Test run out in ex Southdown Bristol VR JWV 275W after completing engine repairs. 275 still retains it's Leyland 680 engine, it's also fitted with the 5:27 low ratio rear axle so tops out at just over 40mph.
I remember driving this on service. Probably my favourite decker. I don't remember it having a low ratio rear axle. By the way, excellent use of the gearbox.
Great sounding buses. Love driving them too but sadly not many opportunities these days. I found you needed at least half a load to get the springs working. Empty they don’t half bang and rattle on rough roads which is about all of them nowadays.
As far as I know, all Eastern National VRs had the higher ratio gearboxes. The 15 or so with Leyland 501 engines were particularly lively (none remain) but, Leyland or Gardner, they could all get up a good turn of speed. None of the Series 3s had slow gearboxes.
Tickover sounds like a 501. The O.600 in VRs is not a sound I'm familiar with, as most of the VRs I knew with Eastern National had Gardner engines, with around 15 501s on new VRs, and one or 2 in secondhand South Wales VRs. The 3 S reg ones were converted to Gardner.
Ah a Leyland 680 engine, thought it sounded a bit Atlantean-y! Aren't most fitted with a Gardner 6LXB engine? I am guessing they sound more rumbly than this and certainly less noisy than the Leyland 500 series engine.
We had some Series 3 VRs on Hastings and District (originally Maidstone and District) Fitted with the Leyland 501 engine. Sounded like a bag of nails in the lower saloon but went very well. Unfortunately they still had the same braking system as the slower 6LXB engined version and you had to be sure that you had sufficient braking distance at speed. But certainly a good version to drive.
What? This is exactly how it should sound. I drove these occasionally on the 729 "Regency Route" and more frequently on the 712 Brighton - Eastbourne route. When the older VR's were replaced on the 729 with "T" reg, our usual car was 652 which had express seats and a high ratio back axle.
