"Paul Corfield" wrote:

"Chris Read" wrote:

Which buses operated the 24 in the Grey Green era? I seem to recall those
had an unconventionally positioned engine, as the lower deck did not have
enough headroom for my 6'3" frame. The upper deck was great, however -
deep
windows and good legroom - and they had a fair turn of speed.

Volvo Citybus with an under floor engine hence it felt like climbing a
mountain when boarding. The seat pitch was extremely odd with some seats
with a mile between them and others pinched tight. They had a decent
turn of speed though.

Yes, I remember the odd seat spacing on the lower deck. The pay-off for the
mountain-climb boarding was, of course, seats right to the back of the bus,
all on one level.

My other memory of these buses was the distinctive smell. Not unpleasant,
but a definite odour. I always assumed it was a particular cleaning
substance used by Grey Green/Cowie/Arriva, or perhaps related to the
interior plastics used, but I suppose it was an engine-related odour
permeating through the floor.

There's an example in the Depot at Acton, IIRC. I hope an early LFDD is also
preserved - are the R-plate DAFs still around with Arriva London?

Chris