| Author |
Message |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 12:36 am: | |
I thought I would menton a greyhound I saw this past weekend. We went up into the mountains on Sunday to escape the Denver heat. We hung out in the small town of Georgetown Co. It is not uncommon to enjoy the aroma of burning truck brakes in Georgetown as it lies in a small valley below a long 6% grade. ]
As we were leaving town the smell was really bad. Then as we got onto I-70 we saw a hound bus on the side of the road. Lots of smoke was coming from around the rear wheels. All the passengers were standing in the field nearby. Makes me want to take a ride with greyhound.
It is hard for me to type because my wrist is in a cast so I am sure I mispelled plenty of words. |
John MC9
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 12:50 am: | |
When you consider the miles they pound off on their buses,
compared to the meager miles we put on our car.... and the
problems -they- have for their miles, as compared to the
headaches of that piece of tin we're driving..... after a fraction
of the miles they get....
I'd take a hound any day. |
Jim (Jim_in_california)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 1:45 am: | |
I guess Jakes would be too loud so something like this is inevitable once in a while. Note that while this was ugly and annoying, nobody was hurt. |
mel 4104
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 11:08 am: | |
the smell of burnt brakesare the result of --the need for speed---- really it is a bad driver and i am sure that he will get a real chewing out when he gets to the depot. brakes are one thing that Grayhound really look after as if there is an accident that is the first place that the inspectors look at and the the driver. this will be something that the driver will never forget is the ride down a 6% grade that you left the top of the hill going to fast and so will the passangers rember the ride every time they smell burnt brakes. |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 6:40 pm: | |
it is not uncommon for drivers to ignore the big yellow warning signs with flashing lights. They also have a 35MPH speed limit for vehicles over 26,000. I am sure the bus driver like many truckers that drive that stretch just ignore the warnings. |
john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 5:59 pm: | |
Could be that a axle oil seal is leaking on opposite brake unit, causing the remaining one to work harder to control the speed. I'm not sure if they use grease or oil at rear wheels now.Their maintenance is probably pretty good so seal leak is probably not the cause... Maybe driver doesn't understand how he's supposed to use the brakes, although I would assume they receive training before driving.Could be driver wasn't used to that run and didn't realize he was over using the brakes? Maybe driver is an idiot.Maybe take the cost of the brake repairs out of his pay check? |
John MC9
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 7:12 pm: | |
The guys screamed when I said bus drivers had the responsibility
to avoid an accident, and not depend on other motorists to be careful...
In this case. I don't feel the driver should be faulted without
our knowing why that brake was smogging up the town... or
even if it were the brakes.
I had a rear tag brake lock up due to impacted mud/dirt. I'm
lucky I wasn't far from the storage facility, since I had just bought
the bus and didn't have any tools aboard. I had to stop every
1/4 mile and let it cool down...
Hound drivers and every bus driver I know of, do not make
repairs or carry tools. If a brake's out of adjustment, too tight
or loose, it's gonna' be his headache until he can get to the barn.
These guys change off mid trip, if the last driver didn't note a
problem, the next guy's gonna' own it.
I'd cut the poor sob some slack. |
Brian (Bigbusguy)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 4:21 am: | |
The smoke just tells you they are working.
The last thing you want to do is stop and set your parking brakes if you have hot brakes.
If you can ride it out better to keep going and let them cool on the flats.
Brian 4905 Klamath Falls Oregon |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 - 9:29 pm: | |
Yup,
The condition of the brakes on that Dogbus cannot be counted on now...
Once burned, twice shy?
If you can't do a bunch of coasting in a lower gear, if you have to ride the brake to control it when going downhill, you are going too fast for the slope.
Slow it down a bunch a choose a lower gear, while you still can....
happy coaching!
buswarrior |