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Five Double Deckers for Sale, (1940s)

Bernard67Arnold

master brummie
Since retiring I have been a member of the Federation of PO+BT Pensioners, they have some interesting
letters in their parish magazine, a recent one told of, the Post Office Factory Dept buying five buses from
BCT, anyone remember it. The PO Transport Manager at the time was Mr WE Daft, Bernard
 
Hi Mike, I lived at Yardley Wood from !932 until I joined up in"48, used to go to the Tudor"bughouse" down the Valley, wish I knew where all the years have gone! Bernard
 
My records show nine 1930s BCT Daimler type COG5 double deckers sold to GPO, Wembley in April 1949.
569/79, 664/83/93/5, 753, 848/53 (reg nos AOB 569/79, AOG 664/83/93, AOP 695, 753, BOP 848/53).
Their GPO fleet numbers were, in above order: 16532/8/9/3/4/40/35/6/7 (so 16532-40 but not in order).
Their use was 'non-PSV', so either staff bus duties or mobile offices, workshops etc. 753 (16540) was noted in Birmingham in GPO service in July 1954. All seemed to have gone by mid to late-50s, 848 (16536) was noted with a fairground showman by December 1958.

Below: 664 (AOG 664) became GPO 16539 in April 1949.
 
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Hi Lloyd, from what I can gatherthe lease expired on a PO factory in North London so work was moved to Enfield
and Perivale and transport was needed to convey workers to the new sites. The Transport Manager Mr W E Daft
purchased the Brum buses and also five Bedford coaches all of which were refurbished before use, iI thought it would make an interesting topic for the forum, cheers Bernard
 
Interesting indeed yes, Bernard - I had wondered what these buses were used for by the GPO, unusually they were sold direct by BCT to the GPO, not via a dealer.
 
Regarding bus 753, the Birmingham one, I can say that twice per week it took trainees from the GPO Factory in Fordrough Lane to Bourneville Day Continuation College. If memory serves me correctly it was Tuesdays and Fridays. (Memory does play tricks however and it is a while ago). I traveled on this bus during 1953 for some months before changing employment. I don't recal its route excepting the return journey took us past the B&MMO depot at Digbeth where I alighted to board a regular bus to the Solihull area.

I guess it had other duties but I am not aware of them. The primrose colour was retained but the cobalt blue was replaced by red.

Alan
 
From my recollection the red looked a very much second best when compared with the cobalt blue which these buses formerly wore. As most of these buses, it seems, ran well outside the West Midlands any photographs could arise in a variety of places. Others are looking for photographs of the buses in GPO livery at the present time so one may arise.
 
My records show nine 1930s BCT Daimler type COG5 double deckers sold to GPO, Wembley in April 1949.
569/79, 664/83/93/5, 753, 848/53 (reg nos AOB 569/79, AOG 664/83/93, AOP 695, 753, BOP 848/53).
Their GPO fleet numbers were, in above order: 16532/8/9/3/4/40/35/6/7 (so 16532-40 but not in order).
Their use was 'non-PSV', so either staff bus duties or mobile offices, workshops etc. 753 (16540) was noted in Birmingham in GPO service in July 1954. All seemed to have gone by mid to late-50s, 848 (16536) was noted with a fairground showman by December 1958.

Below: 664 (AOG 664) became GPO 16539 in April 1949.
Hello from new member. Research ex Brum Daimler pre war buses and delighted to see your references to those sold to the GPO, also referred to in the PSV circle notes. The photo of 664 is now missing. Any possibility of reposting please?
 
Hello from new member. Research ex Brum Daimler pre war buses and delighted to see your references to those sold to the GPO, also referred to in the PSV circle notes. The photo of 664 is now missing. Any possibility of reposting please?

I'll see if I can find the pic again.
 
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