Bewick:
Hi Chris,
You mentioned Venture Transport which rung a bell in my old brain cell ! I can claim a family connection to this Bus firm via my Great Aunt Dora ( ne Bewick) who’s married name was Harrison and her Husband uncle Tommy Harrison was related to the Family who ran The Venture as they used to refer to the firm. I know I’m a bit vague but there was definitely a connection. My Great Uncle Tommy was a printer all his working life on The Newcastle Journal. Cheers Dennis.
Well Chris just think yourself lucky I had no antecedents resident in East Lancs otherwise I may well have been related to Russ Conway’s Son !! Cheers Dennis.
Well, fortunately, I’m a native of Preston so I’d have been safe! And your distant relations seemed to have the same buying sense as yourself, as they apparently had 24 Atkinsons on the Venture Transport fleet
Oh well Chris I would have had to settle for being a distant relative of Eddie Calvert then ! “Can tha’ triple tongue lad” ? Cheers Dennis.
Good to see that AEC Q of Wooliscrofts (Silver Service from Darley Dale) pic. I remember the secretary of our vintage club telling me how he had to reverse it out of the workshop of the chap who was restoring it because the lad couldn’t drive the thing!
cav551:
A little bit about the Leyland GNU and some reference to the Leyland X7 twin steer trolleybus as well as the Midland red and Northern buses I referred to in another post.
Ray Smyth:
About 1958, Liverpool Corporation started to plan for a large number of buses to replace
some of their older vehicles, some of which dated back to the late 1940s, including Leyland,
AEC, Crossley, Daimler, and Guy. Toward the end of 1959, 3 demonstrators arrived, an AEC
Bridgemaster, another AEC, not sure which model, and a Leyland Atlantean.
No, E1, Reg No. 371 BKA, was a smart looking AEC with highbridge bodywork by Park Royal.
No. E2, Reg No. 372 BKA, was a Leyland Atlantean with MCW bodywork.
N0. E3, Reg No. 116 TMD was an AEC lowheight bus, an on loan demonstrator from AEC Southall
which Liverpool Corporation eventually bought. All 3 buses are now with Merseyside Transport Trust.
Details of some more of the vehicles from page 1
1.
The unidentified AEC model is this:-
AEC Regent MkV/Park Royal FH40/32F Double Decker Bus,Chassis No.LD2RA374,Body No.B43178, 371 BKA,Liverpool,August 1959,Liverpool E1.Preserved. Ray Smyth.1#
NOTE 1:The Leyland Atlantean,372 BKA,Liverpool E2 and AEC Bridgemaster,116 TMD,Liverpool E3 are also preserved.
NOTE 2: Any idea what the blue and cream double decker bus is,and who operated it? which is following behind the AEC Bridgemaster.Please
It looks like a Leyland Titan PD…is it operated by Lytham St.Annes?
NOTE 1: Stevenson also had Sunbeam Pathan SF4/2/Burlingham C32R Motorcoach,Chassis No.11136S, CRF 349,Stafford,March 1934,J.Stevenson,No.10.
NOTE 2: Sunbeam marque - Sunbeam Motor Company rising sun and sunbeams golden-yellow badge,used for Sunbeam motorcycles,motorcars,motorcoaches,buses,trolleybuses,etc.There are also seperate blue and black versions. 1#
The Sunbeam marque badge influenced the rising sun trademark-logo of Stevensons motorcoach and bus company ,which was painted on
the sides of some of their buses and motorcoaches QV photograph number 5.
AEC Regal MkIV/Burlingham B44F Single Decker Bus,Chassis No.9821E221,Body No.5021, KUE 950,Warwick,8-1951,Stevenson,No.30. Ex-De Luxe Buses Ltd,Mancetter. Tim Jeffcoat. 1#
Guy Arab MkIII/Burlingham C33F Motorcoach,Chassis No.FD33260M,Body No.3680, RRF 330,Stafford,4-1949,Stevenson,No.22.Meadows 6DC.630,re-engined with Gardner 5LW later. Tim Jeffcoat. 1#
TruckNetUK. Old Time Lorries. BUSES,MOTORCOACHES & LORRIES . Page 8 or 9. VALKYRIE . Thursday,20th September,2018 .
Pages 1 & 2.
Details of one more vehicle from page 1 and some vehicles from page 2
From page 1:-
Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/9/Brush B43F Single Decker Bus,Chassis No.504255,LLNo.136, DHE 352,Barnsley,May 1951,Stevenson,No.7. Ex-Yorkshire Traction,No.921. NOTE Bristol HA,GRP-Cabbed,Artic of BRS following. Tim Jeffcoat.1#
Albion Victor PK115/Heaver C27F Motorcoach,Chassis No.25019B, UD 9615,Oxford,May 1938,Butler’s Tours,Henley,Oxfordshire. Gingerfold. 1#
The following partial re-post has saved me from originally researching this Daimler motorcoach from scratch all over again!
QUOTE:-
Re: A to Z Transport Miscellaney
Post by VALKYRIE » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:41 am
TruckNetUk.Old Time Lorries.A To Z Of Transport Miscellaney.VALKYRIE.Wednesday,19th July,2017.
Daimler Motorcoach.
This Daimler/Burlingham motorcoach was originally a Birmingham City Transport double-decker omnibus!
Here are the details:-
Daimler COG5/BRCW - Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Works H30/24R Double Decker Omnibus,Chassis No.10723,FOF 251.
Birmingham City Transport,No.1251.October 1939. In the late 1940s or early 1950s it was sold out of service and was bought by
by Heathcote & Llewelyn,Birmingham.
It was re-bodied by H.V.Burlingham,of Blackpool,a very famous builder of motorcoach and bus bodies,in 1951.The chassis was lengthened as well:-
Daimler COG5/Burlingham FC33-37F Motorcoach,Body No.4618,FOF 251.July 1951.
So obviously this Daimler motorcoach eventually ended up being operated by Albert Spiers Motorcoaches,Henley on Thames.UNQUOTE.
Rutland Clipper/Whitson C41C,rear Perkins or Meadows Diesel-Engined,Motorcoach,Chassis No.TW5026, TKE 741,Kent,6-1954,originally a Whitson demonstrator 7-1954,then West Kent Motors,Biggin Hill,then Spiers,Henley. Gingerfold.1#
NOTE: This rare motorcoach model was sold to Say,Gloucester,in July 1959,then Astons,of Marton,Warwickshire,in February 1960.Last licensed in
July 1965.
AEC & Maudslay.AEC Reliance/Duple Britannia C43F Motorcoach,Chassis No.MU3RV915,Body No.1068,1, VAC 640,Warwickshire,9 or 10-1956,J.Lloyd & Son Ltd,Nueaton;Maudslay Motorcoach,PPU 727.Spiers.QV Maudslay caption.Gingerfold.1#
.AEC & Maudslay.AEC Reliance Motorcoach,VAC 640;Maudslay Marathon MkIII/Duple C33F* Motorcoach,Chassis No.70290,Body No.53900, PPU 727,Essex,12-1949,Pathfinder,Chadwell Heath.Spiers.QV AEC caption.Gingerfold.1#
NOTE:*This Maudslay motorcoach is supposed to be FC35F but it’s obviously a half cab half canopy motorcoach in the photograph,which dates from
sometime in late 1956 onwards…was it’s original Duple full front body transferred on to a more modern chassis? Or,in common with other
half cab motorcoaches,was it converted in to full front sometime after this photograph was taken?
Bedford VAL14/Duple Vega Major C52F,6x2 Twin Steer Chinese Six,Motorcoach,Chassis No.1610,Body No.1185/15, FBW 206C,June 1965,Spiers,Henley-on Thames. Later with Tor Motorcoaches,Street,4-1975 - 4-1978.Gingerfold.1#
NOTE: Spiers also had Bedford VAL14/Duple Vega Major C52F Motorcoach,Chassis No.1793,Body No.1185/98, FBW 207C,June 1965. Later with
Chivers,Midsomer Norton,9-1975 - 10-1977.
Albert Spiers was one of the Melksham based haulage family but chose to carry people instead of Avon tyres after the haulage side restarted after nationalisation. I remember his coaches around the Thames Valley area.
Scroll up and down the link to vehicles to read a little bit about ALR453B probably the most famous Bedford VAL, which ahem, somehow seems to have ended up on the roof of the De la Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
The only kind of all-round bus you could get was one that was bodied by the chassis and engine manufacturer - ie vertically integrated. Leyland certainly fell into this category after the war when it produced the PD1 with in-house bodywork and the 0.600 engine that would power double-deckers for the next 20+ plus years.
I would have thought that Leyland and AEC were jointly the best bus manufacturers in Britain for many years.
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
The only kind of all-round bus you could get was one that was bodied by the chassis and engine manufacturer - ie vertically integrated. Leyland certainly fell into this category after the war when it produced the PD1 with in-house bodywork and the 0.600 engine that would power double-deckers for the next 20+ plus years.
I would have thought that Leyland and AEC were jointly the best bus manufacturers in Britain for many years.
Robert
I was guessing that those 2 names would be up there .Maybe my wording was wrong with all rounder i meant who made the best buses and coaches , no doubt there will be many different opinions
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
That will possibly end up being biased upon regional loyalties. North West Leyland, Midlands Guy or Daimler, South East AEC, South Dennis, West Bristol, North East more difficult, Scotland Albion. If you count volume only, then it’s a toss up between Leyland Motors and AEC both of whom made their own in-house bodies. Export sales would add Guy. All of that is only concentrating on double deckers, the sheer volume of Bedford coaches and single deckers puts them in the picture.
If you were to ask the various bus companies and Corporations, then some were territorial, Salford and Manchester favouring Crossley from Gorton, others switching allegiance quite regularly.
In the final analysis it probably come down to a straight choice between the perceived ‘southern sophisticate’ AEC and Leyland Motors’ advertising spiel ‘the builder of London’s Buses’.
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
That will possibly end up being biased upon regional loyalties. North West Leyland, Midlands Guy or Daimler, South East AEC, South Dennis, West Bristol, North East more difficult, Scotland Albion. If you count volume only, then it’s a toss up between Leyland Motors and AEC both of whom made their own in-house bodies. Export sales would add Guy. All of that is only concentrating on double deckers, the sheer volume of Bedford coaches and single deckers puts them in the picture.
If you were to ask the various bus companies and Corporations, then some were territorial, Salford and Manchester favouring Crossley from Gorton, others switching allegiance quite regularly.
In the final analysis it probably come down to a straight choice between the perceived ‘southern sophisticate’ AEC and Leyland Motors’ advertising spiel ‘the builder of London’s Buses’.
The PSV market can be classified in identical manner to the lorry market, that is premium builders and volume producers. Firmly in the first category are Leyland and AEC, the dominant two, who also built large quantities of chassis. Also in the premium category come Daimler, Bristol, Crossley, Dennis, and Guy, but whose build numbers were far smaller than Leyland and AEC. The volume producers were Bedford and Ford. Atkinson and Foden as we have seen also dabbled in PSV production, as did Seddon. The genesis of the dominant two was completely different. Leyland evolved from steam waggons to IC powered lorries to PSVs, albeit in a few years. AEC started as a bus builder for London General Omnibus Co. and went on to produce lorries, prompted by the demands of the War Office in WW1.
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
The only kind of all-round bus you could get was one that was bodied by the chassis and engine manufacturer - ie vertically integrated. Leyland certainly fell into this category after the war when it produced the PD1 with in-house bodywork and the 0.600 engine that would power double-deckers for the next 20+ plus years.
I would have thought that Leyland and AEC were jointly the best bus manufacturers in Britain for many years.
Robert
A little note in my anorak pocket tells me that it was the PD2 which had the O.600 engine - the PD1 had the pre-war E181 engine. The O,600 also went on to power the PD3 and the PRD1 Atlantean, not to mention the Royal Tiger and the Leopard in horizontal form
And yes, Leyland produced the ‘Farington’ bodywork until 1954, but AEC also had Park Royal and C H Roe coachbuilders
ramone:
So who was the flagship bus manufacturer when we had a say in things.Who made the best all round buses in Britain?
The only kind of all-round bus you could get was one that was bodied by the chassis and engine manufacturer - ie vertically integrated. Leyland certainly fell into this category after the war when it produced the PD1 with in-house bodywork and the 0.600 engine that would power double-deckers for the next 20+ plus years.
I would have thought that Leyland and AEC were jointly the best bus manufacturers in Britain for many years.
Robert
A little note in my anorak pocket tells me that it was the PD2 which had the O.600 engine - the PD1 had the pre-war E181 engine. The O,600 also went on to power the PD3 and the PRD1 Atlantean, not to mention the Royal Tiger and the Leopard in horizontal form
And yes, Leyland produced the ‘Farington’ bodywork until 1954, but AEC also had Park Royal and C H Roe coachbuilders
Thanks for that! Yes, of course it was the PD2. Cheers, Robert
This is a restored BMMO. On display at the Black Country Living Museum, along with some other old vehicles including a Star. I’m not a big fan of buses and coaches although I respect the engineering and design of them. I never traveled much as a child and was prone to travel-sickness whenever I did go any where. Cars, trains and planes made me throw-up but the worst were buses and coaches. They were always filthy dirty with that horrible smell of stale tobacco, windows running with condensation that you could never open and everybody smoking. Every trip was a nightmare. I was a half-decent footballer but never did well when playing away; the coach trip always made me ill. I’m alright if I’m driving and have never had a problem in a lorry although longer ferry crossings have always had me driving the porcelain bus.
Venture RUP436 by Chris Stanley, on Flickr
Cheers Dennis.
which is following behind the AEC Bridgemaster.Please 
