The Bedford name first appeared in 1931 when Vauxhall, established as a car producer, diversified into the market for buses and commercial vehicles. The OB was part of a new range of passenger chassis introduced in 1939. Production was to be short- lived as the Bedford factory was turned over to wartime needs. Bus production returned in 1941 with the OWB and in 1946 back to the OB, production lasting until 1950.
Although synonymous with the small independent bus and coach operator, the OB did also find its way into some of the larger company-owned fleets.
FWW596 was built in 1947 and was one of 8 OBs supplied to West Yorkshire Road Car Company. 4 had 26-seat Duple coach bodies and 4 had 30-seat Beadle bus bodies. Initially numbered 646, it became CP1 in the 1954 Renumbering scheme.
In 1957 it was rebuilt, including Perspex cant and roof panels, for use on the York City tour. It was withdrawn in 1969 and passed into preservation, being with its present owner David Hudson since 1972.
This coach was delivered in 1948 to Royal Blue, the express coaching subsidiary of Western/Southern national omnibus company.
It is fitted with a 7.7 litre AEC engine as specified by Royal Blue, the coachwork largely to Duple design, was contracted out to Beadles of Dartford as the coach building capacity during the post war recovery period was overstretched. It features staggered seating to allow a little more elbow room in the 7’6” width of the vehicle.
Withdrawn from service in 1960, HOD30 was one of a number of vehicles sold to a china clay company for staff transport which aided its survival until 1968 when it was finally withdrawn.
The vehicle was the purchased by Colin Shears who later passed the vehicle on to Peter France, who retained the vehicle until circumstances forced its sale to its present owner Greg Lawson, who set about restoring it with the assistance of David Hudson.
Work undertaken has included renewal of all the side pillars, reconstruction of much of the canopy and front roof areas, replacement of the woodwork under the rear dome, and complete refurbishment of the interior trim and seating, the restoration costing around £10,000 in materials.
As seen today, HOD30 is representative of many late pre-war coaches with its curved waistrail and its roof mounted luggage box
The vehicle is now owned by Greg Lawson and is available for hire www.yesteryearcars.co.uk
Maudslay Regal III HHP755 is an AEC, rebadged for unknown reasons as a Maudslay, it has Duple FC33F bodywork new in 09/48 to Greenslades Tours.
Passed to Members of the Aire Valley Transport Group in December 2021.
A full history will follow soon.
LUO 694 Ex Pridhams of Lamerton Devon Leyland PS2/3 Burlingham was bought by AVTG member Greg Lawson in summer 2010 from Quontock motor services in Taunton, the vehicle has been moved into our workshop in Bradford for a replacement engine fiting. we would like further history on this vehicle if you have any please email us at glys06482@blueyonder.co.uk
Ex Wilts and Dorset L6B Portsmouth aviation bodywork GAM216 arrived at the AVTG storage in 2008 work will start on this vehicle soon, if you have any info on the history of this vehicle please email glys06482@blueyonder.co.uk many thanks
EHL 335 is one of a batch of half cab Roe bodied coaches supplied to West Riding Automobile Company in 1952, and were the last half cab coaches built on Leyland chassis as well as being one of only two batches of half cab Roe bodied coaches ever built. The other batch was built for Lancashire United on Guy Arab chassis. Already out of fashion at the time of construction, they were however used on excursion and express services to the seaside until such vehicles were deemed to be extremely outdated and were then demoted to more mundane duties. After withdrawal, the vehicle was acquired by Brooksbanks of Featherstone who used it for a short while on various colliery contract services. Upon withdrawal EHL stood outside the shed for many years, and some restoration work was undertaken by a local enthusiast, but Brooksbanks resolutely determined not to sell it for continued preservation. Eventually Brian Crowther of Black Prince Coaches persuaded them to sell it with a view to restoring it to its original condition. The pressures of running a full time bus operation meant that this was very slow to happen, and eventually Brian was persuaded to sell the vehicle to David Hudson and Greg Lawson. The vehicle is available for hire www.yesteryearcars.co.uk
SYG561 is a Bedford SBG, with a 41 seat Duple body. It was new to Walton & Helliwell in the spring of 1957. In May 1958 Walton & Helliwell was taken over by Hebble and received a fleet number 21. It served with Hebble until the end of the 1965 coaching season when it was withdrawn and sold to a dealer.
Over the next 10 years it was to see further service with a succession of smaller operators; Williams, Cresswell (May 1966); Chumbley, Birmingham (May 1971); Whiteley, Old Whittington (March 1973); Johnson, Goxhill (July 1973). It was then initially secured for preservation by two local enthusiasts in November 1976 and later passed into the ownership of the West Yorkshire Transport Museum in March 1990.
It was however later deemed to be surplus to the museum’s requirements and was offered for sale, passing to a private owner in Bradford who planned to convert it into a mobile home. The conversion was only partially carried out. After standing out of use for seven years it was put up for sale and passed to its present owner.
New to Blood Transfusion Service, Sheffield 10/59
Law Bros Tours, Sheffield 11/68
Coppin, Eldersfield 7/72
Smiths, Newport, Monmouth c/73 possibly on loan
Morriston Taxis, Morriston on loan from Coppin 10/73 to 8/74
Coppin, Eldersfield 8/74
Ryland, Gloucester 5/76 (wdn 12/76) has remained in store since, has Ferguson diesel engine fitted.
12/13 Fielding, Reading – preservation.
3/17 Hewlett, Bath – preservation.
3/18 Robin Evans, Devizes – preservation.
1/21 William Staniforth, Bristol – preservation.
11/21 Greg Lawson (Classic Vehicles of Yesteryear) Shipley – preservation.
CRG6 was one of a total of 260 Bristol REs that were delivered to West Yorkshire Road Car Co Ltd, between 1963 and 1975. Along with other ECW-bodied series 2 RELHs, of which CRG1-16 had Gardner engines and CRL 17-22 had Leyland engines. The series 2 RELH was produced from 1967 to 1975. A total of 666 RELH in this series were built and bodied as follows: 443 by ECW, 4 by Duple, 11 by Duple (Northern) and 208 by Plaxton.
CRG6 was built in October 1967 and delivered in January 1968. It was stored at Grove Park depot (Harrogate) until 1 April 1968 and then entered service at Hammerton Street depot (Bradford). It was delicensed each winter in October or December, and relicensed usually in March or April.
It was renumbered from CRG6 to 1019 in October 1971 and repainted in November 1971.It was repainted again but in NBC white in November 1972. By late October 1973, all CRGs/CRLs had received new blinds to show new express numbers. It was overhauled in the heavy dock at the Central Repair Works in Harrogate in March 1975 with a CoF until 12 March 1980. It was reallocated fro Bradford to Skipton from 1 April 1977 to 15 November 1977 and was renumbered from 1019 to 2508 and repainted into duel purpose (poppy red and white) local coach livery with a new logo in October 1978. It was reallocated from Bradford to Central Repair Works as a spare on 1 September 1979 and then delicensed on 29 February 1980 and held for disposal.
On 11 April 1980 it was sold to Archbishop Holgate Grammer School York. It was repainted by West Yorkshire’s York depot into Tilling cream with the school’s blue trim. It was reupholstered and fitted with a radio out of ex-West Yorkshire 1067 then owned by the school.
It passed in February 1988 to Northern Bus of Anston, but did not enter service, being sold to Neil Mackreath of York in January 1989 in a neglected state for preservation. It then passed to th Bristol RE Preservation Group in January 1990, but in March 1990 returned to Neil Mackreath and Alan Searle. It finally passed to it’s current owner’s in June 1993 for continued preservation. Now owned by Greg Lawson.
