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262 (PXO 974) AEC Reliance MU3RV / Park Royal ‘Royalist’ C41C, new to Timpson’s, London E6.

Following the success of the previous year’s used coach purchase and with the Countryside Tour and Private Hire side doing well, a further five secondhand vehicles followed suit in 1966. Two (261/262, NRK 350 & PXO 974) had bodywork to Park Royal’s relatively uncommon and shortlived ‘Royalist’ design, 261 – like MBY 347 – being new to Bourne & Balmer of Croydon, later passing to Timpson’s, whereas 262 had been new to Timpson’s. These acquired coaches were all subject to a confusing bout of renumberings during their time. Both were rebodied with Plaxton Panorama I bodies, and passed to WYPTE, PXO 974 being briefly used by WYPTE for staff transfer between Leeds and their headquarters in Wakefield before passing through various owners before being scrapped in 1980.
Here the two are seen parked in Commercial Street on a rather miserable Bank Holiday, rather optimistically touting for business on the usually very popular Countryside Tours.

263 & 264 (TGJ 486 & 485) AEC Reliance MU3RV / Burlingham ‘Seagull Mk. V’ C41F, new to Bourne & Balmer, Croydon in 1957.
261 (NRK 350) AEC Reliance MU3RV / Park Royal ‘Royalist’ C41C, new to Bourne & Balmer, Croydon in 1955.

In addition to the two Park Royal Royalists there were also three Reliances with Burlingham Seagull Mk. V front-entrance bodies (260/263/264, TGJ 484/486/485). 260 had been new to Timpson’s, the other two (263/264) to Bourne & Balmer, Croydon, later passing to Timpson’s. These suited the Halifax livery extremely well. A further similar vehicle – with Seagull Mk.IV body – was acquired in 1968 having been new to Yelloway of Rochdale in 1956. This (200, ODK 770) was only a stopgap purchase though, and was withdrawn the following year. 260 was rebodied with a new Plaxton Panorama I body and later passed briefly to WYPTE. 263 & 264 were not rebodied and were withdrawn in 1971.
These three are pictured inside Elmwood Garage.

258 (formerly 261) AEC Reliance MU3RV / Plaxton ‘Panorama I’ C43F, chassis new 1955, body new in 1968.

NRK 350 was withdrawn by WYPTE in 1975 and sold to a dealer who retained it for many years before scrapping it. Here it is passing Skircoat Garage and turning from Skircoat Road into the lower section of Free School Lane, towards Elmwood Garage.

268 (DJX 143D) Leyland Leopard L2 / Willowbrook DP41F, new in 1966.

Back in 1964 the first two dual-purpose single deckers had materialised as 269/270 (AJX 269/270B). Based on the Leyland Leopard L2 chassis they had Willowbrook 43-seater bodies incorporating the recently introduced BET-pattern curved windscreen, but instead of the latest style of peaked domes and curved rear windows Hilditch specified the standard protruding three section destination box and the earlier design of rounded rear dome – producing a unique ‘Halifax look’ which was to be applied to all new single deckers until 1973. Externally they bore a new partially reversed livery with cream lower panels and an orange band. The interiors were in pale grey and dark green with an attractive two-tone green and red seat moquette with white ‘HPT’ monogrammed antimacassors on the headrests. A further example arrived in 1965 (267, CJX 275C), being a 41-seater and with a kind of tartan seat moquette popular on coaches at the time, and in 1966 a similar fourth one (268, DJX 143D) came along. Used on stage services as well as tours and private hire these were pleasanter Leopards than the more spartan earlier bus versions, and proved to be very useful vehicles. 269 & 270 were later repainted into bus livery, and all four passed to WYPTE, 267/269/270 being withdrawn in 1976. 268 was substantially modified for bus use by the PTE, receiving a peaked front dome, being stripped of its shiny metal external trim and the luggage boot removed, and inside the luggage racks were removed and bus seats fitted, being finally withdrawn in 1981.
268 is seen waiting to operate a local Countryside Tour when quite new, in Commercial Street – just around the corner from the department’s town centre premises in Back Commercial Street (but always referred to as Powell Street).

101 (ECP 681D) Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX/30 / Northern Counties H43/32F, new in 1966.

Following the successful demonstration of 565 CRW, a change of buying policy introduced Daimler Fleetlines into the fleet. Rear-engined double deckers had begun to appear in other places from 1958, but in 1966 they were still considered a novelty, causing many turned heads and puzzled expressions. Once again the local BET operator – Hebble Motor Services – had pipped the Corporation at the post by placing their first solitary Fleetline into service a couple of months earlier. Geoff Hilditch’s last purchases in his previous post at Great Yarmouth had been Fleetlines with Roe bodies – having a curved windscreen but flat windows in the front of the upper saloon., and he would have preferred to buy similar vehicles for Halifax. However, due to the development of new housing estates to the Rastrick side of Brighouse – an area until then only served by single deckers – it was anticipated that soon double deckers would be needed, and there was another of those low arched railway bridges to contend with. Full height bodies were reckoned to be too high, but normal low height bodies were considered to be unnecessarily low, and something inbetween was preferable. Unfortunately Roe were not able to offer an intermediate height body at the time, but Northern Counties were, and the first seven (99-105, ECP 679-685D) entered service with the Corporation in September 1966, These had the curved screen/flat upper deck window style, and the engine bustle disguised with ‘shrouds’. and the type became the standard Halifax double decker until the end. Hebble’s Fleetline – which in 1971 would be absorbed into the JOC fleet – was surprisingly similar to the Halifax examples with only detail differences, and quite unlike any other Northern Counties bodies delivered to a BET Group company.
101 is seen negotiating the bend at Lee Bridge, returning to town from Bradshaw or Queensbury on the through service to Newlands. In later years 101 was regarded by the driving staff as having the heaviest steering of any bus in the fleet.

105 (ECP 685D) Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX/30 / Northern Counties H43/32F, new in 1966.

In the early days of the Fleetline type many crew drivers – used to years of driving halfcabs with no set-back front axle – found them a handful, and there were many scrapes as they learned the hard way how to position them in tight spots. Many did not like the eerie sensation of the engine sound being thirty feet behind them or the spongy hydraulic accelerator, and the ‘easy-drive’ fingertip controlled semi automatic gearbox was all too easily abused by those less conscientious drivers. Conductors could also now all too easily stand at the front and distract the driver’s attention.
105 was the first of the type to enter service, and the writer recalls his first ride on it one Saturday afternoon on the West End Circular service, being driven by none other than manager Geoff Hilditch himself – who was accompanied by a rather nervous conductor ! Here it seen leaving Mount Tabor, approaching Sandy Fore, retracing the ill-fated 1920’s trolleybus route on its way to Wainstalls.

105 (ECP 685D)

There were 47 generally similar Northern Counties-bodied Fleetlines delivered to both fleets between 1966 and 1973. One G-registered one (290) was returned to Daimler for use as a demonstrator in Cape Town after only a brief spell in service, and an identical replacement was provided taking the same number. Hebble’s only bought-new Fleetline was taken into the JOC fleet (as 294) in 1971, along with an Alexander-bodied version (as Corporation 103) that Hebble had acquired from Yorkshire Woollen. Following the merger with Todmorden JOC in 1971, the later examples were built to a ‘proper’ lowheight specification in order that they could enter the low-roofed Todmorden Millwood Garage. More of the type were on order at the time of the WYPTE takeover in 1974, and these were eventually delivered to the Calderdale District fleet after lengthy delays – though with many changes to the original chassis and body specification. The Halifax Fleetlines eventually began to suffer structural problems around their front ends, with disturbing looking gaps appearing and windscreens prone to blowing out in high crosswinds ! The rear engine shrouds were found to be troublesome also, and so all were rebuilt in PTE days with strengthened fronts and the shrouds removed. Withdrawals commenced in 1980 and the last one served with Yorkshire Rider until 1990 (being recently acquired by a preservationist), although a few served a liitle longer as training buses.
Here 105 has now reached Wainstalls terminus beside the New Delight public house, reversed and is awaiting departure back to town and through to Causeway Foot – the borough boundary on the Keighley Road. The following year the route would be extended 200 yards along the road off the the left into the narrowest part of the village, where it would have to perform a difficult and very tight reverse on a blind corner onto to the terminus stop – typical of so many Halifax routes. This would mean a reversion to short halfcabs once more.

303 (FCP 303E) Dennis Loline III / Northern Counties H41/33F, new in 1967.

Roger had left Halifax by 1966, after which AEC Reliances – including some shortened, narrow ones to replace the Nimbuses, and more with Willowbrook DP and later Plaxton bodies, single-deck versions of the Fleetline, Seddon Pennine RU’s, Dennis Lolines and finally Leopards in their later more powerful PSU4B form, appeared on the scene. These are really beyond the scope of theis article, but he was later to pay a return visit when he photographed Loline 303 climbing Salterhebble Hill (and passing the oddly named Elephant Terrace) on its way back to town from Huddersfield. So a liitle about the Lolines.

The private hire operation had along the way secured a lucrative contract to provide works transport for hundreds of female workers between towns in the Wakefield/Barnsley/Doncaster triangle and the Meredith & Drew (later United Biscuits) factory at Ovenden – tales of the antics of these ‘ladies’ being the stuff of legend. A large fleet of single deckers including DP’s and the acquired coaches were required, but then consideration was given to replacing some of these with a lesser number of suitable double deckers in order to keep costs down and remain competitive, as the contract was renewable annually, and there were always other companies willing to jump in with a lower bid. There was also the perceived need to be able to provide appropriate double deckers for other longer distance private hire work in the future – preferably to a low height to allow for any low bridges that may have encountered. Most of the types available were unsuitable, but then thoughts turned to the Dennis Loline demonstrator that had visited in 1964. This had a Gardner 6LX engine, 4-speed semi-automatic gearbox and Northern Counties body, and had been intended for use as an overseas demonstrator, but the plan had not materialised. Further visits were arranged, then enquiries made regarding various changes to the specification – including a 5-speed gearbox – and then five were ordered. These (300-304, FCP 300-304E) came along in 1967 and were fine looking and comfortably specified vehicles, with high-backed seating, air-suspension at the rear and a fair turn of speed. Unfortunately mechanical troubles arose very soon afterwards and a Dennis service engineer was almost a resident of Halifax for quite a while as he tried to sort them out – the problems mostly arising from the complicated and congested transmission arrangements caused by the awkward fitting of the large 5-speed gearbox and transfer box in too tight a space. After only four years service it was decided to dispose of them, and they passed to the West Riding Automobile Co. who were desperately buying up Bristol Lodekkas to replace their ill-fated Guy Wulfrunians. It probably seemed that the Lolines would fit in well with the Lodekkas – from which the Loline was originally derived – and they did manage to obtain a further seven years out of them before they were finally scrapped in 1978.

In the years that followed, most of the stage operations of Hebble and all of Todmorden JOC’s were taken over- considerably enlarging the route network and bringing about the replacement of the Halifax and Todmorden JOC’s with the combined Calderdale JOC. Along with the municipal undertakings of Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, Halifax’s operations were taken over by the West Yorkshire PTE in 1974, Halifax being served by their Calderdale District. At deregulation in 1986 a buyout by WYPTE directors led to the privately owned Yorkshire Rider, this in turn being bought out by Badgerline Holdings, then this by the Grampian Regional Transport Group leading to the formation of FirstBus. At first using the local identity of Calderline, FirstBus soon imposed its corporate look and it is only in the last year or so that the ‘Halifax’ local identity has reappeared. First Halifax has in recent years reduced dramatically in size, with very many of its routes being given up – due either to competition from local small operators, or New-Kid-on-the-Block CentreBus/Yorkshire Tiger outbidding them on tendered work.

Throughout this article reference to the following must be acknowledged:

‘Steel Wheels and Rubber Tyres’, Vol. Two, by Geoffrey Hilditch (The Oakwood Press, 2004)

‘Halifax Passenger Transport From 1897 to 1963’, by Geoffrey Hilditch (The Oakwood Press, 2006)

‘Fleet History of Halifax Corporation….etc. ‘ (PSV Circle publication PB23, 1990)

All photographs by Roger Cox unless otherwise stated.

Text by John Stringer.

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01/08/14 – 10:26

What a great article on Halifax by Roger Cox and John Stringer. Well done to you both.
In Part 1 they mention the 4 PD2s which went to Oldham in 1965 to assist with the vehicle shortage caused by the well known ‘Ministry’ fleet check.
The four were ACP 385, ACP 388, ACP 390 and ACP 392 given Oldham Fleet Nos. 465, 469, 470 and 467 respectively.
I have dug out a selection of pictures from my collection, of them working in Oldham.

Stephen Howarth

ACP 385 fleet number 465, exiting Wallshaw Street Garage crossing the appropriately named Car Street to take up a service 5. 302 EBU was the departments Land Rover. The garage exit is 54ft wide

ACP 385 again in a withdrawn condition in the yard at Wallshaw Street Garage

ACP 388 fleet number 469 seen here heading up a line of Football Specials waiting for ‘Latics’ fans to return after a match.
‘X’ was the service designation used for special workings and Depot journeys.

ACP 392 fleet number 467, with chromed radiator, parked at the rear of Wallshaw Street Garage. Next to it on the right is CBU 127C a Leyland Atlantean with Roe H43/34F bodywork

A line up of withdrawn ex Halifax buses. From the left ACP 388, ACP 390 and ACP 390 Fleet Numbers 469, 465 & 470. The bus far left is 108 HBU which overturned in an accident with a tanker on 3rd November 1967, its remains were to remain well into SELNEC days. 075 BU is ‘The Red Biddy’ tow truck.

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02/08/14 – 06:24

A very interesting article with superb photographs by Roger. I always found the routes around Halifax fascinating; what other municipal fleet operated to such interesting places as Booth, Midgeley, Heptonstall, Steep Lane, Rishworth and Mill Bank, not to mention the ex-Hebble routes to Rochdale and Burnley. What a pity that these routes are nowadays mostly operated by Optare Solos.
Stephen, I am puzzled by your statement that ACP 385 became Oldham Corporation 465; According to David Wayman’s 1997 book “Oldham Corporation Buses” and also from my own memories, this bus was Oldham 468, and on your “after withdrawal” photo the fleet number looks like 468. David Wayman’s book shows Oldham 465 as ex-Sheffield LWE 110.

Don McKeown

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12/08/14 – 05:52

One can only say one thing about this article, absolutely excellent.
Here is two more interesting place names that could be found on Halifax destinations Hubberton and Cunning Corner.

Trevor Knowles

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12/08/14 – 15:16

The last Halifax Fleetline is currently in store at Keighley bus museum awaiting restoration. There is a recent shot of it on www.sct61.org.uk

Chris Hough

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13/08/14 – 07:14

Just look at the photo’ of Dennis Loline 303 above: “Crossfield Bus Station”! – just how parochial is that? I never heard anybody refer to the old Halifax Bus Station as Crossfield Bus Station (despite the fact that’s what the signage on it side used to boldly-state) And doesn’t the style of lettering imply “Crossfield: Bus Station”? not very helpful for strangers is it?? . . . or even for the uninitiated in Huddersfield, from where the bus has just come.
Interesting is the continuation of orange along/over the near-side front mud-gard, to match the off-side from the front . . . I’ve never seen that before.

Philip Rushworth

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13/08/14 – 13:06

Smiths of Reading ran ACP 627 and ACP 630 until 1964-5. They went beautiful and were the first preselects I’d ever driven. The good-looking, rationally laid out Roe bodies were the icing on the cake.

Ian T

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14/08/14 – 06:52

Thank you Ian T. for posting the photos of the Halifax Regent III whilst with Smith’s of Reading. Though I have black and white photos of them they don’t do them justice, and its very nice to see what they looked like in colour.
As you say they were nice buses. Having been withdrawn way back in 1958, Smith’s bought them from North’s the Yorkshire dealer in 1959 and got good service out of them, running them until 1965.
Smith’s also bought one of the Park Royal-bodied Regents at the same time, but from the London dealer A.M.C.C. ACP 410, formerly HJOC 226 ran with Smith’s until 1963.

John Stringer

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04/02/15 – 10:23

I feel that it’s about time that I expressed my thanks publicly to John Stringer for his superb articles on Halifax Passenger Transport. There is much within that I did not know, not only in respect of the public transport scene, but also of the socio-economic history of this extraordinary area of West Yorkshire. The credits for these Halifax articles are given in reverse order – John’s name should definitely be first. During my limited time in the Yorkshire area in the mid 1960s, plus occasional visits in later years, I took a number of pictures of Yorkshire and Lancashire operators, and these shots subsequently languished unseen in my possession for up to half a century. When I came across OBP, it seemed the ideal place to share some of my photos, but, in the cases of both the white and red rose counties, I lacked the background knowledge to pen a meaningful accompanying text – simply stating the obvious seemed decidedly inadequate. I therefore decided to try to approach those OBP contributors whose credentials in this area were clearly impeccable. My first collaboration was with Phil Blinkhorn, and I was extremely gratified by the welcoming reception that Phil gave to my idea. The superbly written, expansive articles that Phil supplied to go with my Manchester area pictures may be found elsewhere on OBP, and I cannot thank him enough. Emboldened by this result, I approached John Stringer with a proposal for a similar project in respect of Halifax. John’s exceptional knowledge of the area was clear from his perceptive contributions to OBP, and his positive response was splendid. I am very glad that my pictures from many years ago should have lately become the catalyst for such detailed and enlightening articles from Phil and John.
When I arrived from Croydon, after four and a half years with London Transport at Reigate, to take up the position of Traffic Clerk in Halifax in December 1964, I possessed only a motor cycle licence – I hadn’t even driven a car. My first experience behind the wheel of a Halifax bus took place early in 1965 in PD2 ACP 391, originally No.107 until an unscheduled encounter with the Greetland railway bridge in 1963 resulted in its subsequent emergence as an open topper for driver training and tree lopping purposes. By then, this bus was almost 18 years old, and its later career as a trainer had effectively removed much of the remaining synchromesh in the gearbox. My initial attempts probably helped this process along quite dramatically. On my first trip out, Instructor Arthur Brearley took it up to Saville Park, or “The Moor” as it was locally known, and handed it over to me in, if my recollections are correct, Manor Heath Road. I got it up to third gear and proceeded ahead cautiously without incident in a westerly direction, but he then told me to turn left at (I think) Queens Gate. As a bus enthusiast almost from the nappy stage, I knew that turning the corner with a bus required several rotations of the steering wheel, and, after dropping down efficiently into second gear, I attempted to undertake this manoeuvre, only to discover that Leylands were not designed to be steered by seven stone weaklings. I managed to shift direction by about ten degrees, before mounting the grass and mercifully stalling the thing. After that inauspicious start, matters could only improve, and I felt that I had mastered the heaviness of Leyland controls until we went out in Leopard No.231. I pulled away from Skircoat Road in second gear and then found that I couldn’t move the gearstick at all. I was told that the gearbox in this bus, which was effectively the prototype Leopard, was virtually solid until the oil and internals had warmed up, and even then a course of muscle building steroids would greatly assist the process. Thankfully, the later Leopards, despite heavy controls, were rather better. The Worldmasters were straightforward to drive once one got used to the marked delay in the response from the gearbox to movements of the selector lever. Somewhat later, when a couple of ex Sheffield AEC Monocoaches arrived, I found these to be very much nicer in every respect than the single deck Leylands.
When still under training, we went out one day in a Nimbus, and I took to this little bus instantly. All the controls were light, and the six speed gearbox responded to sympathetic and gentle treatment. This was in complete contrast to the brute force often required with the Leylands that predominated in the fleet, and the majority of drivers seemed unable to adapt their technique to suit the Nimbus. The little Albions were almost universally despised by the driving force, and when they were despatched elsewhere owing to their mechanical fragility, staff morale rocketed dramatically. I, however, loved them, and was always ready to work a vacant Heptonstall duty with one. Happily, I reacquainted myself with the Nimbus a few years later when moonlighting at weekends for North Downs around Horsham.
I tended to differ from the majority view in respect of other types also. To the average driver, if such a creature exists, the “best bus” is the fastest bus. Because of the exceptionally severe gradients found in much of the territory, the Halifax bus fleet had differentials of about 6.5 :1, which placed a distinct limitation upon maximum speed. The PD2s/PD3s/Regent IIIs/Daimler CVL6s would do about 36-38 mph, the Regent Vs about 40mph (with an accompanying racket that suggested more like 60mph), but the CVG6s resolutely refused to exceed 32mph, even downhill. In contrast to the loosely governed 1800 maximum rpm of the AEC and Leyland engines, the Gardner 6LW was rigidly governed to 1700 rpm and had an all speed governor which was set by the accelerator pedal. For example, pressing the pedal halfway would set the governor to, say, 1300 rpm, and once the engine reached that speed the governor would cut in, the effect being felt by the driver by the noticeable increase in the resistance of the accelerator to foot pressure. One could feel the resistance build up under one’s foot as the engine speed increased. The Gardner governor was extremely effective, and nothing would induce the engine to exceed the 1700 rpm maximum, so charging downhill for extra speed to make up time, always possible to some degree with the other types, did not work with a CVG6. Adding to this the engine’s modest 112 bhp, and the occasional unpredictability of the spring loaded preselector (it could really hurt when the pedal came out ‘half a mile’), there resulted a combination of features that did not make for a bus popular with the driving staff. Ever perverse, I, a strong Gardner fan, loved them, particularly the later Roe bodied examples, and tried to get one whenever possible. I recall taking over a Hebden Bridge bound Regent V in George Street one Saturday, where the departing driver warned me that the engine was leaking exhaust fumes into the cab. Rather than run late or lose mileage, I took the thing on, and soon regretted doing so. Back at Crossfield Bus Station on the return trip to Brighouse, and dizzyingly high on carbon monoxide, I sought a replacement from the bus park, and was told to take whatever I liked. From a choice of an old Regent III, a PD2 and a CVG/Roe, I picked the Daimler, and off we went, not entirely to the satisfaction of the conductor who now had an open platform rather than a cosy folding door. Sadly, there was some kind of parade in Brighouse and we were seriously delayed before leaving again for Halifax where we were to be relieved. Nothing I could say to the relieving driver would convince him that our late arrival was down to congestion in Brighouse. To him, it was the fault of the ‘slow Daimler’, and he couldn’t understand why I hadn’t taken absolutely anything else instead from the bus park as a replacement for the dodgy Regent V. He departed for Hebden Bridge in high dudgeon, and such minimal stock as I possessed thus plummeted further. The ‘B’ (Joint Committee) fleet always seemed to owe mileage to the ‘A’ (Corporation) fleet, and, in retrospect, I can see that I contributed to this imbalance by choosing Roe Daimlers as replacements for faulty ‘B’ fleet AECs and Leylands whenever I could.
Geographically, the old Halifax Borough was a place encompassing extraordinary contrasts. To the south, the boundary ran through urban development on the brink of the Calder valley, quite close to the town centre, whereas, to the north and west, the borough swept out to embrace swathes of wild Pennine moorland. Though I did often drive on the Corporation ‘A’ services when covering duties on the road, my preference was for the out of town ‘B’ services, particularly the Brighouse – Hebden Bridge 48/49 routes, which were normally the province of the PD3 and Regent V 30 footers. The PD3 was by far the quieter beast of the two, and the more predictable, except in the braking department. Why Leyland, back in its Spurrier days, never attended to the serious lack of retardation in this chassis is surely astonishing. The Regent V brakes were snatchy and poorly progressive, but they were a bit better than the Leyland effort. Even so, on my sundry trips into Bradford as a passenger by Hebble Regent V, my knuckles would go white gripping the handrail as the bus plummeted headlong down the gradients along the Queensbury route. Unlike those sitting nonchalantly around me, I knew just how borderline such driving techniques really were. Only subsequently, on reading the reminiscences of Geoffrey Hilditch on the subject of Hebble maintenance standards, did I realise that my disquietude on those occasions fell well short of reality. The Regent V had light, positive steering and a fully synchromesh gearbox, but the howl from the latter in concert with the raucous engine played havoc with the eardrums. I was not a fan. By contrast, the PD2 was a fundamentally sound piece of machinery and taking one along the windy ridge to Queensbury or up the slopes above the Calder and Ryburn valleys to places such as Barkisland, Midgley, Norland, Sowerby et al, was eminently satisfying, especially on those sadly rare climatic occasions when clear views might be had across the dramatic scenery. It was all so long ago now, but I cannot imagine being enthused today by a driving duty around Halifax in any of the modern mechanical nonentities.

Roger Cox

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06/02/15 – 07:00

Thanks Roger for your kind words. It was a pleasurable trip down memory lane for me.

Phil Blinkhorn

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06/02/15 – 07:00

I always appreciate both John’s and Roger’s postings regarding HPT. The Halifax Fleetlines pictured in this thread have that elaborate Daimler badge at the front – which I believe Daimler charged extra for . . . and which one operator refused to pay for, and refused to return the removed badges until the cost was deducted from the invoice. There are some Oldham PD2s pictured on one of the threads: I was driving though Oldham today, and at the A62/IRR roundabout the First Wright-thingy in Oldham heritage livery went past – I must say that the pommard-cream livery looked superb (I can think of better liveries, but in comparison to the battleship-grey “dazzle” camouflage that is First’s most recent livery . . .)

Philip Rushworth

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06/02/15 – 17:11

Very pleasing to read that First had made some effort to recognise Oldham’s centenary.
That’s in marked contrast to Stagecoache’s apathy on the subject of Stockport’s centenary of bus operations in 2013 (perhaps they thought that trolleybuses don’t count!)

Orla Nutting

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07/02/15 – 06:14>

Living not far from Halifax I found this of great interest, although I’ve only briefly driven a bus, and that in the Barnsley area.
First has several buses in heritage liveries in South and West Yorkshire and others in Leicester and Swansea. There may well be others. The First Manchester website has a heritage page with a brief note on the operators (municipal plus LUT) whose liveries they are commemmorating.

Geoff Kerr

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07/02/15 – 06:15

I must thank Roger for asking me to collaborate with the article, and for his appreciative comments, and also to thank all those others who have commented favourably. Thank You.

John Stringer

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18/01/17 – 17:39

How fantastic to read something as well written as this.
Thank you guys so much for sharing your thoughts and giving such a tremendous set of historical references.
My only regret – I have only just now found the articles on the site.
I am inspired to continue documenting/publishing my recently discovered notebooks from the 1960’s.
Thanks again to all concerned, good job!

Stuart Emmett

If you have not read this article from the beginning, click here, you won’t be disappointed.

Not read this article from the beginning, click here

423 (LUA 423) AEC Regent III 9612E / Roe H31/25R, new to Leeds City Transport (423) 1947. (Photo – John Stringer)

There was a severe delay in the delivery of more PD2’s intended for 1964/65, due to a protracted labour dispute at Weymann’s. Some vehicles that were due to replaced had to be given a reprieve, but others needed to go and this led to a vehicle shortage. Consequently four Roe-bodied Regent III’s formerly in the Leeds City Transport fleet were purchased from North’s, the dealer, in July1964 to help out for a while – remaining in their mostly dark green livery with the lighter green window surrounds repainted with Halifax cream. One was allocated to the Corporation fleet (40, LUA 440), and three to the JOC (420/422/423, LUA 420/416/423), a further example (49, LUA 427) being added to the Corporation fleet in the November. Leeds C.T. were well known for their policy of derating vehicles for economy purposes and this became obvious when these had to work hard fully laden in Halifax’s terrain. Consequently they were unpopular with crews and passengers alike – not only due to their lack of urge, but also their lack of heaters and generally sombre appearance compared to the cheerful indigenous buses. Whenever possible they tended to be mostly confined to schools and peak period services. 40 passed briefly to the JOC in 1965 as 440, but all were withdrawn by the end of the year.
423 is seen leaning on the bend from Godley Cutting into Godley Road, having just passed under Godley Bridge, as it works a schools journey towards town. To the left can be seen an example of Halifax’s other double deckers – the double-decker houses once so familiar on the steep hillsides, with the lower two floors being one house accessed from the main road, and the upper one or two facing the opposite way being accessed from a street at a higher level round the back. Those pictured were all swept away in the late 1960’s along with many hundreds of other nearby properties in order to create a derelict wasteland overrun with rosebay willow herb.

200 (MBY 347) AEC Reliance MU3RV / Park Royal C41C, new to Bourne & Balmer of Croydon in 1954.

It was Geoff Hilditch’s desire from soon after arriving at Halifax to develop the Tours and Private Hire business. Having cancelled two from an order for PD2 double deckers and replaced them with a pair of smart new dual-purpose Willowbrook-bodied Leopards in a revised livery, he then wished to equip two of the Nimbuses similarly. This Reliance coach had been in the fleet of Bourne & Balmer of Croydon , and later BET subsidiary Timpson’s – but had been sold to Holloway of Scunthorpe, with whom it received frontal damage in an accident. Sold to North’s, the dealer, it came to the notice of Hilditch who in 1965 is said to have then acquired it for a modest sum with a view to using the seats to reseat a Nimbus. Instead it was repaired by his bodyshop with a modified frontal treatment and put into service as coach 200 (MBY347). After a spate of renumberings it was rebodied with a new Plaxton Panorama I body, ending up as 256. It passed to WYPTE which used it as a mobile sales outlet for their new MetroCard. It passed briefly in 1976 to a preservationist, then becoming a stock-car transporter for a few years more.
Here it is pictured awaiting attention in the dockshop at Skircoat Garage with a CVG6 behind.

19 (TWJ 505) PRV/AEC Monocoach MC3RV / Park Royal B44F, new to Sheffield JOC (1205) in 1955.

In 1965 to help further with the ongoing shortage, North’s supplied two of these relatively uncommon Monocoaches (19/20, TWJ 505/506) which had been part of the Sheffield JOC fleet. The Monocoach was technically a Park Royal product – effectively an integrally constructed (chassisless) version of the more common Park Royal-bodied Reliance to which it bore a strong resemblance. Cautious and conservative bus engineers were not convinced at that stage of the merits of integral construction and tended to give them a wide berth, though they were favoured by the Scottish Bus Group. These two had all the usual early Reliance type growling sound effects, and with their mostly dark red interiors and floral seat moquette felt from a passenger’s point of view more like they were riding on a Hebble, rather than a Corporation bus. Transferred to the JOC in 1967 as 219/220, they were withdrawn in 1969.
19 is pictured at the bottom of Bradford Road, Stump Cross, where the Bradford road joins the A58 from Leeds at an acute angle – coming in on the right side of the photo. Before the installation of traffic lights in the mid-1960’s this was a serious accident blackspot, with collisions occurring often several times a week. It is returning from Northowram Village and will then operate across town to the General Hospital. A familiar and nostalgic scene for the writer who in his young childhood days lived only 100 yards away from here.

65 (CCP 165C) Leyland Titan PD2/37 /Roe H37/28F, new in 1965.

There were 30 Weymann-bodied PD2/37’s on order for 1964/65 (eight for the Corporation and seven for the JOC in each year), two as already mentioned being cancelled in favour of a pair of Leopard DP’s. The strike at Weymann’s dragged on, none being delivered in 1964, and eventually Roe agreed to body ten of them in 1965. The chassis were stored at Elmwood Garage for quite a while before being despatched to Leeds, from where they reappeared as eight for the Corporation (59-66, CCP 159-166C) and two for the JOC (278/279, CCP 523/524C). With bodies that were in effect forward-entrance versions of the 1956 Daimlers, they were most handsome vehicles, having the front destination and number blinds in three separate apertures – which was to be the standard for double deckers from then on. They featured a new seat moquette pattern specially commissioned from Holdsworth’s (whose mill was situated just behind Elmwood Garage) incorporating the orange, green, cream and black colours of the bus livery, with green vynide trim – also to become standard until 1973. The interior was in Roe’s familiar olive green with metallic grey window surrounds, the doors had full depth glazing, and there was a return to rear route number indicators – not specified since the Daimlers. They had excellent visibility for the driver with deep cab windows, and the bodies remained sound and rattle-free throughout their lives. All passed to WYPTE, 66 going in 1976, most in 1978/79 but 62 surviving until 1980 – being the penultimate halfcab. Three were converted to training buses, one being sold off as surplus by the PTE, but the other two passing to Yorkshire Rider – the writer as an Instructor having the distinction of having trained the last driver to pass their PSV Test on the last one the day before it was withdrawn in 1990. One (62) was exported to Denver, Colorado where it may still exist, otherwise sadly none survived into preservation.
In the picture, though still a fairly new service bus, L-plated 65 is being used for training purposes, and is standing in Heath Road, opposite Skircoat Road Garage – which is just out of view to the right. Incidentally the writer passed his PSV test on similar bus 59 !

280 (CJX 320C) Leyland Titan PD2/37 / Weymann H36/28F, new in 1965

The balance of the order for Weymann-bodied PD2’s finally began arriving towards the very end of 1965. There were ten for the JOC (280-289, CJX 320-329C) and in early 1966 came the remaining eight for the Corporation (67-74, DCP 67-74D). They featured the recessed windscreen as used on the 1963 PD3’s, but the interiors were in green with pale grey formica and the new special moquette. These and the Roe-bodied PD2’s were generally regarded as far superior to the earlier Leylands, 280-289 also being the fastest of them all for some reason. Just prior to the formation of WYPTE, 68 was turned out in a proposed ‘Calderdale District’ livery of cream with orange relief, but this was rejected. Then with 67 and a variety of other vehicles it appeared in a Hilditch-designed livery of dark green and cream – which was also firmly rejected. After the takeover a universal buttermilk and verona green livery was adopted, and applied somewhat uncomfortably to many of the older vehicles. Most were withdrawn in 1978, 282 being the last vehicle to operate in the green, orange and cream livery – albeit rather faded by then.
280 is seen here at Salterhebble, having just descended the short but sharp Salterhebble Hill about a mile and a half from town on the Huddersfield Road, from which it will shortly bear right at the Calder & Hebble junction and aim for West Vale and its hilltop village destination of Stainland.

An unidentified PD2 of the 280-289 batch

Another of the same type is seen in wintry conditions climbing Upper Bolton Brow opposite Crow Wood Park on the upper fringe of Sowerby Bridge only a couple of hundred yards before crossing the borough boundary into Halifax. It is returning from Tuel Lane to town.

Demonstrator 565 CRW – Daimler Fleetline CRG6 / Alexander H44/34F, new in 1963.

When Geoff Hilditch arrived at Halifax his predecessor had already placed orders for Leyland double-deckers for 1964/65 delivery. He has said that had this not been the case he would have preferred to have bought Roe-bodied Daimler CVG6LX’s, but considering purchases beyond 1965 he set about arranging visits by a host of all the available demonstration vehicles he could muster. During 1964 there were double decker demonstrations by a Daimler Fleetline, two different Leyland Atlanteans, AEC Renown and RMF Routemaster, Guy Arab V and Dennis Loline. For further comparison the Department included its own Leyland re-engined CVG6 (92), a PD3 (206) and a Regent V (218) in the ‘competition’. The Routemaster was certainly the most favoured by the staff – both engineering and driving – and achieved the best score in the maintenance cost calculations, though at nearly £4,000 more than the Fleetline or Atlantean it was never going to be a serious contender. The Leyland-engined CVG6 achieved the best fuel consumption score, but rear engines were considered the way to go and though five Lolines eventually came our way to fill a special need, the Fleetline otherwise became the choice for new double deckers from 1966.
Alexander-bodied Fleetline 565 CRW paid three visits altogether, and here it is seen second time around near King Cross on the long Hebden Bridge-Brighouse service.

West Yorkshire R.C.C. SRG15 (HWU 641C) Bristol RELL6G / ECW B54F, new in 1965.

Having tried all the double decker demonstrators and made a decision which to go for, Hilditch turned his attention the following year to single deckers. Once again the local public were treated to a variety of types, including a Leyland Panther and Panther Cub, AEC Swift and two Daimler Roadliners – both bus and coach versions. One vehicle that paid a visit for inspection but was not used in service was this West Yorkshire Bristol RELL6G with the original design of ECW bus body. Prior to this the state-owned Bristol company had for many years only been allowed to sell its products to state-owned operators, but an exchange of shares between the Bristol and Leyland companies allowed them to get around this restriction and there was then a push to sell them on the open market. Generally regarded as the best of all the rear-engined single deck models of the 1960’s, at that point there was no shorter length Bristol to suit Halifax’s operating terrain anyway, and unfortunately none ever came Halifax’s way.
It is seen here parked just inside the front of Elmwood Garage, with – yet again – Regent III 373 looking on.

All photographs by Roger Cox unless otherwise stated.

Text by John Stringer.

Part Four, click here

Not read this article from the beginning, click here

4 (KCP 4) Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster RT3/1 / Weymann B43F, new 1958. (Photo – John Stringer)

One-man-operation was brought in on a more serious scale in 1958 when the Siddal, Norton Tower and Washer Lane routes were converted. To provide for this nine new single deckers were required. Manager Le Fevre was very much a Leyland man, but their current standard underfloor-engined offering – the Tiger Cub – was far too underpowered to be considered any good for local use. Once the Tiger Cub had become Leyland’s standard home market model the previous heavyweight Royal Tiger had then been substantially revised and upgraded specifically for overseas markets – the result was the Royal Tiger Worldmaster. Now fitted as standard with Pneumocyclic semi-automatic transmission and air brakes and generally to a longer length than current UK regulations would allow, Leyland did list – but didn’t seem to promote – a shorter version to UK specification suitable for bodies of 30 feet. Halifax purchased nine (1-9, KCP 1-9) and had them fitted with these basic but workmanlike Weymann B42F bodies. The model remained uncommon in Britain, Glasgow taking the largest number – similar, but dual-doored – and there were coaches for Ellen Smith of Rochdale and Gliderways of Smethwick. They were mechanically indestructible and just ran and ran without hassle for many years – in the end it was probably only corrosion from heavily salted roads that secured their fate. They all passed to WYPTE in 1971 and withdrawals began in 1975, two passing to an operator in the Irish Republic. The very last one (2, by then 3372) hung on until 1979. An attempt was made to repatriate one on those from Ireland, but sadly it was to no avail.
4 is pictured on a gloomy day returning from Norton Tower, and in the process of turning from Victoria Street into St. James Road, which ran across the the top of the original Crossfield Bus Station.

207 (KCP 16) Leyland Titan PD3/4 / Metro-Cammell H40/32F, new in 1959.

Le Fevre’s first order for double deckers materialised in early 1959 when eight Leyland Titan PD3/4’s with Metro-Cammell ‘Aurora’ bodies arrived for the JOC (201-208, KCP 10-17). They were the first double deckers in the fleet to the recently permitted length of 30 feet, and the first with forward entrances – though local BET operator Hebble had beaten them to it the previous year with a pair of AEC Regent V’s with similar bodies. They also marked a reversion to manual gearboxes – much to the dismay of many of the drivers. Like the Worldmasters they featured a revised destination layout with destination, via and number blinds all contained within a single aperture. They largely took over the role of the 1948 Regent III eight-footers and were concentrated on the Brighouse-Hebden Bridge and Huddersfield routes. Also like the Worldmasters their interiors were of a more basic nature then hitherto with much painted metal and leatherette seats, but they were pleasant buses to ride on. All survived into WYPTE ownership, but by then body corrosion was advancing rapidly, withdrawal commencing in 1975, the last survivor – by then 3203 – succumbing in 1976.
207 is seen here passing over the brow of Godley Lane within Godley Cutting which cuts through the north-western end of Beacon Hill. It is about to pass under Godley Bridge, a steel structure which replaced the previous arched stone bridge in 1900 in order to allow the passage of trams, which had also required the widening of the cutting. After this the road swings to the right and descends New Bank before turning across North Bridge into the town. It is on the JOC’s then longest route, from Brighouse to Hebden Bridge via Halifax.

216 (LJX 216) AEC Regent V 2D3RA / Metro-Cammell H40/32F, new in 1960.

More thirty-footers entered the fleet in 1960, but this time there was a reversion to the products of Southall. The 16 AEC Regent V 2D3RA’s had AV590 engines and all-synchromesh gearboxes with hydraulic clutches, and virtually identical bodies to the previous year’s PD3’s. There were eight each for the Corporation (11-18, LJX 11-18) and the JOC (211-218, LJX 211-218). The Corporation ones gravitated mostly to the Mixenden/Highroad Well routes for many years, whilst the JOC ones operated the same routes as the PD3’s. Opinions differ widely as to the relative merits of this model compared to the PD3, but they were generally considered to be less durable and were certainly much noisier. Injector pipes would often blow off, clutches would frequently lose their hydraulic pressure and fail to operate, and the bonnet lids were prone to blowing open in high cross winds ! Halifax’s final GM Geoff Hilditch certainly was not at all keen, and at the first opportunity they were sent packing – though several passed into the hands of independents – most of them being beautifully repainted into their new owners’ liveries by the Skircoat Road paintshop as part of the deal. The last ones were withdrawn by WYPTE in 1976, 215 passing eventually to Tony Blackman – owner of Regent III 277 – for preservation, though it has been in storage for many a year now.
Like 207 in the previous photo it is seen here in Godley Cutting heading for town on the Brighouse-Hebden Bridge through service.

221 (MCP 221) Leyland Titan PD2/37 / Metro-Cammell H36/28F, new in 1960

Later in 1960 a further 16 double deckers entered service. Owing to the 30-footers being considered unsuitable for many of the off-the-main-road routes, these reverted to the shorter 27-foot length, being Leyland Titan PD2/37’s again with Metro-Cammell bodies. Once more they were split equally between the Corporation (21-28, MJX 21-28) and the JOC (221-228, MCP 221-228). 27 was exhibited at the Commercial Motor Show that year and carried a plaque to that effect in the lower saloon. These, weighing nearly half a ton less than the equivalent PD3 yet having the same engine, were livelier performers on the local hilly routes, though the ride was distinctly choppier. They, and other similar later examples, did a lot of hard work around Halifax and the Calder Valley and could be considered the workhorses of the fleet throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s. First to go was 225 which didn’t quite make it into WYPTE ownership, but the rest did – most going in 1976 by which time they were pretty worn out.
221 is pictured in Stainland Road heading towards West Vale, and passing under the strongly arched railway bridge beside the former Greetland Station (closed 1962) on the 1841 Manchester & Leeds/L&YR Calder Valley line. As illustrated here double deckers have to pass through the arch in the centre of the road to avoid colliding with it. Leyland-bodied PD2/1 107 unfortunately did just that in 1963 and due to the damage caused was subsequently cut down for use as a tree-lopper and driver trainer.

33 (PJX 33) Leyland Leopard L1 / Weymann B42F new in 1962. (Photo – John Stringer)

As more operators decided that Leyland’s Tiger Cub was too underpowered but that the Worldmaster was rather too substantial, the company compromised and fitted an O600 engine to what was essentially a Tiger Cub chassis and from this evolved the first Leopards. In 1961 the JOC took a solitary example (231, OCP 231) based on the L2 coach variant, and with a Weymann body similar to those on the Worldmasters. This one however was delivered as a dual-door standee bus, but trade union opposition quickly put paid to any such idea. It lived a brief and shadowy existence in this form mostly banished to the Brighouse to Field Lane local service, until being returned to Weymann in 1963 to be rebuilt as a standard single door 42-seater. It originally had a notoriously difficult gearbox which was eventually replaced by an improved unit.
Further extensions of OMO were to take place in 1962, and so a further 16 Leopards came along – this time the L1 bus version – with single door bodies otherwise similar to 231. There were nine for the Corporation (31-39, PJX 31-39) and seven for the JOC (232-238, PJX 232-238). These allowed conversion of the Northowram, Shibden, Southowram and Brighouse via Southowram routes and replacement of the Regal III’s on the Elland-Sowerby Bridge and Elland-Ripponden routes. Quite basic and noisy inside, and with heavy, clunky driving controls they could be hard work to drive for a full shift on tightly timed, hilly, stop-start local routes, but once ‘got going’ they could ‘motor on a bit’ with a distinctive exhaust crackle.
Withdrawn by WYPTE between 1976 and 1981, two (35 & 232) have passed into the hands of local preservationists and are regular rally participants.

Leopard 33 – appropriately on route 33 – is seen leaving the former Shibden terminus and carefully negotiating the single track Paddock Road on the short-lived extension to Queensbury, introduced in 1967 and withdrawn in 1971. For the next mile or so the route would be mostly like this with just the occasional passing place, before joining the main A644 for the last section – with a deviation through Hunger HIll Estate – into its hilltop village destination.

248 (PJX 248) Leyland Titan PD2/37 / Metro-Cammell H36/28F, new in 1962.

A further sixteen PD2/37’s similar to the previous ones came along in 1962 – once again eight each for the Corporation (41-48, PJX 41-48) and the JOC (241-248, PJX 241-248). The main differences from the previous ones was the neater interior window frames and the fitting of fluorescent lighting . Passing to WYPTE they were withdrawn between 1974 and 1976 – with one exception. 43 (then as 3043) survived into the late 1970’s when it was taken out of service and parked up in the Skircoat Road bodyshop, where spasmodically over a lengthy period it was extensively rebuilt, emerging fully repainted in the latest PTE livery and re-entering service. By this time the ranks of halfcabs were rapidly diminishing, and 43 soon became the last one in service in Halifax, being finally withdrawn in 1980. Because of its condition it was a choice candidate for preservation, and at the present time it is once again being restored by its owner – former Halifax enthusiast but now Devon-based Richard McAllister.

252 (RJX 252) Albion Nimbus NS3AN / Weymann B31F, new in 1963.

Many of Halifax JOC’s routes ran out of town along busy main road corridors for a few miles, then climbed out of the valleys to to serve hilltop villages before meandering along narrow, tortuous country lanes to their eventual destination in the back of beyond, usually on the edge of bleak moors. Because of the nature of the outer ends of these routes, single deckers often had to be used, but with no limited stop conditions these could easily become overloaded on the busier sections. Manager Le Fevre sought to operate the main corridors with double deckers which would then connect with feeder services to the outer districts provided by a small fleet of nimble, small capacity single deckers. Accordingly after trying out a demonstrator, ten Albion Nimbuses (250-259, RJX 251-259) were purchased, entering service in the summer of 1963. They featured an Albion-built engine which was effectively a four-cylinder version of the Leyland 0375 used in the Tiger Cub, an Albion-designed gearbox and BMC axles. Neat looking bodywork was provided by Weymann, similar in style to recent ones by Harrington for Western Welsh, but having the large, protruding Halifax type destination box, and curved windscreens – the first in the fleet. The windows were quite large and the interior was finished in a cream formica with green vynide-covered seats, giving a very light and airy feel inside.

252 is pictured descending Upper Bolton Brow towards Sowerby Bridge on its way to Mill Bank. The cottages to the right have long since been pulled down, and in the upper left background the Willow Hall Mills complex later followed suit being replaced by a new housing development.

Geoff Hilditch had already suffered unpleasant experiences with Nimbuses whilst GM at Great Yarmouth, and was glad to leave them behind when he took up the equivalent post at Halifax in 1963. One can imagine his horror on arriving here to find that his predecessor had bequeathed him a fleet of ten new ones ! The feeder service idea never materialised and the unfortunate little buses were simply put out onto the existing routes, often having to carry heavy loads on the busy sections. As often happens when major operators take on lightweight buses, they were not treated sympathetically. The engineers maintained them like heavyweights, the frustrated drivers drove (and abused) them like heavyweights and the depot staff and traffic department frequently allowed them to be allocated to inappropriate routes where they got a ‘hammering’. Mechanical problems and deficiencies quickly arose and they were almost totally unloved. Two (250/251) had their seats recovered in moquette and fitted with headrests, and were repainted into the recently introduced DP livery with the green and cream areas reversed. Eventually the Nimbuses often found a niche operating schools’ swimming baths contracts where their 31-seat capacity was just right for the typical class size, and driven sympathetically by the more senior drivers they didn’t venture far from home.

251 (RJX 251) Albion Nimbus NS3AN / Weymann B31F new in 1963.

Hilditch quickly opted to rid himself of the Nimbuses whilst they were still fairly new and saleable, and they were all withdrawn and sold between 1965 and 1967. All found ready buyers, and as happened later with some of the Regent V’s, most of the Nimbuses were repainted for their new owners by the department’s paintshop. 250 passed to the small independent E. & T. Harvey of Mousehole in Cornwall, where it was found to be ideal for negotiating the village’s narrow streets. It ran successfully there for many more years before being purchased by a Lincolnshire-based preservationist and restored to its dual-purpose livery once more. 255 remained in the town for a few more years having passed to the Corporation’s Welfare Department, replacing an ex-Bristol Omnibus Bristol K-type that had been cut down into a single decker. With a large section of its nearside cut away, a nearside wheelchair lift was installed and the previous orange lower panels were repainted in a perculiar salmon pink shade.
Here 251, minus its seat headrests, stands in Elmwood Garage awaiting collection by its new owner Booth & Fisher of Halfway, near Sheffield. Booth & Fisher ran a number of Nimbuses, this one later having to have its tall destination box cut down due to clearance problems under a very low bridge. It even lasted long enough to pass with the company to the South Yorkshire PTE, not being withdrawn until 1978.

53 (TCP 53) Leyland Titan PD3/4 / Weymann H40/32F, new in 1963. (Photo – John Stringer)

In 1963 it was the turn of the Corporation fleet to receive some PD3’s and these eight (51-58, TCP 51-58) had bodywork by Weymann which was like a lengthened version of the previous year’s PD2s, but with lower panels that were slightly deeper and a windscreen that was recessed towards the top edge. The interiors still featured brown vynide seating but for some obscure reason the window surrounds on 54 were finished in a vivid green colour. All passed to WYPTE and all were withdrawn and scrapped in 1976.
53 is pictured in Northowram Village, having passed the earlier terminus at the end of Towngate (in the background, where the cars are parked) and heading down The Hough a further further few hundred yards to the later terminus at Stephen Close.

All photographs by Roger Cox unless otherwise stated.

Text by John Stringer.

Part three – click here

In late 1964 following a spell with London Transport, southern-born Roger Cox took up the position of Traffic Clerk with Halifax Passenger Transport – the combined name for the Halifax Corporation and Halifax Joint Omnibus Committee operations – and spent two years there before returning south to progress his career in the industry. A permanent situation of staff shortages meant that all ‘inside’ staff were encouraged to work ‘on the road’ for overtime and so Roger would soon have a more direct involvement with the actual vehicles, routes and local topography than perhaps he would have originally bargained for. There follows a selection of Roger’s photographs – with a few additions to fill any gaps – illustrating the vehicles he encountered during his stay in the town.

At the outbreak of the Second World War Halifax Corporation & JOC had been expecting to take delivery of further AEC Regents, but in the event only one had materialised. No utility types were purchased at all during the war and the existing fleet had to soldier on – including many early 1930’s AEC’s which would otherwise have been withdrawn. By the end of the war a high proportion the fleet was well past its best and in urgent need of replacement. The Department placed orders for 90 Regent III double deck chassis with the 9.6 litre engine and preselector gearbox, and 24 of the equivalent Regal III single deck chassis for delivery in batches throughout the rest of the decade. 74 of the Regents were to be bodied by Park Royal, the remaining 16 by Roe. Also, following the loan of the demonstrator prototype, there were also to be nine of the newly introduced Leyland PD2 chassis fitted with Leyland’s own design of bodywork.

105 (ACP 389) Leyland Titan PD2/1 / Leyland H33/26R new in 1947. (Photo – John Stringer)

The nine Leyland Titan PD2/1’s with Leyland’s own H30/26R bodywork looked oddly out of place in a fleet which had been predominantly AEC since 1930. Most of the Regents and Regals from the mid-thirties had been equipped with preselector gearboxes – though a few of the later deliveries had reverted to the crash variety – but all the early postwar AEC deliveries were to be of the latest air-operated preselector type. With no such gearbox available from Leyland at the time, the PD2’s had manual gearboxes with a crash first gear, but the new-fangled synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Seven were delivered in as intended in 1947, but the last two were delayed until 1948 – arriving with a modified heating system which resulted in a slight difference to the shape of the panel under the front nearside canopy. Once on the go they were very good performers on the local hills, and were very characterful in the sound effects department, with the typical period Leyland combination of rhythmic, hunting tickover and asthmatic wheezing and whistling sounds from the pneumatic governor. Another feature seemingly unique to this type of body was the pair of heater dishes at the top of the lower saloon front bulkhead, which were made up of concentric copper discs. After the renumbering of the Corporation fleet in 1954 they had become 100-108 (ACP 384-392). Eight had been delivered with chrome-plated radiator shells, but one featured an orange painted shell, giving it a distinctive appearance – this being switched over the years from one PD2 to another, but spending most of its time on 101. 100 had been converted to Training Bus 411 as early as 1959, but been withdrawn in 1963. 107 had been involved in a low bridge accident in 1963, after which the conversion to open-top was completed officially and it became Training Bus and Tree Lopper 418 to replace 411. By 1968 it had been converted into mock-up of an 1898 tramcar for use in the forthcoming 70th Anniversary parade. In 1965 108 was been briefly transferred to the JOC as 308, but it and the others were withdrawn in 1965/66, four passing to Oldham Corporation to assist with a shortage there and lasting until 1969.
105 is pictured in Great Albion Street passing the town’s original Crossfield Bus Station (opened in 1954) with the Odeon Cinema in the background. The Bus Station closed, and services transferred to the current Winding Road Bus Station in 1989.

215 (ACP 629) AEC Regent III 9612E / Roe H31/25R, new in 1948.
(Photo – Charles H. Roe, John Stringer Collection)

Delivery dates for AEC chassis were a problem though since the company had a full order book and was heavily committed to turning out the RT variant for London Transport. Park Royal had set up a special factory to build bodies for the RT but was having difficulty getting them into production, and in the end RT chassis were piling up everywhere and causing a problem. The decision was taken to offer some of these chassis to provincial operators, and as a result Halifax were offered eight in place of half of the sixteen standard models intended for bodying by Roe, which was gladly accepted in order to obtain an earlier delivery. Despite the superiority of their teak-framed bodies, surprisingly withdrawal of both versions commenced as early as 1958, and all were gone by 1963, except for conventional Regent 215 (ACP 629) which had become Training Bus 412 in 1959, lasting until 1966. A further pair of similar vehicles (73/74, BCP 536/537) – replacing a cancelled order for two Regals no longer required – was delivered in 1949, having subtle differences to the earlier ones such as slightly more rounded window corners and a one-piece rear emergency window instead of the previous two. This pair lasted until 1966.
In the absence of a useable 1960’s period photo of any of these, here is the official Roe view of what was to become Training Bus 412, prior to delivery in 1948 as 215 – complete with the impressive JOC transfers and gold-shaded fleet numbers, and the additional black lining to the upper saloon waistrail band which was discontinued in the early 1950’s.

373 (BCP 667), AEC Regent III 9612E / Park Royal H33/26R new 1950 as 273.

Though Park Royal offered an excellent steel-framed body, in order to keep costs down a timber-framed composite version was specified. This was largely based on their wartime utility design with the more curved frontal profile of the metal version, but with a rear end that owed more to prewar practice. Though a price had been quoted by Park Royal for these bodies it was subject to a ‘rise and fall’ clause – and rise it did ! Before long the figure had increased considerably, so in order to keep to something near the original quote economies had to be made. Hence metal window pans were dispensed with and the glasses mounted directly into the now exposed, spindly wooden frames, being retained by wood fillets as one would with a garden shed ! This was to be their downfall, and deterioration set in rapidly, necessitating remedial strengthening after only a few years, and continual problems therafter. Sixteen of them (235-250) for the JOC fleet were built to eight feet width, taking advantage of the limited relaxation in the use of such vehicles on routes approved by the Traffic Commissioners – in Halifax’s case these were those to Brighouse, Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield and Queensbury.
By the mid-1960’s all of the earlier ones had gone, and just three of the eight-footers (originally 246-248, but by then 346-348, AJX 372-374) survived until 1965, along with the final 1950 batch (originally 270-283, now 370-383, BCP 664-677). Despite the fragility of their bodywork they were otherwise good, if creeky, performers and ideally suited to intensive stop-start work in the mountainous local terrain.
Here 373 rests in Elmwood Garage – the premises across the road from the Department’s Skircoat Road Garage – opened in 1932 to specifically house the JOC fleet.

373 (BCP 667)

Another view of 373 returning from the appropriately named Steep Lane – out on the edge of the moors beyond the hilltop village of Sowerby. Having just passed through King Cross in the background, it is at the point where King Cross Road becomes King Cross Street for the last descent into town. It had not much longer to serve, being withdrawn and sold for scrap in 1966.

277 (BCP 671) AEC Regent III 9612E / Park Royal H33/26R new 1950 as 277.

The rest were withdrawn and scrapped during 1966/67, but 377 was given a reprieve and fared rather better. The Transport Department was due to reach its 75th Anniversary in 1973, but General Manager Geoff Hilditch, anticipating that changes were afoot and fearing that it might not last until then, decided instead to celebrate the 70th Anniversary in 1968. Arrangements were made with the local Charity Gala committee that their annual parade through the town should be substantially augmented with an impressive display of vintage transport. To that end he retained 377 and had it repainted, renumbered back to the original 277 using original gold shaded transfers, and had the last two remaining earlier-style JOC transfers applied featuring the LMS and LNER railway devices either side of the Corporation’s coat-of-arms. Local enthusiasts had expected that the Department would then retain 277 in preservation, but Hilditch had no such intention and soon afterwards it was sold to Tony Blackman who at the present time has not only owned it for 47 years, but refurbished it yet again and returned it for occasional operation in service both with his former Halifax Joint Committee local service venture, and nowadays with his Yorkshire Heritage Buses private hire operation. Here it is seen shortly after repainting as 277, having passed Skircoat Garage (note the adjoining Manager’s house) and turning towards Elmwood Garage.

258 (BCP 544) AEC Regal III 9621E / Roe B33F, new as 269 in 1949

There were 24 of these bonny Roe-bodied Regal III’s ordered for delivery – five for the Corporation fleet and 19 for the JOC. In the event before their construction commenced two of the Corporation ones were deemed to be no longer required and they were cancelled and replaced by a pair of additional Regent III’s with Roe bodies.
Following the successful operation of one-man-operated, full-sized single deckers in neighbouring Huddersfield and consequent changes in legislation, Halifax JOC had introduced a limited OMO operation on the Hebden Bridge-Cragg Vale or Hardcastle Crags, and Elland-Sowerby Bridge-Triangle services during 1953, and around the same time was reintroducing local Countryside Tours during the public holiday periods. Consequently they rebuilt 14 of the Regals to B33F layout for this purpose, and repainted them in a special livery of cream with a single orange band. Two of the Corporation Regals were withdrawn as early as 1958 and passed to McConnachie’s of Campbelltown out on the Mull of Kintyre. The third survived as a spare – used often as a staff bus – until 1962, the unrebuilt JOC ones also going at the same time. The cream and orange-liveried converted ones in the meantime had reverted back to standard livery, and withdrawal came in 1963/64 – except for the one pictured which after a few months in the Corporation fleet as 99, returned to the JOC as 268 (269 having by then been used for a new Leopard), soon becoming 258 in order to allow for another new Leopard (268). A great favourite with local enthusiasts – almost regarded as a mascot – it finally passed for use by a local builder for staff transport in 1966, being scrapped by 1970. Here it is awaiting its next spell of duty parked in Bay 7 at Skircoat Garage.

80 (CCP 612) AEC Regent III 9613E / Park Royal H30/26R new as 360 in 1951.

Six more Park Royal-bodied Regent III’s entered the fleet in 1951, but these were different beasts altogether from the previous examples. Part of a later order placed by GM Freddie Cook, along with another for six rather exotic and sadly problematic Daimler CD650’s with East Lancashire bodies which had gone by 1962. The Regents were to the revised dimensions of 27 feet by eight feet wide and their bodywork was to Park Royal’s latest four-bay, metal-framed design, introduced at the 1950 Commercial Motor Show on an example for Morecambe & Heysham. The styling was closely inspired by that of the London RT, though in reality was very different under the skin. They were considerably heavier than their predecessors, weighing in at well over eight tons, and though extremely soundly constructed there was some reduction in performance – especially in their ability to move off up hills. These coincided with AEC’s redesign of the exhaust system which resulted in them having a characteristic, raucous growl – 80 being acknowledged as the growliest ! Withdrawn in 1966, all six passed to Green Bus Service of Rugeley, and were scrapped in 1970.
Here 80 is pictured still looking in fine fettle not long before its withdrawal, growling up Gibbet Street from the Town Centre on the local route 13 to Highroad Well, following the original tram route of 1898, though it would terminate a couple of hundred yards beyond the old tram terminus by performing an awkward reverse into a narrow lane by the Brown Cow Inn. By this time the Highroad Well service was linked across town to the Mixenden circular routes 11 to 14.

90 (DCP 834) Daimler CVG6 / Roe H33/28R, new in 1954. (Photo – John Stringer)

Following the tragic sudden death at an early age of Manager Freddie Cooke, Scot Roddy MacKenzie took the helm and chose to purchase Daimlers. The Corporation received twelve CVG6’s (87-98, DCP 831-842) fitted with fully teak-framed Roe bodies. With these, MacKenzie introduced a revised and simplified version of the livery more in the style of contemporary Glasgow buses, and also the ‘Scottish’ style of destination box aperture. The new livery was generally unpopular – especially when applied to older vehicles and as soon as MacKenzie departed during 1956 – but before his replacement arrived – the Assistant Engineer conspired with the paintshop foreman to have them all repainted quickly back into the traditional style ! Another feature introduced with these was a brighter interior, with a lighter and more modern fawn and green seating moquette in the lower saloon, and the interior woodwork having a varnished light oak finish. The latter proved popular and was quickly applied to the majority of the existing postwar vehicles by means of scumbling, whereby the existing dark woodwork was repainted in a white basecoat, then a coloured varnish-like substance was applied to which an imitation woodgrain effect was skilfully added with a special tool. In fact there was quite an enthusiastic frenzy of light oak scumbling, it being applied to much of the office interiors and furniture. Even in the early 2000’s the writer had the use of an old metal filing cabinet in the Training School still finished in that way ! Weighing not far short of eight tons these buses were quickly found to be seriously underpowered with their Gardner 6LW engines, and with the arrival of new manager Dick Le Fevre and his Leyland-buying policy it was decided to re-engine them with Leyland O600’s. This gave them a moderate boost, not to mention some very unusual sound effects – gone was the monotonous Gardner throb, replaced by a rather subdued huskyness. In 1961 93 was fitted with a supercharged Daimler CD6 engine, producing an even more unusual sound effect, and in 1964 95 was treated to a mighty Gardner 6LX – resulting in a most impressive performance. Daimler-engined 93 was the first to go in 1968, the rest following in 1970/71.

Here 90 returns along Orange Street on the short local service 17 from Ovenden Way, still showing the outbound destination. Behind is the former Brunswick Bowling Alley – opened by ‘Coronation Street’ actress Pat Phoenix in 1964, but closed in 1969 after which it became a Presto (later Netto) supermarket. Demolished in 2009 the site has recently been redeveloped as a leisure and restaurant complex.

292 (DCP 845) Daimler CVG6 / Metro-Cammell H33/26R, new as 286 in 1954

The JOC received ten CVG6’s (284-293, DCP 843-852), but unlike the Roe-bodied ones for the Corporation these featured Metro-Cammell (MCCW) bodies. These were of the Orion lightweight, metal-framed design introduced in 1952, but despite being more than half a ton lighter than their heavyweight Roe-bodied counterparts in the Corporation fleet, they were quoted at the time as being ‘a more substantial version’ of the super lightweight Orion then popular. 287 received an experimental supercharged Gardner 6LW for a while in 1958, but otherwise they retained the Gardner engines through out their lives. Renumbered 390-399 in 1962, they became (confusingly) 290-299 in 1964. Withdrawal took place in 1967/68, four passing to Derby Corporation and lasting until 1969. Here 292 is parked in the corner of Elmwood Garage alongside Regent III 375.

291 (DCP 844) Daimler CVG6 / Metro-Cammell H33/26R, new as 285 in 1954

Another of the ‘Met-Cams’ is pictured here returning from the Ovenden area passing through the extensive Dean Clough Mills complex of carpet manufacturer John Crossley & Sons – by far Halifax’s largest employer of people within the town. It is ascending Corporation Street where it would within a few seconds pass the former Seedlings Mount Brewery of Richard Whittaker & Son – famous for its ‘Cock O’the North’ and ‘Shire’ Ales – before entering the town centre. The destination ‘6 West End’ is inappropriate here, it being likely that the bus is returning ‘private’ from somewhere and the crew have already set the destination for the next journey. Shortly after Le Fevre replaced MacKenzie as GM in 1956, this particular vehicle – then 285 – was briefly turned out in an experimental ‘upside down’ livery with the areas of orange and green reversed. This did not meet the Committee’s or the general public’s approval and it quickly reverted to normal.

290 (DCP 843) Daimler CVG6 / Metro-Cammell H33/26R, new as 284 in 1954

Another of the ‘Met Cams’, passes through King Cross on its way to Tuel Lane, which is just beyond the Halifax boundary in the steeply graded upper reaches of Sowerby Bridge. Immediately after passing the cameraman the road forks – the left fork down into the Calder Valley bottom at Sowerby Bridge, the right a more level road along the side of the valley towards Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. 290 would take the left fork, but just beyond the borough boundary half way down the valley side would take a severe right turn along Park Road and Beech Road thorough the steeply graded streets of densely packed terraced houses to the north of Sowerby Bridge, then climb the upper section of the incredibly steep Tuel Lane, terminating in a back street near the top. This would be a particular challenge for a 6LW-engined Daimler, which did not quite have sufficient power for such terrain.

117 (GJX 329) Daimler CVG6 / Roe H37/28R, new as 17 in 1956.

The last vehicles ordered by Roddy MacKenzie before he moved on was for a further five Daimler CVG6’s with Roe bodies for the Corporation fleet. Delivered shortly after Dick Le Fevre took over, and replacing the last of the prewar Regents, they featured the latest version of the Roe body, having a traditional teak-framed lower deck with an alloy-framed upper deck and weighing around six hundredweights less than their previous all-teak predecessors. The destination layout was revised to something similar to the ‘pre-MacKenzie’ deliveries, and they were in traditional livery. Delivered as 15-19 (GJX 327-331) they were soon renumbered 115-119. In 1971 they were transferred to the JOC to replace the short-lived and much later Dennis Lolines, and even taking their numbers as 300-304. 300 & 301 were withdrawn in 1972, but the others lasted a little longer to be renumbered yet again as 382-384 to make way for new Fleetlines. 382 & 383 departed in 1973, but 384 survived long enough to pass to to the West Yorkshire PTE in 1974, theoretically becoming their 3384, though it never carried that number. Soon afterwards it passed into preservation and was eventually recertified for PSV use, and is to be seen regularly at local rallies. Here it is seen parked on the steam-clean ramp behind Skircoat Garage, carrying what was then a recent innovation – advertising.

117 (GJX 329)

117 again on what must have been a hazy but warm summer’s day judging by the wide open windscreen, turning left out of Hall Street on the fringe of the town centre into Gibbet Street heading for Highroad Well on the cross-town route 12 from Mixenden – closely followed by a Lambretta motor scooter. In the background, north of the town centre, is the mass of Beacon Hill which provides a towering backdrop to the town, with the prominent but isolated Beacon House on the top.

All photographs by Roger Cox unless otherwise stated.

Text by John Stringer.

Part Two, click here