Classic Buses of Reading 2000-Routemasters, Metrobuses, Leyland Titan's & Olympians

THE JON HARRY COLLECTION
A film now from the collection of a now departed friend. Having seen my videos taken since 1985 he was inspired to go out and buy his own video camera and get filming. I have been digitising them and converting the Video8 tapes to MP4. This upload shows some classic bus action in Reading Town Centre with Reading Buses and Reading Mainline. We see ex London Transport Routemasters and ex Harrow Bus MkII Metrobuses along with new-to-Reading MkI Metro's, Leyland Titan's and ECW bodied Leyland Olympian's. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!

[@JasonLong4875]

Some of the former Reading Buses Optare Vecta's ended up in South Wales working for Islwyn Borough Transport, they were bought out by Stagecoach in 2010 who eventually scrapped the Vecta's apart from one (M957 VWY) which was kept and was sold for preservation

[@johnbristow8099]

Nice video. Unfortunately I never got to see the Routemasters.

[@john_smith1471]

Interesting reminder of how the area opposite the old Great Western station looked like, they swept away the 1960s Western Tower with wind swept shop passages beneath and Thames Valley bus station, also pedestrianised much of the road area.

[@craigsibley8161]

Another Sunday special from THE JON HARRY COLLECTION 👍👍👍

[@jamesfrench7299]

A couple of the MCW's at the start sounded clapped out, not to mention the Routemasters. Dodgy centre door removal on the presumably ex London buses, fully panelling or over without a replacing with a window. Who was that lanky cameraman. Was he from the media as that camera looked the size of a news camera!

[@markcf83]

The dual doored Metrobuses you're on about were new for Reading Transport. They incidentally also had Metropolitans delivered new and bought twenty from London.

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@markcf83 they must have been masochists for rust. Even the Metros had problems in that area.

[@markcf83]

@@jamesfrench7299 from memory the Metropolitans lasted quite long in Reading. It's entirely possible the Harrow Metrobuses replaced them.

[@synappticuser]

Nice one 😊

[@markcf83]

Reading loved their Metrobuses. The ex Harrow examples would stick around for a few more years after this......

[@jamesfrench7299]

The Gardner and Voith combination must have made for a robust and economical combination, both known for excellent fuel economy.

[@MetroTitanD78]

The last Titan you see 74 would end her days working the Cheddar Gorge tour alongside LT Titans 67 and 860. By 2000 all the former Londonline mk2 Metrobuses had gone with most joining the Ensignbus fleet which is where I got to sample them.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thanks for the info.....

[@AndreiTupolev]

RB had a pretty good reputation, but those old second-hand Metrobuses with the centre doorway plated over look a bit tired

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

The Titans also had the same poor bodge job done to the centre doors... I think it was because they only had a short life left with RB as low floor vehicles were on the horizon.....

[@yoddytoddy]

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[@oliverjames8653]

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[@Keithbarber]

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[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Your slipping!.... lol