Tag: Manchester Corporation

  • Manchester Buses – A Retrospective – Part Two

    Not seen the start of this article Click Here One of the problems of driving a large vehicle in a city is having to constantly change gear. Add frequent stops for passengers, having to steer eight tons without powered steering when sitting next to a hot and noisy diesel engine, not to mention having to…

  • Manchester Buses – A Retrospective – Part Three

    Not seen the start of this article Click Here The evolution of the British double deck bus began with the stagecoach lines of the 18th century. The “engine” (horses) was at the front, the driver sat at the front of the vehicle with a clear view of the road, passengers sat inside and on top…

  • Manchester Buses – A Retrospective – Part Four

    Not seen the start of this article Click Here Ralph Bennett didn’t have far to travel for his interview. As General Manager at Bolton he had been at the forefront of turning the ugly duckling Atlantean if not into a swan, at least into something that looked pleasing – and a great deal more advanced…

  • Manchester Buses – A Retrospective – Tailpiece

    All the articles published over the last few months were originally written between 2006 and 2009 for a Manchester Forum dealing basically with local history. They have been updated and corrected with new or better information that has come to light in the meantime. Re-writing these articles has been both a trip down memory lane…

  • Manchester Buses – A Retrospective – Part One

    In 1958 MCTD was working closely with MCW, its “preferred” body supplier, to overcome its objections to and problems with MCW’s Orion body. Albert Neal, General Manager, whilst always looking to keep costs down, could not do with the Orion in its original and early forms and the “improved” bodies he had taken into stock…

  • Buses and coaches in Sale – Part 1

    Not read from the beginning click here Part One – Manchester Corporation Sale is divided into two equal halves by the A56 trunk road which runs along a north north east to south south west axis through the centre of the town. Three main east-west routes cross the A56. The southernmost of these (Harboro Road…

  • Manchester Corporation – Leyland Titan – TNA 494 – 3494

    Manchester Corporation1958Leyland Titan PD2/40Burlingham H37/28R – Leyland H32/28R Mention has been made elsewhere on this site of Manchester 3494 getting beheaded at the Bridgewater Canal and gaining the body from 3363, the chassis of which had been damaged in an accident.The above photo is a photo of 3494 with its original Burlingham body shown at…

  • Manchester Corporation – Leyland Titan PD2 – JND 619 – 3218

    Manchester Corporation1951Leyland Titan PD2/3Metro-Cammell H32/26R Seen in Piccadilly in August 1969 in the final months of Manchester Corporation ownership is No 3218, JND 619, one of a batch of Leyland PD2/3 buses purchased in 1951. Despite appearances, the bodywork is not by Crossley, being instead of the then standard Manchester design built by Metro-Cammell. Having…

  • Manchester Corporation – Panther Cub – BND 872C – 72

    Manchester Corporation1965Leyland Panther Cub PSRC1/1Park Royal B43D Delivered in April 1965 and photographed in June 1970 following the formation of Selnec is Manchester Corporation Panther Cub No 72, BND 872C. The Panther Cub was a shortened version of the Panther, the length being reduced from 36ft. to 33ft. 6ins. on an 18ft. 6ins wheelbase. With…

  • Manchester Corporation – Leyland Panther – GND 87E – 87

    Manchester City Transport1967Leyland Panther PSUR1/1MCW B40D It may seem barely credible now, but in the early 1960s Manchester Corporation was planning a future without double-deckers. They had realised (possibly before anyone else) that the days of the bus conductor were numbered, but at that time only a single-decker could be operated legally without one. As…