I recall as a child in 1971 my ears being hammered by one of these sitting near the front with my dad on a sightseeing trip around snowdonia out of Llandudno, as well as the noise climbing the hills I recall the sunroof leaking in the obligatory rain. I was fascinated by it being twin steer.

These old Bedford coaches have a sound of their own. Music to my ears! I hope this one has lots of miles to travel yet. She runs as sweet as a nut.If the Bedford Val in the Italian Job had been driven as well as this, the guys would have got the gold bars to their intended destination!

Takes me back to when I was a nipper in the late 1970s. We used to get taken to the local swimming baths in St Helens in one very similar to this. Can still hear that engine and smell the upholstery. Happy days.

@robertp.wainman4094

3 ай бұрын

Yes - I know just how this would smell!

That sound takes me back 30 years and going on the coach with all the family and extended family to Blackpool for the lights such happy times sadly so far away least can see these old girls saved now

That sounds bloody great I loved the sound of trucks and buses when I was a kid this sounds awesome I used to love the sound of the bedford army trucks great stuff glad people like these vehicles keep em going 👍

It’s cool to hear the old engine sounds ! These things were desperate for a turbo

Hi from Sydney , Australia. I grew up in Mosman , Sydney & the local bus owner/operator was my grandad's mate they had both studied engineering together. When Bill bought his first 4 VAL's I was still a kid at school & one of my favourite toys was Dinky Toys Bedford VAL Vega Major , I had all 4 versions , the 2 British versions with & without flashing indicators & the 2 Swisse mail versions with & without flashing indicators. As an aside, I had to go all the way to a Swiss post shop in the 1960's to get my M-961 blinking light version , & saw one at a toy auction 3 years back sell for just below $3500 US dollars !! for a TOY . However in reality in the end , Bill bought all 16 Bedford VAL chassis that came to Australia, including one that was damaged in an accident & subsequent small fire , to remedy this he bought a "display" body off GM-Vauxhall in the UK which had been on show at their facility when he had earlier visited the UK to place orders & look at the new VAL, he enquired if they still owned it and would it be available for sale, it had a chassis , no engine , no interior , so once purchased & shipped here 12,000miles away , the fitted the engine & drive line from the damaged on , commissioned a new fresh interior , had it passed for New South Wales registration & it was then in service. When I was going to UNI' in my last year I helped Bill out on several charters when he was a driver short on trips from Sydney to Canberra all up about 400 mile run and back then then driving around the spacious and in 70's near empty grand wide boulevards & freeways in Canberra taking groups to the Nation's premiere museums, art Gallery , National Art gallery etc over a long weekend, also back in the early 70's we did not have the Sydney to Canberra motorway so there were windy hilly sections of the old Hume Highway , then off that & onto the Federal highway just out of Goulburn , finally the really windy hilly & steep section just before NSW becomes the ACT, these VAL's were a joy to drive , & they were all I'd hoped that they would be all the years later when I was finally old enough to be legally allowed to drive one with a full compliment of passengers. AS they still to this day look amazing with their twin steer wheels & beautiful ahead of their time panoramic window & body designs. Re the unique gear shift pattern , compared to some of the older specialist vehicles that my own Grandad owned in his fleet of vehicles , the Bedford VAL's was easy .

Love the Bedford air brake whistle - trademark sound

@doveronefoxtrot4417

2 жыл бұрын

Used to drive the KM lorry with exact same sound.

@AJ-qn6gd

5 ай бұрын

We used to call them Bedford Squeekers 👍🏻🇬🇧

Takes me back to early 1970's when as kids we were taken to the swimming lessons at Lancaster Baths and school tours in a Duple Viceroy run by Baterrsy silver grey coach company from Heysham. I can remember how we all roared " Hurray" as the coach moved off on our trips. This video is timewharp and beautiful. That guy really knows how to drive thus lovely old coach. Pity about the toerag in the red car overtaking at an insane speed. Yess a turbo would be welcome but that's how these old creatures were full of character.

Ah, memories of childhood trips to the seaside, really nice to see a classic British coach design still storming up the roads.

I just love the bit where he signals to the lorry driver his intentions proper driving proper gent love a plaxton🤠

Takes me back to my childhood. Thanks for this one. :)

@seansands424

3 жыл бұрын

Remember being on these on school trips

"this is the self preservation society"

Really good to hear that engine tone once again I’ve held a Pcv for over 33year and a val twin steer was my first vehicle. So comfortable was the ride that you always got good comments at the end of a day out. My duple dominant was not so enlightening to drive as the val. Only down side as I recall braking efficiency was not its strong feature but it would turn on a sixpence. Often wondered what that chassis would have gone like with the late ynt turbo in. Classic coaching much better than my Volvo b8r that I have now. Many thanks for that trip down memory lane.

That engine sounds crisp!

I love that engine sound!

Mr Lester doing a fine job there :P

@stevelester9015

5 жыл бұрын

Nigel bus thank you

@bevan3648

3 жыл бұрын

Fond Memories of driving for Godfrey Abbott Group,,,I remember taking one out when it was new.

I drove a VAL back in the 70`s. Only had it for a few days, as it was hired to cover a vehicle off the road due to breakdown. It had really nice steering and very bad brakes, due to the small size of the brake linings on the 16 inch wheels apparently, though it did have a retarder. BUT, the thing I took ages to get used to, was the Turner "Chinese" gearbox. My permanent coach was a Bedford with the regular 5 speed, but the VAL had the change pattern completely different. By the time I got used to it, it was sent back and I got my regular vehicle back.

@arthurgreenway1369

2 жыл бұрын

Part owner/Driver with a Ford Plaxton Panorama Elite (1965 reg) in the 1980's which had the chinese box, worn synchro so double declutching was a must. Also had Eaton 2 speed backaxle, air over hydraulic brakes . Drove it 4yrs for a couple of bands.

what a fantastic sound

4:36 - What a cacophony. I love it!

That distinctive icky smell as you boarded one of these old girls...reminds me of the Wednesday night after school detention bus what used to be laid on for us naughty kids back in the day 😂

This man could maneuver cargo ship in a puddle

Can we see the bus outside, love the shape, I got a leyland 1974 panorama

Came across this video, used to part own & drive a plaxton panorama elite with a Ford straight 6, chinese gearbox & Eaton 2 speed backaxle. No power steering & air over hydraulics brakes, gearbox was badly worn synchro so double declutching was a must, you wouldn't get thro the box if you couldn't do that.

Reminds me of primary school journeys in late 80s on 45 seater coach plated SOR944G.

@neilkeepingitreal

5 ай бұрын

I'm glad I'm not the only one who weirdly remembered my school bus / coach number plate mine was rrt100w 😂

I know people don't like noise but that's brilliant

Geared like a road bus

Brings back many happy memories of going to Blackpool as a boy on holiday in the seventies and 80s the coach park was Rigby road in those days.

@danielrussell446

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I agree Gary we used to always go as a family and filled a 52 seater usually a duple bodied Leyland or Bedford belonging to evergreen of Halesowen lots of very happy memories

@garywinterbottom6073

3 жыл бұрын

@@danielrussell446 we went on Hanson or abbeyways and ivesways coaches .

didnt like hills very much did it?.....

Would love a shot of that!

I wonder why Bedford didn’t use larger units like leyland did, and taller gearing ?

Gets up and boogies for an old Beddy. What engine has it got? They might be crude but they have a character all their own. Love that brake whistle.

@stevelester9015

2 жыл бұрын

It has the 466 Bedford lump

I want to have a go on that one

This vehicle fiitted with Leyland 401?

I remember this as a kid, was that big block next to the gear stick the engine? I always wondered what that was

@stevelester9015

4 ай бұрын

It is the engine

@seeyouintheeighties

4 ай бұрын

@@stevelester9015 the engine is inside the cabin?

@stevelester9015

4 ай бұрын

@@seeyouintheeighties it is right next to the driver

These things were woefully underpowered

@northstar1950

Жыл бұрын

They were of their time.

Nice one. A couple of extra gears and some more soundproofing wouldnt go a miss 😀

@lucythemoggy1970

3 жыл бұрын

that's wot makes it so lovely, if you want sound deadening, get on a new coach

How much power does this thing have? I was quite surprised to see the driver have to rev match it into first going up that hill at around the 5:00 mark. Sound reminds me of American 2 stroke diesels.

@owenlewis8006

Жыл бұрын

Not much, maybe 140 bhp.

@stevelester9015

Жыл бұрын

It was down to second gear up the hill, they weren't best known for hill climbing 🙂

@drchrisdavies2941

7 ай бұрын

Nice sounding, but quite underpowered compared to say a Leyland Leopard, which had a much larger engine

Is this bus powered by Leyland Engine?

@gcbus2

2 жыл бұрын

It's a Bedford 466 engine in the VAL70's. The VAL14's were powered by a Leyland 400.

hanson coaches hudderfield a mon my way to school 1974

This is the 6 wheeler bus from Italian job right

@dronegirl2024

4 жыл бұрын

no..there is not much left of the original coach , this is a later val six wheel..simlar looking i suppose but the italian job one was a earlier squarer version

@coops206

3 жыл бұрын

The Italian Job coach, although the same Bedford VAL chassis the body was built by Harringtons of Hove, West Sussex, as a Legionnaire. This example of the VAL was built by Pkaxtons of Scarborough as a Panorama Elite II

Think the BMW wanted to pass 🤔 lol

noisy!

Is this bus powered by Leyland 0.400 Engine?

@gcbus2

4 жыл бұрын

I would think it is the Bedford 466 CU inch engine beings it's a VAL 70

@ghalibmahmudlaskar5980

4 жыл бұрын

@@gcbus2 Thanks very much for your information

@frankwilkinson6328

3 жыл бұрын

Just look at the title, information is in there.

That driver never used his N/S mirror once, it’s a good job nobody was up his near side,does make me wonder how many times he’s clipped something and not known about it,I’m glad he not driving an artic with a 40 foot trailer behind him.

@stevelester9015

Жыл бұрын

Actually I did use the mirrors, I always know where my coach is and no curbs were clipped, and for your information I also own and drive 40ft artics 😅😅

@davidellis279

Жыл бұрын

@@stevelester9015 I think you should look at the video before making any comments,it didn’t show you in a good light and had you been taking your test with the examiner sat behind you you would have failed and as far as I could see you neither checked your near side mirror or looked over your right shoulder to check there was a cyclists along side you in your blind spot, I have a class one HGV license as well as a full PSV license for double decker’s and have had them for over 50years. I have driven all the early Duple and Plaxton coaches by Ford Bedford AEC and Leyland mostly 52 seaters but now only drive Scania artics.

@stevelester9015

Жыл бұрын

Well done you I'm so pleased for you 😂😂😂

@Danielle-sm1qj

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/h6mfmM5sh9qod5M.html I found a video for you David. Hope you don't feel left out anymore 😂😘

@ianwatkins9602

Жыл бұрын

What the hell are you talking about? The driving was progressive and smooth. Wipe your chin, you seem to be dribbling excrement.

I don’t think he likes his mirrors very much