A Southern Vectis Bedford VAL with coachwork by Duple in NBC White.
I would be interested to see what this coach looked like when it was new in 1966.
Ray Smyth:
A Southern Vectis Bedford VAL with coachwork by Duple in NBC White.
I would be interested to see what this coach looked like when it was new in 1966.
IIRC the ones with ‘fingertip control’ leaned heavily on corners 
Robert
Southern Vectis Bristol RE with bodywork by Duple.
Hi Ray, somehow these Duple Commander bodied Bristol RE’s looked very classy particularly with their simple livery style I would not have refused the offer of one to operate especially if it was Gardner powered. I did operate a Plaxton Elite bodied RELH6GX ex Greenslades Tours a great coach reliable and economical.
Cheers Leyland 600
Leyland600:
Hi Ray, somehow these Duple Viceroy bodied Bristol RE’s looked very classy particularly with their simple livery style I would not have refused the offer of one to operate especially if it was Gardner powered. I did operate a Plaxton Elite bodied RELH6GX ex Greenslades Tours a great coach reliable and economical.
Cheers Leyland 600
Gerald, I fully agree with your comments regarding simple livery styles, I have seen many coaches recently with
an “Explosion In a paint factory Appearance”…not for me. Duple, Plaxton, and other coachbuilders would have
had to do quite a bit of re-designing of parts of their coach bodies, with the engine in a Bristol RE being in what
was previously the “Luggage Boot”. Regards, Ray.
Leyland600:
Hi Ray, somehow these Duple Viceroy bodied Bristol RE’s looked very classy particularly with their simple livery style I would not have refused the offer of one to operate especially if it was Gardner powered. I did operate a Plaxton Elite bodied RELH6GX ex Greenslades Tours a great coach reliable and economical.
Cheers Leyland 600
Actually, although it shares the front end with the Viceroy, isn’t this a Commander? It doesn’t have the same design of side windows as a Viceroy
Viceroy:
Goodwins of Perrenporth GNX168K Ford R226 Duple Viceroy new to Smith,Tysoe by Stephen Day, on Flickr
Commander:
YWX 120G: Clayforth t/a Victoria Cs, Guiseley by chucklebuster, on Flickr
240 Gardner, Thanks for the correction a senior moment I am afraid., posting amended.
Cheers Leyland 600.
2 Buses, 1 Coach and a Lorry -
Hough Green Garage Ltd Volvo FM recovery vehicle returned the former Ribble Motor Services Ltd Brush bodied Leyland Cheetah to its
Depot today following the latter’s breakdown on the way to Manchester.
The white Bus on the right side of the photo is an Alexander (Belfast) bodied Volvo B7, PA02KGN (former Dublin Bus VA237, (02D10237),
and the white bus on the left side of the photo is sister vehicle PA02KLJ, (former Dublin Bus VA231, (02D10231).
Ribble Leyland Leopard 674 has just passed over the new M6 Motorway bridge on the A685, on route 561 to Kendal.
This location is about 1 mile south of M6 junction 38 at Tebay. The driver is carrying his “Setright” ticket machine in
its steel box, perhaps he lives out here in the sticks, and has just done a changeover with another driver who has
arrived in the Ribble Minivan, or maybe both drivers live out here in the countryside. Picture by Arnold Richardson.
What happened to Plaxton and Duple , were they 5aken over or just closed ?
Duple moved to Blackpool from Hendon into the old Burlingham factory then Duple became part of the Hestair Dennis group I seem to remember, then Dennis became the Alexander Dennis Group which Plaxton became a member and Duple closed altogether as far as I can remember.
Cheers, Leyland 600
my dads 1st duple bella vega , he added a 2nd shortly after, then sold them both to concentrate on lorries
Wigan Corporation Leyland PD2 on route 22 from Abram to Marsh Green, a cross town journey.
The location is Tram Street in the Platt Bridge area of Wigan, which was the site of a tram depot.
I assume that the tram depot was for Wigan Corporation, but I am not certain, perhaps it belonged
to Lancashire United Transport who had one of their big bus garages not far from this site.
I know that L.U.T. had trolley buses for many years. Someone with better local knowledge than
me would know. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Oily’s post of last Wednesday includes a photo by Andrew Breeden of North Birmingham Busways Y2NBB.
North Birmingham Busways became part of the Rotala Group as did Preston Bus. There has been much transferring
of vehicles between companies within the Group and Y2NBB subsequently became part of the Preston Bus fleet.
Hope Street in Wigan, Probably in the late 1970s. At the rear is a Ribble Leyland National,
the other 3 buses are Greater Manchester Transport on what were formerly journeys operated
by Lancashire United Transport. Click on photo for sharper image. Ray Smyth.
Scania coaches of Autocares Rodrigues from Los Gallardos in Almeria Province, south-east Spain.
Pictures by A Gutierrez.
Mercedes Benz bus of Autocares Rodrigues from Los Gallardos, Almeria Province, Spain
Picture by Carlos Perez Barbosa. 10/9/2016.
A busy scene at the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel in Liverpool.
The double deck bus on the left looks like Birkenhead Corporation,
could be a Guy or a Leyland with bodywork by Massey of Wigan.
The coaches at the tollbooths are a Commer and an Austin.
The Liverpool Corporation double decker coming down St Johns Lane
looks like a Crossley with bodywork by Crossley, most of which were
based at Garston depot.
Ray Smyth.
