I was watching a 1963 film 'The Victors' starring Eli Wallach, George Hamilton & George Peppard and in one of the scenes Peppard as a G.I. was waiting for a bus somewhere in England outside a row of Victorian terraced houses and when the single decker arrived it had 'Midland' in big letters along the side but didn't look like a Midland Red bus. It was a half cab, had sliding ventilators on the side windows and Registration plate below the radiator with 2 letters & 4 Numbers and it sounded like a diesel. The scene is about 2 hrs 10 mins into the film. Anyone any ideas as to its identity?
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The Victors film
- Thread starter Novelty
- Start date
Hi David,
I've had a look back through my mid 50's Ian Allen Midland Red ABC, which includes quite a lot of mid 30's buses,
and all the listed buses have HA 2 and 3 letter Registrations. I couldn't vouch for the earlier vehicles though.
There are many experts here in the bus field, and I am sure someone can advise you.
Is it possible to revisit the film through I-player etc and confirm the registration letters? This would almost
certainly lead back to the origin of the vehicle.
Kind regards
Dave
I've had a look back through my mid 50's Ian Allen Midland Red ABC, which includes quite a lot of mid 30's buses,
and all the listed buses have HA 2 and 3 letter Registrations. I couldn't vouch for the earlier vehicles though.
There are many experts here in the bus field, and I am sure someone can advise you.
Is it possible to revisit the film through I-player etc and confirm the registration letters? This would almost
certainly lead back to the origin of the vehicle.
Kind regards
Dave
farmerdave
master brummie
Registration number of the bus seems to be ?A 5825. Have looked at the film and used the pause button to take two exterior shots and 1 interior. Cannot quite read the first registration letter on the left, even when blown up. Dave.
Radiorails
master brummie
The bus featured in post 6 is unlikely to be a Midland Red. The bodywork is all wrong and the engine, being an Albion, is also out of character. Given the age of the film I guess the bus no longer exists.
Another pseudo Midland Red bus (or former B&MMO) is seen here:
https://www.tamworthherald.co.uk/Sm...ntage-appeal/story-19281977-detail/story.html
This bus also appeared in the series "The Village".
Another pseudo Midland Red bus (or former B&MMO) is seen here:
https://www.tamworthherald.co.uk/Sm...ntage-appeal/story-19281977-detail/story.html
This bus also appeared in the series "The Village".
The Bus is a Albion Valkyrie PW65 with a Cowieson B32R, (Bus 32 Seat Rear entrance) body. The PW65 was introduced in 1931. It had a 17ft 8in wheelbase and could carry up to 36 seated passengers depending on the body type fitted.
The Albion Valkyrie was a rare beast not many were produced and most were bodied as coaches, few as Buses.
Looking at the listed registrations of the Bus bodied Albions, only one could be this bus That is AV 5826 new 5/33 to the Strachan bus company , Ballater. No other registration number comes close. The bus was probably retired sometime in the early 1960's (Strachan eventually sold out to Scottish bus group in 1965), which fits in with the film timescale, and the Strachans livery was red so painting a Midland fleetname for the film would be a cheap and simple task for the film.
A 30 year old bus, Probably rescued from the scrapyard for the film, and then disposed of.
The Albion Valkyrie was a rare beast not many were produced and most were bodied as coaches, few as Buses.
Looking at the listed registrations of the Bus bodied Albions, only one could be this bus That is AV 5826 new 5/33 to the Strachan bus company , Ballater. No other registration number comes close. The bus was probably retired sometime in the early 1960's (Strachan eventually sold out to Scottish bus group in 1965), which fits in with the film timescale, and the Strachans livery was red so painting a Midland fleetname for the film would be a cheap and simple task for the film.
A 30 year old bus, Probably rescued from the scrapyard for the film, and then disposed of.
