SBS those days...
-
It was in 1989, I would spot my favourite Leyland Lynx bus SBS3572Y in prestined glory passing by my Temasek Secondary School on Svc 24 to Changi Airport from Ang Mo Kio. I had another favourite too, it was a Renault on old Svc 3 from Bedok to New Bridge Rd. Another favourite was a Volvo BM10 VanHool (SBS9) on Svc 9. There was a MAN on Svc 76 to Yio Chu Kang from Marine Parade, with the rest taken up by the inaugural Air-con (tour-bus-like) Mercedes SBS buses ( SBS1Z to SBS8 ). During those days, Bedok Interchange was plagued with Leylands and Albions, Volvos were being introduced as a Feeder. Over at Toa Payoh, single-decker AN68 engined (correct me if I'm wrong) Leyland buses were being used as Feeders and 149 to Changi Airport. CSS had Hinos and Nissan Diesels which are the shorter version of what they have presently.
Hi ppl, I'm new here.
I got to know this forum by chance. If Suhirman of Suhirman Bus Interchange is here, post me a reply.... 
-
Earlier in the 80s decade, there were old grey Nissan Diesels and Hinos like those in Japan w/o the rear sliding doors, and a lone sliding door Nissan Diesel SBS2452S on SVC 14 to Somapah. This bus was non-airconditioned and similar to the ones used by CSS and TIBS now. SBS had brought this even b4 TIBS and CSS acquired them. I remember those days SBS buses were aluminium grey in colour. Those were the days whereby the Mercedes buses (5675cc) on Svc 155 along Geylang Serai and Leylands (6540cc) had doors in front and and the rear end. Even more unique were the Leyland with mid- open doors, whereby passenders enter and exit from the same door in the centre of the bus. When it gets crowded, passengers would be dangling from the buses. This was common for those small CSS Mercedes (Bas Mini). SBS had Macks then (yes American buses!).
Surprise came in 1998 when I spotted an old green STC Nissan Diesel at LTA (plate STC10). It was still on stock interior and did not age a bit!! STC was the predecessor of SBS. Wonder where it is right now.
We had London buses on Sentosa Island. Sturdy red London double-decker buses with SQ plates ply Sentosa roads....For everyone's info, we may have the last Leyland AN68 double decker bus at Civil Defence Academy. Used for Fire Demos.... -
Hi there,Originally posted by SAN853:It was in 1989, I would spot my favourite Leyland Lynx bus SBS3572Y in prestined glory passing by my Temasek Secondary School on Svc 24 to Changi Airport from Ang Mo Kio. I had another favourite too, it was a Renault on old Svc 3 from Bedok to New Bridge Rd. Another favourite was a Volvo BM10 VanHool (SBS9) on Svc 9. There was a MAN on Svc 76 to Yio Chu Kang from Marine Parade, with the rest taken up by the inaugural Air-con (tour-bus-like) Mercedes SBS buses ( SBS1Z to SBS8 ). During those days, Bedok Interchange was plagued with Leylands and Albions, Volvos were being introduced as a Feeder. Over at Toa Payoh, single-decker AN68 engined (correct me if I'm wrong) Leyland buses were being used as Feeders and 149 to Changi Airport. CSS had Hinos and Nissan Diesels which are the shorter version of what they have presently.
Hi ppl, I'm new here. I got to know this forum by chance. If Suhirman of Suhirman Bus Interchange is here, post me a reply....
Looks like you like alot of special buses. I am too young to know about the Renault bus (SBS 30 P) as I am too young. As I am around 6 years old when the Renault was taken off, I only know about Mercs and Leylands (since I lived in AMK).
Special to note that SBS 3572 Y ( "Lynx" ) once served service 24. I only know that the bus went to services 106, 267 and 269. I was lucky to take the Lynx before it was taken off service, somewhere around 1997 - 1998.
I remembered the MAN 16.240 ( "MAN" ) on service 76. I remembered my mother always saying why this particular bus had such a high chassis. I had always thought the MAN was a Merc until I got much older. I miss the old aircon coaches ( Mercedes Benz O303 ) too.
Hope to meet up with you too. -
Bedok Interchange was plagued with Leyland Victories and Albion Vikings, and Volvo B57s were being introduced. At TPY, Leyland Victories with Leyland O.680 engines(same as Atlanteans) were used I suppose.Originally posted by SAN853:It was in 1989, I would spot my favourite Leyland Lynx bus SBS3572Y in prestined glory passing by my Temasek Secondary School on Svc 24 to Changi Airport from Ang Mo Kio. I had another favourite too, it was a Renault on old Svc 3 from Bedok to New Bridge Rd. Another favourite was a Volvo BM10 VanHool (SBS9) on Svc 9. There was a MAN on Svc 76 to Yio Chu Kang from Marine Parade, with the rest taken up by the inaugural Air-con (tour-bus-like) Mercedes SBS buses ( SBS1Z to SBS8 ). During those days, Bedok Interchange was plagued with Leylands and Albions, Volvos were being introduced as a Feeder. Over at Toa Payoh, single-decker AN68 engined (correct me if I'm wrong) Leyland buses were being used as Feeders and 149 to Changi Airport. CSS had Hinos and Nissan Diesels which are the shorter version of what they have presently.
Hi ppl, I'm new here. I got to know this forum by chance. If Suhirman of Suhirman Bus Interchange is here, post me a reply.... -
SBS 2452S is a sole Nissan U21S. Merc buses on Sv. 155 were probably OF1413s, as OH1417s had 8720cc engine capacity. And the Leylands you mentioned most likely Victories.Originally posted by SAN853:Earlier in the 80s decade, there were old grey Nissan Diesels and Hinos like those in Japan w/o the rear sliding doors, and a lone sliding door Nissan Diesel SBS2452S on SVC 14 to Somapah. This bus was non-airconditioned and similar to the ones used by CSS and TIBS now. SBS had brought this even b4 TIBS and CSS acquired them. I remember those days SBS buses were aluminium grey in colour. Those were the days whereby the Mercedes buses (5675cc) on Svc 155 along Geylang Serai and Leylands (6540cc) had doors in front and and the rear end. Even more unique were the Leyland with mid- open doors, whereby passenders enter and exit from the same door in the centre of the bus. When it gets crowded, passengers would be dangling from the buses. This was common for those small CSS Mercedes (Bas Mini). SBS had Macks then (yes American buses!).
Surprise came in 1998 when I spotted an old green STC Nissan Diesel at LTA (plate STC10). It was still on stock interior and did not age a bit!! STC was the predecessor of SBS. Wonder where it is right now.
We had London buses on Sentosa Island. Sturdy red London double-decker buses with SQ plates ply Sentosa roads....For everyone's info, we may have the last Leyland AN68 double decker bus at Civil Defence Academy. Used for Fire Demos.... -
Hi, I almost met Suhirman in 1999. I gave them the lead for the remaining B57 Volvos which were being used as schoolbuses at Min Xin Primary. He was disappointed when he found the buses not in the school compound....B57 were also the official Mindef MID plate a/c buses in the 80s....Originally posted by off_service:Hi there,
Looks like you like alot of special buses. I am too young to know about the Renault bus (SBS 30 P) as I am too young. As I am around 6 years old when the Renault was taken off, I only know about Mercs and Leylands (since I lived in AMK).
Special to note that SBS 3572 Y ( "Lynx" ) once served service 24. I only know that the bus went to services 106, 267 and 269. I was lucky to take the Lynx before it was taken off service, somewhere around 1997 - 1998.
I remembered the MAN 16.240 ( "MAN" ) on service 76. I remembered my mother always saying why this particular bus had such a high chassis. I had always thought the MAN was a Merc until I got much older. I miss the old aircon coaches ( Mercedes Benz O303 ) too.
Hope to meet up with you too.
I loved and missed the Renault....Apart from the Lynx, it was the ONLY other modern-looking a/c bus at Bedok. About more than a decade later, it was reincarnated as the Scania SBS2888!! Yes! The Renault had similar wheels as the Scania!
-
For your info, SBS2452S had a different Engine capacity than the ones already in the SBS, TIBS and CSS fleet which had 13+++cc. SBS2452S had 10+++cc only!Originally posted by SBS9818A:SBS 2452S is a sole Nissan U21S. Merc buses on Sv. 155 were probably OF1413s, as OH1417s had 8720cc engine capacity. And the Leylands you mentioned most likely Victories.
-
Min Xin Primary uses Volvo B57 as school buses. Are they bought from then-SBS or privately? Also, are the MINDEF Volvo B57s originally aircon or refitted with aircon, like the current Mercedes O405s and Scania N113s?Originally posted by SAN853:Hi, I almost met Suhirman in 1999. I gave them the lead for the remaining B57 Volvos which were being used as schoolbuses at Min Xin Primary. He was disappointed when he found the buses not in the school compound....B57 were also the official Mindef MID plate a/c buses in the 80s....
I loved and missed the Renault....Apart from the Lynsx, it was the ONLY other modern-looking a/c bus at Bedok. About more than a decade later, it was reincarnated as the Scania SBS2888!! Yes! The Renault had similar wheels as the Scania! -
"Apart from the Lynsx, it was the ONLY other modern-looking a/c bus at Bedok"... Do you mean that the Lynx is aircon? It is a non aircon bus.Originally posted by SAN853:Hi, I almost met Suhirman in 1999. I gave them the lead for the remaining B57 Volvos which were being used as schoolbuses at Min Xin Primary. He was disappointed when he found the buses not in the school compound....B57 were also the official Mindef MID plate a/c buses in the 80s....
I loved and missed the Renault....Apart from the Lynsx, it was the ONLY other modern-looking a/c bus at Bedok. About more than a decade later, it was reincarnated as the Scania SBS2888!! Yes! The Renault had similar wheels as the Scania! -
OOPs...Originally posted by off_service:"Apart from the Lynsx, it was the ONLY other modern-looking a/c bus at Bedok"... Do you mean that the Lynx is aircon? It is a non aircon bus.
What I meant was the Lynx was a non-a/c modern looking bus in the late 80s and the only other modern-looking bus was the Renault (SBS30) which was a/c....I still remember unique buses in the 80s at Bedok Interchange....There were 2 versions of Volvo non a/c double deckers....SBS7000...(i think) and a Scania non a/c double decker.... -
Nope..they aren't NZMB B57s. They are locally-assembled B57s...If I'm not mistaken one of them was CB4780 and the other was a PH plate...The MINDEF B57s were very subjective..Some were a/c and some were not....Dunno why. Maybe a/c for Senior Officers, and non a/c for Juniors and Recruits, NSmen?....HeheheOriginally posted by off_service:Min Xin Primary uses Volvo B57 as school buses. Are they bought from then-SBS or privately? Also, are the MINDEF Volvo B57s originally aircon or refitted with aircon, like the current Mercedes O405s and Scania N113s?
Yes, during those times I saw several buses especially Leylands and Albions used as school buses. They look amazingly similar to the SBS ones juz that the only difference was they're on CB or PH plates...Why? They were assembled at Siang Hock ( a local bus assembly, I think). Almost all have gone to extinction. I know of one Svc 155 Mercedes now known as PH1996 ( the one with front door behind front wheel and rear door at end of body)....During those times it was an IN-THING to have this particular design, as the SG authorities were implying the campaign of MOVE TO THE REAR OF THE BUS.....
-
Must be the case!!Originally posted by SAN853:Nope..they aren't NZMB B57s. They are locally-assembled B57s...If I'm not mistaken one of them was CB4780 and the other was a PH plate...The MINDEF B57s were very subjective..Some were a/c and some were not....Dunno why. Maybe a/c for Senior Officers, and non a/c for Juniors and Recruits, NSmen?....Hehehe 
-
What services are the 2 double decks on?Originally posted by SAN853:OOPs... What I meant was the Lynx was a non-a/c modern looking bus in the late 80s and the only other modern-looking bus was the Renault (SBS30) which was a/c....I still remember unique buses in the 80s at Bedok Interchange....There were 2 versions of Volvo non a/c double deckers....SBS7000...(i think) and a Scania non a/c double decker.... -
All these unique double-decks were on SVC 7... Service number 7 was like a guinea pig service...Anything new would be tested on Service 7, even the first SuperBus SBS9000 was on Service 7....Hehehe! I was on the bus on its maiden journey from Orchard to Bedok...Originally posted by off_service:What services are the 2 double decks on? -
I wish to highlight to you this particular unique B57....Unlike the usual B57s regn SBS 34xx - SBS35xx series and SBS 48xx- SBS49xx series, this was registered as SBS6xxx series. Same engine but Soon Chow body...Maybe it was a demo bus. Never on any service, it functions as what the Man and Lynx are doing now, as a Learner Bus.Originally posted by off_service:Must be the case!! -
Last time service 7 was like a premier service.. Now these services were all over, then service 85, now services 25, 80, etc.Originally posted by SAN853:All these unique double-decks were on SVC 7... Service number 7 was like a guinea pig service...Anything new would be tested on Service 7, even the first SuperBus SBS9000 was on Service 7....Hehehe! I was on the bus on its maiden journey from Orchard to Bedok... -
Back to present day...I know of these 2 unique Scanias SBS3666 and the other at Toa Payoh Interchange. Both of them have chromed wheels!! Cool!!Originally posted by off_service:What services are the 2 double decks on? -
Hi there and welcome! Suhirman here. I also stumbled to this forum by chance. I've heard of the forum but never knew where it was until recently. Thank you for sharing your bus knowledge, especially those from days gone by. It will be a great help for the younger generations to know the development of buses in Singapore.Originally posted by SAN853:Hi ppl, I'm new here. I got to know this forum by chance. If Suhirman of Suhirman Bus Interchange is here, post me a reply.... -
That would be SBS 6790 P. The body was not Soon Chow. It was by Metsec (Metal Sections) similar to the commonly seen OF1413 (the one with a front desto that sticks out). The difference was that 6790P had a rear desto. It was a demonstrator bus introduced in 1978 before the coming of the NZMB bodied models the year after. In the beginning, it was used for passenger service on rt. 147. SBS had a knack for turning demo buses into training buses. Maybe one day even 1688K or 2888T might also be turned into training buses?Originally posted by SAN853:I wish to highlight to you this particular unique B57....Unlike the usual B57s regn SBS 34xx - SBS35xx series and SBS 48xx- SBS49xx series, this was registered as SBS6xxx series. Same engine but Soon Chow body...Maybe it was a demo bus. Never on any service, it functions as what the Man and Lynx are doing now, as a Learner Bus. -
The 2 double deckers were the Volvo-Ailsa B55-61 Mk II (4741U, Alexander) and the Volvo B10MD (4961B, East Lancs). SBS 7000 E was the Scania double decker, BR112DH (East Lancs).Originally posted by SAN853:OOPs... What I meant was the Lynx was a non-a/c modern looking bus in the late 80s and the only other modern-looking bus was the Renault (SBS30) which was a/c....I still remember unique buses in the 80s at Bedok Interchange....There were 2 versions of Volvo non a/c double deckers....SBS7000...(i think) and a Scania non a/c double decker....
There were 2 other modern looking buses before the Lynx. The Leyland Leopard PSU5/4R (SBS 6791 L) and Leyland National 2 (SBS 6820 L). The latter was Singapore's first air-con bus and it was used on sv. 143. Both buses were in Singapore for a very brief period in the early 80s. 6791L was returned to England while 6820L is now a school bus in Australia.
Another brief guest were 2 double-deckers. A Dennis Dominator DDA144 (SBS 7003 Y, East Lancs) and Leyland Olympian ONTL11/2R (SBS 5396 B, Alexander). The Dominator was heading for Hong Kong but it stopped at Singapore for a while so that SBS could do some evaluation. The Olympian was one of the B45 prototype chassis which was fitted with the then new Alexander R-type body. It was featured at the 1980 Motor Show in England before being shipped to Singapore, where it was used on sv. 162 in 1981. This was the bus that led to the 200 NAC Olympians we see today (but not for long). 5396B is now being preserved at the Oxford Transport Museum.
There were also 2 Mercedes-Benz O305 demo buses. One had a Willowbrook body (SBS 5500 S) and the other an Alexander body (SBS 5541 Z). -
The single-deck 680 engined bus was the Leyland Victory. I love these buses because they were fast and were the only ones to have a semi-auto gearbox. Some of these buses were converted into a/c. Unlike the today's Converted A/C (CAC) buses, the Victory was re-built with a completely new Soon Chow body and looked like an elegant tour coach. It was last used on sv. 76. I remember an interesting piece of news (circa 1989) where a sv. 76 Leyland Victory had an accident with a car. Both vehicles have the same 4-digits in their registration number! In case you're thinking of buying 4D, sorry 'cause I don't remember the number.Originally posted by SAN853:There was a MAN on Svc 76 to Yio Chu Kang from Marine Parade, with the rest taken up by the inaugural Air-con (tour-bus-like) Mercedes SBS buses ( SBS1Z to SBS8 ). During those days, Bedok Interchange was plagued with Leylands and Albions, Volvos were being introduced as a Feeder. Over at Toa Payoh, single-decker AN68 engined (correct me if I'm wrong) Leyland buses were being used as Feeders and 149 to Changi Airport. -
A little mistake here. 6820L was SBS's first a/c bus, not Singapore's. That honor went to STC with 2 a/c Isuzu buses.Originally posted by The_Bus_Guide:There were 2 other modern looking buses before the Lynx. The Leyland Leopard PSU5/4R (SBS 6791 L) and Leyland National 2 (SBS 6820 L). The latter was Singapore's first air-con bus and it was used on sv. 143. Both buses were in Singapore for a very brief period in the early 80s. 6791L was returned to England while 6820L is now a school bus in Australia. -
SBS 4961B, Volvo B10MDOriginally posted by SAN853:OOPs... What I meant was the Lynx was a non-a/c modern looking bus in the late 80s and the only other modern-looking bus was the Renault (SBS30) which was a/c....I still remember unique buses in the 80s at Bedok Interchange....There were 2 versions of Volvo non a/c double deckers....SBS7000...(i think) and a Scania non a/c double decker....
SBS 4741U, Volvo B55-Ailsa
SBS 7000E, Scania BR112DH. -
SBS 6790P. Metsec bodied Volvo B57. It had a rear desto bracket.Originally posted by SAN853:I wish to highlight to you this particular unique B57....Unlike the usual B57s regn SBS 34xx - SBS35xx series and SBS 48xx- SBS49xx series, this was registered as SBS6xxx series. Same engine but Soon Chow body...Maybe it was a demo bus. Never on any service, it functions as what the Man and Lynx are doing now, as a Learner Bus. -
Yes, they were rebuilt with a coach-style Soon Chow body. I wonder why. Yes, I think they retired around 1993-1994 on Sv. 76 if I recall correctly. Sv. 390 also used these Victories.Originally posted by The_Bus_Guide:The single-deck 680 engined bus was the Leyland Victory. I love these buses because they were fast and were the only ones to have a semi-auto gearbox. Some of these buses were converted into a/c. Unlike the today's Converted A/C (CAC) buses, the Victory was re-built with a completely new Soon Chow body and looked like an elegant tour coach. It was last used on sv. 76. I remember an interesting piece of news (circa 1989) where a sv. 76 Leyland Victory had an accident with a car. Both vehicles have the same 4-digits in their registration number! In case you're thinking of buying 4D, sorry 'cause I don't remember the number.