Is that rumour true

[PM]

What could fleetlines do?

[Justin Tyme]

What could fleetlines do?

Not being a driver, but having had loads of journeys on them, I would guess at the low 40s for WMPTE/WMT Fleetlines.  Midland Red D13s seemed to have different gear ratios and, with their Gardner 6LXB engines, could reach higher speeds - maybe towards 50 mph.

But ...  The 159 between Birmingham and Coventry was the best service to experience PTE Fleetlines flat out.  The fastest bit was sometimes not the A45 dual carriageway but going down Meriden Hill towards the village.  On a couple of occasions in the 1970s (when Moseley Road Garage ran the service) the driver sped to around max speed part way down then actually knocked the bus out of gear!  We coasted quite a distance as I recall before somehow re-engaging gear smoothly and seemingly without engine damage.

Proof that Metrobuses could reach higher speeds came a few years later.  One "rail replacement" Sunday morning I got to Birmingham International and found the choice onwards to Coventry Station was between Metrobus 6832 and a 69xx Fleetline.  I chose 6832, and while we departed together, we left the Fleetline behind as we climbed the upward grade on the Meriden bypass.

For serious hill climbing, such as the 120 or 140, Fleetlines were rather better. 

[Bruce_LOA400X]

With Metrobuses it was more a case of the physical limit. They only had 3 speed gearboxes and low ratio rear axles. The Timsavers had a 4 speed gearbox and a different rear axle which allowed them to go faster

ahh gutting lol. I always find it disappointing when the metro hits 40 and stays there, those cummins engines have a lot of guts to them!

[Tomjusttom]

Just the way the cookie crumbles!

[Discodave]

The timesaver metros could do due to engineering the legal limit of 62mph even though the speedo said faster they ran quite smooth too

[Bruce_LOA400X]

The timesaver metros could do due to engineering the legal limit of 62mph even though the speedo said faster they ran quite smooth too

Awesome...

Sorry but Dumb question...

Did the timesaver gearboxes have different ratios? or was it a different back axle?

[Discodave]

Said on a earlier post by Tony but I know they had 4 speed voith boxes and axle set to enable high speed running the 4th gear was a tall one as it did not come in till at least 35-40mph.