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bedford dupal

mw0njm.

mw0njm.

A Brummie Dude
hi.any one got any pics of the dupal.there was one on the 94 chelmsley run.it sounded lovely.but it was as rotton as a pear.from inside you could see the road. i think it was clarib**s
 
Duple were bus and coach body builders so a duple should not have made any noise. Duple bodies were most common on Bedford chasis.
 
hi ta for reply.that one did it sounded like some thing from santapod.so i have been looking to see what lumps they fitted in them
 
I think you must mean these, which Claribel's used before buying 'real' buses for their services. As with many coach bodies, they took a lot of upkeep to prevent the sort of faults you describe, and seeing the road pass beneath your feet was not the worst of them. The body floor frames would break over the rear axle, a weak point because of the loss of floor to side strength where the wheelarches were.
The one illustrated started life with the Ribble company in Lancashire like this one, but then saw service with Midland Red North in Cannock before passing to Claribels.

The "lump" (engine) was a Leyland 0.680 6 cylinder diesel, with a semi-automatic gearbox. Not a quiet machine!
 
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Would Claribells be the same company that Ron Lees started many years ago, based in Wainwright street ? if it was they used to run mainly Fords with a couple of PD1/2 Deckers (late sixties early seventies). I worked for Ron for a short time in 1970/71 and will always remember the open air pit, not the best of working conditions, still better than when I used to lay on my back carrying out repairs in Coleshill car park whilst working for another operator.
 
Nick, this issue of DAF Coach News (October 2008) has an article on Birmingham International, which explains how David and Margaret Watkiss purchased Claribel Coaches from Ronnie Lees in 1977. Claribels appears to be still going strong, but it would be interesting to learn more about the early history of the company.
 
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Thylacine said:
Nick, this issue of DAF Coach News (October 2008) has an article on Birmingham International, which explains how David and Margaret Watkiss purchased Claribel Coaches from Ronnie Lees in 1977. Claribels appears to be still going strong, but it would be interesting to learn more about the early history of the company.
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One of the stories that I remember was that of a neighbour walking past, on seeing two dogs doing what comes naturally, made comment to one of the drivers that their sign had fallen down. Most of the Ford coaches were Plaxton bodied on a trooper chassis, not bad motors for the time. I also remember Ron asking me to cover one of the School services with one of the double deckers, when I reminded him that I only had a single decker license he told me not to worry as he also only held a single decker licence and always drove the double deckers. I will try to remember some more stories and keep you posted.
 
Thylacine said:
Nick, this issue of DAF Coach News (October 2008) has an article on Birmingham International, which explains how David and Margaret Watkiss purchased Claribel Coaches from Ronnie Lees in 1977. Claribels appears to be still going strong, but it would be interesting to learn more about the early history of the company.
Click to expand...

Claribel's still operate on the 94 route, and their service runs the same as the Centro
service towards Birmingham, On the return journey while the Centro service turns
right into Windward Way at the end of Green Lane Castle Bromwich, the Claribel's
service continues along Auckland Drive and rejoins the Centro route by where the
Local pub was on the Corner of Arran Way and Auckland Drive. Very useful if like
me you live half way down Auckland Drive!

Kind regards

Dave
 
The Bedford VAL chassis was used by many body builders. Stocklands VAL's were all Duples, first one being 22 JOC (1963), not bad motors but suffered with brake problems, premature master and wheel cylinder replacement, and excessive lining wear, cured when the Telmar retarder was introduced. The Leyland 400 engine was also underpowered and required overhaul, pistons liners and shells, after about 2 or 3 years, even though it was a far better engine than the Ford 360 fitted to all of the Duple/Harrington bodied vehicles. I can always remember crawling up Redhill outside Bristol at about 10 mph, on the way back from the overnight South Devon run, when all the other bigger engined coaches flew past (leaning forward never really helped) very soul destroying.
 
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The VAL 14 had the Leyland 400 engine but later on the VAL 70 replaced it and had the Bedford 466 engine which was still a small enough engine for a coach that size.
 
Yes but it was not in such good condition as the photo shows. I think it was in c2001, I was in a group which had chartered a midibus to do a private tour and when we came to one of the sites we were behind the Bedford VAL and I said to my friend "Oh a Beford VAL" and he said "you certainly know your coaches". I don't claim much credit for this as you cannot mistake the VAL.
 
i Lloyd.i was going to ask if it was in the italian job ,lol thanks all for
info and pics
 
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6918 said:
The VAL 14 had the Leyland 400 engine but later on the VAL 70 replaced it and had the Bedford 466 engine which was still a small enough engine for a coach that size.
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Never had the chance of trying one with the 466 engine as most operators stopped buying the VAL when 51/52 seater twin axles came on the scene. I remember when the Bedford KM
was introduced with the 466 engine, underpowered or what.
 
I've found the original Magical Mystery Tour coach, which starred in the 1967 Beatles movie.

Anorak details: URO913E Bedford "VAL14" chassis (no 6876646) Plaxton "Panorama Elite" C52F body (no 672559). New in March 1967 to Fox Coaches (Hayes, Middlesex). [Bus Lists on the Web.]

The movie didn't go down too well at the time with either the critics or the public. It still seems a bit daft to me, but it includes some great songs and has a certain nostalgia value. And it did feature a very handsome coach! If anyone's interested, YouTube has the whole movie, starting here.

After apparently disappearing for a while, URO913E was purchased by the Hard Rock Café in 1988, and they spent US$100,000 restoring it to original condition. It is now on display outside the Hard Rock Café in Orlando, Florida (I don't think it gets around much any more):


"Come on, roll up..." by rossedwards73, on Flickr
 
Many thanks for the Bus List Thylacine, my memory failed me when I got the year of reg wrong for 22 JOC. As I've said before once Coaches/Buses get in your blood they are there forever.
 
Loved it so much I retook my PCV test in 1998 (easier in 1966) following my early retirement just in case i fancied Coach Driving again, spent the next Five years Bus driving in Cornwall.
 
I always thought the VAL was quite a nice ride and they had quite a distinctive sound from the Leyland engine, remember how the air brakes used to make a sort of "wheezing whisle"??

I believe I am right in saying that the first VAL to have the Bedford engine was delivered to Ashmore,s Coaches in Rabone Lane, Smethwick just over the border.
 
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