2010-04-05 09:45:06
The Midland Red SOS QC "Queen Charabanc" 1927-1928.
[Corrections, additions and comments welcome.]
Only one batch of nineteen QCs was manufactured (in the second half of 1927 and early 1928). The "prototype" rolled off the production line in about July 1927 and was registered HA3666 (fleet number A667). Fourteen went to Midland Red and five to Trent Motor Traction Co Ltd (TMT). Nineteen suitable 30-seat open touring coach bodies (C60-78) were made (to Shire’s design under patent number 294,381) by Midland Red at Carlyle Works.
The five 1927 TMT QCs were given fleet numbers 600-604 and registered CH6256-6260. The chassis numbers were 501, 504, 510-512 and the bodies C66-70 (I don't know the exact correspondence between fleet, chassis and body numbers). Here are pictures of
CH6256 (at the Lands End Hotel, Cornwall; you have to scroll down to find it - anyone know how to link directly to the picture?) and
CH6259 (at the Clarendon Hotel, Oxford). Does anyone know the later history of the TMT QCs?
The fourteen Midland Red QCs were registered HA3666-3679. The other numbers were (respectively): fleet A667, A703, A713, A722, A724, A721, A732, A730, A733-734, A782, A780, A781, A735; chassis 390, 490, 505, 508, 514, 513, 516, 515, 523, 527-528, 522, 525-526; body C60-65, C71-74, C78, C76-77, C75. HA3666-3675 and HA3679 were made in 1927, the other three in 1928. HA3677-3678 (A780-781) were sold on immediately in 1928 to Northern General Transport Co Ltd (NGT) without entering service with Midland Red; fleet numbers A780-781 were re-assigned (to QL HA3719 and QLC HA4824 respectively). HA3667, HA3670, HA3675 and HA3679 followed in 1935. The remaining Midland Red coaches were withdrawn in 1935 and broken up in 1936-1937. Does anyone know the fleet numbers, registrations and later history of the NGT QCs?
Midland Red Volume 1 has pictures of HA3667 (pages 67-68), HA3669 (page 157) and HA3675 (page 68). Also on page 68 is a picture of the attractive BMMO "crest" that first appeared on the QC and continued to be used by Midland Red for many years).