BUSBLOG

Jurby Transport Museum 5/5

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:20:34 +0100

THE WEEK beginning 16th April saw the second run of the Jurby Transport Week for primary schools.
As last year - this was an “outstanding success” with nearly 400 children from around the Island visiting the Jurby Transport Museum.
Destined (maybe) to become an exhibit there itself, the Computer Bus was in attendance, and the ‘Computer Bus Man’ was given an opportunity to talk about ‘buses’ (as opposed to computers) to the boys and girls from Peel Clothworkers, Kewaigue, Arbory, Ballasalla, St.Johns, Laxey, Dhoon - and Jurby School itself.
Find out more on the video HERE

Ree Gorree 1/1

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:48:07 +0100

AN ENJOYABLE DAY at Ree Gorree saw Year 4 being introduced to one of our favourite programs - Google Sketchup. In fact this was a set up session for “VIKING VILLAGES” - which the boys and girls from 4M and 4C will be creating once back in school.
Meanwhile in the short time we had available, Sketchup 101 involved the creation of a simple house and garden - the children creating over 50 examples - a handful of which are shown here.
Meanwhile, the repaired air suspension on the 35-year-old computer bus behaved impeccably - with the bus still beautifully level after several hours of inactivity.
Great!

Ready to roll...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:32:22 +0000

EAGLE-EYED bus spotters will have noticed that the Computer Bus has had a bit of a problem for the last year or so. Like Albert Arkwrights’ Mobile Store, the bus has had a bit of a list. To the starboard side, thanks to air leaking from the rear offside suspension system.
At last, this is fixed, courtesy of our friends at Outdoor Power and Plant in Union Mills who have sourced and fitted new parts including this immaculate top and bottom plate and air bag (LEFT) - found buried in the spares department of a supplier in the UK.
Now on an even keel, the Computer Bus is ready for 2012 - and a check earlier today revealed that the air system is still tip top and the bus perfectly level 24 hours after the engine was turned off. This is the first time this has been the case since the bus was acquired from IoM Transport back in 1997.
The Leyland National sported many novel features when it made its debut at the 1970 Commercial Motor Show. Integral (chassis-less) construction, low floor and ‘air curtain’ heating for passengers, car-like controls for the driver, all riding on air-suspended softness courtesy of a simple but effective suspension system.
With the exception of the Leyland 510 engine, the new bus turned out to be pretty durable, with most for the 7,000 examples built between 1972 and 1985 giving over 20 years service.
The Computer Bus turns 35 in March next year, and during its time with the Department of Education, has proved remarkably reliable. And the computers (being Mr Apple’s finest) give no trouble whatsoever.

New (old) Badges

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:57:38 +0000

BACK IN OCTOBER, Bus 24 was visited in a search for spares for (similar) No 30 - today the Computer Bus. One of the few parts removed were the “LEYLAND NATIONAL” from the rear of the vehicle. Bashed and with large non-standard holes drilled in them, the Computer Bus man set about making replicas - thanks to aluminium strip supplied by the Steam Packet, and some nifty vectorised artwork created on graphics program ‘Sketch’.
The resultant vector file was converted by Douglas sign writers Edwin Dennis signs limited (who also did the lettering on the main computer bus) into vinyl lettering (BELOW) all paid for by the computer bus man btw.
Over the forthcoming xmas holidays, these will be attached in the appropriate place to the Computer Bus itself - thus restoring its identity since the originals were removed in the 1980s.

In the Shed 1/1

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 17:18:51 +0000

BACK IN 1997, the Department of Education also took delivery of five cases of spare parts when it acquired bus number 30 from Isle of Man Transport. The bus company had had dozens of Leyland Nationals over nearly 30 years, and as what became the Computer Bus was the last one, the parts were no longer needed.
IoM Transport parts guru Derek Killey had carefully catalogued all the several thousand components in a blue ring binder, noting how many and in which case each one could be found.
The cases themselves have been dipped into on a fairly regular basis since then, with body panels in particular finding their way on to the computer bus during the 2007 refit.
Today, an opportunity was taken to tidy through each of the containers, photographing the contents, and putting some of the smaller items into filing cabinets where they are more easily accessible rather than being in the bottom of these big boxes.
Major items include many unused Leyland original parts, including those shown here. Right at the top is one of the two Clayton parking brake activators, engine mounts (left), and some of the very large quantity of Leyland 510 diesel engine spares including crank and cam shafts, valves, connecting rods, pistons, cylinder liners, hundreds of rubber seals, bearings - and a good number of boxed filters, and electrical components.
Also in the crates are yards of window rubber, and even some unused strap hangers. All good stuff !

Ronaldsway 1/1

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:26:19 +0100

It was back in April 1976 that Isle of Man National Transport took what was to be its first batch of buses - seven brand new Leyland Nationals of which No 24 (MAN 24H) was one.
Withdrawn twenty one years later in April 1997, it saw further use at the Isle of Man Airport ferrying passengers to and form planes - gaining a roof-mounted flashing light in the process.
It was later acquired by the Manx Transport Museum in Peel, and having been painted back into ‘bus red’, appeared alongside the Computer Bus back in August 2003 (LEFT).
Since then, No 24 has gone into something of a decline - thanks to several years of outdoor storage (NB Leyland Nationals do not like outside storage...).
Next month, the final chapter of No 24 will be written as it takes part in an exercise for fire fighters at Ronaldsway, doubling as an airliner in distress...
Before this, thanks to the help of Fire Fighter Andy Faragher and the Jurby Transport Museum, an opportunity was taken to acquire a few parts from No 24 for No 30 - the Computer Bus.
As can be seen from the pictures, Jurby Museum have had first choice of most of the usable parts from 24 before it left on its final journey to the airport. These will be used to help bring another surviving Isle of Man National, Barry Edwards’ No 32 back to life at the Museum.
Meantime, bus spotters will be intrigued by the interior shots of 24 (LEFT) , doing an impression of a coach seated National - but curiously minus the interior panels - surely even for a Leyland National - a unique combination?
In fact these are old airliner seats which will be fitted prior to the upcoming exercise to simulate and aircraft in distress..
Meantime, No 30 is off to Outdoor Power and Plant on Monday 31st October for repairs to its air system. And maybe then for the first time in a while it’ll stop doing its impressions of Arkwright’s Van, and sit level rather than doing a lean to starboard...