[dhandapanik]

Around 1432 buses from all transport corporations of TN(Excl MTC) were selected for rebuilding process. Below is an AL Viking of TNSTC-Coimbatore which was completely rebuilt recently!

Below pic was taken on January 2012.


This was taken after it got rebuilt and now it is running as city bus in Coimbatore.

[G-BoleroBoy]

Hi, I have been seeing this bus regularly in Bangalore on kanakapura road around 9:30am. This is pretty old Ashok Leyland bus belonging to karnataka Govt's sericulture dept. This has been taken care of very well and has been in top condition always. Dont have further information - and sorry about poor quality pics taken from mobile.

[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by polopm

The early model looks like the KB travels bus(the guys who ran the bus from Pondy Bazaar, Chennai to Madurai daily).

Polopm, glad to see a mention of KB Travels. I used to always prefer their service for trips to Madras (I lived in Madurai between 1983 - 1998) compared to the other private carriers. They just ran 2 services each way (8PM and 8:30PM) simultaneously from Madras and Madurai, were very punctual, and didn't bother the passengers with noisy videos like KPN and the other private carriers. If KB was full I'd opt for the TTC 137 series (again, in those days TTCs didn't have videos, which SETC now has, unfortunately.)

Please do upload some photos of the KB buses if you have any, it would be much appreciated.

[Ashley2]

New set of Alloy wheels. These are made by Wheels India and it costs around a lakh for a set.
This Viking is running between Palani and Dindugal - One of the hottest routes in this area.

[rajeev k]

Perhaps, AL got inspired and developed the Viking seeing many SRTCs especially in Tamil Nadu, building the extended front overhang bodies on Comet chassis with a passenger door on the front side of the front wheel. If I am right this type of body was common much before the advent of the Viking. The Kerala SRTC never had such buses before the Viking appeared on the bus scene.
I also remember seeing the overdrive gear in AL buses of Pallavan Transport corporation Express buses plying between Trivandrum and Madras (erstwhile names of Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai) in 1973/74.

[DWind]

Saw this sticker on the engine cover of Viking of TNSTC-Villupuram bus running between Pondy and Chennai.

The translated text is instruction to driver saying " S6 - Overdrive gear box fitted (in this bus). Use the OD gear above 50 kmph"


I think this is yet another initiative to extract as much mileage as possible by the transport corporation and AL. While the driver was religiously following shifting to OD gear as soon as he reached 50 kmph he was not really keen in reducing the gear slowing down below 50 kmph thereby lugging the engine. I feel a better advise would be shifting to OD after reaching a certain engine speed (tachometer was working along with speedo). The bus was inducted in fleet in Aug 2012 based on builder's plate. Hope fully the speedo is not disconnected, which has been my peeve against Govt buses since I was a kid.

Question to experts: why not have the OD gear integrated like in cars so that it is engaged directly instead of doing so here?

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by DWind

Question to experts: why not have the OD gear integrated like in cars so that it is engaged directly instead of doing so here?

Refer my previous post. Many months after traveling in the Bus with the OD gear came across the AL ad on overdrive gear box which AL was offering as an option. Your question cropped up in my mind then itself and the answer still remains elusive.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

...I also remember seeing the overdrive gear in AL buses of Pallavan Transport corporation Express buses plying between Trivandrum and Madras (erstwhile names of Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai) in 1973/74.

Are you sure about this? I didnt know that AL had overdrive GBs during then.

Originally Posted by DWind

...Question to experts: why not have the OD gear integrated like in cars so that it is engaged directly instead of doing so here?

Sorry, I didnt understand this question..., in the AL OD gearbox, the OD gear is integrated like in cars (as per my understanding).

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

...I also remember seeing the overdrive gear in AL buses of Pallavan Transport corporation Express buses plying between Trivandrum and Madras (erstwhile names of Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai) in 1973/74.

Good to hear some old stories about the OD gear box.

Originally Posted by DWind

.... why not have the OD gear integrated like in cars so that it is engaged directly instead of doing so here?

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

...Sorry, I didnt understand this question..., in the AL OD gearbox, the OD gear is integrated like in cars (as per my understanding).

There is nothing difference between cars and buses in this case. The 6th gear or top gear is a OD.
In earlier scenario what rajeev is speaking, there will be a seperate add on Over drive unit. With kind remembrance from the past, the dispaly sticker is made as OD instead of 6th.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

...In earlier scenario what rajeev is speaking, there will be a seperate add on Over drive unit...

Ok, got it now....in this case, the OD lever would be separate from the main gear lever, right ?

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

Are you sure about this? I didnt know that AL had overdrive GBs during then.

Yes I am one hundred percent sure. I noticed that sitting in that PTC Express bus before the bus reached Nagercoil of this uncommon-till-then gear change and after Nagercoil it was OD all the way during that night.
I also vividly remember the ad by AL on this feature soon afterwards.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

...this uncommon-till-then gear change ...

Was the OD engaged by a separate gear-lever or was it integrated in the main lever itself ?

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

Was the OD engaged by a separate gear-lever or was it integrated in the main lever itself ?

It was integrated to the main gear lever itself.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

New set of Alloy wheels. These are made by Wheels India and it costs around a lakh for a set.

AshLey sir, looks like lots of chrome and less of alloy! Looks like, is being typically made for our Polachi/Pazhani route "bling" buses.

Is this available as an option directly from AL or an aftermarket fitment?

[DWind]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

With kind remembrance from the past, the dispaly sticker is made as OD instead of 6th.

If the OD gear mentioned in the sticker is the higher gear with integrated OD then I stand corrected, for I thought the OD gear selector position will actuate a bolt on OD gear which is outside of the GB.