Boro'line 207 D207 MKK in Ashford 1987 pic by Ian Fuller |
The bus is an East Lancs-bodied
Scania K92, the only one of its type in the Boro'line fleet, and boy is
it ugly. I've always been a bit ambivalent towards East Lancs bodies -
occasionally they've produced something really original and striking
(the 1960s/1970s standard body design on Atlanteans, such as for Bolton
and Southampton, springs most readily to mind), but most products from
Blackburn seemed to have been thrown together from whatever was in the
parts bin and were... er... aesthetically challenged. Maidstone 207 is
definitely a case in point. Was the body intentionally designed like
this, or merely assembled?
Three Scanias were bought new by
Maidstone. The other two were giant double-deckers on the same K92
chassis, and were no better looking. They were, when built, the most
capacious double-deckers in Britain with 92 seats, but looked like
glorified pantechnicons. When Boro'line collapsed, and Maidstone &
District acquired the remaining vehicles and the depot, this was the
last bus to be sold, perhaps due to its dowdy appearance. Seamarks of
Luton eventually took it away. Perhaps they got a bargain.
What Ian doesn't mention is the gearbox. I have tried unsuccessfully to find out the name of it, but it was a 10 speed manual box with a splitter on a stick, meaning no actual gearstick. Everything was done on a LCD display - a number flashed saying which gear you were going into, you dipped the clutch, waited for two beeps, lifted the clutch and carried on - much quicker than it sounds. I adored 207, and it must be said that after due consideration if I could go back in time and drive any bus from my past again I'd choose this one. Looks can be decieving and this was an absolute gem. Sadly it seems 207 is no more - a quick search shows she is not taxed or insured, so unless she is in storage somewhere this quirky yet brilliant bus is now a fridge or something!
Now with Seamarks of Luton seen in Harpenden 1993. pic by John Law |
On the preservation front I can reveal a momentous event is happening in the coming days. Keep an eye on East Norfolk Bus Blog for first news.
It was called a CAG Gearbox steve.
ReplyDeleteI knew someone would know - cheers buddy.
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