The Bus Drivers introduction
 

Bus Drivers induction 1966ish

Had enough of being a prisoner driving in the gasworks, and only being allowed the freedom of the road on my weekends with the TA, so off I go to see about being a Southdown bus driver.

Walked into the office, if my memory serves me correctly, it was upstairs in Edward Street Garage. Had my interview and was being shown round the garage, my interviewer excuses himself and walks over to a chap who had just walked into the garage and then they both come over to me, whereupon the second man introduces himself as Mr. Trott, The Driving Examiner, They had their own in those days. After a brief chat and a look at my ordinary licence, he asked if I was interested in going out there and then, on a preliminary assessement, whereupon he would make a decision about how long I would be allocated on the driver training rota.

Cabbie, cabbie, I jumped at the chance and virtually ran round the Queen Mary doing my Driver checks. "Not necessary mister" they tell me, "it's all done for you here". Still did it every time I started a duty or took one over, time permitting. Anyway, I climb in the cab and familiarise myself with the controls, Trotty boards the bus and stands behind and to the left of me, to give directions through the opening.

Thus I was unleashed in a nearly new 30ft by 8ft 2.5 inch beauty.
Well we went through the centre and Trotty decided that he wanted to pop in to see someone at Poole Valley Bus Station and directs me to go round Old Steine, now I know that Poole Valley is down a little Lane off The Old Steine, so before he realises what has happened, I dived down the lane (Bull I know, but I wanted the job).
Well then we went along the seafront up West Street and via A steep hill (Dyke Road where I had to stop and pull away up hill, assuming I had standing passengers and do 'a snatch change first to second and proceed on , this was followed by reversing round various left side corners, moving away on a downhill, in the correct gear and letting the clutch in on the move, bringing the vehicle to a halt, downhill without using the footbrake, just handbrake and gear combinations, emergency stops etc.

We pulled into the Forecourt of the station on the way back, he had meant outside, but not been specific, more bull.

We get back and he took me over to a chap whom I learned was a Driving Instructor and said "this one is ready if you have a chance tomorrow take him in one of your groups, and give him a bit of polish", we then made our way to the office and collected the required paperwork to obtain references and medical and I was told as soon as they were back in, I could have my test and start route training.

The half hour with the instructor took place a couple of days later, between two other trainees who were on a week or two's course, and later with the paperwork and formalities completed, official test out of the way, I was on the job route learning within 10 days of interview.

Oh to be that confident today.
But how are the mighty fallen.
Part two The Guy, will follow.

Energumen

Great story Energumen and look forward to the next episode.

Part Two; The Guys
 

Oh alright then, ha ha.

Let me start with the 'Queen Marys', if they had a fault, it was with brake fade after prolonged heavy use, such as was often inflicted on them by heavy footed drivers on the Brighton to Eastbourne Run, which tended to be very well loaded and had a couple of nasty hills at East Dean and Eastbourne end. This could mean driving one of these on the return journey, one would do so with due anticipation and care, having got the conductor to phone ahead, for a changeover spare to be put on the stand at Old Steine, to complete the Brighton end of the journey and continue the duty.

Good ere innit.

Where was I?, oh I know, so this day I am in for a bit of overtime and covering a 'Standing Spare' duty, If Jack was in a good mood, this entailed playing billiards or darts or something at the social club until called upon to do something. So Jack phones across for a spare bus to be collected from Edward Street garage and put on the stand at Old Steine to replace a No.12 road Queen Mary, which was due in at whatever time.

I duly reported to Edward Street and was allocated one of the Guys (see Billboy's picture in the Gallery), it could well have been the very one. I carried out quick checks and away I went, out into Grand Parade to make for Old Steine about a third of a mile distance I suppose. Now, well, it's like this, I had driven mobile plant, Albion All terrain 10 tonners, BK Lorry Mounted Diggers, Thorncroft Coles (ex RAF), Commer 3 Tonner and the likes all with no syncromesh. Suddenly the cocky little 'this ones ready', was totally unprepared, suffice to say, try as I might, the nearest I came to getting above second gear, was repeated imitations of an inordinately large Lion with a terribly sore throat. I am sure the whole of the bus Driving fraternity in Brighton must have heard and if not they should have, yes, how are the mighty fallen indeed.

But I parked on the through stand at Old Steine and walked down to the staff room at Pool Valley for a cuppa whilst I awaited the brakeless QM to arrive. Being stunned by my own ineptitude, I announced to the gallery of Drivers, how I had met my match and been beaten by it. Oh Dear, that started it.

"Huh, Mans buses the guys'', " they sort out the men from the boys", " Come back when you've got your knees brown Son", and so forth and so on, all richly deserved I am sure.

Then an old driver who was on the point of retiring, called me quietly aside and said " don't listen to the loud mouthed Jackasses, there is not one of them changes cleanly on the guys, unless by accident and on asking for and being given my word that I would never pass it on to the know alls, who proffessed to be experts, he explained how to go up and down the box, in near silence, if you discount the noisy Gardner revving up.

So the bus was swapped over, I took the QM back to Edward Street and hosed the brake drums until they stopped creating clouds of steam in the garage, and once again were within contact range of the brake shoes.

The secret of the gear changes was, another story for another day.

Energumen

I received a demonstration of how to do that by an older man. He used the clutch to pull away only then he used his left foot to maneuver the gear lever up to fourth and back down and into first with not a sound from the gear box. Never quite mastered that technique myself mind. but i could go up and down through the gears silently.
First thing in the morning when the gearbox was cold it was a quick change. Once the gearbox warmed up it was a slow change. a warm Gardner Diesel taks a few seconds to slow down when she has been reving.
If you are still with us Mr Anderson I thank you for the gearbox advice.

Come on then all you bus drivers out there, come clean, ever work a good scam?
One evening upon arrival at the old stein, we were to work a town service (Round the houses) to Withdean. we pulled away on time empty. went up the road a wee bit then turned the lights out, turned round and ran back to the old stein where we enjoyed a couple of pints of Guinness. after that, the driver and i bought a cheap ticket each and drove round the block and into pool valley dead on time. picked up our service for Eastbourne and off we went. (naughty boys eh)

Crash-gearbox changes is something that, when you've mastered it, you don't forget - yet you have difficulty describing it to others.
Rather like riding a bike . . .
Having learned to make clutchless gearchanges on my first car, I thought I'd be OK with heavy trucks, but there was loads more inertia to consider. I did master it, though only after a few totally missed changes. Stop and start again. Try again. Got it after a while (some boxes were easier than others).

Hi again, yes thanks for the input, you are of course quite correct, the old chap said that as I had had the guts to admit I struggled, he would help, but let the others, go on 'talking a good job'.

I rarely used the clutch on the guys after that except for pulling away and snatch changes from first to second on a climb.

I have had fun over the years when other drivers may have been riding shotgun, some were convinced when I told them that the clutch pedal was disconnected and the gearbox of whatever I was driving was semi automatic, or the switch i pressed on the dashboard was an electric clutch. The fun died out once all the auto and semi auto boxes became commonplace.

Once when driving an outside broadcast truck for the BBC, I was sent off on an urgent detail as part of a rebroadcasting network to do with, if I remember correctly, A major political resignation. I had never driven this old truck before and within 500-800 yds. the clutch pedal fell to the floor, dead, obviously a slave or master cylinder fault or fluid leak. I just carried on to the rendevous point, which was about forty miles and then across a steep field to the top of a hill. Apart from having to switch the engine of every time I stopped and then starting it in gear on full throttle, the journey was totally unremarkable. On arriving at the rendevous, I used one of their technician's phones to advise them that it would need attention when I got back, but their workshop would not believe that it could be driven without using the clutch and sent out the fitters.

Energumen

I was involved in building an OB truck for the BBC TV for the Barcelona Olympics. A Dennis 8x4 (or was it 8x2 - I forget) with a 7 speed (or was it just 6?) automatic transmission.
The spec was to ensure that it could negotiate step gradients and manoeuvre on-site yet travel at reasonable speed on highways.
Probably got photos somewhere . . .

Hi, I would like to see one thanks. I only did work for the BBC via Agency, but often did The Antiques Road Show, The really Wild show and a little rigid on the 'props, for Casualty, Plus some filming in Lancashire.

The clutch truck, was I think an old commer or similar.

Regards
Energumen

I think it only fair to finish the Guy Story.

You may recall my having been acquainted with the necessary techniques to drive this 'mans Bus'.

That evening , having finished my o/t duty, I catch a 12 relief to go home, to Black Rock, and sit upstairs.

Well it is a guy, and from the moment we left Pool Valley, you could hear every gear change made, I thought, this guy obviously has not got the secret. On approaching my stop, I came downstairs and peered through the glass, only to recognise the rear view of the thirty something bloke who had held court earlier with his shouts of There's Drivers and Drivers, Mans Bus etc.

I jumped as soon as it stopped, ran alongside his cab and shouted" Thanks for the lift conductor", "mens buses these".
Energumen

Great stories Energumen - your writing them faster than I can read them.
Worked with an ex bus driver for many years and each time it snowed all you heard was 'this will sort the men out from the boys'.
Our normal work entailed driving vans but some had trailers and one day he quietly asked me to reverse a trailer for him as he couldn't do it - louder they are harder they fall.

Talking of snow, our wrecker was a special 6x4 with DDAD 6V-71 six-speed synchro and Eaton three-speed rear axles (lo-lo, lo-hi, hi-hi) Hendrickson RT equalising-beam bogie rear suspension - oh and full cross-axle diff-locks.
I set off one evening in heavy falling snow to drive down M1 from J13 TO J10.
There were no other vehicles on the road. None. The snow was accumulating rapidly and I'd selected diff-locks to maintain traction, but the short wheelbase (it had been built primarily as a tug, though it could lift-and-tow 6 tons - ie front axles only) meant that the blighter wanted to go straight-on and not respond to the front wheels steering on the (now) deepening snow.
There had been no salting, just ploughing (a good while previously), but the ploughing hadn't followed the carriageway lanes but meandered from hard-shoulder to central-reservation.
Great fun!
This must have been around 1968.

Aye, we can all come unstuck, better to admit to it than put up this front.

There is something about most men, where you can say they are no good at a sport, or d.i.y. or even, not that good a lover, but criticise their driving and watch out.Ha ha.

Re the snow, my most recent unnerving experience on snow, was about 7-8 years ago, and funnily enough I was on a little 17 ton rigid, delivering around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, the snow was extremely fine, but absolutely intense and dense, it was settling on the tree branches and overhead wires, making the wires about 8 inches in diameter, in no time and dipping virtually, and in many cases actually to the ground. I kept ploughing on and eventually came in to the back end of Redditch heading for the M5.

Well, Redditch had big wide dual carriageway, there was nothing moving, just a totally undisturbed and beautiful carpet of snow, unnerving, I'll say, there was absolutely no indication of where fields started, verges lay, or carriageways, started, finished, curved or anything for quite a way, I haven't done much above Yorkshire, but I imagine it was like a Scottish white out, or being in cloud in a light aircraft with no instrument awareness.

Regards
Enurgumen

I always found Snow driving to stressful. Its hard on the eyes and the effort you had to make to avoid invisible kerbs was worrying too.
Anyone remember those days snowed in on shap? go out to the truck each day and perhaps gain another 100 yards on the hill before returning to the cafe for the night. Then try to get a wee bit further up the next day.
Was't life fun back then

Driving in heavy falling snow (particularly at night using headlights) could lead (especially if you were tired) to 'tunnel vision' where the surroundings seemed to be stationary and the snow driving towards you rather like watching a film or computer game. All sense of reality is suspended and it an be heightened by the absence of sound (due to the packed snow on the road surface).
Potentially dangerous . . .

Found this on the M4 near Membury Services Westbound one night and also on the M4 Eastbound in Wales at Sarn Services, it is exactly as you say, but was a few years ago now.

Anyone experienced the A9 north of Perth plenty snow up there

Ne'er crossed the border, nor even climbed Shap, in all the years, That was night out stuff from the south coast, that was never my scene.

That was for the hardy and some would suggest foolhardy, considering the pay on general haulage in those days. There again, needs must, but in my case not needy enough, thank goodness. Too much of that as a kid.

The old A9 was a pain of a road with the bridges forcing trucks and buses into your path causing many an accident. Memory is going here but there was a garage about half way up the A9 and it was littered with wrecks.

That was Calvine, its bypassed now :(