Like many of the conurbations across Britain, the Greater Manchester region in the 1990s offered a fascinating mixture of buses from operators both large and small, new and established. The deregulation of the bus industry that began in October 1986 created a lively if sometimes chaotic environment. Operators came and went; some were rather spectacular in their demise. As the 1990s progressed there was gradual consolidation, as increasing areas of operation came under the control of the emerging larger groups - the likes of First, Stagecoach and Arriva. In this book, Howard Wilde reflects on some of the choice moments of this eventful decade, with a wide selection of photographs from Manchester and the numerous surrounding towns to show a period that was fascinating for the enthusiast, if not always beneficial for the passenger.

Steam power led the transport revolution in England throughout the nineteenth century, but was crippled on the road network by punitive legislation. As the century turned, the laws were altered in such a way that the development of the English Steam Lorry or Wagon became a viable transport proposition. For the best part of four decades, the steam lorry was a major player on the transport scene, being developed into a highly technical machine designed to beat competition from the petrol and diesel lorry. The most advanced machines were efficient and very fast. Made by a variety of builders, including the famous Sentinel company of Shrewsbury, who built waggons with a double 'g', and Foden, of Sandbach, steam lorries came in many shapes and sizes. This book looks at their birth, and the operation and engineering that set them aside from the traction engine and steam roller. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with steam lorries in all their variety.

On 1 April 1974, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive was created by merging the municipal bus fleets of Bradford City Transport, Halifax Corporation with Calderdale Joint Omnibus Committee, Huddersfield Joint Omnibus Committee and Leeds City Transport. The new WYPTE was divided into four districts: Bradford, Calderdale (previously Halifax and Todmorden), Kirklees (previously Huddersfield) and Leeds. A new livery of cream and light green slowly but surely began to replace the blue and cream of Bradford, the orange, green and cream of Halifax, the red and cream of Huddersfield, and the two shades of green of Leeds. With over 1,500 vehicles and more than 6,000 staff along with the numerous garage and depot facilities, this was a huge operation. By 1976 changes were being made to the livery - while retaining the colour scheme much of the lining details were replaced and the district name under the Metro logo gave way to Metrobus. The photographs in the book illustrate this process of absorption of the bus fleets of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and Leeds from before 1974 up to the end of the decade.

Rising gas prices, sprawl and congestion, global warming, even obesity - driving is a factor in many of the most contentious issues of our time. So how did we get here? How did automobile use become so vital to the identity of Americans? "Republic of Drivers" looks back at the period between 1895 and 1961 - from the founding of the first automobile factory in America to the creation of the Interstate Highway System - to find out how driving evolved into a crucial symbol of freedom and agency.Cotten Seiler combs through a vast number of historical, social scientific, philosophical, and literary sources to illustrate the importance of driving to modern American conceptions of the self and the social and political order. He finds that as the figure of the driver blurred into the figure of the citizen, automobility became a powerful resource for women, African Americans, and others seeking entry into the public sphere. And yet, he argues, the individualistic but anonymous act of driving has also monopolized our thinking about freedom and democracy, discouraging the crafting of a more sustainable way of life. As our fantasies of the open road turn into fears of a looming energy crisis, Seiler shows us just how we ended up a republic of drivers - and where we might be headed.

Die Chance, dass Sie Ihren VW Golf genau so ein zweites Mal auf der Strasse sehen, ist gering. Die Explosion der Variantenvielfalt, getrieben durch Verbraucher, die auf ihre Individualitat bestehen, ist voll im Gange. Diese dritte Revolution nach Henry Ford und Toyota betrifft nicht ausschliesslich die Hersteller, sondern die gesamte Wertschopfungskette. Die Autoren zeigen, dass die Losung des Konflikts von Effizienz und Vielfalt bereits in der Entwicklung neuer Fahrzeuge zu suchen ist. Eine Antwort auf diese Herausforderung sind modulare Konzepte, die vollig neue Geschaftsmodelle eroffnen. Pflichtlekture - nicht nur fur Automobilmanager."

Nach einer kurzen Darstellung der bisherigen grundsatzlichen Entwicklung im Bereich der Fahrzeugantriebe werden die aktuellen Herausforderungen und Treiber fur Veranderungen beschrieben. Fur die Schlusseltechnologien bei Elektrofahrzeugen, wie den Elektromotor, die Steuerung und die Batterien, werden die zum Verstandnis notwendigen technischen Aspekte vorgestellt. Es schliesst sich unter Verwendung eines Kostenmodells eine Wirtschaftlichkeitsbetrachtung an. Abschliessend werden im Sinne der Konsequenzen die Implikationen auf die Automobilindustrie sowie die Strategien fur die Automobilhersteller und die Automobilzulieferer abgeleitet. Dazu gehoeren moegliche Kooperationsmodelle und neue Produkttechnologien.

Car production at Volvo began in 1926 in Stockholm with a prototype. By 1927 small goods vehicles based on the car designs were in production at Gothenburg, and heavier three-tonners were being produced by 1928. Already known for their robust cars, Volvo lorries first came to British roads in 1967 after Jim McKelvie, a former road haulier, saw the need for better trucks than UK manufacturers were producing at the time, and imported the Volvo F86 model as a 30/32 ton artic unit. The lorry was light, had a high power-to-weight ratio and provided incomparable comfort for the driver. It took the UK market by storm. This early import was the forerunner of later Volvo trucks across the entire range, with various models of bus chassis also being introduced to the UK markets. Volvo production has gone forward in leaps and bounds, today being a major player on the world stage. Though a relative newcomer to the UK scene, Volvos have gained a very large following. Lavishly illustrated with rare and unpublished photographs, Volvo Lorries traces their history in Britain from the early F86 imports of the 1960s to the FH16 750 bhp fleet flagships seen on the roads today.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has taken steps toward better oversight of motor carriers by establishing the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) and chameleon carrier vetting programs; however, FMCSA could improve its oversight to better target high risk carriers. The CSA program oversees carriers' safety performance through roadside inspections and crash investigations, and issues violations when instances of noncompliance with safety regulations are found. CSA provides FMCSA, state safety authorities, and the industry with valuable information regarding carriers' performance on the road. This book examines the effectiveness of the CSA program in assessing safety risk for motor carriers. For years, some motor carriers have registered and been operating illegally in interstate commerce by using a new identity in an effort to disguise their former identity and evade enforcement actions issued against them by the FMCSA. Such carriers are referred to as chameleon carriers and may include interstate passenger carriers, household goods carriers, or freight truck carriers. This book examines the prevalence of chameleon carriers; how well FMCSA's investigative programs are designed to identify suspected chameleon carriers; and what constraints, if any, FMCSA faces in pursuing enforcement actions against suspected chameleon carriers.

Entering the 21st century, the Nation's transportation system has matured; it only expands its infrastructure by a fraction of a percentage each year. However, congestion continues to grow at an alarming rate, adversely impacting our quality of life and increasing the potential for accidents and long delays. These are expected to escalate, calling for transportation professionals to increase the productivity of existing transportation systems through the use of operational improvements. In order to assess the potential effectiveness of a particular strategy, it must be analyzed using traffic analysis tools or methodologies. The objective of this book is to assist traffic engineers, planners, and traffic operations professionals in the selection of the correct type of traffic analysis tool for operational improvements.

From floating ice to snowstorms - meet the adrenalin junkie and death-defying star of the History Channel and Five USA's hit show ICE ROAD TRUCKERS. Every year a fleet of men travel to the Arctic Circle, a region heavily endowed with natural resources. Locating the abundance of natural gas, conflict-free diamonds and gold is relatively easy - but extracting and transporting these goods is another matter entirely. The truckers picked to deliver these precious commodities spend two months traveling hundreds of miles on a naturally formed road of ice. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. For more than 20 years, Hugh Rowland has survived the ice roads like no other. Known by the ice road trucking community as 'The Polar Bear' - a reference to his legendary stamina, strong personality, bearish attitude and prowess on the ice - Rowland has performed amazing feats and survived spectacular wrecks to become the undisputed king of the ice road truckers. Each year when the temperature plummets to -70 DegreesC, Rowland leaves his family, home and successful excavation business north of Vancouver, Canada, to drive 1900 miles to Yellowknife, where he throttles up for another ice road season. ON THIN ICE traces the history of ice road trucking, the preparation for the trek and follows Rowland through his nine week journey across the infamous Ice Road. From the first snowstorm to the final thaw, this adrenalin-filled book follows his journey to the edge of endurance and back. It's an extraordinary look at an extreme life.

From about 1910 to the mid-1920s, the cyclecar was a popular means of transport. Cheap, simply engineered, often crude, it was really just a motorcycle engine with a lightweight chassis and body (the cyclecar/microcar often being the product of cycle and motorcycle technology). It created, however, a new market of people who could now afford a motor car; it was no longer the perserve of the well to do. The simplicity of the cars meant that they could easily be built in small quantities and this led to a growth in the number of motor manufacturers. Some, who graduated to make motor cars, even survive to this day, including probably the most famous British marque - Morgan. It was an international phenomenon with makers in France, the UK, USA and Germany producing cyclecars, albeit for various time-spans. A few makers survived into the thirties, but most had disappeared long before, killed off by the introduction of real cars at low prices, such as the Austin 7 in Britain, the German Dixi and the baby Citroens in France. The concept was not to die, however, as the French retained an interest in cyclecars beyond this period and were producing small cars such a as the Mochet throughout the Second World War. Inside the pages of Minimal Motoring is a selective history of both the cyclecar and microcar, accompanied by period photographs, advertisements and artwork.

It's hard to imagine a history of British engineering without Rolls-Royce: there would be no Silver Ghost, no Merlin for the Spitfire, no Alcock and Brown. Rolls-Royce is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. But what of the man who designed them? The youngest of five children, Frederick Henry Royce was born into almost Dickensian circumstances: the family business failed by the time he was 4, his father died in a Greenwich poorhouse when he was 9, and he only managed two fragmented years of formal schooling. But he made all of it count. In Sir Henry Royce: Establishing Rolls-Royce, from Motor Cars to Aero Engines, acclaimed aeronautical historian Peter Reese explores the life of an almost forgotten genius, from his humble beginnings to his greatest achievements. Impeccably researched and featuring almost 100 illustrations, this is the remarkable story of British success on a global stage.

Haynes disassembles every subject vehicle and documents every step with thorough instructions and clear photos. Haynes repair manuals are used by the pros, but written for the do-it-yourselfer.

East Lancashire Coachbuilders was first registered in October 1934 when two former Massey Bros of Wigan employees decided to set up their own company in Blackburn. Their names were George Danson and Alfred Alcock. Over the next seven decades they supplied both single- and double-deck bodywork to most, if not all, Lancashire municipal bus operators, plus a number of south coast operators. The majority of photographs in this book have been taken by the author, and are mostly previously unpublished.

The AEC Regal IVs and Regent IIIs, or to give them their class prefix letters RFs and RTs, are among the most revered buses to have served London over the years. The RFs were maids of all work and were tailored for private hire, Green Line coach work and ordinary stage bus work in both the central and country areas. The first of the type were introduced in October 1951 and a total of 700 vehicles were built for the London Transport Executive. They replaced virtually all the other types of single-deckers then operating in the metropolis. The RT was first introduced to service in 1939 and production ran to 151 vehicles before construction ceased in early 1942. Following the war, the Park Royal factory recommenced building the type in 1947, with the last new chassis being rolled out in 1954, taking the bonnet number RT4825. Both types soldiered on throughout the 1970s as LTE encountered severe problems with their 'OPO' replacements before both finally bowed out within a week of each other in March/April 1979. This account charts the last years of operation of both types from the mid-1970s onward, focusing on North London.

Scania's first venture into the British double-decker bus market came in 1973, when with partner MCW, based in Birmingham, they produced the 'Metropolitan' double-decker. In 1980, after a brief hiatus, Scania re-entered the British double-decker market with a chassis for bodying by all the major UK builder. Featuring a wonderful array of previously unpublished images, this book is a fond tribute to forty years of Scania double-decker buses on Britain's roads.

Although to many enthusiasts, municipal vehicles never extended beyond the trams, trolleybuses and buses that were required to provide the basic public service, behind them were a range of vehicles that were required to enable operations to proceed smoothly. These vehicles - tower wagons, tree-loppers, towing vehicles, training vehicles, mobile canteens and numerous others - are vehicles that, historically, have tended to be ignored when writing the history of municipal operators but without which operation would have been impossible. Some of these vehicles were often elderly buses converted for new duties, others were specially constructed for their somewhat specialised tasks; all, however, are fascinating examples of historic municipal vehicles. Gavin Booth, one of the country's leading experts on the subject of public transport history, has delved deep into the archives of many of the country's leading transport photographers to produce a fascinating survey of these often ignored vehicles. Dividing the subject into each of the specialised tasks, he shows how the various types of vehicle evolved during the twentieth century. Alongside the excellent photographs, the author's well-researched text and detailed captions make the book an essential work of reference for all those interested in the history of Britain's municipal bus operations.

The exact definition of east Scotland can be difficult to define due to its wide geographical areas, but for the purpose of this book the bus services covered are from a wide range of destinations including Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Perth, Fife, the Borders and the Lothians. Each of the areas covered are unique and require a complex network of routes through smaller towns and villages as well as larger cities, as well as linking railway stations, park and ride facilities, airports, shopping centres and hospitals. Not only do large well-known operators such as Stagecoach, First and National Express serve the communities here, but so do companies such as Borders Buses (part of the Craig of Campbeltown West Coast Motors group), Lothian Buses, Lothian Country Buses, East Coast Buses, Moffat & Williamson, Rennies, Prentice, Eve's, Ratho Coaches and Edinburgh Coachlines. In this book, Richard Walter illustrates the scenic and contrasting areas that these buses operate in. The bus remains an essential lifeline in many of the smaller towns and villages and vehicles change and adapt as necessary, from the provision of contactless payment and USB ports to the carrying of bikes.

These days, a nice original Vauxhall Viva costs an arm and a leg, but back in the 1970s, GBP100 bought you a 'good little runner', with the rust, bald tyres and dodgy MOT thrown in for free. All you needed was someone who knew how to fix it when it broke down! Brian Cunningham is that someone - or, at least, he used to be. Under the Bonnet is the totally true* story of being a car mechanic in the old days, when fixing a car was one thing, but keeping it fixed was something else entirely. These are the tales of a bygone age, full of secret scams, chaotic characters and cars almost bursting with personality. * some tales may be taller than others

The Dennis company has been building vehicles since 1895, making it the oldest continuously producing British manufacturer. From its origins in a small Guildford shop, the company has grown to become a major bus manufacturer with its products selling around the world. This book discusses the company's highs and lows, through two world wars, challenging markets and ownership changes. It documents the vehicles produced and their innovative design features, from early cars and street-cleaning machines to vans, buses, trucks, fire engines and ambulances. First-hand descriptions of how, and why, some of the company's most successful products such as the Dart, Trident and Enviro buses evolved. It explains why their once market-leading fire engines are no longer made. It also analyses the reasons why some products were less successful and explores what happened to parts of the company that were sold over the years. Finally, the company's future opportunities and challenges are considered. The author, Andy Goundry, has not only drawn on his own personal experience of almost twenty years of employment with the company but he has drawn on what is left of the company archives, private collections and first-hand accounts, to produce this book as a salutation of over 125 years of continuous manufacturing.

For eleven years prior to World War II, Cadillac defied the norms of practicality and produced an extravagant supercar, a 16-cylinder luxury automobile that could be tailored to the customer's every want. It was big, thirsty and lavish, and it cemented Cadillac's place in the top tier of motoring magnificence. Each of the cars has its own colourful and fascinating story to tell. Driven by an interest in the history of his own car, the author has assembled some of these tales, gleaned from interviews, books, periodicals and documents, into a liberally illustrated book. Each story is shaped by the people a particular car touched, and the events they lived through together. All are an important part of our automotive and cultural history.