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the engine compartment, to keep in line with new noise legislation. The most visible change was to move the ventilation grills from alongside the engine to higher up, just below the top deck windows, connected to the engine compartment by trunking, plus the removal of the grilles from the rear engine compartment door. The short, lowheight version became the standard vehicle for the
National Bus Company. The VRT remained in production until 1981, by which time 4,531 had been built. The
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38:
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A revision of the vehicle, the Series 2, was introduced in 1970, with changes including a replacement of the single-piece wrap-around engine compartment door with a 3 piece version with a lift up rear section and swing out sides. In 1974, the Series 3 was introduced, with the main changes being to
393:
In July 1967 Bristol introduced a new version, the VRT, with a more conventional transverse-engined layout. The chassis was only available as a double-decker. There was also a choice of two frame heights. The longitudinal mounted version remained, and became known as the VRL. However, in July 1968
497:
The chassis code of a
Bristol VR is very logical, and reveals a lot of information regarding the vehicle. The format is VRw/xxx/yyy, where w is the engine orientation (T or L: transverse or longitudinal, respectively. The prototype chassis carried an X here, i.e. VRX), xxx reflects the chassis
374:
ear, a reference to the layout of the engine. Two lengths were available, 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m) and 36 ft (11 m), and these were designated VRS and VRL respectively. A drop-centre rear axle and low frame were employed to keep the height of the vehicle down.
422:. A large number of the initial production versions entered service with the Scottish Bus Group. Continued reliability issues resulted in 1973 in the exchange, on a one-for-one basis, of 91 Bristol VRTs from Central SMT, Eastern Scottish and
353:
The
Bristol VR was originally designed for single-deck or double-deck bodywork. The design featured a longitudinal mounted engine set behind the rear offside wheels, rather than the more typical transverse layout. A choice of
680:
in the 1940s. The vehicles were typically constructed in the two heights set in the bus grant standards, 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) and 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m), the latter mostly being bought by
697:
and the 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m) height allowed under later versions of the grant specification along with the 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m) convertible open-toppers for companies such as
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details, and yyy the engine, e.g. VRT/SL3/6LXB is a short, low, Series 3 with a transverse
Gardner 6LXB engine. The VRT/SL3/6LXB with ECW bodywork is the most common variant of the VR.
398:, and speed-up the introduction of one-man operation. The standard specification for the grant required a transverse rear-engined vehicle, with the result that few VRLs were produced.
570:
414:, in December 1968. Almost immediately, problems were experienced with the transmission and overheating of the engine, problems similar to those experienced by early versions of the
382:
Motor Show. This was the first show at which
Bristol could exhibit since 1948, their products being available to the open market again. The prototypes had 80-seat bodies by
602:
625:, who together took approximately 120 in total all on East Lancs bodies in separate batches in the late 1960s and mid 1970s. Other large users included the
618:
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The later
Bristol VRs remained in service with many independent bus operators and some major bus companies across the United Kingdom until the late 2000s:
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body was distinctive for its rounded rear upper deck, a feature carried over from the ECW bodywork on the
Bristol Lodekka and having its roots in
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366:. Originally intended to be designated the Bristol N-type, the chassis became known as the Bristol VR, an abbreviation for
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446:, the successor to the VR, shared many similarities to the Series 3 VR, although with updates such as air suspension.
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55:
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431:
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453:, having amassed a total of 150 new and second-hand VRs, withdrew their last closed top examples in 2004;
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1007:
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Furness, Nigel R.B. (31 March 2014). "Chapter 12: A double decker for the twentieth century and beyond".
686:
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617:, Northern and Cardiff. Notable users of the VR outside of the National Bus Company (NBC) included the
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withdrew their last examples in 2007, with some continuing operating until 2009 with subsidiary
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O.600 engine were to be available. The transmission was a semi-automatic unit by
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693:. Other versions were built, including 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) for
203:
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31 ft 2 in (9.50 m) to 34 ft 9.3 in (10.60 m)
17:
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621:, who took 200 on MCW bodies in 1970s and Liverpool Corporation Transport/
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Two prototypes were built in spring 1966, and were shown at the 1966
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the
British government introduced a grant intended to modernise the
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LH - Long/High; Series 1 (note: VRLs were only of the form VRL/LH)
486:
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926:(Press release). Kingston upon Hull: EYMS Group. Archived from
31:
465:
withdrew their last closed top VRs in
December 2006.
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Buses and
Coaches of Bristol and Eastern Coach Works
613:. Willowbrook bodied VRs for various customers like
406:The first production vehicles entered service with
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62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
334:Eastern Coach Works bodied VRT/SL2 in October 2009
924:"Long-lived EYMS bus bows out after thirty years"
585:Like most Bristol buses, most VRs were bodied by
551:6LXB (Gearbox: Type RV90 5-speed semi-automatic)
481:operated a VR for a summertime open-top tour of
469:operated one VR on an open-top service between
386:(ECW) and entered service with Central SMT and
851:. Temple Press. 3 October 1969. pp. 64–71
799:. Temple Press. 23 September 1966. p. 115
765:"Novel engine position on new Bristol chassis"
517:LL2 - Long/Low; Series 2; built primarily for
345:Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol VRT/SL3 in
27:British rear-engined double-decker bus chassis
825:. Temple Press. 29 September 1967. p. 98
511:LL - Long/Low; Series 1; built primarily for
8:
819:"British passenger chassis: a buyer's guide"
903:. Temple Press. 26 January 1973. p. 24
877:. Temple Press. 6 December 1968. p. 64
619:West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
576:West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
286:13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) and 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
955:. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 5.
952:First Western National: The Bristol VR Era
145:
136:
773:. Temple Press. 5 August 1966. p. 56
725:
723:
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
845:"Bristol VRT/ECW 75-seat double-decker"
719:
434:, a majority of these being sent from
7:
332:SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive
60:adding citations to reliable sources
278:8 ft 2.4 in (2.50 m)
949:Smith, Vernon (15 February 2020).
581:bodied Bristol VRT/SL2 in May 2011
501:The chassis types are as follows:
25:
1023:Bristol Commercial Vehicles buses
922:Shipp, Peter (18 February 2004).
1001:
987:
36:
589:. However, some were bodied by
47:needs additional citations for
158:bodied Bristol VR in July 2008
1:
871:"SGB orders 232 replacements"
695:City of Oxford Motor Services
451:East Yorkshire Motor Services
477:until September 2010, while
467:First Hampshire & Dorset
308:Bristol Commercial Vehicles
257:4 or 5-speed semi-automatic
173:Bristol Commercial Vehicles
1054:
463:First Devon & Cornwall
358:6LX or 6LW engines or the
306:which was manufactured by
532:SL3 - Short/Low; Series 3
529:SL2 - Short/Low; Series 2
508:LH2 - Long/High; Series 2
144:
691:Maidstone & District
663:Tayside Regional Council
526:SL - Short/Low; Series 1
523:LL3 - Long/Low; Series 3
635:municipal bus companies
629:, independents such as
388:Bristol Omnibus Company
310:as a competitor to the
651:Lincoln City Transport
582:
350:
335:
1010:at Wikimedia Commons
793:"Neat and functional"
655:Northampton Transport
599:Metro Cammell Weymann
579:Metro Cammell Weymann
573:
341:
329:
930:on 29 September 2006
639:Burnley & Pendle
623:Merseyside Transport
432:National Bus Company
56:improve this article
1038:Step-entrance buses
1033:Double-decker buses
587:Eastern Coach Works
384:Eastern Coach Works
364:Self-Changing Gears
255:Self-Changing Gears
156:Eastern Coach Works
897:"SBG-NBC bus swop"
700:Hants & Dorset
676:'s styling on the
627:Scottish Bus Group
583:
561:680 - Leyland 0680
513:Scottish Omnibuses
479:Arriva Buses Wales
455:Wilts & Dorset
426:for front-engined
412:Scottish Bus Group
410:, a member of the
396:British bus fleets
351:
336:
1006:Media related to
962:978-1-4456-7683-8
743:978-1-8479-7698-7
659:Reading Transport
643:Cleveland Transit
631:A Mayne & Son
603:Northern Counties
519:Reading Transport
420:Daimler Fleetline
416:Leyland Atlantean
316:Daimler Fleetline
312:Leyland Atlantean
301:double-decker bus
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444:Leyland Olympian
436:Eastern Counties
430:FLF6Gs from the
408:Eastern Scottish
343:Western National
187:Body and chassis
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683:Bristol Omnibus
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112:November 2018
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73: –
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67:Find sources:
61:
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51:
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45:This article
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39:
34:
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19:
1000:
995:Buses portal
966:. Retrieved
951:
944:
932:. Retrieved
928:the original
917:
905:. Retrieved
900:
891:
879:. Retrieved
874:
865:
853:. Retrieved
848:
839:
827:. Retrieved
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801:. Retrieved
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775:. Retrieved
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747:. Retrieved
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611:Loughborough
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377:
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298:rear-engined
293:
291:
250:Transmission
244:70-83 seated
227:Gardner 6LXC
225:Gardner 6LXB
169:Manufacturer
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
71:"Bristol VR"
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
1028:Bus chassis
736:. Crowood.
607:Willowbrook
424:Western SMT
380:Earls Court
349:in May 1979
322:Development
236:Leyland 680
234:Leyland 501
18:Bristol VRT
1017:Categories
1008:Bristol VR
968:9 December
934:9 December
855:9 December
829:9 December
803:9 December
777:9 December
749:9 December
714:References
637:including
595:East Lancs
574:Preserved
402:Production
330:Preserved
294:Bristol VR
262:Dimensions
210:Powertrain
179:Production
151:Preserved
140:Bristol VR
82:newspapers
907:30 August
881:30 August
704:Southdown
615:East Kent
591:Alexander
536:Engines:
483:Llandudno
182:1966-1981
471:Weymouth
370:ertical
241:Capacity
232:510 8.2l
164:Overview
556:Leyland
549:Gardner
547:6LXB -
542:Gardner
360:Leyland
356:Gardner
347:Saltash
304:chassis
230:Leyland
221:Gardner
96:scholar
959:
740:
687:Ribble
633:, and
566:Bodies
554:501 -
540:6LX -
461:, and
296:was a
283:Height
267:Length
216:Engine
195:1 or 2
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
487:Conwy
275:Width
192:Doors
103:JSTOR
89:books
970:2021
957:ISBN
936:2021
909:2022
883:2022
857:2021
831:2021
805:2021
779:2021
751:2021
738:ISBN
706:and
668:The
661:and
605:and
485:and
473:and
418:and
314:and
292:The
75:news
674:ECW
670:ECW
609:of
558:501
544:6LX
223:6LX
58:by
1019::
899:.
873:.
847:.
821:.
795:.
767:.
722:^
710:.
702:,
685:,
665:.
657:,
653:,
649:,
645:,
641:,
601:,
597:,
593:,
489:.
438:.
390:.
318:.
972:.
938:.
911:.
885:.
859:.
833:.
807:.
781:.
753:.
372:R
368:V
125:)
119:(
114:)
110:(
100:·
93:·
86:·
79:·
52:.
20:)
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