One or two of you have mentioned these machines in other threads. As a bus inspector at that time, we had to service them, and hated it! The idea was, if you had the right change for your journey, you could drop the coins into the machine, it would then print a ticket with a fascimile of the coins on it. They were situated just to the right of the entrance door, the idea behind them being a much speedier loading of the bus, allowing the driver to just deal with passengers who needed change, or had a query about the fare. The buses fitted with these had a large yellow plaque on the front so the passenger would know it had a Videmat machine on board as it aproached the stop. Unfortunately, they had a habit of jamming, when this happened, the driver radioed through to control, who then sent one of us in a van to meet the bus at one of the terminal points. We then attempted to fish the offending coin out with a pair of tweezers, but if we could'nt clear the jam, it meant replacing the machine with a new one. These machines weighed about one hundred-weight, and they were smooth sided! lots of muttering took place under the breath when we had to change one.
Often, the jam would be caused by some berk dropping something like a Pontefract cake in, or other foriegn object, we were really glad when they were scrapped. If it was near the end of a day, and the cash vault was full, they weighed even more, ah! happy days!!!

Now THAT'S the sort of post I love to see on this forum!

Absolutely brilliant mate - I can well appreciate your frustration with the late great Videmat machine. However, as a kid, they just made our family's weekly journey to town on the 59 service (which we caught halfway up Carterknowle Road) even better. It sounds utterly pathetic now, but me and my sister would fight to be the one to drop in the coins and collect the ticket. And behold, the ticket was a photocopy of the ACTUAL COINS!! It was like the eighth wonder of the world. :o

OK, I exaggerate. But only a bit.

Took me ages to realise that the coin 'impressions' were mirror images!!!!!:loopy:

Was always great when you could get away with putting in say a half pence or a penny instead of 2 p,seemed like a big saving at the time!

Ahh the Videmat...the highlight of schooldays was the competition to see who could get the longest ticket by pouring as many half pence coins down it as you had saved up for the job. I think we even overpaid the fare to win so could never understand why the inspector used to get mad when he wanted to see our tickets and these huge streamers would come out of our pockets!!!!

I dont know if anyone can help me with this.

I remember around the early 80's Vidimat machines on SYT buses.
Namely the 60 bus, but they must have been on other ones too.

There were for when there was no Bus Conductor. You got on the bus and filed right, whereup on you dropped money into a hole. You rticket sprung up with an ink copy of the coins you just put in.

I think they were called vidimat machines. If anyone has ANY details at all, please reply or here, or better still email me

Nic.Storr@ntlworld.com

Thank you

The Videmat machine. When you were about 7 or 8, it truly was a wonder of the modern age.

More discussion about it in this thread:

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8206&highlight=videmat

Thank you!

Nic

Originally posted by Damon
The Videmat machine. When you were about 7 or 8, it truly was a wonder of the modern age.

More discussion about it in this thread:

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8206&highlight=videmat

Thanks Damon, threads merged.

I remember catching the number 4 bus outside Concord Middle School [Shiregreen] one day in the early seventies, and deciding to try and "pull a fast one" on the ludicrous machines. I deposited a disc-shaped football token from Shoot! magazine instead of the proper coinage. Unfortunately, a typically dour Sheffield bus inspector got on [just my luck...] and asked to see everyone's tickets. He seemed unimpressed to say the least to see the face of Bobby Moore instead of Her Majesty. Needless to say, I was ceremoniously dumped at the top of Newman Road.

Originally posted by timo
I remember catching the number 4 bus outside Concord Middle School [Shiregreen] one day in the early seventies, and deciding to try and "pull a fast one" on the ludicrous machines. I deposited a disc-shaped football token from Shoot! magazine instead of the proper coinage. Unfortunately, a typically dour Sheffield bus inspector got on [just my luck...] and asked to see everyone's tickets. He seemed unimpressed to say the least to see the face of Bobby Moore instead of Her Majesty. Needless to say, I was ceremoniously dumped at the top of Newman Road.

My dad was a bus inspector in the 60s and believe me he wasn't dour before he started the job. But a few months of dealing with the flotsam and jetsam of society day-in, day-out is enough to jade even the most optimistic palette. And this was in the days before smackheads, chavs and all the other human garbage appeared on the streets, so I shudder to imagine what it's like to work on the buses now

I'm ashamed to say I was a regular on the 34 from work in 1975 who always put 2p in the slot.
The fare was only 5p and one day the Bus driver asked to take a look at the ticket.
After getting away with it for ages my luck had just run out and he took my name and address and kicked me off.
Never heard anything from them but you would'nt if you gave him a false name and address would one.
The shame.:blush:

Hi Mojoworking. No offence intended re your Dad.

Originally posted by timo
Hi Mojoworking. No offence intended re your Dad.

None taken timo, I assure you. :)

Ahh the Videmat...the highlight of schooldays was the competition to see who could get the longest ticket by pouring as many half pence coins down it as you had saved up for the job. I think we even overpaid the fare to win so could never understand why the inspector used to get mad when he wanted to see our tickets and these huge streamers would come out of our pockets!!!!

I worked on Broughton Lane back in 1983 & lived just off Carterknowle Road, so I had to take one of the longer journeys of the day. If there was a videmat machine on the line, I used to save up all my halfpennies to see how long a ticket I could get. Pathetic really, in retrospect.... :hihi:

Can't believe people used to put money in these machines!!!! Being of school age when these were out, we used to push our school ruler down to the bottom until the ticket was printed. Oh happy days.

As a child I found these machines spellbinding.............If I was honest they frightened me a bit how did they know what coins were put in and how were the coins drawn so quickly? ...................iInfact I am still wondering and marvellingay it now:hihi:

In reply to ourjs, the coins were simply pressed between a piece of ink impregnated ribbon and the ticket paper which left a clear impression of the coin on the paper.
Sometimes, two coins would try to go through together, and a jam would ensue, we had to open the door at the side of the machine to try to remove the jammed coins, then we would activate the machine by touching the flap at the top to make sure it was working OK.
I remember once dangling my keys in the top to activate a machine after removing a jam, and droped them, they became completely snarled in the works, and I had to change it for another machine with a very red face!
When I go back to Leadmill garage where all the Videmat machines were serviced, it took me ages to finally retreive my keys, and the machine was well and truly knackered!

In reply to ourjs, the coins were simply pressed between a piece of ink impregnated ribbon and the ticket paper which left a clear impression of the coin on the paper.
Sometimes, two coins would try to go through together, and a jam would ensue, we had to open the door at the side of the machine to try to remove the jammed coins, then we would activate the machine by touching the flap at the top to make sure it was working OK.
I remember once dangling my keys in the top to activate a machine after removing a jam, and droped them, they became completely snarled in the works, and I had to change it for another machine with a very red face!
When I go back to Leadmill garage where all the Videmat machines were serviced, it took me ages to finally retreive my keys, and the machine was well and truly knackered!

So theres a good chance you will have serviced/repaired/sworn at the still working Videmat machine i have...including 20 rolls of SYPT tickets and the last 2 ink ribbons that i bought years ago for £15 when Leadmill got shut of them.
Bring back memories or nightmares??
Carl

Too right there Carltoncdx, you may just have a valuable antique of the future there, where the heck do you store such a chunky item?
I should imagine, if such a machine were to be made nowadays, with all the rapid strides made in computer controlled machinery, one could be made that was very reliable, but I doubt that the loading figures on buses of today would make one needed.

Stored in a spare bedroom.
Did you ever work with a Frank Farnell at leadmill or Eastbank rd?

Yes, I remember Frank at Leadmill, it was a full time job servicing the machines, I seem to think that a team of three worked constantly on them at Leadmill, they also had to re-set the vaults and load them into serviced machines ready for use.
We inspectors had a special "Videmat van" that was used for servicing machines on in service buses, then taking them to Leadmill as required, I can remember the van's call sign was "Mike one".
It could be really busy during peak hour, flying round buses in High St and Commercial St, removing jammed coins and doing anything to keep it in service without requiring a machine change.

Frank is my uncle and he put me onto the sale of these machine.
There was a much newer Videmat that was only in service a short while before they were pulled from service.
I think one of the repair team had that one but i would like to know if its still around.

I did'nt know about a newer model, that's interesting, I often wondered if any other authority other than Sheffield used these machines? it would be nice to know.

My dad was a bus inspector in the 60s and believe me he wasn't dour before he started the job. But a few months of dealing with the flotsam and jetsam of society day-in, day-out is enough to jade even the most optimistic palette. And this was in the days before smackheads, chavs and all the other human garbage appeared on the streets, so I shudder to imagine what it's like to work on the buses now
Hi, mojoworking,i'm new to the forum and have been going back through the threads,and saw your's regarding passengers.I got my p s v.licence with SHEFFIELD CORPORATION, in MARCH 1951,aged 21.R.C.MOORE was the c.e.o i believe then.Charlie Deamer was chief instructor,below him i think was "NUDGER"NEEDAM.Anyhow i later emmigrated to WINNIPEG,CANADA,where i drove bus for 12 years.(six months of snow,oct-may,never failed!!,but they are definatley organised to cope with it there.I could not stand the winters any longer so we moved to VANCOUVER,where i drove buses, including bendy ones,for another 20 years.Yes the public can be hard to get along with,but they are in the minority.I had my moments some times,dealing with difficult passengers,but the nice ones made up for that. I could write a book about stuff on the buses,but i don't want to bore you anymore.P.S.one inspector i knew before i ever drove a bus,was JIM EGAN he lived right across the road from the CAPITOL on BARNSLEY RD,his daughter JUDITH went to the same school as us.ST.PATRICKS.BYE NOW eightlegger

...heres 754 , WWJ 754M , -which was the last ever bus to be delivered new in Sheff Trans livery before SYPTE takeover - showing the yellow Videmat sign boards , and the Videmat machine itself which was just inside the front door ........

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/sandyb-photos/buses/nyks_-_sheffield_joc_754_fleetline_preserved_pickering_8 6_JL.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/sandyb-photos/buses/PICT1533.jpg

The bus - and Videmat machine are preserved at Sandtoft !

...heres 754 , WWJ 754M , -which was the last ever bus to be delivered new in Sheff Trans livery before SYPTE takeover - showing the yellow Videmat sign boards , and the Videmat machine itself which was just inside the front door ........

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/sandyb-photos/buses/nyks_-_sheffield_joc_754_fleetline_preserved_pickering_8 6_JL.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/sandyb-photos/buses/PICT1533.jpg

The bus - and Videmat machine are preserved at Sandtoft !

Brilliant pictures! I remember the Videmat as a kid, made a noise like a robot farting as the ticket came out! :hihi:

Brilliant pictures! I remember the Videmat as a kid, made a noise like a robot farting as the ticket came out! :hihi:

....specially when us schoolkids chucked washers in !!!!:hihi: