The last hope.
British manufacturers had a long history of producing durable heavyweight single decked buses. Perhaps the last of the long line was Dennis's Falcon built throughout the 1980s where he man components were married to a very traditional big engine in the form of a Gardner 6HLXB. Somehow the expected magic didn't materialise and most lived a short and un-loved life. Leicester City Transport, under the guidance of the late Geoffrey Hilditch was a 'keen' user, but that didn't stop its early Duple Dominant bodied examples being moved on quite swiftly to new owners.
The Falcon came in three forms, one with a rear mounted 'Vee' engine (intended more for coach work) and not unsurprisingly known as the 'Falcon V', and the two other variants which were the Falcon H and the Falcon HC. The 'H' followed the transmission layout of the Bristol RE which it strived to emulate (unsuccessfully) with the gearbox mounded forward of the rear axle from whence it drove back to the rear wheels. The HC (close coupled) was more of a Seddon RU with the Gardner engine driving straight into the gearbox and to the rear axle via a short prop shaft. Anyway, none were overly successful and the model was replaced soon afterwards by the Lance and latterly by inordinately stretched Darts.
In this Woburn Abbey Showbus shot, ex Leicester A94 FRY is seen in the ownership of Swindon Corporation aka 'Thamesdown' ... a name which will mean nothing to anyone from outside the area.
I've probably reported this before, but when I collected a sister bus in later life from Islwyn, the occupants of the staff canteen came out, stood on the steps, and cheered my departure!
The last hope.
British manufacturers had a long history of producing durable heavyweight single decked buses. Perhaps the last of the long line was Dennis's Falcon built throughout the 1980s where he man components were married to a very traditional big engine in the form of a Gardner 6HLXB. Somehow the expected magic didn't materialise and most lived a short and un-loved life. Leicester City Transport, under the guidance of the late Geoffrey Hilditch was a 'keen' user, but that didn't stop its early Duple Dominant bodied examples being moved on quite swiftly to new owners.
The Falcon came in three forms, one with a rear mounted 'Vee' engine (intended more for coach work) and not unsurprisingly known as the 'Falcon V', and the two other variants which were the Falcon H and the Falcon HC. The 'H' followed the transmission layout of the Bristol RE which it strived to emulate (unsuccessfully) with the gearbox mounded forward of the rear axle from whence it drove back to the rear wheels. The HC (close coupled) was more of a Seddon RU with the Gardner engine driving straight into the gearbox and to the rear axle via a short prop shaft. Anyway, none were overly successful and the model was replaced soon afterwards by the Lance and latterly by inordinately stretched Darts.
In this Woburn Abbey Showbus shot, ex Leicester A94 FRY is seen in the ownership of Swindon Corporation aka 'Thamesdown' ... a name which will mean nothing to anyone from outside the area.
I've probably reported this before, but when I collected a sister bus in later life from Islwyn, the occupants of the staff canteen came out, stood on the steps, and cheered my departure!