Saturday, 7 May 2022

‘Scene’ at the GCR’s Bus & Train Spectacular ‘Confidence Bus’, ‘Barton Transport’ & ‘Devon General’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

B190 BLG ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 70.

Leyland Olympian / Eastern Coach Works

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New to ‘Crosville Wales’ as No. DOG190.

 

B190 BLG ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 70. Leyland Olympian / Eastern Coach Works on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

WLT 655 ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 15.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New to ‘London Transport’ in 1961 as No. RM655.

 

WLT 655 ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 15. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

‘Barton Transport’ was one of the major independent bus operators in the East Midlands. 

 

Eventually becoming part of the ‘Wellglade’ group of companies.

 

Always known for their style and flair when it came to buying buses, this is but one example.

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /1.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

It spent some time at ‘Quantock Motor Services’ where it was part of the heritage fleet.

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /1. AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /2.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /2. AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /3.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge 

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

For those readers who don’t fully understand what a lowbridge body was.

 

It was a way of building double deck bus bodies to a lower overall height. Generally, a foot or thereabouts lower.

 

What would have been the centre aisle upstairs was moved to the offside and dropped into the downstairs saloon. 

 

It intruded over the offside downstairs seats and was ready made for banging heads on when leaving seats.

 

Upstairs, the two pairs of seats were replaced by one seat that seated 4 people.

 

It was a most uncomfortable arrangement where you could finish up climbing over the other passengers seated with you.

 

Fortunately, this arrangement came to an end with the introduction of the drop centre rear axle which I think debuted on the Bristol Lodekka.

 

So allowing conventional 2X2 upstairs seating in a low overall height bus.

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /3. AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge  on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

EOD 524D ‘Devon General’ No. 524.

AEC Regent 5 / Metro-Cammell Orion

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

The body shell was built in 1966 by Weymann but completed by MCW.

 

EOD 524D ‘Devon General’ No. 524. AEC Regent 5 / Metro-Cammell Orion on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

9 RDV ‘Devon General’ No. 9.

AEC Reliance / Marshall

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

Built by ‘Marshall’ to the BET Federation standard of the time.

 

9 RDV ‘Devon General’ No. 9. AEC Reliance / Marshall on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

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