Bristol RE | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Bristol Commercial Vehicles |
Assembly | Brislington, Bristol |
Body and chassis | |
Doors | 1 or 2 doors |
Floor type | Step entrance |
Chassis | upswept sidemember ladder type (bus) straight ladder type (coach) |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Gardner 6HLW, 6HLX, 6HLXB; Leyland O600, O680, 510 |
Capacity | up to 54 seats |
Power output | 120-184bhp |
Transmission | Bristol 5-speed Synchromesh, Bristol Self-Changing Gears 4 or 5 speed semi-automatic. |
Dimensions | |
Length | 10.0m to 12.0m |
Width | 2.5m |
Height | 3.0 to 3.3m |
Curb weight | up to 10 tonnes unladen, 14 tonne GVW |
The Bristol RE was a rear-engined single-decker bus or single-decker coach chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles from 1962 until 1982. [1] It is often considered the most successful of the first generation of rear-engined single-decker buses.
Initially, the RE was only supplied to subsidiaries of the nationalised Transport Holding Company (THC), by which Bristol Commercial Vehicles was wholly owned. From 1965, when Leyland purchased a 25% shareholding in Bristol and the company's products became available to non state-owned bus operator customers, the RE also gained popularity with companies in other sectors, including the British Electric Traction (BET) Group and many municipal operators.
From 1972, sales to the National Bus Company (NBC), which had taken over the operations of both THC and BET) began to dry up, due to the introduction of the Leyland National. From 1976, the RE remained in production only for the Northern Irish state-owned bus companies Ulsterbus and Citybus, and for export to Christchurch Transport Board, New Zealand.
In Great Britain, the RE was most commonly fitted with bodywork by ECW, but several other manufacturers also built bodywork on the chassis. Some coaches were fitted with Duple Commander, Plaxton Panorama Elite or Alexander M Type bodywork. In Northern Ireland, the RE was bodied by Alexander (Belfast), with the X Type bodywork.
Three of the ex-Citybus REs from Belfast were acquired by Pinewood Studios in October 2005, where they appeared in movies such as Children of Men [2] and St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold . [3] [4]
These designations were suffixed by a code indicating the type of engine fitted:
What was to be the first production chassis (212.001) was changed to a pre-production model (number REX.003), with a coach body built by ECW but devoid of any seats and fittings. It was used by Bristol Commercial Vehicles at its Brislington Experimental Shop for a few years. It was fitted and ran with a horizontal version of the contemporary Bristol BVW engine, and also fitted with a turbo-charger. Later the Gardner engine was refitted, the body completed and sold to West Yorkshire as their fleet number CRG1 OWT241E.
The most popular model was the RELL, with 2,839 constructed; there were 976 of the RELH model and 698 RESL. [5] The two least successful models were the REMH, with 105 sold to just three customers, and the RESH with 11 built for four customers. [6] A sixth model, designated REML, was advertised from 1968 but none was built. This would have had the 20-foot (6.1 m) wheelbase of the REMH but a low frame suitable for a bus body. [7]
Of the 4,629 Bristol REs built, 3,242 were sold to subsidiaries of the NBC and its predecessor groups, THC and BET; 148 were sold to members of the Scottish Bus Group; 405 to British municipalities and PTEs; and 834 to other operators. [8] The biggest customers were: Bristol Omnibus Company (439); Crosville Motor Services (288); Ulsterbus/Citybus (620); United Automobile Services (470); West Yorkshire Road Car Company (259). [9]
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink, the brand name for the subsidiary operating companies of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, which also includes Northern Ireland Railways and Metro Belfast.
The Dennis Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis, it was launched in 1977.
The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian. It was built as the British bus operators seemed hesitant to purchase the B7L double decker with a long rear overhang.
The Leyland Titan was a forward-control chassis with a front-mounted engine designed to carry double-decker bus bodywork. It was built mainly for the United Kingdom market between 1927 and 1942, and between 1945 and 1969.
The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production.
Duple Metsec was a bus bodywork builder based in West Midlands of England in the United Kingdom. It usually supplied body kits for bus assembly overseas.
The Volvo B10M was a mid-engined city bus and coach chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1978 and 2003. It succeeded the B58 and was equipped with the same 9.6-litre horizontally mounted Volvo diesel engine mounted under the floor behind the front axle. An articulated version under the model name Volvo B10MA was also offered, as was a semi-integral version known as the C10M, with the engine in the middle of the chassis.
The Leyland Atlantean is a predominantly double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland Motors between 1958 and 1986. Only 17 Atlantean chassis were bodied as single deck from new.
The Dennis Jubilant was a front engined double decker bus chassis manufactured by Dennis between 1977 and 1981. It was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong.
The Leyland Victory Mark 2 is a front-engined double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor the Dennis Jubilant it was specifically designed for the contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong.
The Bristol Lodekka was a half-cab low-height step-free double-decker bus built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in England. It was the first production bus design to have no step up from the passenger entrance throughout the lower deck; although Gilford and Leyland Motors had developed low floor city buses in the 1930s, these did not enter production.
The Leyland Leopard was a mid-engined single-decker bus and single-decker coach chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1959 and 1982.
Charles H Roe was a Yorkshire coachbuilding company. It was for most of its life based at Crossgates Carriage Works, in Leeds.
Bristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer located in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built.
The Leyland Tiger, also known as the B43, was a mid-engined bus and coach chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1981 and 1992. This name had previously been used for a front-engined bus built between 1927 and 1968. It replaced the Leyland Leopard, which had been in production for over 20 years.
The East Lancs EL2000 is a type of single-decker bus body built on a wide variety of bus chassis by East Lancashire Coachbuilders.
Eastern Coach Works was a bus and train bodybuilder based in Lowestoft, England.
The Leyland Panther Cub was a rear-engined single-decker bus manufactured by Leyland from 1964 until 1968.
The Seddon Pennine RU was a rear-engined single-decker bus built by Seddon Diesel Vehicles/Seddon Atkinson between 1969 and 1974.
The Leyland Tiger was a heavyweight half-cab single-decker bus and coach chassis built by Leyland Motors between 1927 and 1968, except the period of World War II.