Sheffield United Tours – AEC Reliance – YWA 269-273 – 269-273

SUT - AEC Reliance - YWA 269-273 - 269-273
SUT - AEC Reliance - YWA 269-273 - 269-273

Sheffield United Tours
1957
AEC Reliance MU3RV
Burlingham C37C

In connection with the article about “Burlingham’s flock of Seagulls” by Neville Mercer. I would like to contribute the above shots of my all-time favourite coach. They looked great and were a real joy to ride. SUT’s Seagulls took me on holiday to Skegness. I attach two views, nearside & offside of the 1957 batch. Not sure of the location of 269 but YWA 273 is seen loading in Pond Street, Sheffield. Additionally many had names of European places on SUTs trips, for example, 269 was Como and 273 was Interlaken. Both had worthwhile careers after SUT. The Seagull and SUT livery were made for each other. Photos purchased from RHG Simpson.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson


10/06/12 – 11:48

I know Burlingham were eventually swallowed up by Duple, but did Duple have any influence on this update from the original Seagull? From this angle the rear end seems to be very similar to the Duple design of the early sixties which had a Butterfly or Crown shaped grill ‘I’ve heard it referred to as both’ Some may disagree, but I always thought the Seagull was better suited to an under floor engined chassis rather the the likes of a Bedford, but either way it was a timeless classic

Ronnie Hoye


10/06/12 – 18:00

Anyone who has been around this site for any time will know that I am an AEC, Burlingham and, as a Sheffielder, SUT fan. The rear end design, which changed in 1957, has always puzzled me, too. It is INDENTICAL to the rear end of the Duple Butterfly Vega. This was three or four years before the Duple takeover and I don’t think there was an official link before 1960 or 1961. [Where’s Neville Mercer when you need him?]
SUT coaches differed within batches as to capacity (from 30 to 41) and in the case of the Burlinghams as to seat style. Some, the “Oyster” seats were standard high backed coach seats, but others (on touring coaches) had retractable heads for better vision.
Later 36′ Plaxtons had only 44 widely spaced seats for touring and no headrests for similar reasons.

David Oldfield


11/06/12 – 08:43

I reckon these particular coaches were a comparative rarity. From the Seagull Mk. IV onwards most examples were front entranced with a subtly slightly more squared up front end to suit. It seems that on the few occasions when a centre-entrance was still specified the original more rounded profile of the classic Mk. I to III was retained. This is presumably a Mk. V because of the curved rear corner window arrangement.
As recent discussion has pointed out, Plaxton also retained a more rounded front end on their centre-entrance models of the period, and even more so Duple on their later Brittanias.

John Stringer


11/06/12 – 14:21

TWJ 249_lr

In response to David Oldfield’s interesting observation on the similarity of the Seagull to the Duple Vega body of the era I submit a picture of TWJ 249 which was one of a batch (243-252) of C41C Duple Elizabethan bodied Reliances delivered to SUT in 1955. They were MU3RV The first of the Seagulls followed in 1956. Whilst the Elizabethan is not un-attractive, for me it does not please the eye so much as either the Seagull or the Duple Vega.

VWE 260_lr

The earlier batch of Seagulls for Sheffield United Tours is represented here by VWE 260 delivered in 1956. The batch was 255-266 and they were AEC Reliance MU3RV (780-791). The Seagull bodies were C41C (255/6), C39C (257/8), C37C (259-264) and C30C (265/6).

3283 WB_lr_02

The third, and final batch of AEC Reliance Burlingham Seagulls delivered to Sheffield United Tours is represented in this picture which, as before, was purchased from RHG Simpson and illustrates 3283 WB. These were again MU3RV (1529-34) and C41C.
All of these went to Neath & Cardiff, and became “Brown Bombers” in 1966.

Les Dickinson


11/06/12 – 17:49

Fantastic collection, Les. Thank you for that.
The Duple Elizabethan picture has a number of interesting points to it. Firstly, the Elizabethan morphed into the Roe Dalesman. [As a “Roe” man I would like to know how this happened. Did Roe buy the rights to it or did Duple buy the rights from ACV – or what?]
In the background there is one of only two vehicles “bought” second-hand – as opposed to coming with the acquisition of a fleet. Two AEC Regal IV/Plaxton Venture II came from Altrincham Coachways in 1954 when less than twelve months old. Altrincham Coachways was a subsidiary of North Western Road Car – one third of the consortium that owned SUT (along with Yorkshire Traction and East Midland). “Bought” may, therefore be stretching it a bit. One was involved in an accident but the integrity of the body held up and impressed SUT engineers so much that it was responsible for them going to Plaxtons for the Panorama when Burlingham, their preferred builder, was unwilling to do so.

David Oldfield


12/06/12 – 06:52

SUT worked very closely with Plaxton on the design of the Panorama and I believe they had the first production model David. Also, the first 36′ coach on UK roads was SUT 326, 136AWJ, which was a Reliance 4U3RA I think. This was Plaxton Panorama C44F where the forerunners had been variously C36/40/41F.
Many of the original ones had names which were prefixed Panorama. For example the first two,285 and 286, were Panorama Pilot and Panorama Pioneer respectively.
SUT didn’t have any Roe Dalesman however Sheffield Corporation had one, 9000WB fleet number 900/90 which had a central doorway but was mostly used as a “committee” plaything I think.

Les Dickinson


12/06/12 – 06:53

Here I am! As far as I know there is no record of Burlingham purchasing parts or design rights for the “rear end” arrangement on the Seagull Mk V from Duple. Almost all external panels were made from sheet metal in Burlingham’s own workshops. Since the Seagull V was introduced two years after the first model of Duple Super Vega with a similar back-end one must suspect that a Burlingham designer was a fan of Hendon’s design.
This kind of plagiarism (or is it “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”?) was quite common back in the 1950s with both Trans-United of Rochdale and Heaver of Durrington being well-known for their Burlingham clone designs. Heaver finally took it a step too far with their New Look design of 1952. This was around 90% Seagull and attracted letters from Burlingham’s solicitors. The model was rapidly discontinued.
Hate to correct you, David, but North Western didn’t buy Altrincham Coachways until 1958. At the time it sold the coaches to SUT it was still owned by the Frank Ford organisation. Ford was in the habit of selling off relatively new coaches if the price was right, and then replacing them with older vehicles from elsewhere in his empire – Altrincham Coachways received hand-me-downs from Triumph of Hastings and Gardiner of Spennymoor to replace the majority of its own fleet in 1956-57. Then, after stripping the firm’s assets, he sold it to NWRCC.

Neville Mercer


12/06/12 – 06:53

That Duple Elizabethan has a front dash panel and grill the like of which I have never seen anywhere, never mind on a Duple Elizabethan, and it is not an improvement! In its natural form I think the Elizabethan was neater and more elegant than the Dalesman, with more continuity of level between the front bit and the main window line. I’ve never heard mention of any connection before – it just looks like mild plagiarism to me.
According to BBF17, Altrincham Coachways did not become a North Western subsidiary until 1958, so a purchase in 1954 would have been exactly that.

Peter Williamson


12/06/12 – 08:59

3283 WB_lr

I thought you maybe interested in a colour shot of 3283 WB.

John Stringer


12/06/12 – 09:53

Neville/Peter: I stand corrected. Interesting though. Is this the same Frank Ford who went to Plaxtons, fell out with them and went to Duple to produce the Dominant – a “not quite” Elite copy? Rumour is he then ran Duple into the ground and was the architect of their demise. [A re-run of his Altricham Coachways asset stripping?]
The whole point, Les, was that SUT approached Burlingham who initially refused on practical grounds. They then went to Plaxtons, after their experience with the two Regals, who came up with the Panorama and sealed a long and happy relationship. Only NBC’s insistence on going to Duple in 1973 broke this relationship. Burlingham relented, too late, with the Seagull VII – but also proved their own point in that it was structurally suspect with every alternate pillar missing to provide panoramic windows. [Plaxtons used the same idea for the Panorama. Was it the straight window line that worked for Plaxtons and the curved line which did for Burlingham?]
The naming of SUT coaches started with Ben Goodfellow calling the Windover Regal IVs the “Gay” class, after his daughter Gaynor. [Another North Western connection. NWRCC had taken over the Goodfellow business and Ben moved over to be General Manager of SUT.] I believe the Elizabethans became the Elizabethen class (how original) and the Burlinghams were the Continental class.
It is also interesting to note the number of Burlinghams and early Panoramas used by SUT as experimental vehicles – trying out various types of air conditioning, air suspension and even turbo-chargers, long before these became accepted, standard fitments

Nice shot, John.

David Oldfield


12/06/12 – 11:39

Yes David, it’s the same Frank Ford, and I completely agree with your comments about his later career. For some reason he always reminded me of Freddie Laker, but I’d probably better not use the word “spiv”!

Neville Mercer


13/06/12 – 09:47

Aw, go on. There’s a picture somewhere of him giving a prize to Flight’s for their Bristol RELH6L/Plaxton at the coach rally. He just looks as you said.

David Oldfield


13/06/12 – 09:48

Some very interesting information there from Neville Mercer. The Huddersfield Passenger Transport Group site contains a section on Bus Adverts which has a picture of the Heaver design, to which I think Neville refers. It is registered PYA 578 and bears the name ‘Crown Tours’. I had wondered if it was a vehicle which ever existed or if it was simply a ‘doctored’ Burlingham photograph, such is the resemblance.
I wonder if anyone has a picture of it which could be posted on here because, as Neville says, it is 90% Burlingham Seagull!

Chris Barker


14/06/12 – 07:46

Here’s PYA 578 //www.flickr.com/

Peter Williamson


14/06/12 – 14:22

But a cheap imitation nonetheless – none of the subtlety of the original.

David Oldfield


14/06/12 – 18:19

Well, David, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, imitations are seldom as good as the original, and having seen the picture I don’t think this is any exception.

Ronnie Hoye


17/06/12 – 09:09

1294 RE_lr

Here is last month’s front view of Harper Bros., Staffs, No. 90, a rare combination of 1959 Guy LUF with Gardner 6HLW engine and Burlingham Seagull body

Chris Hebbron


17/06/12 – 16:14


Copyright Albert S. Bite

And now a rear view shot thanks to Albert S. Bite

Chris Hebbron


27/06/12 – 06:56

Regarding the two Regal IV’s purchased by SUT from Altrincham Coachways in February 1954 (RMB 158 & JBU 164). Both entered service with SUT still in the blue & cream of their previous owner but after around six months, the blue was repainted red leaving the rest cream. It was due to RMB 158 having a smash near the Cat & Fiddle on the way to Macclesfield that the company decided to approach Plaxtons with a view to building what was to become the Panorama. Burlingham was initially contacted by the company in 1957 but they turned down the idea. The Panorama was designed by the GM of SUT, Ben Goodfellow and his Chief Engineer, Ron Burgin. The Panorama name was submitted by an employee electrician at SUT by the name of John Otter who won £5 for his idea. Incidentally, SUT paid the sum of £3.980 each for RMB & JBU.

Trev Weckert


27/06/12 – 10:03

Good to welcome Mr Weckert to the forum. I have a copy of his excellent SUT book in the Venture/Prestige series.

David Oldfield


28/06/12 – 07:49

Many thanks for your kind words David. It has been mentioned that some although not all of SUT’s Seagull’s had air conditioning. To clarify this, the first delivered in 1956 (VWE255-258) had no such fitment whilst VWE 259-266 had Key Leather units fitted in a ‘pod’ on the roof which was powered by paraffin. The 1957 batch (YWA 267-278)and the 1958 ones (3279 WB-3284 WB had Webasto units mounted beneath the floor. Incidentally, 266 became the official transport of the Joe Loss Orchestra and bore the legend “In The Mood” whilst SUT had this contract. This was the second coach to undertake this duty, the first being a Windover Kingsway bodied Regal IV (RWE 228). Hope this is of some interest.

Trev Weckert


17/07/12 – 18:00

VWE 266_lr

Trev Weckert mentions the “Joe Loss – In The Mood” vehicles. Herewith a picture of VWE 266 in that very mood. Note the clef symbol below the side-light
This one was MU3RV 791, Burlingham 6086, normally C41C, but C30C whilst on this contract.
This vehicle went to Murrellmills, Trafford Park in, or by 1967

Les Dickinson


26/10/12 – 07:00

I seem to have missed some of the later comments on this thread. I like the reference to the Joe Loss coach, and its clef symbol. One of my former colleagues was something of a musician in his spare time, being involved with a Bavarian-style band. His initials were PJG, which he always wrote as the clef.

Pete Davies


03/01/14 – 08:01

Interesting to read about SUT. I regularly travelled with them as a youngster. However they used to have a coach based on the Isle Of Man. Such was the size of their operation. I remember seeing it on Douglas promenade in the early sixties. I can’t remember what model it was but I believe it was an AEC. It also had an IOM registration.

Andrew T


03/01/14 – 09:52

Andrew, the IOM law at the time was that any vehicle so “outstationed” should have a local registration. Thus, each year, an SUT coach was re-registered for a stay on the IOM. It was only there for a season – less than a calendar year – and then returned home to Sheffield. It was not necessarily the same one in even consecutive years. Whether the same IOM mark was used I do not know. [Trevor Weckert, are you out there?]

David Oldfield


05/01/14 – 16:43

I have traced four SUT Reliances that carried Manx registrations:
1958 Burlingham 284 (3284 WB) carried “YMN 616” for the 2/59 to 04/62 seasons
1960 Plaxton 309 (6309 WJ) carried “5380 MN” for the 05/62 to 04/66 seasons
1961 Plaxton 321 (1321 WA) carried “69 FMN” for the 04/66 to 01/71 seasons
1970 Plaxton 409 (DWA 409H) carried “96XMN” for the 04/71 to 09/72 seasons

Dave Farrier


07/01/14 – 07:06

Slightly off topic, but related to registration plates. When I was at secondary school in Harrogate in the late ‘sixties, our brilliant art teacher Miss Daly had a beautiful ‘Old English White’ Morgan sports car. It had the customary black pressed alloy number plates with aluminium-coloured letters/numerals, which were noteworthy in having yellow-coloured surrounds front and rear. I later discovered this indicated that the vehicle was temporarily imported from abroad, which tied in nicely with our art teacher being from New Zealand. (From memory the car was registered in the HOX-E series). Probably a long shot, but I wonder if any PSV’s ever sported such plates.

Brendan Smith


07/01/14 – 13:38

Brendon,
Temporary reg no’s were QA-QT

Roger Broughton


10/01/14 – 18:32

Thanks for the info regarding the Q-series registrations Roger. Although I knew of them, probably from I-Spy books, I had obviously misunderstood the information I had read in my youth relating to yellow number plate surrounds, and wrongly linked the two. All these years I have been under the mis-apprehension that the white Morgan was a temporary import. Following further research on t’interweb, it transpires that between 1963 and 1972, vehicles purchased in the UK for subsequent export were given number plates with yellow edging (which was changed to red in 1973), indicating that purchase tax (or later, VAT) had not been paid. Fortunately this still ties in nicely with said Morgan, as Miss Daly left the school in 1968, presumably to return to New Zealand with her fine sports car. I hold my wrist out for a firm slap Roger, comforted by the fact that this website continues to contribute so admirably to lifelong learning.

Brendan Smith


20/01/14 – 08:08

Although the Kingsways of SUT were the first ‘official’ named coaches in the fleet, a number of unofficial namings took place. Half cab Regals from the KWA batch received the following KWA 707 Yorkshire Lad, KWA 712 Highland Monarch, KWA 717 Torquay Queen, KWA 721 Bournemouth Belle. KWA 723 was the first Sheffield Wednesday coach in the fleet. Originally it had a football mounted above the cab. A number of Kingsways had Thermotank forced air systems from new. Incidentally some of the VWE regd Seagull had air conditioning by Key-Leather mounted in a pod on the roof powered by Paraffin.

Trev Weckert


20/01/14 – 11:59

What did I start here??
What a great post this turned out to be, with some wonderful comments and information from a wide range of knowledgeable people.
Thanks Trev for this latest comment which confirmed to me that I was a tad less mad than I thought I was. I always thought that I had either seen, or seen a picture of, KWA 712 as “The Yorkshire Lad” when I was just that. I have never been able to find any such confirmation in print. I, for one, am never too old to learn something new and today’s lesson came courtesy of Mr. Weckert!

Les Dickinson


27/01/14 – 15:55

Hi Les, Just to put things straight, it was KWA 707 that wore Yorkshire Lad and it also bore a Tam O Shanta transfer on the bonnet side. In the early fifties a number of coaches were borrowed from Northern Roadways in Glasgow and upon return by SUT staff (including Jack Hancock and Jim Heenan) it was noted that their coaches had this transfer on them. The management was asked if they could spare a couple. Upon return to Sheffield, transfers were affixed to bonnets of KWA 706/707.

Trev Weckert


31/01/14 – 15:44

I have your book from the Library at present. As a boy I used to go & look at the SUT garage to marvel at the coaches & their destinations. You did a great job Trev.

Andy Fisher


01/09/17 – 05:57

Regarding the 1st Montreaux Coach Rally. I was always told that my Father Walter Fothergill was the driver who drove the SUT coach that won this rally.

Edward Fothergill


Vehicle reminder shot for this posting


14/01/20 – 16:14

This picture of an SUT Seagull brings back happy memories. I attended St Wilfrids school between 1963 and 1968.
Our original school bus which was owned by the school and driven by the caretaker Mr O’Toole, was a green Chesterfield lowdecker. This had four abreast seating upstairs on the left side and a sunken trough on the right side.
At some point this was replaced by a Seagull which still bore the SUT livery. I remember it being very luxurious when compared to every other bus I’d seen previously. It would start collecting pupils on Shoreham Street, up Wolsley Rd, then up Abbeydale Rd to Millhouses Lane. I’d catch it outside Abbeydale Cinema. Anybody have any idea which registration it carried. Sadly, driver had eyesight problems, and the bus languished in it’s parking spot till disposal.

M Stevenson


19/01/20 – 06:18

Reliance 264 (VWE 264) passed to St Wilfred’s Roman Catholic School, Sheffield in 1965, then to Trevor Ward and Son Limited, Kirkburton in 10/1970, being withdrawn in 10/1971.
Probably had more legroom in its C37C format, compared to Ribble’s GCK-registered Royal Tigers which were C41C.

Dave Farrier

Sheffield United Tours – AEC Reliance – SWJ 395F – 395

Sheffield United Tours – AEC Reliance – SWJ 395F – 395

Sheffield United Tours
1968
AEC Reliance 6U3ZR
Plaxton C45F

Definitely not taken on a tour, this is PMT Stoke No1 Garage underneath the Essex bus washing machine on 19th April 1970. PMT was going through a reliability crisis and amongst other vehicles (see Birmingham 2252 elsewhere on this site) hired in some coaches from Sheffield United Tours in their very elegant red/grey livery which well suited the lines of the Panorama body.
The ex Forces Humber 4×4 recovery truck known to everyone as “Daffodil” is just visible on the left of the picture. This was a bit light for towing buses and tended to be pushed around when doing so.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild


19/01/14 – 08:25

A number of minor firsts here for SUT. First 6U3ZRs (AH691) as opposed to 2U3RAs (AH590). First illuminated name panels – which arguably cheapened the image. Change from blue interior (which was only for a year anyway) to autumn gold.
Superb coaches, and the last in the line of Panoramas before the era of the Panorama Elite. The new era would also herald the arrival of 12m coaches but also the reappearance of medium weight 6MU3R (AH505)coaches for duties where a 40’00″ long heavyweight would be just too much.

David Oldfield

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

Sheffield United Tours – AEC Regal III – KWA 722 – 182

Sheffield United Tours - AEC Regal III - KWA 722 - 182

Sheffield United Tours
1949
AEC Regal III
Windover C32F

Looking in remarkably good shape for a contractor’s vehicle is this ex Sheffield United Tours AEC Regal III – chassis number 0962200, with a C32F body by Windover. It entered service in 1949, was sold on to Davies, Tredegar (via dealer) about July 1958, thence (via dealer) to Townson as shown, who operated it for about two years before selling on again.
What a great combination was the AEC Regal III/Windover half cab.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson


21/09/12 – 07:10

SUT had a goodly number of these vehicles on both the medium weight 068 as well as the heavyweight 0962 version of the Regal III. There were also a fair number of Duples – which were disposed of rather quickly/earlier than the Windovers. I’m too young (oh yes I am) to remember these half-cab Windovers in service. Apparently they were known for two things: (i) They were superbly finished – “even better than Duple” but (ii) the structure was suspect (with the common post-war use of “green” wood for the frames). These bodies were very popular with the BET companies who did substantial coach work (especially in the north). It was rare, however, for them to reach a ten year life-span with their first operator.

David Oldfield


21/09/12 – 08:32

I don’t recall seeing – and certainly don’t have any “bought” views of – these vehicles in reality, though I have seen them in model form. The models seem to capture the reality very well. I have vague memories of Townson vehicles in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, when they, like Monk of Warrington and, of course, Wimpey, used old buses and coaches as staff transport.

Pete Davies


22/09/12 – 07:11

Some of the earlier SUT coaches were 0662 Regal I types and the name of the body was the Huntingdon. It was built in numbers on Leyland Tiger and AEC Regal chassis and North Western had quite a few Bristol Ls. I believe there were also one or two Guys. Windover then went on to have further success on Royal Tiger and Regal IV underfloor chassis with the Kingsway. [Personally, I thought this an ugly body – but then few could compete with the early Seagulls.]
Bizarrely, for a firm whose products (from the point of view of finish) were so highly regarded – and eminently suitable as touring coaches – they disappeared after the Royal Tiger/Regal IV era. I am not aware that they even got as far as bodying a Tiger Cub or Reliance. Doubly strange since they had been in business since 1766. Their factory was just down the road from Duple’s in north London.

David Oldfield


22/09/12 – 07:12

Davids point about BET companies in the North. As far as I know Ribble had some Windover’s, and although I’ve only seen pictures of them, Northern General had 8 on Guy Arab chassis fitted with Meadows engines, but they were later replaced with AEC A173 7.7 units. They were new in 1949 and by Northerns standards they had a relatively short life of only 8 years, they were gone by 1957.

Ronnie Hoye


22/09/12 – 07:13

I’ve always thought that this body from Windovers came a very close second to the Duple A type for it’s pleasing lines and symmetry. They got the look of this just right and it’s very easy on the eye compared to others of the time, some of which had the vertical framing pointing up in all directions, like badly arranged flowers in a vase! There’s no wonder that the BET group went for them in a big way although I had heard about the problems mentioned by David O, I understand that the roof and domes were notorious for leaking water into the saloon.

Chris Barker


22/09/12 – 07:13

Do any of the Sheffield contributors remember various SUT AEC Regal coaches operating on hire(?) to Sheffield Transport during the late 1950s? I particularly remember the fully fronted LWE registered batch operating on the 82 between Ecclesall and Middlewood with an honesty box just inside the entrance. I think this was more a result of a crew shortage rather than serviceable vehicles.

Ian Wild


23/09/12 – 06:45

Re S.U.T. coaches operating on hire to S.T.D. I can also remember travelling on them on the 82.
Also I remember that Batchelors hired a coach to “market” their products. They gave out free samples of their products! I recall that this was my first introduction to green pea soup.

Stephen Bloomfield


23/09/12 – 06:46

I’ve just been through the fleet history to make sure of my gut reaction, and Ribble never operated any vehicles with Windover bodywork. Some of North Western’s Huntingdon bodied Bristol L5Gs were “cascaded” to Melba Motors in 1958-61 and repainted in that subsidiary’s blue and cream livery. EFE have produced a 1/76 scale model of one of these Melba machines, depicted after sale to British Railways.
For customers wanting bodywork for underfloor engined chassis (but who considered the Kingsway too avant garde) Windover also offered the Queensway model with more “traditional” lines. Unfortunately it somehow resembled an electric-powered delivery van or milk float and its only major customer was Yorkshire Woollen District.
Incidentally, while it’s a well-known fact that the Kingsway body was named after the location of the BET Group’s head office (and the Queensway merely mimicked the nomenclature of the Kingsway), nobody has ever been able to tell me why the front-engined body was called the Huntingdon. Any suggestions?

Neville Mercer


23/09/12 – 06:50

Sorry pardon chaps, but not for the first time I’ve got it wrong, Northern General had 10 Windover Guy’s, I don’t know the full numbers of the batch, but one was BCN 26 fleet number 1226

Ronnie Hoye


23/09/12 – 06:51

Yorkshire Woollen had Windover coaches both half cab and a late batch of Royal Tigers. Incidentally when I got married the Rolls Royce wedding car had a Windover body c.1935.

Philip Carlton


23/09/12 – 06:52

I don’t recall hearing about SUT coaches on hire to Sheffield Transport Department before, but it certainly happened that Joint Committee buses went to work for SUT on occasion. Under the Sheffield heading of the ‘Vehicle Developments’ column, in Buses Illustrated issue no. 56 for November 1959, there’s a report that ” …. Leyland Tiger PS1’s 1193-5, 1201/2 (KWE 93-5, KWE 1/2), which have Weymann bodes, were on loan to Sheffield United Tours in July.”
Interestingly, in the same issue under the Sheffield United Tours heading, it mentions that the operator actually hired back AEC Regal III’s, 186/90 (LWE886/90) from the dealer to whom they’d already been sold, in order to assist with summer peak traffic. It must have been a busy summer at Charlotte Road!

Dave Careless


23/09/12 – 06:53

I did not know that Windover were in business as far back as 1766, but the firm certainly opened a factory in my nearby town of Huntingdon in 1796, building high quality carriages and, later, motor car bodywork for prestigious marques such as Rolls Royce and Bentley. The business moved to Colindale in north west London in 1924.The firm made aircraft components during WW2 and expanded into commercial vehicle bodywork postwar. In 1956 the company was taken over by Henleys and all coachbuilding activity ceased.

Roger Cox


23/09/12 – 19:37


Photograph by “unknown” if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.


Photograph by “unknown” if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.


Copyright R F Mack

Just a follow up to the story on SUT Regals which may be of interest, EYMS purchased three of SUT 1947 Regal/Duple coaches in 6/48 becoming 502-504 HWJ 989/990/992 these lasted with EYMS until 9/60 and then all three passed to Lloyds of Nuneaton.
At first they were operated in SUT livery with EY fleet names before being repainted into EY’s indigo blue & primrose, I believe Yorkshire Traction also bought some from this batch as well.

Mike Davies


23/09/12 – 19:39

The Windover Kingsway did make it into the lightweight era, just. Two AEC Reliances appeared at the 1954 Commercial Motor Show with C41R bodies. They were MBE 611 for Hudson, Horncastle and RUP 843 for Gillett, Quarrington Hill. Biss Bros, Bishops Stortford also had four Kingsway bodied Foden PVRF6, NJH 847 of 1951, and NUR 197, NUR 198 and ORO 107 of 1952. A further BET customer for the Queensway was Red Line, W10, with OLX 1-3 on AEC Regal IV chassis. A picture of one appears in Ian Allan abc of Buses and Coaches, published around 1956, although wrongly described as a Reliance. At least the first and last were rebodied with Plaxton Panorama bodies, and photos of them in this form can be seen on Flickr.

David Williamson


24/09/12 – 07:18

The SUT AEC Regals were on hire to STD, I think in 1956, they also worked on the 110 Parson Cross via Owlerton service at peak times.
A colleague, the late Mike Gillott, became an auxiliary conductor, supervising the half cab forward entrance. He regularly travelled to and from his workplace on 82 Ecclesall duties, assisting the regular driver.
An acute staff shortage WAS the reason for the hiring.

Keith Beeden


24/09/12 – 10:31

Thank you for the information Keith, I recalled the honesty box and hence no normal conductor to take fares but I couldn’t remember how the manual door was operated.

Ian Wild


25/09/12 – 07:00

Roger answers the Huntingdon question.
Trent had some Regal IIIs – one I believe now owned by Steve Morris – and Timpsons had Regal IV/Kingsways (such as LUW 454 which worked on hire to SUT, complete with shield.) Thanks to Trevor Weckert for latter information.

David Oldfield


22/03/13 – 08:00

SUT was the winners of the 1st International coach rally in Montreux in 1949 with KWA 724, a Regal III with Huntingdon coachwork. they repeated this success the following year with LWE 892, one of the full fronted Regal III’s. Incidentally, the entire batch of full fronted Regal III’s were originally ordered as 7’6″ (6821A)wide but when Ben Goodfellow, the new GM took over he modified the order to that of LWE 885-890 to remain as ordered but LWE 891-896 to the new 8′ wide specification (9621E). Regarding Batchelors Demonstrators..MWJ 197/NWB 198/9/203/4/6/8/OWA 210/111/OWB 215 were all used for this purpose.

Trev Weckert


20/11/18 – 11:11

Just found your website and photo (KWS 722) as I was looking for photo’s of Townson buses used as workmens transport. This bus was used daily on the Bolton to Manchester Piccadilly Station run when Townsons had the main contrct for the rebuilding of the station in 1964 /6. I worked for Townsons on that site and travelled on this bus daily during my employment there. I note that in the first comment the contributor says this was sold on after Townson’s use, but my recollection differs. In 1966 the transmission shaft became increasingly “clunky” and eventually it crashed up through the floor of the bus on a journey home to Bolton,in 1966, though I was not present at that time. I was told that the bus was eventually scrapped, by the person who regularly drove the buses for Wm. Townson. By the way, the door was operated by a large vertical lever on the inside which pulled inwards and backwards to operate the sliding mech. Hope this helps.

The photo is taken outside the old London Road station Manchester, before it was renamed Piccadilly Station.

Alec Fray