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Birmingham buses

Brilliant, Lloyd, I'm really surprised to see that it has survived. :beam:

Thank you very much for that. I have to say that 100,000 quid was a lot of money in those days and despite varying the route each week, we were quite vulnerable with no one to ride shotgun! Luckily it was a short journey because it was a darned uncomfortable one! :P
 
Hi. Leanderpoole. Heres another photo of Daimler 2847, which is still around in preservation, and one of 3859, similar to 3858 you asked about.
 
A question for you ex bus drivers. Did any of you ever do this bus run or have anything to do with it, because I think it looks pretty expensive for 1966. What did you get for your half crown.

Phil

AdvertCityTours.jpg
 
Anyone got a photo of a Guy with Crash Gearbox that I did my training in 1958:)
 
Here you are Alf, former bus 1401 as training bus 93. The instructor had a duplicate set of controls but sat inside the lower saloon, behind the cab - see the extra mirror behind the cab door?
1401 FOP 401 as training bus 93.jpg
 
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As far as I know Alf, the only crash box Guys the B C T. had were the war time ones, but in 1958 I would have thought if you took your test in a Guy it would have been one of the later models, which had preselect gearboxes, but still had a gear stick, unlike the preselect Daimlers which had a lever under the steering wheel. heres photos of both model Guys for you. let us know which one it was you drove.
 
Lloyd said:
Here you are Alf, former bus 1401 as training bus 93. The instructor had a duplicate set of controls but sat inside the lower saloon, behind the cab - see the extra mirror behind the cab door?
Click to expand...

Was this the Yardley Wood bank bus in these days Lloyd?.
 
The trainers were often used as the 'bank bus', yes. One, Liverpool Street's no.96, had the roof removed and was used for tree trimming as well, making it look like a sea-front bus!

1396 FOP 396 as training bus and treelopper 96.jpg
 
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Re the trainers, five of the 1952 Guy 'New look' front buses had constant-mesh gears in place of the normal preselector type and were sometimes used for training as well. They were always based at Washwood Heath garage. Numbers 2995-3000 (JOJ 995-9, LOG 300).
 
Phil, the 1966 City tour was expensive but was aimed at foreign tourists hence the multilingual notice. A small number of the latest buses were equipped with public address systems and a guide described the sights to be seen en route.
 
Why did the BCT order these 6 crash box Guys? I heard they were ordered for a special service but never knew why or where. I believe apart from a short stint at Cotteridge, they all spent most of their lives at Washwood Heath. A couple did spend time in Walsall towards the end of their life.
 
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The story I heard about them was that they were initially for ongoing fuel consumption tests, to compare with the preselector gearbox buses (which always have at least 5% slip in the transmission due to the fluid coupling between the engine and gearbox) and that at the end of their lives they would be the next generation of training vehicles.

The wartime Guys which became trainers did so in 1951/2, being converted with wartime utility bodies taken from 1930s AEC Regents which had themselves become trainers in c1938 and received those bodies, second-hand ex other Regents, in 1948. (Confused? You will be!)
As an example, the picture I posted above of training bus 93 shows 1943 Guy Arab chassis FOP 401, ex bus 1401, carrying a Brush utility body it acquired in 1951 on conversion to a trainer from AEC training bus 57 (OG 414, originally bus 414) but which was new in 1943 to rebody bus 401 (OG 401).
 
Lloyd said:
Re the trainers, five of the 1952 Guy 'New look' front buses had constant-mesh gears in place of the normal preselector type and were sometimes used for training as well. They were always based at Washwood Heath garage. Numbers 2995-3000 (JOJ 995-9, LOG 300).
Click to expand...


In a Manchester context, there were five Daimler CCG6s in the city's corporation fleet that had Guy constant-mesh gears in place. Said to be part of a cancelled order, the chassis were offered at a low price but they were not a bargain. Something in the combination of Daimler chassis and Guy gearbox made gear changing very difficult and the drivers who were accustomed to driving Daimler CVG6s with the easy change preselector gears declined to work them unless they had to if no other vehicles were available. Numbers 4650-4654 (4650VM-4654VM) with an H37/28R Metro-Cammell body were the only Daimler vehicles in the fleet with the Guy constant-mesh gearbox. Despite being cumbersome vehicles to drive, they were in revenue-earning service for 15 years from 1963 to 1978.
 
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"I want the one at the back first!"
A line up of 24 of the 1934 batch of 70 Daimler COG5's - the first big delivery of diesel engined buses for the Corporation - which must have taken a while to arrange. It has been suggested that the location is Holford Drive, Perry Barr - could anyone confirm or deny that please?
(I now know it was taken at the University, from the clock tower.)
1934 Daimler COG5s.jpg
 
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hello.Lloyd what happend to that bus with 2 steering wheels,that was parked up in miller st park?. do you know?
pete
 
See the post above re Guy training buses, Pete. The instructor had a set of controls - steering wheel and brakes - inside the lower saloon. I did once see one being driven from inside, but he must have been rolling down hill, there was no gear lever or accelerator back there. Made a few people stare, though!
 
Lloyd said:
"I want the one at the back first!"
A line up of 24 of the 1934 batch of 70 Daimler COG5's - the first big delivery of diesel engined buses for the Corporation - which must have taken a while to arrange. It has been suggested that the location is Holford Drive, Perry Barr - could anyone confirm or deny that please?
Click to expand...



I am inclined to agree that it is Holford Drive how did they take the photo as there are no building opposite unless there was when the shot was taken it must have been a tall scaffolding
 
I'm like Frothblower, I don't know anything about buses and I must admit that I have not checked all this site out. I went around a museum and one that really caught my eye was one under restoration, body made of wood and resembled the shape of the hull of a boat. It seemed to have so much atmosphere to it if that's the correct term. It could have been an early type of coach. I had seen a photograph of one or one similar in Dartmouth Street but I dont think it is on the Gosta Green thread.
 
john70 said:
Was this the Yardley Wood bank bus in these days Lloyd?.
Click to expand...

YW's bank bus was 95 John,and re the Park Royal PD2 2208 in an earlier posting, some of these were allocated to the Wood in 1969. I will try to get the fleetnumbers out of interest unless Lloyd can supply them.
 
I know this is not a bus, but can somebody tell me was this a production vehicle or was it specially made for its purpose.

Phil

ENSAVehicle.jpg
 
In the 30s when Art Deco and Streamline were 'de rigour', a small production run of these Commer vans with Holland Coachcraft bodies was made. Used more for show than service. Several companies bought them - then probably regretted it!

Holland bodied Commer van.jpg
 
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It is a great pity that one of the crash box guys could not have been saved, particularly LOG 300. I see it was withdrawn in 1971, just prior to 3001 and 3002 in 1972.
For anyone interested I have an XL worksheet of buses withdrawal dates by year (2526-3227).. Working on 1481-2525.
 
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Lloyd said:
In the 30s when Art Deco and Streamline were 'de rigour', a small production run of these Commer vans was made. Used more for show than service several companies bought them - then probably regretted it!
Click to expand...

Thanks Lloyd

I would never have thought of it being a Commer from that photo. If I'd seen yours I might have. We ran several Commer vehicles over the years, and although we preferred Bedford's they weren't a bad truck.

Phil
 
Lloyd.i should have said the pic looks like some thing from a sci fi ,what engine is fitted?
not you sorry:D
pete
 
Small world!

While on holiday last month in Mexico this (presumably) ex-London bus was parked just off the main road looking very sad. Does anyone know more about it? I have more pics if anyone wants any.
 
motorman-mike said:
YW's bank bus was 95 John,and re the Park Royal PD2 2208 in an earlier posting, some of these were allocated to the Wood in 1969. I will try to get the fleetnumbers out of interest unless Lloyd can supply them.
Click to expand...

Hi. Mike. I dont remember any of of those PD2s at the Wood, the only one I do recall is 296 which I think had a Leyland body on it, thanks for the info. John.
 
Reverting to pmc's pic of the ENSA bus, (#201) It looks very much like a dinky toy I remember having in 1939. I don't have any old Dinky Toy catalogues, so I can't say anything more about it. the blancmange shape of the bodywork impressed me at the time, but I never saw a picture of a full-size version of that design before. It has something in common with the first GWR railcars of the very same date.
Peter
 
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