A very nice video and drive, thank you for your efforts. Look forward to more. Am I right in thinking you tend to be up against the clock at times? Hardly a recipe for relaxation.😀👍
For some reason your Channel popped up on my search bar. And i've got to say i am glad it did, Just the way you drive and communicate with your viewers is really Calming and is a pleasure to Watch, Keep up the Good work James 👍🚌🚏
Absolutely! RX51 is oldest, also have a 2002 Jonckheere, 2005 Bova, all sorts of Irizar i6's, 2016 Caetano Levante and two 73 plates, certainly a variety for a small fleet
As a 16-year old in 1983 I was a passenger on a Plaxton-bodied Bristol LH6L belonging to Western National which did that bank between Lynton and Lynmouth both ways. I've not done it since so your experience was a treat. Hope you did get a chance to film it in the opposite direction and we will it in due course.
Wow that would have been a noise fest 🤣and a challenge too! I cover the return in Ep.19 but NOT via this route, I avoided the A39 altogether, problem is I didn't fancy going that way at 0830am when traffic levels were probably high, might not be but wasn't willing to risk it
It is, great smell on a warm day! I've not had that yet I think it sort of breaks itself down in the tank, but otherwise we always advise the toilet is for number 1's only!
@james143611 what James missed out on the video is that a chemical is added directly into the toilet pan and when it mixes with the water any solids are broken down so that they leave the toilet in liquid form. Although not always lol😂. The chemical also helps the toilet smell better. We used to use loo bloo, the same as what caravaners use.
@@james143611 Few in north Yorkshire Birkbrow a171 guisborough to Whitby road Charlton village Yerby bank b1269 Redcar to guisborough road Skelton bank very tight and twisty and steep. Video on RU-vid best bus driver. Arriva temsa avenue LF in snow (triva temsa avenue LF only ones in UK from Redcar depot Funny 🤣 it's transit city bus not designed for steep hills Blue bank Whitby Sleights bank Broughton village bank
If you'd turned right on entering Lynton, then followed the road out of the town towards Barbrook, you could have turned left comfortably at the junction with the road from Lynmouth without going into Barbrook to turn.
Ah the A39 route from Lynmouth to Barbrook do you mean? That is the Caravan route I did query that on the Coach Drivers group if that was the best way, but apparently it's ok apart from the hairpin bend before Barbrook coaches have grounded out there before, I've never been round there ever to be honest so personally didn't want to risk it
Funnily enough someone commented that on the coach when we did the steep drop into Lynmouth, how fun it must be in the snow! I doubt many Coaches go round there in the winter
Depends with who you go with, what you do etc etc, there's no real simple answer to that, some hop around different operators chasing the money, others stick with whatever the pay rate is because they love the job over whatever the pay is. Service coach work like NatEx is high because of the nature of what it is, and there's a stash of their own rules and regs to stick to. London operators I believe are also on decent rates for the London living wage
Oh didn't know Greenslades had some as well, makes sense for where they are, I've seen the Wallace Arnold preserved examples, one of our drivers remembers those when he worked there
Great video James could be a perfect training aid for new and some old drivers. Your attitude and cleaning routine would give them something to aim for. I'm retired now but great to see a professional at work. Kind regards
Thank you, I'm far from a tour expert but I highly appreciate your comments, hopefully someone might learn something but I'm always open to learn from others too, obviously there is no set way of doing things as each of us have our own system of doing things, but the principles are the same like calling hotels, loading bags, route planning etc
Thank god for roundabouts lol. Great video James gives a good insight into coach driving, Have you ever done any bus driving and if so how would you compare it to driving coaches for a living.
I know, they are a godsend when you need them! Thank you, and no I haven't done service work so I can't compare it though I know about the bus industry, some of our drivers would never do bus driving because of the repetitive nature of doing the same route day in day out, and stop start dealing with cash etc
@@james143611 I did bus driving for over 25 years and as you say it is so repetitive and boring. Im a school minibus driver at the moment but watching your videos is making me veer towards coach work. Thanks for the repy.
Great video, it’s an area I know very well, and I did a few holidays down there when I was on the coaches, always hated loading the luggage though, nearly always got it in the wrong order lol.
Love the video as always. I work at Exeter st David's station and take the route in to Exeter most days. As i live in the area its great to see so many familiar places. many thanks
🤣 Yes you have to take slack and wash comments over, not all the time but you do have to put up with some daft questions! I still remember the London day trip 'Can't I just get off here and pick up the coach later on?' like 1. You can't just set down on a random kerbside in the centre, and 2. The person didn't even know where the pickup stop is, so that would have been a disaster! Plus the 'It's a bit chilly in here...now it's too hot can you put the AC on' etc etc 😂 it's not all like that but it happens!
@amfwelsh I was once had an interview for a trainee bus drivers job and was offered the position but never took it up for similar reasons. I didn’t want to be putting up with winging passengers and unruly kids!
Hi mate I am thinking of becoming bus driver and hope to do coach work so thanks for your videos..best wishes and watch out for the idiots on the road because they multiple every day Darragh from Galway Ireland 🇮🇪
We did Monday and are still feeling wonderful from the day. Mostly behind Betton Grange though HALLed for the first journey from Cheltenham. I got to ceremoniously wipe our Betton Grange Tea Towel on the footplate at Broadway. This has hung in our home for the past 20 years. A superb weekend. We did Sat and Sun at the Rugby Club!!! Model Engineers CV22 5QD where they have a mile of 7 1/4" track. David and Lily.
James, sorry but the way the camera is mounted makes me feel coach sick, bit like being the passenger in an EV on country roads. I'll check the channel again later to see if you have fixed mounted the camera. Cheers.
Although many Routemasters were re-engined with Euro II and, later, Euro III units in the 1990s and 2000's, only one has been modernised more recently with a Euro VI unit and it was done as a challenge by the owner to see what was possible. It was never intended to be a fleet project.
Great video james, this is my favourite seat in a routemaster, you can watch the driver, these buses are fantastic, the engine will run all day, it brings back some nice memories of riding on them, could you try driving one
I've already driven one. Can't say I've ever liked a nosy passenger looking at me while I was driving and that was the main reason I never liked them. No seats should ever be near the driver. 21 years a bus driver. Passengers should be as far away from the driver as possible.
You sound a happy sole, bus companies now tend to employ employees who are more amenable to the passengers, the old type they don't want now, moan too much
That is Mike Ede,s baby, ex Thamesdown Transport JMW 169P one of three RESL6G,s built to a unique 33ft , the last RE,s built for a UK Operator .Upon requiring JMW, Mike worked his magic on her Gardner 6HLXB, a lot growlier than a standard 6HLXB, . but let down by the exhaust. Mike should fit a straight pipe, no silencer make her bark like HDV676E an ex Western National Flat Front RELL6G , she is a monster. JMW,s box is a 4-speed SCG electrocylic semi-auto as Bristol deleted the 5 speed manual box option years earlier.
