Had some rides on the exmoor open top coaster service from Minehead to Lynmouth on A39. First Bus 36082 SN57 DCE in use and it really has to work hard. Excellent professional staff. How long these buses will last before they wear out?
The route involves a 1 in 4 incline and descent on hairpin bends - bus leans over at a scary angle, narrow roads and then across the top of gale force exmoor. In places you are on the edge of a cliff with no barrier and a massive drop down to the sea. Runs till end of October and has to be the best open top ride in the SW if not all the country?
Question - is there anything similar in the West Mids that compares?
No
Years ago I went on WN 510 had a very steep hill in Tettenhall towards perton.
HY 88 Birmingham- Dudley had a steep gradient after Blackheath.
Wa 934 is high up on Barr Beacon on 934
Not to the same incline as the example given in the original post but Mucklow hill in Halesowen gives buses a good workout up it. Plenty of times I have been on buses on there crawling up it. It was more of a longer hilly slog before they built the B and Q and traffic island half way up which does sort of break up the hill now.
The fastest bus I had up there was Metrobus 2893 (when transferred into BC) on the 139 in the mid 2000s which just shot up the hill, overtaking a struggling Volvo B7 on the same route. Not sure why that bus was so good up hills but I also caught it a fair amount on LH routes and it always seemed a fast bus.
Another coastal route that had a few hair raising moments was the open top route between Weston super mare and Sand Bay. It was fun in an open top Bristol VR going along the coast road with a very small barrier separating the road from a sheer drop off a cliff into the sea. The route still operates today but the road barriesr look far better now!
Powke Lane (3, 4M, 24) is steep, the Omnilinks really do struggle up that hill, Garratts Lane on the 4M is another. Gorsty Hill is another horribly steep hill, always noticed that NX vehicles struggle up hills more, when I've had some Diamond buses getting up that hill that never struggle as much as NX's.
Dyas Road in Old Oscott is another struggle for the Omnilinks, though I remember the B10's being able to take that hill nowhere near as bad.
Beacon Hill in Streetly for the 77, 935 and 997 is horribly steep especially in some of the 67** that aren't topodyn enabled.
The likes of Abbey Road and Lightwoods Hill in Bearwood are steep, as well as Salop Road (48A) and Tame Road (49 and 13A) where literally everything struggles up.
The only others I can think of is the Newton Road towards the Scott Arms after the Hamstead Road traffic lights and Hamstead Hill... and the steep Tividale/Portway inclines...
Don't forget Lodge Farm in Dudley...
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2009/12/18/passengers-told-to-walk-as-bus-struggles-up-hill/
I'd say city Rd on the 12 on the Oldbury to dudley section is pretty steep and there are two curves going up, amazing views of the city coming down at night. Also the 12A tower Rd on same section... portway Hill k the 14A aswell, back when I was at college the 206/207 used to go over mons hill, remember once we had a solo on and had to get off at the bottom and walk up as it was too full and couldn't get over.
Quote from: Jack on October 09, 2021, 12:44:01 AM
The only others I can think of is the Newton Road towards the Scott Arms after the Hamstead Road traffic lights and Hamstead Hill... and the steep Tividale/Portway inclines...
I remember the days getting the 120 to Dudley, when those Metrobuses used to really struggle up City Road. I used to get nervous when it stopped at the stop halfway up, in case the driver couldn't get it going again and we'd end up rolling back down the hill!
Thankfully the more modern vehicles don't have the same trouble. I guess that's also why Mucklow Hill didn't have regular bus service.
I remember going on the 24 (Black Country) once and the hill albeit short at Banklands Rd and Uplands Rd felt terrifyingly steep- probaly not the steepest though.
Duke Street on the 223 is another one
Quote from: Stu on October 09, 2021, 10:04:22 AM
I remember the days getting the 120 to Dudley, when those Metrobuses used to really struggle up City Road. I used to get nervous when it stopped at the stop halfway up, in case the driver couldn't get it going again and we'd end up rolling back down the hill!
Thankfully the more modern vehicles don't have the same trouble. I guess that's also why Mucklow Hill didn't have regular bus service.
Yes, City Road is a real challenge. I've wondered sometimes whether there have been any white knuckle moments going downhill on the 120/12 in icy weather, especially near the bottom as the New Road gets closer and closer.
While we have nothing quite like Porlock Hill in the West Midlands, the Dudley area in particular has several steep hills, often combined with narrow roads. One of my favourite sections of route is Diamond's 223 between Dudley and Sedgley, which in that direction from Gornal Wood just seems to go up and up and up.
Mucklow Hill is interesting, because it is only in recent years that it hasn't had much of a service - and I suspect that is only because alternative roads provide more traffic. Midland Red's Birmingham - Halesowen service, which started in 1913, used Mucklow Hill - despite the fact that its Tilling-Stevens petrol electric buses had no engine braking.
In fact, if local authorities were not keen on new motor buses using hills in those days, Midland Red would tell them that they were running up and Mucklow Hill in Halesowen without any problems!
Bell Hill seems quite steep. The trident's on the 76 just about seem to manage
City Road is the steepest in the West Midlands I have driven up
Rose Hill in Rednal is a long, punishing climb too.
Quote from: mesub on October 09, 2021, 08:32:14 PM
Bell Hill seems quite steep. The trident's on the 76 just about seem to manage
Definitely, the first one that came to mind when I saw this topic. I remember the days of the Metrobuses going up there on the 29.
Quote from: PB2938 on October 08, 2021, 08:23:46 PM
Years ago I went on WN 510 had a very steep hill in Tettenhall towards perton.
This is now the 10 and still runs up/down Church Road in Compton. When I worked at Midland Choice, we also ran this route and our (very) aged Leyland Nationals had to drive up in 1st (crawler) gear - we prayed that no one wanted the stop half way up between Ormes Lane and Grove Lane otherwise we'd have an absolute battle to wind it up ready to go again!
Quote from: Tony on October 09, 2021, 09:25:38 PM
City Road is the steepest in the West Midlands I have driven up
I'm sure the old 120 run up/down this? I remember the old Dudley garage Leyland Fleetlines used to fly up it (doing 3 foot to the gallon probably!) in comparison to the Birmingham Coach Company's Nationals that would be screaming for mercy - in fairness the, their Ikarus DAFs would usually flag towards the top.
Quite a few in South Wales notably in the Rhondda.
Quote from: Wumpty on October 11, 2021, 08:15:04 AM
I'm sure the old 120 run up/down this? I remember the old Dudley garage Leyland Fleetlines used to fly up it (doing 3 foot to the gallon probably!) in comparison to the Birmingham Coach Company's Nationals that would be screaming for mercy - in fairness the, their Ikarus DAFs would usually flag towards the top.
It still does to this day, though it is the 12 service now.
As I pointed out earlier in the thread, when I was younger it was the Metrobuses that struggled up City Road. The more modern vehicles don't have this problem.
Quote from: Stu on October 11, 2021, 06:12:13 PM
It still does to this day, though it is the 12 service now.
As I pointed out earlier in the thread, when I was younger it was the Metrobuses that struggled up City Road. The more modern vehicles don't have this problem.
Type in 2646 metrobus on YouTube and you will see a metrobus struggling on the 120. Remember watching the video years back.
I'm just old enough to remember the lynxes on the 120 used to sail up no problem... then in around 1997/8 for some reason they swapped them out with metro buses and then we got brand new mercs with the generic purple branding
I've been on a bus up the notorious hill that is Jenkin Road in Sheffield, this has a max gradient of 14.1%, with an average gradient of 11%, this was used in stage 2 of the 2014 Tour De France[the first 3 stages were held in England], & was a categorised climb[category 4] which was called cote de Jenkin Road for the race. ;D.
Quote from: Crosville on October 14, 2021, 03:44:16 AM
I've been on a bus up the notorious hill that is Jenkin Road in Sheffield, this has a max gradient of 14.1%, with an average gradient of 11%, this was used in stage 2 of the 2014 Tour De France[the first 3 stages were held in England], & was a categorised climb[category 4] which was called cote de Jenkin Road for the race. ;D.
Indeed, Jenkin Road is one of the steepest roads in Sheffield, I know having grown up at the bottom of it! In the mid 90s Sheffield Omnibus ran up part of it, Atlantean or National thrash up there was just crazy. In more recent years First have run up the steepest part of it but generally it's Streetlites and B7/B9 haulage which seems to manage it OK. Watched Le Tour pass pretty much by my parents house, fair to say some of the riders clearly didn't appreciate that sort of climb at the end of a spectator type stage!
Quote from: Cheese on October 14, 2021, 10:10:35 AM
Indeed, Jenkin Road is one of the steepest roads in Sheffield, I know having grown up at the bottom of it! In the mid 90s Sheffield Omnibus ran up part of it, Atlantean or National thrash up there was just crazy. In more recent years First have run up the steepest part of it but generally it's Streetlites and B7/B9 haulage which seems to manage it OK. Watched Le Tour pass pretty much by my parents house, fair to say some of the riders clearly didn't appreciate that sort of climb at the end of a spectator type stage!
Clearly the riders weren't REAL Yorkshiremen ;)
Quote from: Cheese on October 14, 2021, 10:10:35 AM
Indeed, Jenkin Road is one of the steepest roads in Sheffield, I know having grown up at the bottom of it! In the mid 90s Sheffield Omnibus ran up part of it, Atlantean or National thrash up there was just crazy. In more recent years First have run up the steepest part of it but generally it's Streetlites and B7/B9 haulage which seems to manage it OK. Watched Le Tour pass pretty much by my parents house, fair to say some of the riders clearly didn't appreciate that sort of climb at the end of a spectator type stage!
:D
It's not that long of a climb in terms of length isn't it, but it's the steepness of it that catches a few out, even though a few would have rode it in training before the tour.
The route that i caught was the Sheffield-Meadowhall[think the route number was 36], i see the route has been now partly replaced 32/32A but only uses some of the length, & 95A which uses the full length of Jenkin Road
Quote from: Crosville on October 14, 2021, 01:59:47 PM
:D
It's not that long of a climb in terms of length isn't it, but it's the steepness of it that catches a few out, even though a few would have rode it in training before the tour.
The route that i caught was the Sheffield-Meadowhall[think the route number was 36], i see the route has been now partly replaced 32/32A but only uses some of the length, & 95A which uses the full length of Jenkin Road
Yes, the various services to/from Sandstone Road have changed quite a lot over recent times but as you say, the 95A runs the full length of it, although it's only in the last 5 to 10 years there has been a service along the full length. Think I wheeled my bike up and down there a few times as a kid but there was no way I could have ridden it up there!
Thinking about this subject outside of the West Midlands, there's another hill that now springs to mind.
Service 512 runs between Aberystwyth and Ynyslas, serving the popular tourist village of Borth, on the Cardigan Bay coast of Wales.
Clarach Road, which the 512 uses to serve Upper Borth, is quite steep, I certainly walked up and down that part a few times when I stayed in the caravan park there a couple of years ago now, and even I found it a bit of an effort!
The bus only goes up as far as Heol Aberwennol, where it turns to go back down (journeys in both directions), so not a particularly long stretch of hill to climb for a bus. Certainly the Enviro400s and Enviro200s used didn't really struggle!
I can tell you that the road does get much steeper after that point though, the view when you get to the top is worth it though!
(https://stuonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20190806_140157-1-scaled.jpg)
You can actually see the Ynyslas terminus from here! ;D
Quote from: Stu on October 14, 2021, 06:46:59 PM
Thinking about this subject outside of the West Midlands, there's another hill that now springs to mind.
Service 512 runs between Aberystwyth and Ynyslas, serving the popular tourist village of Borth, on the Cardigan Bay coast of Wales.
Clarach Road, which the 512 uses to serve Upper Borth, is quite steep, I certainly walked up and down that part a few times when I stayed in the caravan park there a couple of years ago now, and even I found it a bit of an effort!
The bus only goes up as far as Heol Aberwennol, where it turns to go back down (journeys in both directions), so not a particularly long stretch of hill to climb for a bus. Certainly the Enviro400s and Enviro200s used didn't really struggle!
I can tell you that the road does get much steeper after that point though, the view when you get to the top is worth it though!
(https://stuonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/IMG_20190806_140157-scaled.jpg)
You can actually see the Ynyslas terminus from here! ;D
I used to live around there. Lots of fun going up and down that in my Rover, as well as Cefn Llan (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4096923,-4.0590677,3a,75y,341h,94.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6EfPnZ48HwocKq3sKFITdg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D6EfPnZ48HwocKq3sKFITdg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D131.43248%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656) both walking and hoping you had brakes in good condition. This one isn't bus served, the school is served from the other end of the road.
There's a holiday bus that goes to Clarach Bay, which uses the B4572 (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4315803,-4.0619574,3a,75y,77.64h,74.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s35uiTs_j64WSQ18cvDrpaw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) to get down there, which is another nice and winding road.
Slightly closer to home, Diamond's 292 goes over Clee Hill, which has a 14% gradient either side of it, and some sheep (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3777049,-2.5896705,3a,75y,114.39h,67.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2xWobPfUyyprE4xqmIPGKA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) when you get to the top of it. I barely hit 15mph when I have to go up it in my truck.
Lastly, the road between Prestigne and Knighton is served by Sargeant's 41 service. It is 5 miles of meandering hills (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3018242,-3.0259018,3a,75y,184.15h,74.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm0dM2aYZzvG48lT_Xaw8lA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192), a lot of which look to be over 10% gradient. The climb out of Knighton is neverending.
Quote from: Sandy Lane on October 08, 2021, 12:47:57 PMHad some rides on the exmoor open top coaster service from Minehead to Lynmouth on A39. First Bus 36082 SN57 DCE in use and it really has to work hard. Excellent professional staff. How long these buses will last before they wear out?
The route involves a 1 in 4 incline and descent on hairpin bends - bus leans over at a scary angle, narrow roads and then across the top of gale force exmoor. In places you are on the edge of a cliff with no barrier and a massive drop down to the sea. Runs till end of October and has to be the best open top ride in the SW if not all the country?
Question - is there anything similar in the West Mids that compares?
Got to experience the Exmoor Coaster service this week but going from Ilfracombe to Lynmouth.
What a fantastic open top journey it is but you are right about the punishment the buses must take. The hill out of Lynmouth is 1:4 and going uphill I have no idea how the bus made it in first gear most of the way. The buses I caught were a 59 plate Gemini and ex London 09 plate E400. There seemed quite a mix though as there was also a Scania decker parked up at Lynmouth.
The bus was full on both trips both upstairs and down so I'm guessing the route must be a decent earner for First but it must see off a fair few vehicles over the years.
Quote from: Wumpty on October 11, 2021, 07:20:13 AMThis is now the 10 and still runs up/down Church Road in Compton. When I worked at Midland Choice, we also ran this route and our (very) aged Leyland Nationals had to drive up in 1st (crawler) gear - we prayed that no one wanted the stop half way up between Ormes Lane and Grove Lane otherwise we'd have an absolute battle to wind it up ready to go again!
I recall a time back in the early 80s when travelling with Happy Times. Gina Jones was the youngest of the Jones family who then owned it and she was given the oldest coach in the fleet (c1970) as it was a straight run on a day trip to Rhyl (I think). Anyway she tried three times to ascend The Holloway you mention before she phoned her dad Derek who bought out a newer coach for her. This Gina managed to get up but not without being overtaken halfway up by her dad in the older coach!
Quote from: Wumpty on October 11, 2021, 08:15:04 AMI'm sure the old 120 run up/down this? I remember the old Dudley garage Leyland Fleetlines used to fly up it (doing 3 foot to the gallon probably!) in comparison to the Birmingham Coach Company's Nationals that would be screaming for mercy - in fairness the, their Ikarus DAFs would usually flag towards the top.
oh yea i knew i remembered something like that, when i used to go out with my Dad in the 80's & early 90's on photting trips on Saturdays, i remember also (slightly off topic) when i worked with Sandwell Bins mid 90's they reversed up the hill, no idea why, the wagons used to really struggle to get up there, but maybe it was because they were in reverse, anyway i used to think perched on the top deck of a fleetline, this must be a fleetline only route, cant see Metros getting up here