Dennis Javelin:
Ray Smyth:
Wigan Rugby League team arriving in Wigan town centre, having won the Rugby League Cup
the previous day at Wembley in 1958. I am struggling to identify the coach, but I am leaning
more towards it being a Leyland, and the coach bodywork is rather unusual. The two buses
heading out of Library Street are both Leylands with Leyland bodywork. Photo from Wigan Album.
Ray Smyth.
It’s a Leyland TS7 with a Yeates body first registered in 1953 to Unsworth of Wigan. Apparently it was rebodied but I don’t know when.
Courtesy of buslistsontheweb.co.uk
Thank you for the info Dennis. The Yorkshire registration number made me wonder about its origin. Cheers, Ray.
grumpy old man:
Ray Smyth:
In the early 1970s when I was driving HGV Class 1 lorries, I did an occasional days work on a Saturday for a local coach firm
to York or Wetherby racecourse, carrying a coach load of boozers, cash whip round on the way home and cash wages from
the coach firm. Several of the journeys were with a Bedford VAL 6 wheeler with bodywork by Duple, and I seem to recall that
one of the Bedford VAL coaches had a Leyland engine, Perhaps I am dreaming. I thought that the VAL coaches were nice to drive.
Ray Smyth.
You and me both Ray, bringing a young family up we welcomed the chance to earn a bit of extra cash, National Travel and Wallace Arnold were our ‘go to’ places. I still have bad dreams about summer Saturdays Halifax to Yarmouth service for National Travel, it needed 2 drivers so my brother and myself were the regular choice. The kids used to love counting the whip round on Sunday morning. Some Saturdays we’d do the Halifax to London service, (fastest time Victoria Coach station to M1 at Brents Cross ■■? 25 minutes 
P.S. Those VAL’s with the Leyland engine were a good drive, Wallace Arnold had a few, usually doing Manchester Airport feeder services.
Ray Smyth:
A bus conductors badge was green around the edge, and " CONDUCTOR " was printed at the bottom. Cheers, Ray.
Mine is red, BB62286, I’ve still got it and the ‘All Types’ paper PSV licence (expired long ago thank god)
grumpy old man:
Ray Smyth:
A bus conductors badge was green around the edge, and " CONDUCTOR " was printed at the bottom. Cheers, Ray.
Mine is red, BB62286, I’ve still got it and the ‘All Types’ paper PSV licence (expired long ago thank god)
Thanks for your coach driving remarks Grumps, I hope you informed the Inland Revenue each time you were paid in
cash for your coach driving jobs, just like I did. PS, Half the lies I tell are not true. 
Cheers, Ray.
Just found this one on a French forum. It’s just said it’s AEC and 1955 should be its year of manufacture. Will any of you know more about it? Thanks.
Froggy55:
0
Just found this one on a French forum. It’s just said it’s AEC and 1955 should be its year of manufacture. Will any of you know more about it? Thanks.
Yes Froggy55,I can just make out the AEC triangle left front quarter alongside a description of the refurbishment dated above at 1955,it also benefits an old RAC badge on the front apron,other than that as I regularly say to my wife…“I know nothing”!
David
5thwheel:
Froggy55:
0
Just found this one on a French forum. It’s just said it’s AEC and 1955 should be its year of manufacture. Will any of you know more about it? Thanks.
Yes Froggy55,I can just make out the AEC triangle left front quarter alongside a description of the refurbishment dated above at 1955,it also benefits an old RAC badge on the front apron,other than that as I regularly say to my wife…“I know nothing”!
David
An AEC Reliance with a Harrington 41 seat body, first registered in May 1955 to Nicholl’s, Southend-on-sea
When a bus takes on a tram there’s normally only one winner. SN7649, a 1936 Albion in service with Grahams of Kirkintilloch. The bottom pic is one of it in a later guise.
Sorry for the lack of a link etc but I live in Whittlesey and they are having the annual Bus fest next weekend 15th May, they close off the Main Street and all sorts of old coaches and buses are lined up for viewing and I believe they also do rides to surrounding villages. I know Ramsey has a car show on the same day but I thought it might be of interest to some members. I will try to get some pictures if there’s any demand.
Dennis Javelin:
5thwheel:
Froggy55:
0
Just found this one on a French forum. It’s just said it’s AEC and 1955 should be its year of manufacture. Will any of you know more about it? Thanks.
Yes Froggy55,I can just make out the AEC triangle left front quarter alongside a description of the refurbishment dated above at 1955,it also benefits an old RAC badge on the front apron,other than that as I regularly say to my wife…“I know nothing”!
David
An AEC Reliance with a Harrington 41 seat body, first registered in May 1955 to Nicholl’s, Southend-on-sea
Thanks to both of you. I hadn’t even noticed the tiny AEC badge!
Malta, can’t have been that may buses/coaches on ERF chassis, credit to sludgegulper for the photo.
Oily
Couple from the Highland Road Run last weekend, the Bedford was winging along at a fair old lick sound as a bell.
Oily
1958 Trades Fortnight Grangemouth depot to Edinburgh empty pick up holidaymakers and luggage for Perth and empty back to Grangemouth depot with a coach identical to this, not a favourite, heavy steering, not the best of brakes with a max load, credit to SCP for the photo.
Just had a look thro some old snaps and getting ready for the off that day.
Oily
I recently found this picture of a group of people about to board this coach, perhaps for a trip to the seaside.
The coach looks very much like a Harrington bodied ex Silver Star/Wilts & Dorset Leyland Tiger Cub,
because of the pointed style front headboard and the fishtail rear. I have also attached a picture of a Silver Star
Leyland coach to give a better impression of the unusual upper frontage of the coach. NMPs.
