Big Buses and other photos

[Jeremy]

I just love big buses, and just came across a Dutch website with some good photos I thought I'd share.  I've never seen a 4-axle coach in Britain, but  the European maximum permitted length for an unarticulated vehicle is now 15m (50 feet), so they would be legal. We have a lot of of double-deck coaches here, due I guess to our high fuel prices. British towns are of course famous for double deck buses (ie. of the 'London Bus' type), so I guess bridges etc have been built to accomodate them over the years, so double-deck inter-city coaches don't cause the problems they might in other countries. Anyway, a few pics:

An row of fifty footers:



Convertible coach as city-centre tour bus:



An old Setra for BK. Love that glass roof!




Gerry Anderson designs a motorhome for Lady Penelope:



Shortwheelbase:



Ouch:



Neoplan Megaliner:



Nice styling, horrible paint:



Love those mirrors!:



Whoops:



And finally, the real Biggest Bus in the World (I think) - the Neoplan Jumbocruiser - 18m (60 feet), 144 passengers, V12 Mercedes engine. The've been building these since 1976 in various configurations (note different axle layouts etc), but it's now been replaced by the non-articulated Megaliner. The white one at the bottom has actually just been rebuilt by a British operator using all the latest Neoplan panels to look like a brand new 2007 bus, but is actually a few years old:







For a better photo of this last bus, go this this page: (image is too big to appear in post)

http://lh4.google.com/image/jumbocruiser/RUJnfFPpABI/AAAAAAAAACQ/suNPhXOu3Bk/IMG_0441.JPG


Jeremy

[Chaz]

Oh Man................. Thanx a BUNCH!!!!!!!!!!! I love the shots!! And the creativity!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are some pretty cool lookin buses out there!!  Thanx!

   Feelin creative,
     Chaz

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Jeremy,

Very Kool..

The first pic up top are scale models.. or that women is a 20ft tall. Lol...

Nick-

[Jeremy]

The first pic up top are scale models.. or that women is a 20ft tall. Lol...

Nick-

Yes, you're right - I hadn't noticed that. The caption of the photo might have said that, but I can't read Dutch!

J

[Lee Bradley]

Looks like that last Neoplan has a factory hitch receiver; must make for a loooong rig.

[brojcol]

I think European style buses are amazing. 

[DrivingMissLazy]

Jeremy,

Very Kool..

The first pic up top are scale models.. or that women is a 20ft tall. Lol...

Nick-

Splain to me. I don't get it.
Richard

[edvanland]

Richard, I didn't either.  Look in the upper right hand corner and there is a person leaning against a tree.  The tree is real tall.
ED
MCI 7

[Lee Bradley]

The buses are in the foreground and should be much larger than the woman in the background also look at the grass next to the pavement the buses are on.

[brojcol]

That's one of them optikal alusions

[DrivingMissLazy]

Looks like she is on a hill and the perspective makes her look tall. Cabbage grass in the foreground?
Richard

[HighTechRedneck]

My theory regarding the grass in the foreground:

The camera appears to be about level with the upper windows, almost even with the bus roofs.  My guess is that the ground level where the camera sits is 12-15' higher than the lot where the busses are.  The camera is sitting close to the ground, making the grass blades appear large.

I reserve the right to be profoundly wrong on this, but that is how it looks to me.

[brojcol]

This ain't the first time a grassy knoll has caused problems...

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Well, if those busses aren't scale models then the fence behind them would be 100' tall.  Nick is right, the lady is the dead giveway. Anything that far in the background would be much shorter than what's in the foreground due to the laws of perspective... hill or not. Likewise, look at those light poles waaay off in the distance. Move your eye between all of those elements (plus the aforementioned grass) a few times and you'll see that those can't be full-size coaches. They're scale models on a sidewalk, each maybe 2-3' long at the most.

Or were 'ya kiddin'?! 

Here's a couple "scale-benders" from my collection:





BTW, nice gallery, Jeremy! Ain't it great how we can go "off-thread" in a hurry. 
Brian B.

[captain ron]

I would love to have one of those little short buses, kinda reminds me of my school days being the window licker on the short bus. 
Actually they wold make cool looking hot rod buses, put those wide tires on the back they make to eliminate duelies, and jack the rear end up a little higher than the front, custom paint. It would look like one of those Zingers from a long time ago.