Author Topic: Bus meets bridge  (Read 10151 times)

Offline Jeremy

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Bus meets bridge
« on: December 31, 2008, 04:19:04 PM »
Every few months here there's a local news story about some double-decker driver taking a wrong turn and turning his bus into a convertible - here's the latest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7806333.stm

Jeremy
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Offline jackhartjr

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2008, 04:45:08 PM »
The reporter said the bus weighed 90,000 pounds...could that be right?
Jack
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Offline Jeremy

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2008, 05:05:33 PM »
The reporter said the bus weighed 90,000 pounds...could that be right?
Jack

That would have been 'pounds' as in '£' - ie. value. Britain stopped using pounds to weigh things almost 40 years ago

Jeremy
A shameless plug for my business - visit www.magazineexchange.co.uk for back issue magazines - thousands of titles covering cars, motorbikes, aircraft, railways, boats, modelling etc. You'll find lots of interest, although not much covering American buses sadly.

Offline circusboy90210

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2008, 05:21:51 PM »
a woman was arrested in gb for selling fruit by the bowl refusing 2 use metric system

Offline paulcjhastings

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2008, 11:40:42 PM »
a woman was arrested in gb for selling fruit by the bowl refusing 2 use metric system



???What kind of crack are you smoking???
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Offline buswarrior

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2009, 07:17:52 AM »
Yes, I agree, he was referencing the value of the coach.

using today's exchange rate, which might not convey anything intelligent, with exchange rates wildly fluctuating...

90 000 pounds sterling is equivalent to US$131 000 give or take as of this morning on the internet.

I'm thinking that number is still way off?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

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Offline compedgemarine

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2009, 07:31:20 AM »
is it just me or is the clearance sign in feet and inches. seems odd that it is not metric.

Offline circusboy90210

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2009, 08:02:00 AM »
is it just me or is the clearance sign in feet and inches. seems odd that it is not metric.
12'3" metric is actually & never has been popular in GB. beer by the pint s too popular & this would do away with millions of beer steins & bars would not be affording all new glassware. they took on the metrics kicking & screaming.

a woman in GB recently received 41 charges for refusing to sell fruits by metric.fruit by the bowl

cody

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2009, 08:04:00 AM »
Well thank you, CB for the stimulating and enlightening view from your side of the smoke.

Offline buswarrior

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2009, 08:08:53 AM »
When a country decides to change measurement systems, it takes some long number of years before the evidence of the old system is finally gone.

Just the cost to switch the speed limit signs is enormous, never mind the smaller stuff like the bridge heights.

A speed limit sign can be accessed from the ground, that bridge sign would need a cherry picker, a couple of men...best to leave it until some goober creams it with an over height bus, then change it out with a new one?

Canada went metric in 1973, and we were pretty much finally without evidence of the switch or the old signage some 20 years after that.

happy coaching!
buswarrior
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new project: 1995 MCI 102D3, Cat 3176b, Eaton Autoshift

Offline BG6

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2009, 08:10:51 AM »
is it just me or is the clearance sign in feet and inches. seems odd that it is not metric.

It's definitely marked 12' 3" instead of metric.  But when you look at where the bus took the hit, the sign isn't necessary -- any driver with that much experience would know he wasn't going to fit under there.


Offline BG6

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2009, 08:15:08 AM »
90 000 pounds sterling is equivalent to US$131 000 give or take as of this morning on the internet.

I'm thinking that number is still way off?

It's a transit coach, not an intercity.

Sure be fun to have one of those with intercity gearing, wouldn't it?


Offline buswarrior

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2009, 08:46:30 AM »
Already available in North America, and under 13' 6"...

45 feet long, 81 seats, Cummins ISX engine, the drivers love them, turn on a dime.

happy coaching!
buswarrior
Frozen North, Greater Toronto Area
new project: 1995 MCI 102D3, Cat 3176b, Eaton Autoshift

cody

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2009, 08:55:43 AM »
Is that like the oddessy?  Looks like almost the same.

Offline buswarrior

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Re: Bus meets bridge
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2009, 09:08:25 AM »
oops, sorry, its a Van Hool, specifically targeted and equipped for this continent.

The problem will be the same: How to keep the point and shoot crowd from making a convertible out of it?

The elimination of a half-full second section will not be ignored by the accountants, and there are many players watching the megabus experience closely as far as maintenance and upkeep.

There have been many business trips to Belgium by the equipment people of a number of big fleets...

happy coaching!
buswarrior
Frozen North, Greater Toronto Area
new project: 1995 MCI 102D3, Cat 3176b, Eaton Autoshift

 

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