Following Richard Sharman’s look at Volvo’s early years in the UK market, Adrian Morton takes to the road with a few more classic examples of the manufacturer’s line-up
With Volvo reaching its 100th anniversary recently, I thought it only fitting to visit an operator which still runs several different variants of both bus and coach of the formidable Volvo B10M. I am sure many of you reading this article, particularly coach operators, would agree that the Volvo B10M earned the hearts of many for its resistance, reliability and driver appeal; I don’t think there’ll never be a vehicle quite like it ever again.
As Richard Sharman recounted in issue 1624, the Volvo B10M was a mid-engine city bus and coach chassis built between 1978 and 2002. It succeeded the Volvo B58 and was equipped with the same 9.6 litre horizontal engine mounted under the floor, immediately behind the front axle. Over the course of the decades in which it was produced, engine upgrades took place resulting in variants from a Mk1 to Mk4.
A number of different lengths were produced, a Volvo B10M-62 for example indicates it having a wheelbase of 62 decimetres, or 6.2 metres. Originally produced as a coach-only chassis it was later made available as a bus.
In bus form, the B10M with an Alexander PS Type body became the single-deck vehicle of choice for the Stagecoach Group, with many examples being delivered to fleets around the country between 1992 and 1998, the first examples going to Cumberland and the last significant order to Manchester.
A double-deck version of the B10M was developed firstly for Strathclyde PTE in 1981 and became known as the CityBus or D10M. The CityBus lasted until the end of B10M production but many customers had already jumped ship and were favouring the re-engineered Leyland Olympian, which became badged as a Volvo from 1993. The last was bodied by East Lancs in 2002 with dual purpose seating for municipally-owned Nottingham City Coaches.
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A B9M was launched in 1982 as a light weight budget version of the standard B10M but was not available in the UK. The B9M model offered in the UK from 1985 was essentially just a shortened version of the standard B10M, offered in lengths of 9.5 and 9.7 metres. The C10M was a semi-integral coach bodied by Swiss manufacturer Ramseier & Jenzer with the engine in the middle. Built from 1984 to 1987 when production ended, the position of the engine still remained available as an option, becoming the B10M-C. Only about ten Volvo C10M’s reached the UK, a notable operator being the well-respected Parry’s of Cheslyn Hay. Articulated versions known as the B10MA and tri-axle variants, B10MT, were also offered, thus significantly widening the appeal of an already hugely successful product.
The successor to the B10M the B12M became available from 2001, sporting a larger engine and the centrally mounted engine position more akin to the C10M or B10M-C, but the B12M never produced the following its mighty predecessor had come to expect.
On test
Let’s now turn attention to the reason we are here; the all-important test drives; three of them. The oldest of those today is now 35 years old, the youngest, jointly at 23 years. Although these vehicles are still in everyday service with the operator alongside its brand new Volvo counterparts, I think it safe to say we can call these ‘heritage test drives.’ First up is a 2001 Van Hool Alizée T9-bodied B10M. What is immediately highly apparant is this vehicle does not give any indication of its 23-year youth.
That’s not just my opinion as an industry stalwart but from speaking to the operator my thoughts are echoed in its customer feedback. “It’s a coach that can still stand its ground and do anything which our ’24 plates can do,” enthused owner Nick, “…well, apart from entering clean air zones if we do not want to pay the charges of course. It has recently been away on a corporate hire for three days to the West Midlands.
“The coach has been refurbished to a high-standard inside by Eastgate Trimmers in Pickering, but that’s not because it was tired. It just needed to benefit from a more modern trim. It has also benefited from
the addition of later round headlights as fitted from 2003 and a chrome strip under the window line which began to appear on the model from 2006.”
On boarding the coach, if I were to be picky, something that may give a clue to its age is the strange stick emulating from the floor to the left of the driver’s seat: I wonder what that is for? To our younger readers who may not know, it is of course a gearstick.
It’s amazing how times have moved on. Up until around 20 years ago manual transmissions for private hire and touring coaches were still considered the norm, an automatic gearbox on a coach attracting a significant premium to the purchase price. Nowadays we as drivers are very much spoilt. I don’t believe for the UK market there is even now an option to specify a manually operated gearbox.
It was a fairly chilly morning on the day of my visit but Nick had kindly set the Webasto to come on an hour before my arrival, so stepping in was warm and inviting. Sitting in the Isri air-suspended driver’s seat I immediately felt at home. In true Van Hool style there was of course the provision of a coat hook! Perhaps the dashboard is a little dated and spartan but at least the original radio/cassette has been replaced with something a little newer.
The familiar Volvo steering wheel had stood the test of time well; more modern day equivalents tend to have smaller steering wheels but I’ve personally always favoured something bigger, feeling I have better control and reflective of the size of the vehicle I am driving. Controls were well laid out, those related to the body on the left, those to the chassis on the right. The speedometer and air gauges were nicely visible from wherever I positioned the seat.
First gear
We were ready to go so I selected first gear, although I have to admit if it was my own I may have started off in second. I’ll always remember my driving instructor saying if you were meant to pull away in second they wouldn’t have fitted a first gear! That said, my last drive of a B10M coach was with a Plaxton Excalibur body and it was clearly evident early on that using first gear to pull away was very much needed as you could really feel the weight of the Van Hool bodywork, a testament to the design and build quality and why so many early examples still survive today.
Progress wasn’t particularly rapid in comparison to more modern coaches but still plenty good enough. Gears were tight and easy to find with a nice smooth change easily achievable. What immediately stood out was the refinedness; even for a coach now 23 years old there were literally no rattles.
Our test drive took us along the A4 towards Thatcham and Newbury where traffic was heavy and many traffic lights and roundabouts were encountered, resulting in a lot of work going up and down the box, though the drive was still pretty much effortless. What was noticeable though was the lack of a retarder. Many manual coaches were not fitted with these as it wasn’t considered essential and was yet another cost on the initial purchase price. I do remember the formidable Wallace Arnold having retarders fitted to its Volvo B10Ms and it being quoted that it was very rare for them ever to need brake re-lining in the five years it ran them for before disposal. Additional braking time was thus warranted and had to be planned for, although experienced drivers would of course benefit from using the gears as an aid to braking.
I very much continued to enjoy the driving experience, joining the A34 to Chieveley before heading back east on the M4. The coach literally purred along at 62mph overtaking lorries with ease on any section of gradient. I’ve always found a coach with a mid-mounted engine to sit on the road much better, as the weight is not concentrated at the back, and this fine machine was no exception. After exiting the M4 at junction 12 Nick suggested he take the reins and I travel as a passenger. What can I say, it was totally superb, there was little intrusion from engine noise, the seats were comfortable and the ride very smooth. I could have sat for literally hours and watched the world go by but we were soon back at base and ready to try a different variant of this wonderful machine.
CityBus comparison
We move on now to the Volvo CityBus, or D10M, a remarkable survivor at 35 years young but even more so in the fact in still earns its keep nearly every day on schools work. It was one of a batch of 12 such 88-seat vehicles new to London & Country in 1989 and first allocated to the leafy suburbs of Addlestone. Withdrawal came in 2003 by which time the vehicle was owned by Arriva, through its purchase of the erstwhile London & Country business not long after the bus’ entry into service.
It passed to Cedar Coaches of Bedford before later heading further north to Bradshaws of Manchester. It was here that skilled engineer Phil Bradshaw totally rebuilt the bus from the chassis up. Nick explained: “Literally the only two components that remained were the chassis itself and the lower front windscreens, although the initial styling of the East Lancs body is evident. The total cost of this, now some 15 years ago, was in excess of £120,000, and I’ve still got copies of the invoices to prove it.
“The high-floor design of the chassis with underfloor engine means once you are inside the bus, the floor is totally flat. This made it relatively easy in the refurbishment process to install 3+2 seating on the lower-deck, increasing capacity to an astonishing 98 seats on an 11 metre vehicle.”
The now absence of a cab door made access to the drivers seat easy and I was delighted yet again to see the provision of a coat hook. The dashboard and instruments were identical to that fitted in the Van
Hool coach, so again everything was nicely to hand. The main difference here was there was no weird stick to the side of me! Here we were blessed with a ZF fully automatic gearbox and integrated retarder.
The CityBus was equipped with a slightly down-rated version of the standard B10M engine but the original one in this example has since been replaced with one formerly fitted in a coach. Just a slight blip on the accelerator pedal and we were away. Performance can only be described as brisk and the sounds emulating from the engine behind was simply amazing. We took the same route for our test drive, firstly through the urban sprawl of Thatcham and into Newbury before joining the M4 eastbound back towards the depot.
Through the many traffic light junctions and roundabouts progress was as described, brisk, with braking smooth and responsive. I’ve always found braking on automatic Volvos with retarders, no matter the age and when set up correctly, simply superb. There is no hesitation and no snatching which makes for a very relaxed drive and comfortable too for the passengers behind.
Once we hit the motorway we were soon at maximum speed, 62mph. We appeared to pass lorries like they were standing still; OK, we were empty but even with 98 passengers aboard I couldn’t see this old girl struggling up any hills. At 14’ 9’’ the CityBus with its underfloor engine was always higher than its counterparts and if I had any criticism to make, this would be it. At top speed you could feel a little wind resistance and also a slight rock but we must remember the CityBus was never designed as a motorway cruiser.
As I took a seat for the last part I settled upstairs at the front and found the non-reclining Prime seating to actually be very comfortable. Again, from a passenger perspective there is little clue to the age of the vehicle. The ride was smooth and yes there was a little sway but probably not noticeable to your average customer. I could have dropped off quite nicely. Conclusion: What an absolute beast!
Low-floor revolution
Lastly on the list of test drives we have the Volvo B10BLE, manufactured from 1993 with the last examples entering service in the UK in 2002 with what was then Blazefield Travel. The B10BLE was a successor to the B10B, which had only begun production a year before the B10BLE was launched. It differs somewhat in having the engine mounted in the rear overhang of the bus, enabling a low entry for the convenience of the elderly and those in wheelchairs and with buggies.
Although the current PSVAR regulations didn’t come in until 2002 most built already complied or had minor modifications to continue their use beyond 2016. At the time of writing, five remain on active all day stage carriage service with The Blackburn Bus Company, mostly on the Valley Lines route 22 from Blackburn to Clitheroe. They are notable in still being with their original owner near 25 years after their first introduction, The Blackburn Bus Company being the trading name of Transdev Blazefield’s operations in the North West town after Transdev’s purchase of Blazefield in 2006.
This can only be considered a true testimony to the reliability and build quality of the Volvo and Wright product. Most UK Volvo B10BLEs received Wright Renown bodywork although there were others including Alexander and Plaxton. With contract awards in Greater Manchester due to franchising of the local bus network, a number of Wrightbus StreetLites have now been made surplus from neighbouring Transdev Rosso, and once repainted these will very shortly join The Blackburn Bus Company bringing to an end the use of the type on stage carriage routes in the UK. Three others currently remain in use with Transdev at Keighley, although confined to school services as they are not PSVAR compliant.
Still good
Coincidently our vehicle today was one of a batch new to Blazefield in 2001 for routes around Burnley, including those to Blackburn. Its registration is also very appropriate, B10 BHF, a sister vehicle in the fleet being B10 BHE.
The low entry made access to the cab easy and yet again I was blessed with the provision of a coat hook. The cab I found extremely spacious with plenty of room by my left leg for a driver’s bag. Again, the dashboard and binnacles were identical to the previous two vehicles I had driven so no need for me to comment further in this regard. The basic non air-suspended seat was nevertheless extremely comfortable; to be honest, I have never favoured air-suspended drivers seats. I don’t find them any more pleasant and from an operator’s point of view, they are a lot harder to maintain.
OK, this bus has had an interior refresh well over 10 years ago now but even when new they were specified with attractive dual purpose seating, an uprated heating system and double-glazed tinted windows.
I had stood patiently waiting for the bus to arrive back off its morning school job before heading out. It was initially raining and quite cold, and when the bus arrived, on boarding what immediately struck me was the ambience of the interior. It was warm, inviting and, being double-glazed, all of the windows were clear and free from condensation.
We took a different route this time, Nick advising top speed was only about 53mph so there was little point in heading for the motorway. We headed out on the A340 towards Basingstoke. Leaving the village of Aldermaston a couple of miles away and from where the company gets its name, we left a 30mph limit with a sharp bend at the bottom of a hill. Again we were unladen but the Volvo made light work of the elevation, and by the top we were nearly at 50mph before slowing for another bend.
Into the small town of Tadley there was plenty of stopping and starting as we skirted the perimeter of the well known Atomic Weapons Establishment. Braking was once more smooth and efficient and by modern day standards there were very few rattles in the body. I simply cannot see anything being produced nowadays still being in front line service nearly 25 years later. The steering was light and responsive but if I had to be critical there was a little play which meant some correction was needed, but then I have driven far worse. If the steering box is still the original one and now 23 years old, this can only be expected.
We did a loop around the town before stopping and swapping places, allowing me similarly to appreciate the vehicle from a passenger’s perspective. I was not disappointed, big clear windows, a pleasant seat, warmth emanating from the floor-mounted radiators and as previously mentioned a smooth, virtually rattle-free ride, far superior to many of its modern day predecessors.
No equivalent
I concluded by asking Nick why he continues to use Volvo B10Ms that are now between 23 and 35 years old. He replied by saying: “Why not? There is no comparable modern day equivalent, although our Volvo B8s are highly reliable. The B10s are ultra reliable and just keep going. They go out, they come home and most parts are still readily available from Volvo, if not on the shelf, then next day.
“Our drivers, engineers and customers alike are all appreciative of the product. Unless age limits are introduced on contracts we will continue to use them for as long as we can. When the driver of the manual Van Hool finally decides to retire it may be hard to find one of our younger members of staff wanting to drive such a vehicle but it will always have a home. I have a guy in Ireland who literally pesters me monthly wanting to buy it!
“As for the CityBus that will always have a place in my heart, it is a superb back-up vehicle for our new 98-seat Volvo B8Ls and when withdrawal finally comes we’ll keep her for preservation.”
Whilst the B10BLE was a keynote bus of its generation, the Volvo B10M has played a hugely important role in the UK and indeed the international bus and coach scene for well over four decades with many thousands built. There are no signs that there will not still be significant numbers around in the UK when the earliest examples reach 50 years old. There were and still are a number of operators that will always be staunch supporters of rear-engined vehicles but I think I’m safe to say that the Volvo B10M will go down in the history books as one of the most, if not the most loved bus or coach of its generation.
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