Bristol RE

The Bristol RE was a built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in England chassis for buses. The model was built 1962-1982. The type designation stood for rear engined ( rear engine ). It was the successor to the Bristol MW. The built in this chassis buses were among the most successful types of the first generation rear- motor-driven buses.

The predecessor Bristol MW was designed for the then in force in the UK size limits for buses with 8 feet wide and 30 feet in length. Following the lifting of these restrictions Bristol Commercial unmodified chassis, but developed the rear-drive successor Bristol RE. First, the bus was built for the subsidiaries of the state-owned holding company Transport Holding Company, which includes Bristol Commercial belonged. After Leyland Motors in 1965 acquired an equity stake of 25% in Bristol Commercial, the bus was procured from other, private operators. As of 1972, the sales to key customers began the National Bus Company, which was the successor to the Transport Holding Company slipping down. From 1976, the bus was only built for the two Northern Irish operator Citybus and Ulsterbus and for export to New Zealand, after the National Leyland had brought out, which should replace all Eindeckermodelle employed within the Group.

On supplied by Bristol Commercial chassis assemblies of different body corporate are set. This construction was at that time common, since the superstructure to the wishes and ideas of the various bus routes, operators could be better adapted. The bodies were mostly from the Eastern Coach Works ( ECW), which were connected with Bristol Commercial on the common holding company Transport Holding Company. A few buses were also bodies of other manufacturers. The Scottish operator for built buses were traditionally bodies of Walter Alexander Coachbuilders, here the M-Type, built during the Northern Ireland buses were also equipped with traditional structures from the branch work of Alexander in Belfast. Here, the X-type was used. For coaches enjoyed the panorama of Plaxton Elite much popularity while the Commander - building Duple Coachbuilders was rather rare. In addition, Marshall provided some constructions.

The chassis has been built in a long and a short version. While the long version was 36 feet long and the then valid length restriction for two-axle buses full use, the short version with 30 feet in length was provided for routes with low passenger numbers. It replaced the Bristol MW from directly. Once the size limit was raised to 12 m in length, brought the Bristol Commercial maximum length out. In addition to the length of the buses still distinguished by the floor height. While low-floor buses in city traffic were used, the versions with higher ground floor of the building of travel and multi-purpose buses were intended. These so-called dual purpose in England multipurpose buses were relatively common at that time, they could be used in excursion service but during the work week in the line of traffic and off-peak periods. The width was uniformly 2.5 m in all buses. Altogether, the following chassis models were built:

• RELL - long, low frame - long version, low-floor frame structure as a city bus
• RESL - short, low frame - short version, low-floor frame structure as a city bus
• RELH - long, high frame - long version, high frame construction as a travel and multi-purpose bus
• RESH - Sshort highframe - long version, high frame structure as coach
• REMH - maximum length ( 12m ) high frame - longest version, high frame structure as coach for Express Connections

The bus was Karosseriert as Coach ( English: coach ) with 32-49 seats, as a city bus (English: bus ) with 35-53 seats and a multi-purpose bus with up to 49 seats.

Was equipped with engines from the Bristol MW Gardner and Leyland Motors. For use were six-cylinder diesel engines. Gardner provided the 6HLX, Leyland O.600 and O.680 the. The type designation was awarded the suffix 6G for buses with Gardner engines and 6L for buses with Leyland engines. Although Bristol Commercial Vehicles was a major manufacturer of commercial vehicle engines themselves, not a single bus with a Bristol engine was fitted. Only one prototype was an experimental basis a horizontally installed Bristol engine, this was replaced by a diesel engine by Gardner before the bus was delivered. Destined for export to New Zealand got the O.510 buses used in the Leyland National. The engines were arranged horizontally in the rear. Although Bristol Commercial had the Bristol MW offered from 1962 also with air suspension, the RE received conventional leaf springs again. Overall, the RE was simple, as to the operation and maintenance but simplified and thus contributed to the success of the bus. The handbrake worked purely mechanically, while the Leyland Leopard already had a pneumatically assisted brakes. A power steering was also not present.

A total of 4629 buses were built, this is the version RESH with only 11 copies the rarest version.

Bristol RELL6G with Y -type structure as a city bus by Alexander

Bristol RESL6G with construction as city bus from Marshall

Bristol RESL6G with construction as city bus from ECW

Bristol RESH6G with Commander - building Duple