In the late 1940s, Liverpool Corporation purchased 100 Daimler bus chassis. The first 50 received
bodywork by Northern Counties at Wigan, and the remaining 50 were fitted with body framework
by Weymann at Addlestone in Surrey, and were completed at the Corporations massive bodyshop
at Edge Lane in Liverpool. This Daimler, fleet number D587 was one that had Weymann framework,
and is seen on route 81, a cross city journey from Speke to Bootle. It looks like it was a warm day.
the driver has its windscreen open. NMP.
Former Ribble bus, fleet number 1329, a Leyland Atlantean, is seen in Miry Lane, Wigan, now in the colours
of North Western, soon after De-regulation in the late 1980s. To the right of the picture is the back entrance
of what was the Wigan depot of Ribble, and behind the wall to the left was my transport depot from 1985
until 1990. NMP.
Ribble fleet number 892, a Leyland Leopard with Dual Purpose bodywork by Marshalls of Cambridge. NMP.
When did they first start fitting cab heaters to buses , not the passenger compartment just the cab ?
ramone:
When did they first start fitting cab heaters to buses , not the passenger compartment just the cab ?
When i joined Birmingham City Transport in 1957, the buses in service then had a cab heater of sorts.
It was a bit like a miniature radiator attached to the front panel in front of the steering column,
a double S shaped copper pipe with a on/off tap. In a small half cab with the engine along side i guess it
was reasonably efficient.
Daft question some may think.
How much would a 60s short Duple coach weigh ?
I have a lottery win project fantasy of converting one to a motor home with modern running gear underneath
Something that would look the part at Classics Race meetings .
Must come to under 7.5t as I have lost my entitlement to grp 2 licences
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Ribble fleet number 595 was a Leyland Leopard from 1965, and I drove it many times during
my 2 years with Ribble at Wigan depot, early 1968 until early 1970. It was a normal 3 pedal
machine, and was fitted with a towing eye at the rear of the bodywork. The depot staff used
it as a towbus as required, the nearest proper Ribble breakdown buses being at Liverpool or Preston.
The above picture shows 595 in the ownership of Bleanchs, a company I have not heard of before,
maybe someone on here know where they are from. There is a towing eye on the front of 595. NMP
Ray,the location of your photo of 892 is on the A69 running alonside the railway between Haltwhisle and Greenhead near Blenkinsop Castle road end. I traveled on the Carlisle to Newcastle service number 34 when it was operated by United many times in the late 1940s to mid 50s riding on Willowbrook ECW lookalike Leyland PS1s then the first ECW bodied Royal Tigers which was a diverted order from ■■■■■■■■■■ MS. Occasionaly Bristol L5Gs and later LS’ s were used. The entire journey took 3 hours but it left the A69 at Low Row through Nether Denton and Gilsland before rejoining the main road again at Greenhead…
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Leyland600:
Ray,the location of your photo of 892 is on the A69 running alonside the railway between Haltwhisle and Greenhead near Blenkinsop Castle road end. I traveled on the Carlisle to Newcastle service number 34 when it was operated by United many times in the late 1940s to mid 50s riding on Willowbrook ECW lookalike Leyland PS1s then the first ECW bodied Royal Tigers which was a diverted order from ■■■■■■■■■■ MS. Occasionaly Bristol L5Gs and later LS’ s were used. The entire journey took 3 hours but it left the A69 at Low Row through Nether Denton and Gilsland before rejoining the main road again at Greenhead…
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Gerald, Thank you for your comments. Did route 685 go all the way to Newcastle like the route 34 that you mentioned ?
Its a long journey for a stage carriage service, some express coach routes are not this long. At least these Leyland Leopards
were ideal for long routes, In my opinion, they were a great machine to drive. Best regards, Ray.
Another Ribble DP, Leyland Leopard fleet number 897, parked at what I think was the Ribble bus station
in Southport. If it is Southport, it looks a lot tidier than when I was a Ribble driver in the late 1960s.
Southport`s Ribble bus station was formerly a terminus railway station on one of two lines from Liverpool.
which Ribble purchased for £72,000 in the 1950s. NMP.
A photo that someone took of me driving my old girl
I took this picture in 1972 close to Trafalgar Square. Any idea concerninig the make and model of the coaches on the right?
Froggy55:
0
I took this picture in 1972 close to Trafalgar Square. Any idea concerninig the make and model of the coaches on the right?
Bonjour Monsieur Froggy, The coach in the picture looks very much like a Bedford with bodywork by Duple, Merci Beaucoup, Ray.
Froggy55:
0
I took this picture in 1972 close to Trafalgar Square. Any idea concerninig the make and model of the coaches on the right?
bedford / duple bella venture bodwork, my dad had 2 bella vega’s
tony
Numbum:
A photo that someone took of me driving my old girl
That sir is a very handsome piece of equipment. Very nice. 
grumpy old man:
Numbum:
A photo that someone took of me driving my old girlThat sir is a very handsome piece of equipment. Very nice.
I agree. Bristol, Gardner or AEC lump? Ro
ERF-NGC-European:
grumpy old man:
Numbum:
A photo that someone took of me driving my old girlThat sir is a very handsome piece of equipment. Very nice.
I agree. Bristol, Gardner or AEC lump? Ro
Built 1940. 5 pot Gardner Photo was on the Trans Penine run. A rare example of the chassis and body built by the operator. Bristol Tramways. Midland red was another of course. Bus is kept in Bristol one mile from where it was built.
I photographed your Bristol at a rally held just south of Bristol way back in the early 1980s. There was a balloon festival in the city the same afternoon with hot air balloons hovering all over the city and drivers watching them rather than the road they were supposed to be driving on. Sorry about poor quality photo I seem to remember rain and poor light that day.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Ray Smyth, Bleanchs were based in Hetton-le-Hole, Co.Durham & it could be that they are no longer
operating. They bought both new & second hand vehicles doing contract & private hire work,
including having some coaches, fully liveried for Zebra Holidays, a part of Trimdon Motor Services.
Latterly covering National Express work with fully liveried vehicles. I have seen a photo of one of their
National Express vehicles in December 2018 but not seen any later. Sorry I couldnt obtain the picture but I hope Ive filled in a little info for you. regards pushrod47
pushrod47:
Ray Smyth, Bleanchs were based in Hetton-le-Hole, Co.Durham & it could be that they are no longer
operating. They bought both new & second hand vehicles doing contract & private hire work,
including having some coaches, fully liveried for Zebra Holidays, a part of Trimdon Motor Services.
Latterly covering National Express work with fully liveried vehicles. I have seen a photo of one of their
National Express vehicles in December 2018 but not seen any later. Sorry I couldnt obtain the picture but I hope Ive filled in a little info for you. regards pushrod47
Hi, Thank you for your info regarding Bleanchs Buses and coaches. As I mentioned in my post about 595 being
fitted with a towing eye, it reminded me of a " Tale of woe " from December 1969. During the summer of 1969,
I was moved on to the " One Man Bus " rota. On one day in December, it was snowing heavily, and I set off about
3pm in the afternoon, driving 595 on route 304 from Wigan to Lower Adlington to pick up loads of schoolchildren.
By the time I got to the Lower Adlington terminus, the snow was very deep, and it was normal to reverse on to
waste land in order to turn around for the return journey. I reversed, but I was unable to move forward toward
the bus stop. Fortunately, there was a phone box 100 yards away, so I trudged through the snow, and phoned the
bus station office at Wigan. Jimmy Lyons, one of the inspectors answered the phone and I told him of my problem.
He picked up another phone and spoke to the Foreman at the Ribble depot, and asked for his assistance. The foreman
asked Jimmy " Where is 595, we will need it to pull Ray out of the snow " . Jimmy searched quickly through the running
sheets and told the Foreman " Its 595 that’s stuck in the xxxxxxx snow !!! ". About 1 hour later, one of the depot staff arrived
in 1486, a PD2, and put the towbar on the front of both buses, and pulled me out straight away. 
Cheers, Ray.