Until I was about 5 we lived in Nottingham. At that time (the early 1950s) Nottingham City Transport was dominated by pre-selector AEC Regents (including quite a lot of pre-war ones). These were fine in their way – but the transmission music of a pre-selector was quite different from the Mark II crash gearbox.
We only made occasional out of town journeys, and these were usually by the Midland General routes that left the city via Nuthall Road. The available routes were B1 (Ripley), B3/C5 Alfreton and B4 South Normanton. The B1 was usually operated with Mark III pre-selectors (until displaced by the Bristol KSW6Gs), but all of the other routes were crash gearbox Mark IIs. While waiting I always watched anxiously willing “our” bus not to be a B1 which would deprive me of the lovely crash gearbox sound.
In the mid 60s, I often went by train to Pye Bridge on a Saturday morning, to experience the few remaining Regent IIs with which the Nottingham-Alfreton route was enhanced to 10 minute frequency. I recall one suffering a total breakdown near Jacksdale, and feeling depressed at the likelihood of being transferred to the next bus – probably a Lodekka. I needn’t have worried.
In double-quick time Underwood depot wheeled out yet another Mark II. Midland General’s blue and cream livery was handsome – the blue by which I still measure all the rest. All their vehicles seemed to smell of disinfectant – and notices on the platform asked workmen wearing overalls to travel upstairs (where the seats were trimmed in leathercloth instead of moquette)!
Stephen Ford
11/2009
To see a photograph of a Midland General Regent all be it a III click here