Bridge re-opened in 1973

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 minute ago, catfan said:

Incidentally NCT wanted to convert the Renowns for one man operation, converting bus 354 as a trial, I think your dad along with Harry Ball put a stop to that silliness straight away.

Yes, Dad and Harry made it quite clear to both Johnny Wake and Phil Groves that there was no way the TGWU would sanction the use of AEC Renowns on OMO.

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Just now, IAN123. said:

s-l225_2.jpg

Ian, yes that's the one. I couldn't get hold of an NCT one as they were all hired from Bell Punch, London and were returned as services were converted to OMO. However, in later years I manged to purchase an ex Liverpool machine.

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1 minute ago, catfan said:

Leyland Atlantean AN68s number series 450 onwards did it for me along with MK1 Leyland Nationals.

Mark Nationals, were too light on the front end to start with and lacked adhesion when steering on damp and greasy roads. 727 was impaled on a lampost by a fitterin these type of conditions. Dad and Harry Ball made representations to have the batteries moved further forward to help overcome this problem.

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