With Showbus 2016 just around the corner it is an opportune moment to share this photo of Bedford SB 58898 which carries Duple Vega C41F body number 1090/7. This lovely example of this classic combination was new to Burton Coaches, Haverhill in March 1958 but preserved in the livery of Premier-Albanian Premier Coaches, Watford (see below). Exhibit 608 at Showbus 2015 and entered by Ted Hewitt, the coach shows some seats reversed just behind mid-coach.
Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson
18/09/16 – 14:51
A minor correction, but the livery is that of Premier Coaches (Watford ) Ltd. Albanian coaches of St.Albans was taken over by Premier in the early 1960’s and the Premier Albanian name first appeared on later style Duple bodied Bedfords. The current seating capacity of LGV 994 is 31 and 2 tables (retained from a 1960’s Duple from the fleet). Originally a 41 seater (as were all such examples in the Premier fleet), only 31 could be repaired to a suitable standard using the original moquette. LGV will not be at Showbus next weekend, but is scheduled to make an appearance at Amberley museum instead.
Ted Hewitt
18/09/16 – 16:18
Many thanks for the additional information Ted. The coach is a credit to you.
Les Dickinson
10/10/16 – 07:14
EFE produced a model of the Premier Watford SB but bearing the registration 243 CUR along with OB LTA 904(that sounds like Western National?)
Patrick Armstrong
25/10/16 – 07:00
243 CUR was new to Premier in 1958 and carried the same body detail as LGV 994 (other ‘butterfly fronts’ in the fleet differed in window and light detail). When liaising with EFE, it was decided that the model should carry the authentic registration rather than LGV, as at that time the latter was in a very poor state at the back of the garage. Interestingly 243 CUR survives with a private owner having spent a large part of its life as a mobile home. LTA 904 was new to Southern National and joined the Premier vintage fleet from Rover of Chesham. It performed film, wedding and excursion duties alongside Leyland PS1/Burlingham bodied ENT 778.
Ted Hewitt
17/05/17 – 11:30
My name is Susan Richardson and my father is Barry Richardson. Our family business was Burton Coaches (Haverhill) Ltd, started by my Grandfather approximately 1949. My Dad has very fond memories of this particular bus – He took his test in it and drove it as a young man. Well, my Dad is 74 in June this year, still bus and coach crazy and still has a PSV licence ! I was thinking it would be a great treat for him to be able to visit this bus and see it up close again – I understand it is owned by Ted Hewitt? Is there any way I could make contact with Ted to ask about arranging this special treat for Dad? I have tried looking for him online, but cannot find anything..:-( Dad and I are still in Haverhill! My fingers are crossed that someone can help me in my quest!
Susan Richardson
18/05/17 – 07:48
There is a Ted Hewitt involved at Premier Coaches which is in Northwood Rickmansworth, about 80 miles from you. I haven’t found a Tel no or email address.
John Lomas
18/05/17 – 07:48
If you go on the Companies House website and search under company officers for Edward Robert Hewitt you will find his address in Chorleywood.
Nigel Turner
19/05/17 – 07:13
The owner is indeed Ted Hewitt & I have put Suzie in touch with him.
NKY 161 started life with Fairways of Bradford in 1957. It is a Bedford SBG with Yeates C41F body. By the time of this view, at Duxford on 24th September 1995, It was with Don’s Coaches Great Dunmow Essex. Great Dunmow is one of the once-delightful villages near Stansted Airport, where many of the residents didn’t want the facility extended. They were ignored, as indeed were the folk twenty or so miles up the road at Lakenheath and Mildenhall who did want to host the third London Airport. Ah, well. It’s called democracy!
Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies
22/12/16 – 09:27
Dons acquired this from Fairway when it was only two or three years old. Dons sold it for preservation (in the 1970s?) but later reacquired it. I only met Don Hale once but I would agree with the comment on the company website that he was a true gentleman. The business continues, now in the hands of Steve Harvey whose family had been associated with the business for many years.
Nigel Turner
22/12/16 – 10:02
It may be the camera angle, or perhaps its the body style, but compared to say a Duple or Plaxton from the same era, it looks very narrow, is it a 7’6″ chassis? A handsome beast none the less.
Ronnie Hoye
22/12/16 – 10:46
Thanks for your thoughts, Nigel and Ronnie. I’m not sure if it is a narrow chassis, but I am sure that someone among the readership will complete our education in this matter. Certainly, there have been comments in the past about the features of a Yeates body and I wonder if it’s just a bit taller than Duple or Plaxton to accommodate all that brightwork!
Pete Davies
25/12/16 – 06:24
The SB chassis were all the same size, the distance across the rear (double) wheels being 7ft 3 7/16″ It was the bodies that were different widths. In the case of NKY 161 it is an 8ft wide body. Its the height that makes it look narrow. Incidentally this is one of only 5 Yeates Europa’s known by me to survive on a Bedford SB chassis. The others are: 5200 AH part restored with Kenzie, Shepreth WWX 48 derelict with Kenzie for spares 618 KRA under restoration with Chambers, Derbyshire JEP 861 a caravan with Cook, Corton, Suffolk
107 GYC is a Bedford SB3 with Duple C41F body, new to Bowerman, Taunton, in 1960. In this view, it is in Lodmoor Car Park, Weymouth, showing “Berrys” in the indicator box and visiting the annual rally, although it doesn’t appear to be taking part in it. I have recollections of submitting this in the past, but it hasn’t been published (possibly as too dark) but I have a new editor now, and I’ve managed to lighten it! The date is 1 July 1979.
Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies
22/01/17 – 13:03
(pic by ‘Showtrac’ via Flickr).
Bedford SB3 Duple Super Vega, 107 GYC passed to Andrew Hall, Winkhill by 1997 & then to current owner Roger Chambers of Bristol for preservation in 9/05, pic taken just prior to the move to Roger Chambers.
Sister vehicle 108 GYC also new to Bowerman, was last known with Redwoods of Hemyock. My pic shows it withdrawn in a barn at the rear of Brian Redwood’s bungalow in April 2004. Is it still there? Both coaches had 7ft 6in wide bodies for the narrow Devon lanes.
John Wakefield
23/01/17 – 07:36
What a superb preservation of a grand unpretentious vehicle. My admiration of Bedford/Duple coaches knows no bounds – they “did what it says on the tin” and grand style and with no empty embellishments.
Chris Youhill
26/01/17 – 10:28
I have recently spoken to Redwoods & they still have 108 GYC in the shed as in my pic above. They have no plans to sell it at this time.
John Wakefield
28/04/18 – 07:47
That SB showing Doone Valley may have been ridden in by me, as it was a regular summer afternoon ride on Berrys from Taunton, including up Porlock Hill, along the narrow lanes to the Doone Valley Farm for tea, then Lynmouth (adults into the pub), and home immediately up Countisbury Hill. The old Bedfords just engaged bottom gear and wound up the A39 1 in 4 gradients. It was a bit difficult for the cars behind on the steep hills who couldn’t quite manage the slow walking pace on the uphill.
MJB 481 was new to Chiltonia, of Chilton Foliat, in 1956. Chilton Foliat is near Hungerford and is mentioned in the television series “Band of Brothers”. It has a Duple body to the C37F layout although BLoW has it listed as C41F, we see it in the markings of Lodge, High Easter, near Chelmsford. It is at Duxford on 28 September 2003. Yes, it’s Showbus and it’s been raining!
Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies
26/03/17 – 09:32
Lodges are getting quite a collection of vintage Bedfords. WTL BXM 568 Duple since 2/08 (under restoration) OB’s CFV 851 Duple Vista acquired 9/16 (under restoration) LTA 752 Duple Vista open side 12/10 TMY 191 Duple Vista 11/06 FFS 867 Burlingham Seagull 2/17 (awaiting restoration) SB’s MJB 481 Duple Vega by -/89 EDD 685C Duple Bella Vega 2/14 VAM’s DJL 126D Duple Bella Venture 2/14 (awaiting restoration) HDL 126D Duple Bella Venture 8/15 (spares doner for DJL 126D) also Chevrolet X ES 8440 charabanc replica 4/15
John Wakefield
13/06/17 – 07:30
Re John Wakefield post Lodges coaches. Bedford OB CFV851 is shown in a photo elsewhere taken by John showing Isle of Wight destinations. I believe this coach operated on the Island in the 1970s. Does anyone know who with and when
Andrew Mead
24/06/17 – 06:26
Andrew Mead asks if Lodges Bedford OB CFV 851 body has ever operated on the IoW not according to the history I have on it. Although I don’t have a town for Couchman. After that it appeared to have spent time in Surrey, Gloucestershire & London before going to Fisher of Southend in 1976. It then spent 38 years in preservation with Doug Payne of Thundersley, Essex before going to Lodge in June 2016. New to Wood t/a Seagull Coaches, Blackpool 3/48 ?/?? Couchman, -?- 5/70 Chivers Coaches, Elstead ?/?? McCann, Forest Green 1/73 Taylor. London 1/74 Baker, -?- (dealer) ?/?? W.E. Preservations, -?- -/76 Fisher, Southend -/78 Doug Payne, Thundersley – kept at Castle Point Transport Museum 9/16 Lodge, High Easter 9/16
John Wakefield
14/02/20 – 06:42
Just to add to CFV 851’s history. Looks like it worked for Crouchman Garage on Maidstone Road, Lenham, Kent 1966-70 and prior to 1966 was with an operator on Station Approach in West Byfleet, Surrey for a few years after leaving Blackpool (possibly since 1957?). From 1/72 it operated for Tony McCann t/a McCann Coaches at Forest Green Garage, Dorking Surrey. Don’t know if anyone can further enlarge the info on Richard Haughey’s flickr photo!
Peter Hadfield
15/02/20 – 06:23
The only things I can add to the history of CFV 851 is that Wood withdrew it in February 1952, after which it passed to Howarth, West Byfleet (no dates recorded) and the Lenham operator was Couchman, rather than Crouchman, and it was acquired by him in October 1966.
John Kaye
16/02/20 – 06:07
Douglas Payne, the long time owner of CFV 851, published a booklet dated October 1989 containing a brief history and a number of early photos of S&J Wood Ltd, the coach’s original operator. Douglas had restored the coach to Wood’s Seagull Coaches livery, though whether it remained like that I do not know. In it, he records that he purchased the coach in May 1978 (recorded as -/78 above).
David Williamson
20/02/20 – 15:52
CFV 851 remained with Doug and in Seagull livery until he sold it the Andrew Lodge in 9/16 when it was painted in Lodge’s livery. For most of its life with Doug it was housed in the Castle Point Transport Museum on Canvey Island. In latter years it did not venture far, but now back into revenue earning service as part of Lodges heritage fleet. Numerous pics of it on Flickr.
The earlier photo I posted, of a Portsmouth Leyland Cheetah, surrounded by Daimler CWA6/Duple double-deckers, were neatly bridged by the delivery of 10 Bedford OWBs (1 in 1942, 7 in 1943 and 2 in 1944). All had Duple bodies, save 162 and 163, bodied by Mulliner, more aligned with bodying sleek, expensive Rolls-Royces and Bentleys! I have to say that I never discovered any real reason for such little buses being allocated to CPPTD. Portsmouth’s bus services were already severely curtailed for the duration, with buses being kept away from the seafront and a greater reliance on trolleybuses than hitherto. They lent out double-deckers for periods. Upon delivery, at least some of them were painted grey, but whether this was through lack of maroon livery paint or the proximity of sensitive sites is debatable. Whatever they did during the war, they led uneventful lives afterwards on quiet routes, although I have seen photos of them going along Commercial Road, the main shopping centre, which suggests that they were called out to perform on busy routes from time to time. These small, but stout-hearted vehicles were all withdrawn in 1962-63, with 163 going in 1963. One (170 – CTP 200) survives in preservation. One quirk unique to these buses were the number plates, which always had a tilde between the letters and numbers!
Photograph and Copy contributed by Chris Hebbron
Super picture of that wonderful wartime bus, the OWB. Portsmouth must have been faced with extra wartime naval personnel transport duties to receive these, I would think, but they were regarded as “standard 32 seaters” in the wartime allocation system, being the only new single deckers available. I well remember riding on Ledgards, and White Bus (Bridlington) OWBs, and the ring of their high pitched petrol engines and gear change lingers in my ears to this day. Several other municipal fleets received OWBs, Bournemouth and Belfast coming to mind. Perhaps extra wartime duties were the common feature.
John Whitaker
What a lovely picture of the OWB! In the early post-war period, they were painted standard red/white, and with grey roofs. They were also given upholstered seats from withdrawn vehicles (probably the TSMs, Condors and TD1s, reducing to 27 seats. One of their uses in the fifties was on mileage balancing with Southdown, and I have read that they were especially useful on the Havant / Hayling routes because they could safely use the Hayling Bridge. Their use became much more intense in later life, as in September 1958 the Corporation introduced a PAYE route (22) between Lower Wymering and Upper Drayton. I well remember this as this was in my earliest days of bus enthusiasm, and the route was just one road away from my home! At peak periods they could be well-loaded, the supposed “eight” maximum often being exceeded. I remember squatting on a bodywork protrusion opposite the driver in the space in front of the front entrance, and the back of the bus was invisible due to the crowd on board! For this work, they were further down-seated to 26, to provide a luggage space for pushchairs. The picture could probably be dated quite accurately by anyone who still has records. It has a white roof instead of grey, (repaints to white roofs for the fleet were carried out 1959-1961), but still has a semaphore trafficator (on the pillar behind the driver’s window). Later (c. 1962/63?) the fleet were given flashing trafficators, those on the OWB’s being fitted below the window line. My class-mates and I who followed this interest used to keep detailed records of when we first saw a bus with a white roof instead of grey, flashing trafficators fitted, and re-seated vehicles (both single and double-deck vehicles). Unfortunately my own lists have long disappeared, probably consigned to a dustbin.
Michael Hampton
I was involved for quite a while in 1967/8 in work on the preservation in Leeds of CTP 200. One particular job that I remember doing was to reconstruct the destination blind box which had become badly corroded. Sadly, due to domestic circumstances at the time, I was no longer among the group who eventually put the splendid little vehicle back on the road. I need hardly remind those who know me that I am an ardent admirer of the Bedford OWB/OB – a model which is a modest and unpretentious but stout hearted little trooper if ever there was one.
Chris Youhill
30/04/11 – 15:30
Re OWB’s later life. Michael Hampton is quite right re their late use, but I remember their use for the start of the PAYE services between Wymering and Highbury Estate whilst the new Leyland single deck, twin entry/exit, buses were awaited for delivery and service. The doors were operated by a rod linkage between the driver and the doors!!
Perhaps this old snap may be of interest as we have had a previous posting of a sister vehicle whist in service with the above fine municipal operator. It was taken at Robin Hood on the A61 between Wakefield and Leeds in early 1968. At that time I was involved with a group who were initially preserving the vehicle and I did quite a bit of work on it many weekends, one difficult job in particular was to rebuild the rotting destination box assembly which can be clearly seen here. Sadly, due to domestic difficulties, I had to part company with the Group before the vehicle eventually took to the road in fine order and so I never actually rode on it and it was sold on shortly after that.
Photograph and Copy contributed by Chris Youhill
28/03/11 – 10:30
I recall you saying, Chris, that you’d put some hours in on this vehicle, and I also recalled I’d seen a photo of the finished article on the web somewhere. It’s here with the following caption: 1944 Bedford OWB 170 (CTP 200), pictured in wartime grey livery. Sold in 1963, the remains of the original body were replaced in the early 1990s with a replica body partly built by Ulsterbus, who were restoring a similar vehicle. Photographed in Upper Drayton, Portsmouth April 1996. (Photo and text Malcolm Audsley) At least your efforts were to some avail in the end! I was comparing my Mulliner-bodied example with your Duple example (and a few others). Superficially, both makes look the same, but the vents either side of the destination box are different, Mulliner having a cover over the apertures. Thanks for posting it. PS Is it you leaning nonchalantly on the front wing – what confidence that it would not collapse from rust corrosion!
Chris Hebbron
29/03/11 – 07:31
Yes Chris it is me leaning on the wing – my co- preservationist took the picture on my camera. You are right – it was indeed a risky pose to adopt, but I only weighed about “nine stone wet through” in those misguided heavy smoking days and so that no doubt saved me from an undignified descent into the mud !! We are amazed to hear of the subsequent rebuilding of the body and thanks very much for that additional information.
Chris Youhill
03/04/11 – 08:56
The bus itself, the mud, the dereliction in the background and the look of grim determination on Chris’s face all nicely sum up the early days of preservation, when finding covered accommodation was a nightmare and the transport “professionals” saw us as mad but harmless. Delighted that this project met with such success.
Ian Thompson
02/05/11 – 06:34
CTP 200 made the HCVS London to Brighton Run today Sunday 1st of May. It is only the 2nd time out on a real run since we got it back on the road after a 10 year period of rest. Apart from identifying a few little jobs to do she performed excellently.
Mike Elkin
02/05/11 – 12:53
Congratulations to Mike and friends on this achievement – my only surviving colleague from the original preservation group will be delighted to hear it. I’ve always been an ardent OWB/OB admirer, both in preservation and in full time public service, and the delightful lusty tones provided by these incredibly gutsy and totally honest little vehicles is music to the ear and comes into my mind very frequently.
Chris Youhill
02/05/11 – 12:56
Nice to hear from you Mike E and hear that she is in safe hands and putting in the occasional ‘public appearance’. Perhaps you could fill in some of the gaps between Chris Y having to give up and near final completions, especially with regard to the Ulster part – how did this happen?
Chris Hebbron
04/05/11 – 06:56
Aside from the engine sounds, I always loved the sounds from Bedford gearboxes of that era – pure music!
Chris Hebbron
27/01/13 – 09:50
As I do from time to time I just randomly pick a page – often it helps me to at least try and understand what people are talking about. The posting of Portsmouth Corporation 170 registration CTP 200 has a mention of it attending the London to Brighton run in 2011. Above is picture taken by me as the vehicle passes Brighton pier.
Ken Jones
27/01/13 – 12:25
At the moment, she’s having some attention done to the engine and some repainting in the engine bay at the same time. Paintwork has been touched up, with some thought being given to something more extensive.
Chris Hebbron
30/05/13 – 06:00
CTP 200 is to shortly have some remedial work done to the front grille, front wings and bumper. A new rear registration plate is to be made up, the offside half-drop window replaced and the opening windscreen reinstated. Then she will be going away to be painted in the Portsmouth red and white livery, with grey roof.
Clive Wilkin
30/05/13 – 11:34
She’s also had to have the engine professionally rebuilt recently, essentially because of a badly scored cylinder bore. The engine bay has, concurrently, had a thorough clean and repaint and the body some touchups. She should be really smart when repainted in maroon, white and grey roof, just as most folk would recall her in service.
Incidentally, nice seafront photo of her, Ken J.
Chris Hebbron
16/06/15 – 08:22
As indicated earlier this restored little bus is now back in it’s true colours of Portsmouth red and white, with a grey roof. It appeared at the Southdown 100 centenary event at Southsea Common on June 7th. It looked very smart, and drew many admiring looks from both enthusiasts and general public. It’s good to compare this with the original picture on this posting, when it’s restoration was at an early stage. Many man-hours (ladies too?) have passed since then to bring it to it’s smart looks today. Well done to everyone.
Michael Hampton
16/08/15 – 08:47
Copyright Kevin Warrington
Copyright Kevin Warrington
To complete an all-round view, here are an offside and rear view of CTP 200 (170), taken on its first outing after a recent renovation. The photos were taken by Kevin Warrington, an active participant in CPPTD, who preserve Portsmouth Corporation vehicles. He allowed these photos to be posted here.”
Chris Hebbron
Vehicle reminder shot for this posting
26/10/15 – 06:53
Copyright Unknown
Voila! Another pre-restoration photo of CTP200 when first in the hands of CTTPD (City of Portsmouth Preserve Transport Depot): (renovation of the adjacent PD1 is well underway).
Chris Hebbron
27/10/15 – 06:41
Thank you Chris. I do remember seeing these two together somewhere near Waltham Chase in the early 1980’s, when taking my sons to band practice. There was never any opportunity to find out more. Now 170 is complete, and it’s good to know that the PD1 is also progressing.
Michael Hampton
28/10/15 – 06:58
What a tonic to see these two veterans side by side, and grand to know that the Bedford is already “better than new.” I’m sure that the gorgeous PD1 will be equally appealing in its own class when completed, and this picture of them standing side by side “in recovery” is delightful.
Photograph by “unknown” – if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.
West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1948 Bedford OB Beadle B30F
West Yorkshire needed a few small buses for certain routes to replace there pre-war Leyland and Dennis small buses. Bristol who were the main supplier of buses to West Yorkshire as they were controlled by the B.T.C. were not producing any small lightweight buses at the time so they ordered four Bedford OBs has the photo above.
FWX 547 Initially numbered 614 – renumbered SP1 in April 1954
FWX 548 615 – SP2
FWX 549 K616 – KSP3
FWX 550 K617 – KSP4
The first two were based at Harrogate and were for the Cornwall Road route which is the destination of the bus in the photo, other local services were also undertaken in Harrogate by the two Bedfords. The other two Bedfords were based at Keighley (the “K” prefix was for Keighley-West Yorkshire) and were used on the Riddlesden service which had a weak wood canal swing bridge. West Yorkshire also had a Bedford OB coach with a Duple C26F body built in 1947 registration FWW 596 fleet number CP1 it was based in York and was used for summer city tours. I think it was the only one based at York but if you know different please leave a comment.
A full list of West Yorkshire codes can be seen here.
Copy contributed by Chris Youhill
You may be right in thinking CP1 was the only one of the little Bedford OBs based at York Chris. It was one of two OB coaches supplied to West Yorkshire in 1947 (646/7: FWW596/7). A further two arrived the following year (648/9: FWW598/9), all had Duple C26F coachwork and the batch was renumbered CP1-4 in 1954. CP1 was given an overhaul in 1957 at Central Works, and alterations to the coachwork included fitting of cantrail windows and perspex roof panels for its new role as the York city tour coach. It was withdrawn in 1968, being replaced by none other than CF1 (8848 WY), one of the two Ford Thames/Duple coaches taken over with the Samuel Ledgard business.
Bedford OBs are just like a big car don’t you think, and the crash gearbox wine was just a great sound.
Anonymous
With respect Anonymous I can’t agree there – the OBs were incredible commercial passenger chassis with “hearts of oak.” The amount of heavy service work that they could reliably perform with their modest 28 hp petrol engines was just phenomenal. I’ve had the pleasure, thrill even, of steadily ascending some very long forbidding hills with full loads – for example Norwood Edge from Farnley in West Yorkshire. The wartime service OWBs put in even more incredible performances than their peacetime luxury coach kin. I agree though that the melodious howl of the gearboxes in the first three ratios, followed by the “silent calm after the storm” in top was just wonderful.
Here we have another photograph from the P Heywood collection it first appeared on the “Do you Know” page but thanks to Spencer we have the following information.
“This bus was delivered new to Western National in 1950 and was number 1420 in there fleet. When delivered it would of been in their Cream with Green trim livery but in 1955 it was transferred to the Royal Blue fleet when it would of been repainted in their Cream with Navy Blue trim. Western National and Southern National operated bus services in the area of the former Southern and Great Western Railway companies, Royal Blue operated the express services for both Western and Southern National.”
The first Bedford OB appeared in the summer of 1939 but production only lasted two months before war broke out and production ceased, in that time Bedford had built seventy three chassis fifty two of which for the UK market. Production of the OB started again after the war the running gear was a six cylinder 3.519 litre petrol engine rated as 28hp with a normal four speed synchromesh gearbox giving 12 miles per gallon on average. In 1945 the cost for a complete twenty seven seat coach was £1314 10s and for a twenty nine seater £1325 10s. Production of the OB finally ceased in 1950 and in that time 12,766 had been built.
Tremains operated from Zelah in Cornwall and a had small depot just off the main A30 to the south of the village. The livery was a dark red with cream and this bus (or one very much like it) was a regular on the school bus trips to Goonhavern, where I was a pupil in the early seventies. I’d be interested in a proper print or high res scan of this image.
Bob Blackman
Its difficult to find enough complimentary terms for the OB and the OWB without sounding “over the top” but surely the model must be one of the most big hearted and commendable vehicles in PSV history. I have travelled extensively on both versions and have had the great joy of driving several coaches. I think that the “war medal” must go to the OWB which performed heroic feats of service reliability and economy, often of necessity very heavily overloaded on essential routes. In the West Yorkshire area the notable independent Samuel Ledgard had five OWBs at the small Yeadon Depot and these little heroes maintained two constantly intensely busy services throughout the later days of the Conflict and for many years afterwards. To the enthusiast the mechanical symphony of the little Bedfords was pure joy. After the glorious pure and powerful whining in the first three ratios a kind of almost unreal quiet purr would take care of full speed running in top gear. The occasional but harmless “misfire” would add a little variety to the concert. The suspension was also extremely successful and, combined with the quiet top speed, meant very comfortable journeys for coach passengers. I did confess to a tendency to being perhaps “over the top” and I must in closing mention one particular little hero of my happy acquaintance – during my RAF service at the Patrington radar station on Spurn Point I often travelled to shifts at the underground site in the only OWB allocated there – how I’d love another trip today in wonderful little 00AC52, normally driven by Sam, the only civilian driver at the Station, but occasionally mercilessly flogged but stoically without a whimper by some of the hopeful Formula One RAF drivers.
Chris Youhill
Absolutely Chris. They were like little mice scurrying all over the countryside. Holidays were enhanced by day tours, half-day tours, mystery tours and evening tours. And what was the transport? Nine times out of ten an OB/Duple. One featured in the film “Titfield Thunderbolt” if I remember rightly. I recall them in Penzance, Ilfracombe, Mablethorpe, Dunoon, Keswick and the Isle of Man. Do you remember John Major’s nostalgic dream of warm beer and elderly spinsters riding to evensong on bicycles? Add in a Bedford OB and the picture of Britain in the early 50s is complete – and all is well with the world!
Stephen Ford
I travelled regularly on the stage service of a small operator in Derbyshire who had a couple of OB’s and it occurred to me that these would have been the only petrol engined PSV’s that I ever travelled on. I believe that a small number were fitted with Perkins diesel engines but am I correct in assuming that most of them retained their petrol engines throughout their lives? Did Bedford offer a diesel version from new?
Chris Barker
05/07/11 – 06:40
Tremains acquired LTA 759 from Western National in April 1963. The coach is in Truro, on the traditional independent terminus at The Green (nowadays part of the bus station) and would be operating one of Tremain’s bus services; I can’t quite make out the destination but it looks like it might be on the Crantock and Cubert service.
Michael Wadman
05/07/11 – 08:50
Chris B – yes I’m quite sure that you’re right in that most OWBs/OBs were always petrol engined, and I’m pretty sure too that there was no diesel version offered by Bedford. Michael – although I’ve personally never heard of Crantock or Cubert a magnifying glass confirms that your guess is correct and those are the places on the destination blind.
Chris Youhill
06/07/11 – 07:18
Chris Y Crantock and Cubert are both near Newquay, the former now being better known as a surfing paradise! Crantock Bay is where you will need those “baggies”, a mean surfboard and a 1955 VW Camper or “Splitty”! I remember it from it’s much quieter days in 1960 when it was just a beautiful beach!
Richard Leaman
07/07/11 – 06:43
Many thanks Richard for that information on the Cornish delights – these days, in my advancing years, its about all I can manage to surf the Net. Also I’ve never actually been to Cornwall, only Devon, and really ought to do so.
Chris Youhill
09/07/11 – 07:02
Although Bedford did not have a Bedford diesel engined version of the OB, some did have a Perkins Diesel engine fitted from new.
Victoria Coaches (Isle of Man) 1949 Bedford OB Duple C29F
My thanks to Les Ronan for the information regarding this very smart looking Bedford OB with its classic Duple body. Apparently this was the only vehicle owned by Victoria Coaches at the time this shot was taken. Victoria Coaches was owned by W E Kelly 39 Arbory Street Castletown Isle of Man who was probably the owner driver. It is hard to date this particular vehicle by its registration as LMN started May 1949 and ended March 1968. I have found out that IOM road services had a vehicle LMN 147 dated 1949 and another LMN 546 dated 1949 so was the Bedford above LMN 216 new 1949. If you know please leave a comment.
The coach was new in 1949 and it is it’s original registration. I drove it. The IOM buses were also acquired in 1949.
Dave Brown
02/10/13 – 15:30
This information is incorrect my Father the late Arthur Corkish owned Victoria Coaches on the Isle of Man operating from the War Memorial in Douglas where this photograph is taken. This is one of his coaches. He built the business up to 4 plus a taxi, minibus and a haulage Lorry. He operated in the 50’s until the early to mid 80’s when he sold his business to Harry Midgehall of Fairy Cottage Laxey. Mr Midgehall sold out to Tours (Isle of Man) Limited not long after.
Pamela (nee) Corkish
02/10/13 – 18:12
The coach was new as LMN 261 in July 1949 to E Bryan, Douglas, Trading as Tynwald Motors. It was fleet number 2. to T.W. Bryan, Douglas 6/53; to M. R. Fargher, Peel 2/60; to H.B. Clague, Douglas 5/63; to M.J. Corkish, Douglas 4/66; to Downward, Douglas 12/67; w/d 11/68; to contractor’s site office, Onchan 11/68; scrapped ?/?? W.E Kelly did not own this coach but had a similar Bedford OB registered LMN 771. More information can be found here: www.skylineaviation.co.uk/
These two great shots of two OBs were contributed by Michael who’s father is lucky enough to drive them for weddings. They are owned by Protours Douglas IOM who I know very little of but they do private hire so these nice little Bedfords could be kept quite busy. From another shot I have seen they did not have fleet numbers but were named instead 1949 was ‘Lady Meave’ and 1950 ‘Lady Roseen’. 1950 MN was originally owned by Bailey of Turvey, Bedfordshire and had the registration HTM 20 I wonder if 1949 was from the same operator. Michael also told me that 1950 MN appeared in ‘The Rotters Club’ film hence the route number and destination.
Photograph contributed by Michael Odell
Just as a matter of interest, the previous vehicle, 1949 MN, is now East Yorkshire 100, and is now registered SS 7376.
Keith Easton
07/03/11 – 20:54
No It Isn’t. It Is Still On The Isle Of Man because my dad was driving it just yesterday
Mikey
08/03/11 – 15:05
According to PSV Circle records, the OB with East Yorkshire carried the registration 1949 MN from 6/86 until 8/88, which is when it was acquired by EYMS from the Isle of Man. It would appear that the registration 1949 MN has subsequently been reissued to another OB on the Isle of Man.
Bob Gell
09/03/11 – 18:25
Thanks for that one, Bob. The registration 1949 MN would, of course, stayed in the Isle of Man upon registration by East Yorkshire. It would be reasonable to assume that Protours would have re-used the mark, especially if the OB had come from the mainland.
Keith Easton
12/11/12 – 08:02
The current 1949 MN is I believe the one which was registered HTM 20 and came to the Isle of Man from Norman Boyes of Bradford who purchased it from Waby’s of Holme on Spalding Moor. It was delivered new to Bailey’s of Turvey. When I last saw it it was beginning to show signs of its original red and black colour scheme under its present coat of paint.
David Hudson
17/09/13 – 16:42
My dad drove for Norman Boyes in the 60s, I remember these coaches, he had two complete ones but no idea what and if they were the same model, also another stripped and being restored, I remember the roofs being pulled back and also at least one had indicators that were arrow shaped on the back, great days going with dad during the school hols when there was a spare seat or two.
Anon
25/12/15 – 10:37
Both OB’s 1949 MN (HTM 20) & 1950 MN (RHK 843) both left the IoM 9/15 & are currently in the ownership of Craig Porteous t/a Yorkshire Bus & Coach, Hull. The registration number HTM 20 was sold off prior to it going to IoM & is currently on a Nissan car, the replacement number being BVH 319M. So looks as though this will have to have a new age related number. RHK 843 is still ‘live’ at DVLA so should be available to be re-instated. RHK was new to Went, Boxted, Suffolk.
John Wakefield
15/05/16 – 06:55
Out of interest, I learned to drive and took my bus test (and passed first time) on a very similar Bedford OB in 1969 with Highlander Coaches from Douglas. Can’t recall the registration!
David Cowell
15/05/16 – 11:16
I’m confused! I have slides (my own and bought ones) of vehicles marked as being in the fleet of TOURS (ISLE OF MAN). Two of those views (taken in 1998) are of 1950 MN, Lady Roseen. Another bought one is of a Bedford VAL in the fleet of CORKILL’S TOURS (ISLE OF MAN) and the views here are attributed to PROTOURS. Do we have mulitple operators with very similar names? All seem to be based in Douglas. I’d imagine that Michael would have a fairly good idea of which firm pays his father. Any suggestions, plese?
Pete Davies
16/05/16 – 06:41
I’ve just noticed that John Wakefield (25/12/15) fell in to a trap laid for those not familiar with the villages along the Essex / Suffolk border. RHK 843 was not new to “Went, Boxted, Suffolk” but to Went, Boxted, ESSEX”, the two villages being some twenty miles apart. RHK 843 has a particular meaning for me as it was the first PSV I ever drove – well technically it wasn’t a PSV as it was preserved in Eastern National livery at the time. The next village to Boxted Suffolk is Stanstead which had its own bus related confusion circa 1970 when OK Motor Services of Bishops Auckland applied to run a service there. When they learnt of this, the local operator H.S.Theobald and Son wrote to OK saying that they would object strongly to the application but suggested that OK might instead like to run to Stansted, ESSEX where there was an airport!
Nigel Turner
19/05/16 – 06:10
Nigel Many thanks for correcting me on the Boxted’s. Ironically it was only last Sunday when passing through Boxted SUFFOLK on board Felix of Long Melford OB(DBU889)that I made reference to Wents being there, only to be told they were at Boxted ESSEX. There must have been numerous times of confusion back in the day when Wents were trading. In fact the two Boxted’s are only 16 miles apart as the crow fly’s, to the North & South of Sudbury.
John Wakefield
19/05/16 – 06:12
This is ridiculous, Nigel. When I looked at Google maps to see where exactly these places are, the first name I spotted near Boxted Suffolk was Audley End, (all together now) not to be confused with Audley End in Essex!
Peter Williamson
19/05/16 – 14:43
And of course there is also Hadleigh, Essex and Hadleigh, Suffolk. In the old days before postcodes we had to tell everyone to use Hadleigh, Ipswich in our address but my grandmother never did and her letters always seemed to get to us via Southend.
Gary T
19/05/16 – 14:44
It’s been mentioned before on these pages about how many different St Ives places there are. Cornwall, Dorset and Huntingdonshire spring to mind and there may be others. My outlaws live in Tiverton, Devon, but there’s another in Cheshire . . .
Pete Davies
19/05/16 – 17:59
To answer Pete Davies question, Tours & Protours were basically the same company. Originally Tours, they became Protours when a South African firm of the same name headed by Fred Kinnear took them over. But in 2012 Kinnear pulled out & the firm passed back to its original owners Roy Lightfoot & John Guilford & reverted to Tours IoM Ltd. Corkhill’s were another IoM company who traded from Onchan. They ceased trading in the 1980’s I think. Corkill had an OB MMN 57 which later became YTF 162J on the mainland & is now in Holland last registered BE-02-31 operating with the Hotel Kasteel De Vanenburg, Putten.
John Wakefield
20/05/16 – 10:52
Ah, the confusion of the Hadleighs! When I worked in Hadleigh, Suffolk in the 1970s it was not uncommon for lorries to arrive at the industrial estate asking for the location of a company only to be told that they were 50 miles away from their destination in Hadleigh, Essex. However the worst confusion was related to me by a Hadleigh (Suffolk) haulier. He once sent a driver to pick up a load from Otley. Four hours later he got a call from a phone box in Otley, West Yorkshire with the driver saying he couldn’t find the address. Sadly, he should have gone to Otley, Suffolk which was thirty minutes from Hadleigh! His boss was not amused.
Nigel Turner
21/05/16 – 07:00
A friend of mine lives in rural Kent, and is ever being accosted by confused car drivers asking where they can find the airport. He has to tell them that their route lies back over the Thames to Stansted Airport, as no airlines operate from Stansted, Kent. Some years ago, a driver set off from Peterborough on a private hire to Leeds Castle. No prizes for guessing where he actually went. One clue – it wasn’t Kent.
Roger Cox
21/05/16 – 07:02
There is a story about a truck driver asking the people in the post office at Portsmouth nr Todmorden. “How do I get to the harbour from here?”
John Lomas
01/10/16 – 09:43
Corkills were a major constituent of Tours IoM which was an amalgamation of most of the Douglas operators in 1972. Tours was the trading name of the operation but most coaches carried corkills names until the mid 80s, the green livery was inherited from Corkills too. in the Mid 80s the business was reformed as Tours IoM ltd and changed to a blue based livery! Then it was sold to South African Protours, it has about 45 years ago been sold back to its management and trades as Tours IoM again.
Here is Bedford VAL70 EMN 111 ex TGX 878F which was a Corkills coach and passed to the Tours operation, Corkills fleet were characterised by having 111 reg nos a practice continued by Tours. EMN is seen descending the Sloc into Port Erin on a round the island tour. photo credit to the late Greg Corrin.
Vega Major showing tours fleetname on side panel with Corkills displayed in name glass
Russell Price
26/10/16 – 17:06
Both IoMan buses seen 25/10/16 in yard at Newport North Humberside awaiting sale?
Jim Fairbrass
27/10/16 – 08:13
Both OB’s 1949 MN (BVH 319A) & 1950 MN (RHK 843) are now both owned by Craig Porteous of Hull. As far as I am aware they are not for sale or at least they were not a month ago. Both are now back on UK mainland reg numbers, BVH 319A was HTM 20 originally but that number was sold off (now on a car) when the coach went to IoM.
John Wakefield
27/01/18 – 07:03
I saw both 1949 MN (BVH 319A) however as the plate was in the front N/S window the A was obscured 1950 MN (RHK 843) Both buses were seen and photographed in a yard 23/09/2017 if any one would like the pictures please contact Has anybody got Chassis numbers. Body numbers
Dick Grenfell
28/01/18 – 12:10
1949 MN (BVH 319A) Chassis No 123524 Body No 55656
1950 MN (RHK 843) Chassis No 142371 Body No 47572
John Wakefield
13/02/19 – 06:14
Think you have been misinformed about the va ls they went to ireland the 2 vegamajors AKA the twins in 1979 and the viceroy in 1981.
