Tag: Roe

Sheffield Corporation – AEC Regent V – 6336 WJ – 1336

Sheffield Corporation - AEC Regent V - 6336 WJ - 1336

Sheffield Corporation
1960
AEC Regent V 2D3RA
Roe H39/30RD

This is July 1974 and South Yorkshire PTE has been in operation for just over three months. The bus looks a little uncared for, no fleetname, no destination and generally a bit shabby. It is at Bents Green terminus of the 81/82 Cross City services. At 14 years old, the bus still exudes an air of quality, these were really smart buses in their heyday when they were used on various B fleet services to Bradway, Low Edges, Castleton etc.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild

08/12/14 – 15:58

This bus would have been an unusual sight on this route in 1974- which may account for the lack of a destination- some lazy crews would not bother trying very hard to find destinations on a strange bus. At certain times of day a bus would have been available in the City Centre to cover for breakdowns etc. – this may have been it.
SYPTE was very slow at repainting the fleet until extra paintshop capacity at Rutland Way was acquired c1980- some vehicles were running around in Sheffield livery until c1979 and looked pretty deplorable at the end.

Phil Drake

09/12/14 – 11:53

I remember these buses from our days in Sheffield Ian. From memory, as you say, they were mainly used on the longer routes outside the city boundary. I seem to remember that they had or were later fitted with saloon heaters and together with the platform doors this made them almost luxurious in the cold weather!

Stan Zapiec

10/12/14 – 06:27

Ian did of course post a photo of 1331 when brand new at Roe’s factory at Leeds. This shows how superb these splendid vehicles looked in their heyday. You can view it at this link.

John Darwent

13/12/14 – 06:34

I would rather have the blue & cream Sheffield livery, even in a poor sorry state, than the horrendous brown & cream.

Andy Fisher

16/12/14 – 06:35

Andy, I agree with you but I don’t know if you’ve seen the Sheffield Volvo B7TL painted in SYPTE brown and cream – it actually looks quite stunning!

Ian Wild

16/12/14 – 10:01

The worst livery was when SYPTE hastily overpainted the blue bands with whitewash to eradicate the Sheffield connection.

Dave Farrier

22/12/14 – 07:40

I am not saying all later brown & cream busses looked bad, just the SCT busses repainted did nothing to enhance the appearance of a wonderful bus. Notice the wheel rim on this one. It seems to be the smaller grooved type fitted to the input of 1959 tram replacement fleet from Roe (not shown outside the factory), not the full chrome ones fitted on the Alexanders & most other forward control busses in the fleet. It also seems to have a blue back wheel. With all the Atlantians in service, they obviously did not care about these older, beautiful busses.

Andy Fisher

25/12/14 – 07:00

23rd, saw a Wrights 08 plate painted in the brown & cream. Pass the bucket!

Andy Fisher

Leeds City Transport – AEC Regent V – XUM 888 – 888

Leeds City Transport - AEC Regent V - XUM 888 - 888

Leeds City Transport
1957
AEC Regent V MD2RA
Roe H33/27R

Leeds was one of several operators initially not persuaded by the AEC “new look” front end (a preference with which I entirely concur), and its first Regent V deliveries retained the classic radiator design and hence the outward general appearance of the Regent III. These buses were of the MD2RA air braked specification of which Leeds became the largest customer, being powered by the AV470 7.7 litre engine driving into the four speed Monocontrol transmission. They were delivered in two batches, all with handsome, traditional Roe H33/27R bodywork. WUA 760 to 839 (with corresponding fleet numbers) came into service from January to November 1956, and XUM 840 to 894 arrived between March and October 1957. In the photo above, XUM 888 is seen in April 1970, four years before Barbara Castle created the heavy and inefficient hand of the West Yorkshire PTE that was to fall upon the municipalities of Bradford, Calderdale, Huddersfield and Leeds. I understand that these buses did not long survive in PTE ownership. Geoffrey Hilditch paints a revealing picture of the dire financial performance of the PTE in his “Steel Wheels and Rubber Tyres, Volume 3”. Later still, of course, another dogma driven politician of the opposite persuasion, a certain N. Ridley was to wreak even greater devastation upon the entire bus operating industry outside London, a saga that has previously been discussed at length on this forum.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Roger Cox

21/05/18 – 06:39

These buses were all withdrawn before PTE days.
The last of the WUA batch had gone by April 1973.
The XUM batch had perished earlier, all bar one (accident damaged) in 1971.

Dave Towers

23/05/18 – 06:44

These small AECs flattered to deceive they had an attractive body but were of light weight construction and when idling in later years the rattles were almost syncopated. In addition because Leeds were frugal with fuel a fully laden example could really struggle on the most gentle of inclines For some reason they always seemed to really lean into corners perhaps due to their lightweight construction I well remember one occasion when one really heeled over at the bottom of New York Street in the city centre so far over did it go that the platform was causing sparks to fly from the road surface and was leaving gouges in the roadway!

Chris Hough

24/05/18 – 07:34

Chris, I recall that our highly respected and informed contributor, Chris Youhill, once commented on this forum about the distressing propensity of Leeds City Transport to cut down the engine fuel pump settings on this fleet of Regent Vs. These buses, with their modest AV 470 power units, must have been truly pathetic performers after the fuel pumps had been reset to “economy” levels. Yes, for years, a great many Bristol double deckers got along (albeit steadily) with the 94 bhp 5LW, but, in my experience, AEC motors were never remotely in the same low speed torque league as the Gardner.

Roger Cox

24/05/18 – 07:36

A feature of Leeds buses of yesteryear which always mystified me on visits to the city as a young lad was the unpainted bonnet cover on PDs & Regents of LCT. Nobody has ever given me a proper explanation as to the reason for this, somebody said it was so the fitters did not scuff the paintwork if the bonnet had been painted when working on the engine, but I do not know how true this is.

Andrew Spriggs

28/05/18 – 06:42

This was always given as the reason It survived three managers so was certainly a proper policy rather than a managerial whim and was in use in prewar days. Even the last batches of enclosed radiator AEC Regents with enclosed radiators had the feature The nineteen fifties and afterwards Daimler’s and the PD3As had green bonnets oddly the Crossleys also had painted bonnets.

Chris Hough

Smith’s Luxury Coaches – AEC Regent III – ACP 630


Copyright Ray Soper

Smiths Luxury Coaches (Reading) Ltd
1947
AEC Regent III 
Roe H31/25R

This shot is from the Ray Soper gallery contribution titled “Smith’s Luxury Coaches of Reading” click on the title if you would like to view his Gallery and comments.
The shot is shown here for indexing purposes but please feel free to make any comment regarding this vehicle either here or on the gallery.

York Pullman – AEC Regent III – LDN 96 – 67

York Pullman - AEC Regent III - LDN 96 - 67

York Pullman Bus Company Ltd
1955
AEC Regent III 6812A 
Roe H33/27RD

Whilst researching this bus I noticed that York Pullman got there first double deck buses the year prior to this bus in 1954 they were 3 Regent IIIs. I have photos of two of them which I will upload one day. I also noticed that they only had 10 double deckers in there whole history until being swallowed up by Yorkshire Rider in 1990 the York Pullman name was sold to Kingston upon Hull City Transport I think for coach operations.

A full list of Regent III codes can be seen here.

My Auntie Ada (Wilson) used to be a clippie on York Pullman – I remember when they had the half hour stop over in Easingwold, she and the driver would turn up at our house for a cuppa and a bun. Can’t remember any of the drivers, this would be in the late 50s, early 60s maybe. Ada was married to my Uncle Ted. They lived off Lawrence Street between James St and Granville Terrace.

Sue Thorn

I have just been reading the above comments and yes I remember Ada and Ted and also George Tyler. I believe George had the nickname Eggie because he used to be a driver delivering eggs. My Dad, Gerry Rank worked for York Pullman from 1939 until his retirement in 1990. He was a mechanic/driver. I have ridden many miles on their buses and coaches. My Mum was also a clippie, Molly, until I was born in 1956

Liz Greene nee Rank

21/10/11 – 06:41

I remember these Regents from when I was stationed at Linton-on -Ouse during my National Service in 1956. They were always clean and tidy

Jim Hepburn

16/07/12 – 06:30

pullmans ex garage

I think this must be the very last photo of Pullman’s garage in Navigation Road. It was an empty cavern the day before and flattened the day after. I had the quick thinking to take the camera along or I would have missed it.
They’re back out on service work again and concentrating of coaching which has noticeably increased.

Steve Oxbrow

16/07/12 – 16:21

The staff of the ‘New’ York Pullman Co did rescue the name letters from over the door. Now at the depot in Rufforth. Where the office (reopened) in Bootham tower. Now used for the same job by Transdev.

Steve Oxbrow

16/07/12 – 18:17

Oh how sad! I’m glad to have seen it but I almost wish I hadn’t if you know what I mean. I’ve so many lovely memories of this depot and the York Pullman company. Progress, I think It’s called!

Alan Hall

16/07/12 – 18:17

When was the photo taken, Steve?

Chris Hebbron

17/07/12 – 07:06

If it is any comfort, I looked on Google Earth and found that when the current image was taken, the walls from the temporary fence onwards were still in existence. The main building nearest the camera however has gone totally and is now a block of flats but then, they are quite attractive so at least the land went to good use. I fear that by now, all of the rest has gone the same way unless “saved” by the recession.

Richard Leaman

17/07/12 – 07:07

Am I correct in talking about the Regent that belonged to the late Tony Peart that it has a replacement top deck as I heard that it was badly damaged in a low bridge accident and had to return to Crossgates for rebuilding.

Philip Carlton

17/07/12 – 17:45

Philip There is a picture in the Geoff Lumb book about Roe showing the Regent prior to repair awaiting its turn at Crossgates.

Chris Hough

31/01/13 – 05:56

It was JDN 668 (Fleet No 64) that Tony Peart bought and took to many shows until he died and I believe now it is at a museum at Lincoln

Liz Greene nee Rank

01/02/13 – 06:03

Just to say that York Pullman 64 is indeed at the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum and it is expected to be on show and give rides this Easter Sunday . A lovely bus !

Steve Milner

05/04/13 – 05:34

I was a driver for York Pullman from 1972 till 1985.
I remember very well driving the AEC double decker, fleet no 64, 65, 71, 72 plus two half cabs.
I also remember Gerry Rank and George Tyler plus Ada Connell and her husband Noel, there was so many employees at that time and back in 1972 getting drivers to stay was most difficult because of the low wages.
I found it was sad when the old directors decided to sell out and recall at the time it only took the new owners a couple of years to wreck a very good and long established bus company.

Brian Gallier

West Riding – AEC Regent III – DHL 922 – 711


Copyright Unknown

West Riding Automobile
1951
AEC Regent III
Roe L50R

Another bus from the large West Yorkshire independent this time an AEC Regent III. West Riding did not favour any particular make of vehicle they had various models from each of AEC, Leyland, Daimler and Guy. How much nicer this bus would have looked with a shiny radiator instead of a painted one.

I don’t know who the photographer was but the location is Pontefract Bus Station. The bus is on the 192 service to Selby, which ran every two hours and which I caught home from school. The route was taken over from Bullock’s (B&S Motor Service) in 1950.

Del

Although the date of acquisition is 1951, the painted radiator may be a hangover from the Bullock and Sons takeover in 1950, as all their vehicles had painted radiators. West Riding also generally kept the buses acquired from B&S on the former B&S routes.
An interesting feature about this vehicle was the passenger seat design. The double seats, at least in the lower saloon, had a kind of staggered design to allow easy access to the window seat.

TC

The bus is most likely to have been allocated to the former B & S depot at Chimes Road, Selby which was demolished in the late 1990s and replaced with the present new one near the railway station. I did a fair amount of work out of both premises until retiring (from Pontefract depot) in May 2001 – I did many a trip on the modern version of this route and, although the Selby fleet was interesting and well maintained, never with a vehicle as delightful as the one shown.

Chris Youhill

09/06/11 – 08:43

This bus is not ex B&S the fleet number is too high it is one of batch of 10 and was allocated to Featherstone depot, at the time of this photo. as to the radiator if you look at photos of ex B&S AEC Regents they have chrome radiators AHL 927 fleet number 295 is a good example of this (can be seen in David W Allen’s book West Riding 2 page 71

Stan

28/10/11 – 16:20

Further to my last comment this bus was new to West Riding, in 1952, a full two years after they bought B&S so impossible to be ex B&S

Stan

28/10/11 – 16:26

I quite agree Stan, BBF 9 as the ex B&S Regents as BHL 641-3 and BHL 926 – 319-22 built in 1948

Peter

09/12/12 – 07:56

An excellent book called West Riding 1 in the Super Prestige range by David W Allen has nearly all West Riding bus and coach photographs in including several A.E.C centre entrance double deckers in both red and green livery. I worked at Belle Isle depot as an apprentice from 1956 and often travelled into the City centre on one of these fine machines. The pre select gearbox made them quick off the mark and ideal for city work because of the twin staircase and wide entrance.

Barrie Micklethwaite

09/12/12 – 11:43

Barrie – your last observation is so very true even though it applies to a totally different era, but quick loading was as important then as it OUGHT to be now. The Industry has completely lost the plot nowadays, admittedly partly “pushed” by such things as buggy accessibility etc. Towards the end of my career as a driver, and still as a passenger, I despair at the impossibility of present designs with a single doorway and the buggy/wheelchair bay right opposite the bottom of the staircase. Add to this the “double standard” operator publicity to “remain seated until the vehicle stops” by managements who know full well that if all passengers did so, in both saloons, the peak period buses would still be out after Midnight.
I must make clear that I am all in favour of good and sympathetic service for the passengers (and these modern “customers” whoever they are !!) but there are only sixty minutes in the hour. I have a wide experience of trying to keep time with single doorway buses and, due to resolutely refusing ever to drive badly, I was frequently late on busy journeys and man enough to shoulder all the resultant sneering and abuse from all quarters. Knowing full well that I could put up a good verbal defence on this issue the Management were never brave enough to tackle me about it and, had they done so, they would have been shot down in factual and statistical flames !!
Just in conclusion, notice how multiple doorways in London and on the Continent keep the bus moving, and all the much hyped nonsense about serious passenger accidents are wildly exaggerated – that’s not to deny that extra diligence from drivers is essential on such vehicles.

Chris Youhill

05/10/14 – 11:07

With reference to the AEC double decker, I used conduct on the Selby route when I started there in 1962 ,it started at Halfpenny Lane Pontefract on the odd hour went via Pontefract bus station to Selby, but the other buses Leyland PD1 and 2s and old Guys and Guy Arabs used to operate on the 192 Selby run.

Les Cranswick

06/10/14 – 16:45

Sidil Morsat

TC – Noting your comment on the ‘staggered’ double seat design, I wonder whether this was in fact another example of the Sidil Morsat experimental seat of the period.

John Darwent

Felix Motors – AEC Regent III – LWY 942 – 33


Photographer unknown – if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Felix Motors Ltd (Hatfield) 
1953
AEC Regent III
Roe H31/25R

Felix motors was started in 1921 the company was named after “Felix the Cat” a cartoon character of the time, for some time the cartoon image was used as an emblem on the side of the vehicles. I have seen a photograph on the web somewhere of one of there vehicles showing the Felix logo if I find it again I will update with a link to it.

A full list of Regent III codes can be seen here.

The other Felix company in Derbyshire also used Felix as a logo but were recently threatened with legal action by the film company which owns the rights so it has now been dropped. Both Felix companies used similar liveries but the Derby one has as far as I know always used saloons

Chris Hough

Absolutely right Chris – you will find a Willebrew ticket from Felix (N Frost) of Stanley Derbyshire, on the tickets side of the website.

Stephen Ford

06/12/11 – 06:47

I wrote a book about the ‘other’ Felix a few years ago and it would appear that both of company histories shared a similar beginning. ‘My’ Felix started in 1921 and was named after a popular song of the day – Felix kept on walking. The first vehicle R 7831 which carried a cartoon cat emblem over the front window was sold to the above Felix in 1926 (it was suggested that this was why the Hatfield based company was named Felix but I never found any proof of this).
Sadly it has just been reported that Felix (Stanley, Derbyshire) is to cease on 29th January 2012 after being taken over by TrentBarton – the local large bus company. Hope this is of interest.

Paul D Chambers

30/10/12 – 05:57

Felix in Stanley Derbyshire are now showing ‘Black Cat’ on the side, but are run by Trent/Barton.

John Swan

07/10/13 – 17:38

I recall seeing Felix buses in Doncaster but had no idea of the origin of the name. I suppose I assumed it was the proprietor’s name or else the Latin for “happy”!
Early on Felix ran some Leyland Tigers but no others from the Leyland “zoo”, being mainly an AEC operator.

Geoff Kerr

08/10/13 – 07:39

Geoff – somewhere, in an article long ago, there appears a magnificent lady driver in WW2 just climbing elegantly into the cab of a prewar Felix Regent in Doncaster. She is dressed in a long white smock and sports a very chic 1930s hat and, if I remember rightly, a long skirt in lieu of the usual slacks.

Chris Youhill

08/10/13 – 12:51

She was clearly ‘doing her bit, don’t ya know! A change from driving the Rolls, what with the fuel rationing!”

Chris Hebbron

08/10/13 – 17:55

Nay Lad, not in them parts….
Actually, if you read Peter Gould’s potted history, its all there. www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/felix.htm  
Notice, too, how buses from them parts seem to have two fog lamps…

Joe

Leeds City Transport – AEC Regent III – LUA 441 – 441


Photographer unknown – if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Leeds City Transport
1948
AEC Regent III
Roe H31/25R

This bus was one of quite a few Leeds City buses sold to or on loan to Halifax Corporation in 1964, they were never painted in the Halifax livery obviously not destined to stay long, in fact they were withdrawn one year later. I am not quite sure why they were at Halifax maybe they were short of buses as 20 Leyland Titan PD2s were delivered in 1965 if there is another reason let me know. I have headed this bus as Leeds and not Halifax as it actually kept its Leeds crest, I think only the fleet number and the destination blind changed.

In 1964 Halifax acquired a small number of recently withdrawn AEC/Roe Regent IIIs from Leeds City Transport. This was to cover a delay in new chassis deliveries due to difficulties at the body builders Weymann who had a protracted strike at that time.

Chris Hough

08/09/11 – 14:15

Hi Chris,
Did they call your dad Tommy, if so he had me as a trainee conductor in 1960, was his drivers name Burdett? I spent six years at Bramley as a conductor than driver. I became a ticket Inspector in 1968 and a depot inspector in 1969, spending my last 10 years as a depot inspector at Torre Road.
Happy days.

Ian Powell

10/09/11 – 08:18

Hi Ian
My dad was called Tommy and he did spend many years working with a driver called Burdett whose first name was Arthur. Later he worked with Johnnie Calvert who was a character and drove the first one man double decker in 1969 His final driver was Dick Clough who was one of the last tram drivers. My dad retired in 1984 but sadly passed away in 1985 I still have his LCT cap badges and PSV conductors badge. Sadly as an outsider I feel that much of the fun enjoyed by bus people in my dad’s day no longer occurs.

Chris Hough

04/11/11 – 07:12

Does anyone know where I can see or buy photos of Leeds City Transport Department buses in the BLUE livery which lasted certainly until about 1950, and possibly until the disappearance of the trams in the late 1950s? I particularly want a picture of a No 41 Colton bus. I live in Colton 1949-1951, and can still ‘smell’ the interior of these buses. I’ve sought these pictures in vain on all the websites I can find.

Harry Cockerham

05/11/11 – 07:00

try the sales stalls at Dewsbury bus museum on 13.11.11

Ken Wragg

05/11/11 – 07:01

The last buses delivered to LCT in the blue livery were twenty five Roe bodied AEC Regents numbered 601-625 NUB601 etc
Coloured pictures of Leeds buses in blue are not often seen There is a 1949 AEC Regent under restoration at Keighley bus museum which will carry blue livery Also there is a Roe PS1 in postwar blue and two pre-war AEC Regents in pre-war blue There are pictures of all these vehicles on www.sct61.org.uk

Chris Hough

05/11/11 – 07:02

Chris Hough – after Arthur Burdett became an OMO driver he was also one of the first on the 49 route from Old Farnley to Hyde Park – and if I remember rightly he was also a TGWU official.

Chris Youhill

10/11/11 – 17:05

Chris Hough – A thousand thanks for your response. I just can’t say how grateful I am, having found two photos of No. 41 Leeds buses in Colton on the website you gave details of. Will try to contact the copyright holders. Thank you again.

Harry Cockerham

12/11/11 – 06:08

Glad to be of help Harry. The shot of the Leeds CVG6 in the snow at Colton was taken by me please feel free to use it for personnal use.

Chris Hough

12/11/11 – 14:50

Ditto, Harry you can also use mine of VUG 547 in Colton for personal use.

Paul Haywood

16/03/12 – 15:46

Leeds 441 is on a June 1965 tour, a few days before it was withdrawn from Leeds service. This tour took the bus and its enthusiast passengers to Bradford, then Halifax where it joined former Leeds 440 and a couple of others, in Halifax service as a stop-gap due to late delivery of new Halifax buses.
Photo I think is behind the railway arches at Stanningley Bottoms, parked just of Richardshaw Lane. I have similar photos in colour and black and white a spot of blind-twiddling was indulged in and quite a few tour participants had a go at photographing the bus here.
441 never became a Halifax bus; it was sold for scrap. Pity really. It and its sisters weren’t in bad shape considering their age-several years of life left in them for sure.

A. D. Young

17/03/12 – 06:16

An interesting photo and if I may try to be helpful, certainly not critical, I can’t recognise the surroundings as being anywhere familiar near those railway arches. Top right of the view shows some multi storey flats nearby and I can’t think which they could be.

Chris Youhill

17/03/12 – 07:07

The picture of 441 was taken on the spare parking ground at the top of the old Crossfield Bus Station in Halifax.

Philip Carlton

Sheffield Corporation – AEC Regent III – RWA 168 – 2168

Sheffield Corporation AEC Regent III and Leyland Titan PD2

Sheffield Corporation
1953
AEC Regent III
Roe H33/25R

Here we have two Sheffield Corporation work horses photographed on a very wet grey day. The Leyland is a Titan PD2/30 built 5 years later than the Regent it had a Weymann H31/28R body registration 4494 WB fleet number 494. It also had a concealed radiator which was nicknamed a “Tin Front” this style of radiator first appeared on Titans when in 1952/3 100 special Titan PD2/12s were built for Midland Red and had a similar style radiator to the B.M.M.O. D7. From 1954 and with a slight modifications the Midland Red look unfortunately became the style of concealed radiator for Titans until 1960 when the “scalloped” bonnet as it was called with horizontal slats came along, thank goodness. I’m afraid a sheet of tin with some slots cut in it does absolutely nothing for me, they even left space for the Midland Red badge to go in at the top which Sheffield made use of for displaying the fleet number. I personally don’t think you can beat the AEC Routemaster for the best looking concealed radiator design, if you disagree or have another suggestion please leave a comment.

A full list of Titan and Regent III codes can be seen here.

Hanson – AEC/Hanson Regent – NVH 399 – 350

Hanson - AEC/Hanson Regent - NVH 399 - 350

Hanson
1958
AEC/Hanson Regent
Roe H37/28R

Here we have yet another Hanson rebuild, they certainly got there moneys worth from their vehicles. My thanks to the HPTG websites Hanson section for the information regarding this bus. This vehicle was originally a 1948 AEC Regal 9621E321 with a Duple C32F half canopy body with the registration DVH 311 and a fleet number 243. In 1953 it was rebuilt by Plaxtons with a full fronted C33F body and was renumbered 322 in the fleet. The final rebuild to a double decker came about in 1958 with a Roe H37/28R body and renumbered again this time to 350, this bus transferred to Huddersfield Corporation on the 1st of October 1969 when they bought out Hansons bus operations. I am not sure if it actually went into service with Huddersfield and if it did for how long, if you know please leave a comment.

27/04/11 – 07:32

Just a note to point out that the registration of 350 was actually NVH 399 not 394. It is incorrectly listed as 394 on the HPTG site, so I’ll let you off this time! It ran for Huddersfield for a few weeks after the takeover

Eric

NVH 399_reg_plate

Thanks for that Eric it certainly looks like a nine to me I have corrected above.

Peter

29/04/11 – 06:45

350 was lucky to survive to Huddersfield Corporation days. In 1963 during a heavy snowfall it crashed through a wall in rural Helme into a field whilst working the Meltham-Huddersfield service. It ended up on it’s side straddling the wall. Considerable damage must have been caused and probably even more in the recovery proccess. However it was repaired and returned to service. There is a picture of it on it’s side on P43 of P. Cardno and S. Harling’s book Hanson of Huddersfield & Their Neighbours.

Eric

18/06/15 – 16:41

As a Huddersfield resident, these pictures bring back memories of an interesting local operator, who had a great capacity – in the manner often used in Yorkshire – of ‘cobbling together’ older chassis and rebodying them to get extra years of service from them. I rarely travelled on Hansons double deckers, but used to travel daily to school in the late 1960’s on their Regal rebuilds, to old ‘Tanks’. To be a passenger on one of them travelling up Lockwood Scar is an experience that was totally unforgettable. Just a shame that I have lost my photos of these wonderful vehicles in service.
It is also good to see a picture of the old Huddersfield bus station, which disappeared in the early 1970’s to make way for the town’s ring road, and has been replaced by a soulless monstrosity that exists till this day. Must admit that the old one had very little protection from the weather

Tim Jackson

Hebble – AEC Regent III – BJX 57 – 246


Photograph taken by Robert Mack in 1956 copyright held by Don Akrigg

Hebble Motor Services
1950
AEC Regent III 9612E
Roe L27/26R

This a shot of a Roe lowbridge bodied Regent III owned by Hebble there as been a shot of one of their Willowbrook lowbridge bodied Regents on site before – search for “Hebble” in the “Find” section of this site. This bus is on route 17 which was Bradford to Halifax via Queensbury. Bradford Corporation did not have any lowbridge vehicles nor did Halifax and both ran services to Queensbury so why did Hebble only have lowbridge vehicles at the time this shot was taken. Hebble acquired their first highbridge vehicles in 1957 and were three rear entrance Regent Vs, there must of been another route that needed the lowbridge vehicles. Hebble did have a Bradford to Bingley route via Wilsden which may have encountered a low bridge of the old railway line. If you know why Hebble had an all lowbridge fleet until 1957 please leave a comment. This vehicle was originally numbered 46 but was renumbered in 1957 and was withdrawn from service in 1962 only twelve years.

A full list of Regent III codes can be seen here.

Hebble had no highbridge buses until the depot was modified, after this highbridge buses for some years (Regent V’s) had cream fronts to distinguish them from lowbridge buses. The depot roof being raised but not the full area and thus there were dangerous places for high buses to go.
Oddly Todmorden had the same problem and both ended up as part of Halifax.

Christopher

I had a very soft spot for these fine vehicles in their lovely traditional maroon and brown original livery.  They shared the Samuel Ledgard terminus in King Street Leeds by the GPO wooden parcels office, and appear in the background on many Ledgard pictures.
They set off here for Burnley or Rochdale on services 15 and 28, and left at twenty past and ten to the hour. A particularly congested time was from 5.15pm to 5.30pm Mondays to Fridays when there were six departures in ten minutes:- two of the fine Hebble vehicles and, four good old Ledgard’s, 5.27pm to Rawdon, 5.28pm to Guiseley White Cross, 5.29pm to Ilkley and 5.30pm to Ilkley. All were heavily loaded and the bus industry was still healthy, although about to “catch a cold” in those happy days.

Chris Youhill

15/08/11 – 13:25

I rode on these often on the 17 Bradford-Halifax via Queensbury route.
This route was interworked with the Halifax-Bradford via Shelf Route 7 in that the bus started on Route 17 Halifax-Queensbury-Bradford then Route 7 Bradford-Shelf-Halifax then 7 to Bradford via Shelf and finally 17 back to Halifax via Queensbury.
It used to take two and a half hours full trip (I’ve done it). This arrangement survived the demise of Hebble when the routes become joint Bradford CT and Halifax routes 76/77 and then PTE routes 576 577. I remember round trips on Metro Halifax’s Ailsa and the Metropolitan demo. Hope this may be of interest.

Kev

15/08/11 – 21:49

Before using the 9.6 litre Regents on the 19 service, Bradford to Bingley, Hebble used their 1946 Regal II single decks, with Weymann bodies, new in 1946. 19 was on “home territory” and I do not recollect any lowbridge necessity on the route.
What intrigues me is why Hebble reverted to 7.7 Regents with the CJX Willowbrook batch.
I well remember some City of Oxford lowbridge utility Guys running, on loan, on the 19 route, but I cannot remember the year! Mind you, cannot remember much of note these days!

John Whitaker

26/08/11 – 07:11

Hebble’s fifteen Roe-bodied Regent III’s 26-37, and 44-46 were 0961 or 9612E models with 9.6 litre engines and preselector gearboxes.
The four Willowbrook-bodied Regent III’s 67-70, were not 7.7 models, but type 9613A with 9.6 litre engines and D124 crash gearboxes. This previously long running and successful gearbox design proved troublesome when matched to the 9.6 unit and after a short time these four had them replaced with synchromesh boxes as used on the Regent V. Some late Regent III’s had this box fitted from new, being model 9613S, but these Hebble ones remained officially 9613A.
They were wonderful buses apart from the poor visibility through the front upper deck windows. Their interiors had polished woodwork which gave a much more quality feel than the painted wood of the Roe-bodied ones. They sounded great too.

John Stringer

27/08/11 – 14:18

The 9613A was fitted to quite a few post 1950 Regent IIIs and was not up to the challenge. Most were retro-fitted with syncromesh boxes – as was the case with Sheffield’s 1952 Roe bodied batch of 9. They were meant to be delivered with syncro boxes but apparently AECs own syncro box had not been developed sufficiently so they were delivered, in the interim, with D124 boxes. [So the story goes.]

David Oldfield

01/07/12 – 09:48

This has been a very nostalgic visit. I was trying to find out what buses would take people from Bradford to Shipley Glen in 1959, and thought maybe it was the Hebble. Can anyone confirm that?
My mother used to say, ‘Time, tide and Hebble wait for no man and once you’re on ’em, they can shek yer liver pin out.’ !

Lynda Finn

04/07/12 – 05:10

Lynda It wouldn’t have been Hebble to Shipley Glen, the nearest they would be would be Cottingley Bar on the Duckworth Lane to Bingley route – a good 2 miles away.
Until the withdrawal of the trolleybuses the nearest you could get on the South side of the river would be Saltaire (either by Trolleybus or West Yorkshire Keighley bound buses – necessitating a walk down Victoria Road and across the river. When motorbuses were introduced Bradford City Transport (blue buses) introduced a service down Victoria Road to Salts Mill (23) which showed ‘Shipley Glen’ on the front but you still had to walk across the river – and then in all cases you had to either use the Shipley Glen Tramway if it was running or walk up the path to the Glen.
On the North side of the river West Yorkshire buses to Baildon via Baildon Green (61) got you a tad nearer and they eventually introduced a service 60 in the early 60’s along the Coach Road virtually to the bottom of the tramway. I think this also showed (more accurately) ‘Shipley Glen’. By the way – and John Whitaker will confirm – your Mum was absolutely right with her saying !

Gordon Green