Brutonian Bus Company
Vehicle
Pictures and History Part 1
Chris Knubleys
Ownership
1972-1978 (inclusive)
Research
completed in August 2010 by Paul Welling, Michael Wadman and Ian
Trotter. This
is the first of four parts with Vehicle Pictures and History Documents covering
the three
different owners of Brutonian Bus Company. The names under the pictures
own
the copyright. There are more pictures online and you can get in
touch by contacting Paul Welling.
UPDATE JUNE 2012: A new book has been completed on the HISTORY OF THE BRUTONIAN BUS COMPANY.
Written by Ian Trotter, who was their manager from 1986 to 1991, it is
available direct from the author at a cost of £14.50 plus £3.00 postage
and packing. Cheques should be made payable to MR I TROTTER
and sent to him at:
Red Roses, Quarry Close,Stoney Stoke, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8HR. |
369EYA
Martin Perry
|
History of Fleet
Number 2
·
Jun
59 New to Waterman, Spaxton
·
?
Acquired by Berry Taunton
·
Dec
68 Acquired by W Green, Bruton
·
Mar
72 Acquired by Brutonian Bus Company
·
Apr
73 Withdrawn and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
C41F
·
Chassis
Bedford SB5
·
Body
Duple
|
Information
The Brutonian Bus Company
history began with the purchase of a Bedford SB5 coach, which was the
only vehicle belonging to W Green and Son, who operated it as a
contract and private hire coach in Bruton and traded as Brutonian.
Chris Knubley was a mechanic and driver for Vineys haulage company and
as Green kept the vehicle in the same yard, it is easy to imagine how
Chris became involved in buying it and setting up Brutonian Bus
Company. Green was trading as Brutonian and may have been doing so
since 59 when he bought his first vehicle. We are not sure why EYA is
fleet vehicle number 2. Green lived in Quarperlake Street, near to the
yard.
Greens first PSV was an
11-seater Austin which he bought in Sep 59 and sold to Morris of
Bromyard when he replaced it with a Bedford SB/Duple C33F in Sep 61.
Finally he replaced the SB with 369 EYA in Dec 68. He may have
started as a taxi operator by taking over the West End Garages taxi
service, then upgraded to a minibus and finally to a coach. Wakes took
over West End Garages coach operation in 58 and probably were not
interested in the taxis. The PSVC F-list confirms that he used the
Brutonian fleet name, although originally Brutonian Coaches before
Chris Knubley changed it later to Brutonian Bus Company.
A PSVC fleet list dated May 69 covering
Somerset and other counties in the north of the WTA there is an entry
for Green which reads as follows: W C GREEN, T/A W Green & Sons
(Brutonian) Quaperlake Street, BRUTON, 369 EYA Bedford SB5
70228 Duple 1105/432 C41F 1959
Berry, Taunton 12/68. PSV News Sheet from May 72 reports:
W C Green Quaperlake
Street Bruton Somerset. (Under new operators C P Knubley 9/11 High
Street Bruton Somerset - Although the reader is left to deduce
that Knubley had acquired Green as 369 EYA also
changed hands.)
|
RWV548
|
PM Photography
RWV548 in Brutonian
Yard in c74 (JNT252E left)
|
PM Photography
RWV548 in Brutonian
Yard in c74
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 3
·
58
New to Shergold, Tidworth
·
70?
Acquired by Doyley (t/a Caribbean Express), London
·
?
Gastonia, Cranleigh
·
72
Acquired by Brutonian Bus Company
·
May
75 Withdrawn
·
Apr
78 Disposed of along with TET166 and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
C43F
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance MU3RV
·
Body
Duple
|
5399TF
|
PM Photography
5399TF in the station
yard in c74 (TET166 left)
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 4
·
Apr
63 New to Bold, Melling
·
?
Acquired by Kiddle, St Ives, Cambs
·
Aug
72 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Aug
74 Withdrawn by Brutonian
·
Nov
74 Acquired by Tor Coaches, Street swap for YYB118
|
Technical information
·
C52F
·
Chassis
Bedford VAL14
·
Body
Duple C52F
|
Information
This
Bedford VAL was an early vehicle in the Brutonian fleet and it was
swapped in Nov 74 for bus YYB118, a Dennis Lancet/Harrington. YYB had
been purchased by Tor Coaches of Street in Somerset from Hutchings and
Cornelius of nearby South Petherton in summer 74. It didn't seem to fit
into their fleet as they had a mainly Bedford VAL coaches. Tor Coaches
painted YYB in their livery and it was probably swapped for 5399TF as
Brutonian were growing into a bus not coach operation. 5399TF is
believed to have been sold as a spares vehicle, as it had been out of
service with Brutonian for 4 months before the swap.
|
217UYC
|
PM Photography
217UYC in Yeovil Bus
Station on Route 10 in c74/5
|
Ian Trotter
217UYC
on Route 12 in Shaftesbury in c76
|
R Marshall
217UYC at
Salisbury Bus Station on Route 8 c79
|
Ian Trotter
217UYC at
the Brutonian Yard being taken for scrap in Oct 87
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 5
·
Dec
63 New to Hutchings & Cornelius, South Petherton
·
Oct
72 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Late
82 Withdrawn from service?
·
Oct
87 Disposed of to Wacton, Bromyard
·
Mar
88 Scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B45F
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance 2MU3RV
·
Body
Harrington
|
Information
217UYC was the first bus,
rather than coach, to be acquired by Brutonian. It was one of four
buses acquired from H&C over 7 years, each one representing the
main Somerset registrations and each of which is noteworthy (CYA181J
and YYB118 are preserved, 217 UYC served the longest of any Brutonian
vehicle (15 years) and WYD928H remained in H&C livery parked up
until May 2010).
There were only two
Harrington bodied buses in the history of Brutonian. Unlike the other
Harrington bodied bus, YYB 118 which is being fully restored, 217 was
scrapped at Bromyard.
In 80, 217 was off the
road parked at the very back of the yard and covered in mud and oil
splattered from the outdoor steam cleaning area. In 81 it was brought
back into service. It was one of the worst buses for generating blue
smoke, especially on a cold morning. It was generally a reliable runner
with steep steps.
In 78
217UYC is believed to have had the lower body painted blue, probably
when they had some spare blue paint after painting YRT896H. This was
the last bus body built by Harrington and in terms of body numbers is
quite a long way away from any of their other bus production. What is
significant though is that the chassis number is the next one on from
the well known batch of Cavaliers that went to Devon General (1 RVD - 8
RDV). The simple answer would be that the salesman picked up this order
at the same time while he was in the area. More intriguing would be the
question of who actually ordered this batch of 9 Reliance chassis,
Harringtons or Devon General? Despite buying many coaches from
Harrington, Devon General bought their bus bodies from a variety of
other builders. This must have been particularly vexing for Harrington.
Could 217 UYC have been built for Devon General to try, but in the end
they did not take delivery?
|
TET166
|
Ian Trotter
TET166 at Gillingham
Station on Route 12 with Jack Holland driving c73/4
|
Keith Newton
TET166 in Shaftesbury
on route 480 (became 12) Oct 73
|
R Marshall
TET166 in Brutonian
yard c75
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 6
·
59
New to Rotherham CT
·
Apr
73 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Apr
75 Withdrawn
·
Apr
78 Disposed of along with RWV548 and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B45F
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance 2MU3RA
·
Body
Weymann
|
Information
TET166 may have been
disposed of along with YNN773 in Apr 78. KEH445D ended up in the place
of this bus at the front of the yard and was acquired in Jul 78.
|
JBO124
|
R Edworthy
JBO124 as the
Brutonian office in c75/6
|
History (not given a
fleet number)
·
54
New to Western Welsh
·
?
Acquired by Somervale Midsomer Norton
·
72
Acquired by Brutonian
·
75
Used as the Brutonian office/store for spares
·
May
79 Disposed of and scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B44F
·
Chassis
Leyland PSUC1/1
·
Body
543552 Weymann M6544
|
Information
To accommodate the
growing fleet, in 75 the business moved to a large yard at Bruton
station, where the remains of Western Welsh Weymann-bodied Tiger Cub
JBO124, which had been purchased for spares by Ray Cuff from Somervale
Coaches, served as a store and office until it fell apart and was
replaced by a caravan. Ray Cuffs had a similar vehicle KDB696 and
JBO124 was possibly not owned by Chris Knubley. KDB is preserved.
|
JNT252E
|
PM Photography
JNT252E in Brutonian
yard in c74
|
Ian Trotter
JNT252E
at Yeovil Bus Station on Route 10 in c75
|
Michael
Wadman
JNT252E in Dorchester
on Route 9 in 75
|
Michael
Wadman
JNT252E
in Wincanton on Route 8 from Salisbury in 76
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 7
·
66
New to Phillipson of Goldthorpe
Rotherham trading as Dearneways in 66 as LWY820D and not operated
·
Apr
67 Acquired by Whittle Highley who
re-registered it as JNT252E
·
Feb
68 Acquired by Wakes, Sparkford
·
Nov
73 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Jan-78
Acquired by Kingsforth (dealer),
·
Apr
78 Acquired by Thistle, Doncaster
·
Apr
79 Withdrawn and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B53F
·
Chassis
Bedford VAL14
·
Body
Willowbrook (Duple Midland) CF1111
|
Information
JNT was
originally delivered to Phillipson of Goldthorpe Rotherham trading as
Dearneways in 66 as LWY820D. (Not Phillips of Shiptonthorpe which was a
different operator). Phillipson didn't use the vehicle and it was sold
to Whittle of Highley in Apr 67 who re-registered it as JNT252E.
Although JNT has a Willowbrook body, the badge on the radiator grille
is definitely a Duple badge. The PSV Circle show it as Duple Midland.
Wake's bought it to replace the last Wake's double-decker LYA449 an AEC
Regent III with Reading L27/27R bodywork which was withdrawn in Jan 68.
The Bedford VAL had 53 seats the decker 54! Although there were many
coach bodied VALs bus bodied examples were comparatively rare. With the introduction of
one man operation on the main route from Yeovil to Shepton Mallet when
the double deckers were finally withdrawn in 68, the usual vehicles to
be found on this service was JNT252E. The second bus was usually one of
the two dual-purpose VAMs with Willowbrook bodies, FYC 126/127C.
In
72/3 two Wakes Bedford YRT/Willowbrook bus-bodied 57-seaters took over
the main route (NYC 824L and PYB743L). This was always a busy route and
hence the bus size was increased. This is when Wakes disposed of JNT to
Brutonian in Nov 73. They kept FYC126 and 127C for several more years,
both appearing on the 78 fleet list. 126 was later acquired by Tony
Gantley of Cranmore in Sep 81 was still running it in 88. 127 was later
acquired by Peter Smith, Garnswllt near Ammanford then onto Eltys,
Maenclochog in West Wales.
|
BND877C
|
Ian Trotter
BND877C
on Route 12 around Shaftesbury cJan 75
|
Ian Trotter
BND877C in early 75 on
the yard ramp that was originally used to unload cattle rail trucks and
before the workshop was built
|
Ian Trotter
BND877C
at the Bus Rally Weymouth with YYB118 in 75
|
Martyn
Hearson
BND877C Brutonian Yard
c80 (217UYC behind BCK367C left)
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 8
·
Apr
65 New to Manchester Corporation
·
?
Acquired by Conway Hunt, Ottershaw, Chertsey, Surrey
·
Nov
74 Acquired by Brutonian Bus Co
·
Jul
79 Withdrawn
·
May
82 Disposed to Warren (breaker), Castle Cary and scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B43D
·
Chassis
Leyland Panther Cub
·
Body
Park Royal
|
Information
BND877C was another
vehicle that clearly needed work, having been the work horse on the
Route 12 to Shaftesbury at the hands of John (Jack) Holland for several
years. Jack always wanted it back and cursed the best bus in the fleet
CYA 181J, which he had been given instead. Whether Chris Knubley or
Jack Holland ever wanted BND to run again, it never did, possibly it
needed a new gearbox. It was one of many buses that cluttered up the
yard, before the yard became too full and it was disposed of in mid 82.
In summer
1975, BND877C and YYB118 were entered into the Weymouth bus rally just
after they had been painted in the Brutonian livery, well almost! They
left the window surrounds white instead of painting them cream, perhaps
for speed.
The Leyland
Panther Cub, couldn't really be described as one of that great
manufacturers better, or more successful products, but in the hands of
independents, it, and many other less reputable types could be made to
perform acceptably. The Panther Cub was as its name suggests a smaller
version of the Panther, powered by a rear horizontal Leyland 400 series
diesel.
|
YYB 118
|
Ian Trotter
YYB118 in
service running in Tor Coaches colours cJan 75
|
PM Photography
YYB118 at Weymouth Bus
Rally summer 75 with BND877C
|
Nick Webster
YYB118 at Poveys
yard, Slough before full restoration started in 04
|
Paul Welling
YYB118 undergoing
restoration Oct 09
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 9
·
Aug
57 New to Hutching & Cornelius South Petherton, Somerset
·
Sep
74 Withdrawn and acquired by Tor Coaches, Street and painted
·
Nov
74 Acquired by Brutonian Bus Company in exchange for 5399TF (Tor
Coaches wanted it for spares)
·
Oct
76 Withdrawn and parked up
·
By
Apr 80 Sold for preservation to Povey, an enthusiast in the Slough
area
·
04
full restoration was not completed and it was acquired by Nick Webster
·
10
Full restoration is ongoing
|
Technical information
·
B42F
·
Chassis
Dennis Lancet UF chassis number 160LU2
·
Body
Harrington
|
Information
YYB118 started life with
Hutching & Cornelius in South Petherton, Somerset, who had favoured
Dennis since the thirties. YYB 118 was the middle of another batch of
three in August 1957 when the firm switched to Harrington bodies. YYB
117 had full coach seats and they all had steep steps. Apparently YYB
118 was the last UF remaining in service on withdrawal in Sep 74. Tor
Coaches of Street acquired it and painted it before it was swapped with
Brutonian Bedford VAL 5399TF.
YYB118 had been waiting
for full preservation from 1976-2004! The real preservation has started
in 2009, some 33 years after it was withdrawn from service by
Brutonian! The other Brutonian Harrington bodied bus similar to YYB was
217 UYC, although YYB is six years older in design. By 1981 the bus had
been withdrawn and sold for preservation to an enthusiast in the Slough
area. Although the window rubbers were changed, full restoration was
not completed and the bus was stored outside and not used until 04 when
it joined the TH Collection, owned by Nick Webster.
Full restoration is
ongoing in 2010 and it is hoped it will be completed in 2011/12 in the
original H&C livery.
|
YLX76
|
PM Photography
YLX76 derelict in
Brutonian yard in c75 (YNN773 left, TET166 right)
|
History (not allocated
a Fleet Number)
·
60
New to Glenton Tours, SE14
·
?
Acquired by Bryant, Bristol
·
Dec
74 Acquired by Brutonian and used for Spares only
·
By
Jun 79 Disposed of and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
C41C
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance 2MU3RA
·
Body
Plaxton
|
YNN773
|
Ian Trotter
YNN773 at Yeovil Bus
Station on Route 10 cApr 75
|
PM Photography
YNN773 on the
Brutonian ramp in c75
|
R Marshall
YNN773 at Brutonian
yard late 75 (RWV548 left, TET166 right)
|
Ian Trotter
YNN773 off to the
scrap yard Apr/May 78
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 10
·
58
New to Barton
·
Mar
75 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Jun
76 Withdrawn
·
Apr/May
78 Disposed of to? Towed away and presumed scrapped
|
Technical information
·
C37F
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance MU3RV
·
Body
Alexander
|
Information
YNN773
didn't last long in service, despite being painted (14 months). It sat
at the front of the yard for several years and in summer 78 two PMT
Daimler Roadliners arrived to take up the same slots at the front of
the yard. So it is likely it was being towed for scrap, presumably in
need of expensive repairs. The wrecker may be from either the local
breakers at Castle Cary, unless someone bought it for a private fleet
or potential restoration. TET 166 may have been
disposed of along with YNN 773.
|
771NJO
|
PM Photography
771NJO being prepared
for painting in summer 76 (BND877C right)
|
R Edworthy
771NJO in Brutonian
Bus yard in summer 77
|
Ian Trotter
771NJO in Brutonian
Bus yard in mid 79 (YYB118 right)
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 11
·
62
New to City of Oxford
·
?
Acquired by Irvine Law
·
Sep
75 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Dec
78 Withdrawn
·
Aug
79 Scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B53F
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance 4MU4RA
·
Body
Marshall
|
Information
771NJO was scrapped to
make room for other new acquisitions CYA181J, WYD928H and GAX5C. Not
to mention the temporary loan of Leyland National NFR558T, which was a
demo bus. Apparently Chris Knubley was not keen on Marshall bodied
buses.
|
OVL495
|
Derek Persson
OVL495
in Motcombe heading to Shaftesbury in Jun 77
|
R Marshall
OVL495 in Brutonian
yard in 80 (CYA181J rear, KEH452D left)
|
Tim Jennings
OVL495
leaving Somerbus at Easton Grey for Basingstoke to General Railway
Transport & Museum Society in c89
|
Ian Trotter
OVL495 being converted
to a half cab in 90
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 12
·
Jun
60 New to Lincolnshire Road Car Company Limited, Lincoln (2486)
·
75
Withdrawn
·
Jun
76 Acquired by Passenger Vehicle Spares (Barnsley) Limited, Barnsley
(dealer)
·
Aug
76 Acquired by Brutonian Bus Company (12)
·
Jun
82 Withdrawn
·
Oct
87 Acquired by Wacton, Bromyard (dealer)
·
Nov
87 Acquired by Tim Jennings of Somerbus, Midsomer Norton
·
90?
On loan to group in Basingstoke to convert to half cab
·
Oct
90 Sold for scrap to PVS Barnsley
|
Technical information
·
B35F
·
Chassis
Bristol SC4LK
·
Body
ECW12015
|
Information
OVL495 was a rattly and
slow vehicle. As passengers entered the door past the front wheel, the
driver had to turn round and take fares across the engine arch. It was
often used on Route 2 for the Evercreech Unigate workers. It was
generally a reliable bus and rarely and remained in and out of service
with Brutonian far longer than most vehicles (11 years).
Lincolnshire
Road Car, Eastern Counties and Crosville used Bristol SC4LKs mainly in North Wales. With their 3.8-litre
Gardner 4-cylinder LK engines, a design dating from 1935, they were not
exactly overpowered! Lincolnshire Road Car had 20 Bristol SC4LK,
which were apparently coaches to start with before being replaced with
bus seats in 1970. They were fitted with a
gear change gate that was upside down compared to normal.
It was sold
to Martin Perry of Wacton in Oct 87 but it never reached Bromyard as it
was purchased by Somerbus in Nov and moved directly from Bruton to
their yard at Easton Grey, near Malmesbury, Wilts (near Sherston). It
went on loan-term loan to the group in Basingstoke called the General
Railway Transport & Museum Society, who started converting it to a
half-cab. But it seems that the group ran out of money, the neighbours
and the council ran out of patience and wanted the vehicle moved, and
with Somerbus''s agreement it was sold for scrap in Oct 90.
|
NJW709E & NJW719E
|
Ian Trotter
NJW709E
at the yard cOct 81
|
Michael Wadman
NJW709E at the yard in
c81 (KEH452D left, OVL495 right)
|
Martyn Hearson
NJW719E, GAX5C left
BCK367C right (persevered) c79
|
Paul Welling
NJW719E at the Wythall
Transport Museum in Jan 10
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Numbers 13 (719) and 24 (709)
·
67 Both new to Wolverhampton Corporation
·
75
Withdrawn and sold to Heyfordian of Oxfordshire
·
Jan
78 719E Acquired by Brutonian from Barwick, Barlow and 709E was
acquired by Stevenson of Spath
·
Sep
81 719 entered preservation, having never been run by Brutonian and
swapped for 709E
·
May
82 709E withdrawn and scrapped along with BND877C
·
Mar
83 719E Passed to the Transport Museum Wythall, Worcestershire
|
Technical information
·
B54D
·
Chassis
Daimler Roadliner SRC6 (719) AEC Swift MP2R
(709)
·
Body
Strachans
|
Information
NJW719E was never
operated by Brutonian and was swapped with 709E, which was an AEC Swift
rather than a Daimler Roadliner. 709E was run for a brief period to get
Brutonian out of a fix after the damage to YRT896H. It went to the
breakers yard at Castle Cary, along with BND 877C and the old Brutonian
tow truck.
NJW719E is the most known about survivor
from the Brutonian fleet and a very different story
to 709E, as it has been fully restored and is now kept with over 90
buses at the Transport
Museum, Wythall, Worcestershire. It is now back in its
original Wolverhampton livery but its restoration would not have been
possible without the help of Cummins who, at no charge to the museum,
completely rebuilt the engine to first class condition. It also
appeared as an exhibition bus at the Expo at the National Exhibition
Centre, Birmingham in 08.
Existing under-floor
engine buses had high entrance steps causing operators to call for
designs with rear engines under the floor thus maximising capacity,
often with a standee area. Most of these early designs were unreliable
including the Daimler Roadliner, introduced in 64. The powerful Cummins
V6 engine drove a conventional rear axle. Transmission comprised a
fluid flywheel and semi or fully automatic gearbox. So immediate were
the problems that beset the vehicle type that orders soon began to be
cancelled and the model was dropped after the Leyland Group takeover of
Daimler. Roadliners generally ran only short lives with their original
operators and are now very rare. Wolverhampton bought six in 67, 719
was one of the last when withdrawn in 75.
|
|
|
|
YRT896H
|
Keith Newton
YRT896H at South
Cadbury in March 1980
|
Ian Trotter
YRT896H
at Salisbury on Route 8 c79
|
Paul Welling
YRT896H
Aug 1980 being prepared for mobile t-shirt making!
Note the
windows boarded up after the accident on the offside
|
Ian Trotter
YRT896H after it
returned to Brutonian in 84
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 14
·
69
New to Lowestoft
·
Jan
78 Acquired by Brown, Motcombe (Shaftesbury and District)
·
Feb
78 Acquired by Brutonian Bus Co
·
Jul
80 Damaged beyond safe repair, taken out of service, stripped and
turned into a mobile home and t-shirt printing vehicle by a husband and
wife team from Mere
·
Apr
83 Tax disc ran out and the business collapsed in early 84
·
May
84 Returns to the Brutonian yard and parked at the very back as a
seat store
·
Oct
87 Scrapped through Wacton, Bromyard
|
Technical information
·
B45D
·
Chassis
AEC Swift 2MP2R
·
Body
ECW
|
Information
The Swift was not a
reliable vehicle and was often in the workshop being repaired. One
Saturday night after the Yeovil route 10, Brutonian driver Gordon Tozer
pulled out from the end of Bruton High Street and caught the
scaffolding outside the Old Post Office, which was being renovated in
80. A key structural pillar between two windows was snapped, taking the
bus out of public service. The seats were stripped out and a husband
and wife team bought it to use as a mobile home/t-shirt printing
business. Much of the fitting out was done in the Brutonian workshop.
78-79 was a
good year for the fleet as they had three buses under ten years old
(CYA181J and WYD928H the other two), as most vehicles were about 15
years old. This was one of the few buses to have the semi-automatic
gearbox.
The t-shirt printing business in Mere that collapsed in Jul 84 and the
as the tax disc ran out in Apr 1983, it was probably static before
that. In 84 it returned to the Brutonian yard to occupy the very back
position and was used to store seats . In 86 it was part of the
Brutonian vehicles sold to Tony Tucker of Air Camelot and in 87 it was
scrapped along with several other vehicles at Bromyard through Wacton.
Lowestoft
had ten AEC Swifts in total, all bodied by ECW:
1-4YRT 895-8H
13-16 GRT
862-5J
17/18 NRT
564/5L
YRT898H is in
perseveration in full original Lowestoft livery at the East Anglia
Motor Museum.
The AEC Swift was a rear-engined
single-deck bus chassis built by AEC between 1964 and 1974. The chassis
frame was the same as the Leyland Panther (similar to Brutonian
BND877C). It was available in 33' and 36' lengths, with an AEC AH505 or
AH691 engine. The design was suitable for driver-only operation which
helped bus operators to relieve the problems of labour shortages and
costs, and became one of the alternatives to the traditional British
double-deck buses (operated by a driver and conductor, such as the
London Routemaster). British legislation prevented driver-only
operation of double-deck buses until the late 1960s.
|
KEH445D
|
Martyn Hearson
KEH445D Out of service
at the front of Brutonian Yard c79
|
Paul Welling
KEH445D being stripped
of seats in Jul 80 (AOR379C right)
|
Paul Welling
KEH445D broken down
enroute to Taunton Test Station Aug 80
|
Dave Godley
KEH445D before being
scrapped in Jan 83
|
History of Fleet
Vehicle Number 16
·
66
New to Potteries Motor Traction
·
?
Acquired by Hamlett, Middlewich
·
Oct
77 Acquired by Rees (Lands End Coaches), St Just, Cornwall
·
Jul
78 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Aug
80 Stripped and sold for conversion to a kitchen display unit
·
Jan
83 Returned to Brutonian and scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B50F
·
Chassis
Daimler Roadliner SRC6
·
Body
Plaxton
|
Information
KEH445 and 452D are the
first example of Chris Knubley buying buses in twos. He hoped if he
bought two, at least one would be roadworthy and the other would end up
acting as the spares vehicle for the runner. For this pair, the story
was pretty grim: neither were ever operated. 445 was in better
condition of the two and was mainly used as a store. In summer 80,
someone wanted to buy 445 and Andy Heywood, the fleet mechanic, was
tasked with getting the bus roadworthy. Gordon Tozer and the other
drivers, such as Clive Greenway stripped the seats out whilst Andy did
his best to weld a serviceable exhaust system in place. Chris Knubley
was not impressed with the welding and was standing in for the haulage
firm (Jeffries) on the other side of the railway line. Needless to say
when Andy took the bus for MOT in Taunton it broke down on the A30,
causing massive tailbacks. And who was in the tailbacks? Chris Knubley,
who was driving a lorry with a load of hay; he was not impressed! The
bus finally passed the MOT and went to be kitchen display vehicle.
It was never converted
and for some reason ended up back in front of the yard in Jan 83 having
been towed and looking ready to go to the scrap yard, where it probably
should have gone originally in 1980!
B & D
Rees acquired the garage (and coach) in Aug 73 and quickly purchased No
2, a VAM14 with rare MCW body. No 3 was the ex Devon General Nimbus
XTA838. In Aug 75 they acquired a Commer Harrington minibus and then a
Bedford J2 Plaxton Consort. The Lands End Coaches name started to
appear when they acquired their first Roadliner in May 76. This lasted
18 months before disappearing over the cliffs near Mousehole. KEH445D
was their second Roadliner and was sold to Brutonian after 9 months,
followed by the Nimbus at the beginning of 79. The company ceased
trading in May 80, by that time they only had a Commer.
|
KEH452D
|
Martyn Hearson
KEH452D in Brutonian
yard in 79
|
History (not allocated
a Vehicle List Number)
·
67
New to Potteries Motor Traction
·
?
Acquired by Walkers of Anderton (Northwich)
·
Jul
78 Acquired by Brutonian
·
?
82 Scrapped
|
Technical information
·
B50F
·
Chassis
Daimler Roadliner SRC6
·
Body
Plaxton
|
Information
KEH452D was only ever
used as a store for old bus components, seats, etc. It was in a purply
blue and white livery. The driver's
windscreen may have been used for WYD928H, which suffered some front
end damage in 79. KEH452D, may have only ever have been bought as a
donor for the two other Daimler Roadliners in the fleet at the time,
NJW719E and KEH445D, both of which also never ran!
|
497ALH
|
Ian Trotter
497ALH at Yeovil Bus
Station on Route 10 c80
|
Derek Persson
497ALH in Dec 84 in
Salisbury
|
Michael Wadman
497ALH in Brutonian
yard in 83
|
Ian Trotter
497ALH at Yeovil Bus
Station on Route 10 c85
|
History of Vehicle
List Number 15
·
Sep
60 New to London Transport Aldenham on 322, 322A Hemel Hempstead
·
Jan
61 Transfer for 427, 437, 456 Addlestone
·
Jun
61 Transfer to Reigate used on 440
·
Nov 61 Transfer as trainer to St.Albans service on 355
·
Aug
62 Transfer to Stevenage
·
Sep 62 Transfer for 333, 333B Hertford
·
Nov
62 Transfer for 333, 333B
·
Jun
63 Transfer for 322, 322A Hemel Hempstead
·
Oct
63 Withdrawn and stored at Hemel Hempstead then stored at Garston
·
Dec
63 Acquired by Chesterfield Corporation, #20
·
Dec
77 Withdrawn
·
Apr
78 Acquired by Brown of Motcombe (Shaftesbury & District), and
sold onto Brutonian Bus Company #15. Remained in green livery
·
Aug
80 Withdrawn
·
Aug
82 Repainted and re-licensed
·
Oct
87 Acquired by Wacton (Bromyard)
·
Feb
88 Acquired by Brown of Motcombe (Shaftesbury and District)
·
Jul
88 Acquired by Norman, Wallington, Surrey, for preservation
·
Feb
89 Acquired for preservation D Smith and T Cole, Epping (remains
stored in a shed partly restored)
|
Technical information
·
B42D
·
Chassis
AEC Reliance 2MU2RA
·
Body
Willowbrook
|
Information
497ALH in 80 was a
scruffy looking bus, because it badly needed painting, although the
interior seats were in good condition. Something went wrong with it and
it was parked up for a year before it was repainted in 82 and brought
it back into service. Two things were unusual about the design of this
bus, the middle door wasnt really needed and the windows on the side
roof were an unusual feature. This is however a truly remarkable bus!
It was an experimental bus for London Transport and one of three that
was built. They only ran it for 3 years before selling it. Two of the
three buses still exist and have their own website.
Shaftesbury
and District were buying ones and twos of ex-council buses in the 70s
by tender and 497ALH went to Brutonian via them. They also bought
YRT896H and sold it onto Brutonian.
London Transport's
purchased 495/6/7ALH to investigate aspects of fleet renewal. The
Country Area RFs were not going to last forever and thought was being
given to a bus successor. The opportunity was seized to investigate
dual door layouts when Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport ordered a fleet of
small Reliance buses from AEC/Willowbrook. LT placed a follow-on order
for three.
The AEC Reliances had a
7.7 litre AH470 engine hung on the chassis. Transmission was through a
Monocontrol gearbox like that on the RMs. The body was 8 foot wide with
a dual doorway: an entrance at the front and an exit half way down.
There was an emergency exit door at the offside rear, another departure
from the long-standing London practice of central rear doors. This gave
shorter windows than the standard BET body, and an odd little window at
the back of the offside. The roof had quarterlights: five on the
offside, three on the nearside avoiding the central door. The spacing
of these matched the normal BET window spacing, so they did not line up
with the windows below. Livery was standard London Lincoln green, but
with pale cream relief applied as a broad band below the windows.
During the trial over
three years they spent short spells at a number of garages, all three
staying together except when one went ahead for type-training. They
went to Addlestone, Reigate, St.Albans, Hertford and back to Hemel
Hempstead. Nowhere were they received with anything approaching
rapture. Overheating was a problem, the engine, fluid flywheel and
gearbox being mounted as a group rather than separately. Also the crews
disliked having to supervise the distant central doorway, and found
difficulties with dual doors when stopping in tight spaces in rural
lanes. The experiment was drawn to a close in 63, all three being
withdrawn together from Hemel Hempstead and placed very briefly into
store at Garston before their departure to Chesterfield Corporation.
RW1 (495ALH) was scrapped, RW2 (496) was preserved in 77 and RW3 (497)
went for further service with Brutonian before also being preserved.
|
TRN769
|
Ian Trotter
TRN769 at the back of
the Brutonan yard cFeb 79 next to MMR552 (now fully restored)
|
Martyn
Hearson
TRN769
next to CYA181J being prepared for painting Jul 79
|
Michael Wadman
TRN769 at Yeovil Bus
Station in 79 (possibly WYD928H right)
|
History of Vehicle
List Number 17
·
64
New to Ribble
·
Oct
77 Acquired by Tillingbourne Valley, Gomshall
·
Dec
78 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Sep
79 Acquired by Rev David Green at
Weymouth (dealer) and swapped with 8087TE, before being sold onto Tally
Ho! of Kingsbridge, Devon
·
Mar 83
Withdrawn by Tally Ho!
|
Technical information
·
DP49F
·
Chassis
Leyland Leopard PSU3/1RT
·
Body
Marshall
|
Information
TRN769 was
the only dual purpose vehicle Brutonian ever operated in 19 years. The
front grille was changed in its time with Ribble. We dont know what
happened beyond being sold onto Tally Ho!
|
Brutonian Loan Vehicles
MOD952
|
2
Ian Trotter
MOD952 at Gillingham
on 4 Oct 74
|
PM Photography
MOD952 outside Bruton
Station in Oct 74
|
History
·
Dec
52 New to Western National Omnibus Company Limited, Exeter (1661)
·
Mar
62 Converted to B41F OMO
·
71
Out of service with Western National Omnibus Company Limited, Exeter
(1661)
·
Jun
71 Acquired by Tillingbourne Bus Company Limited, Guildford
·
Jul
71 Acquired by F G Wilder & Son Limited, Feltham
·
Jul
74 Withdrawn
·
Jul
74 Acquired by R S Brown, Motcombe (Shaftesbury and District)
·
Sep
74 On loan to Brutonian Bus Company, Bruton
·
Nov
74 Returned
·
Dec
74 Withdrawn
·
Dec
74 Acquired by Commando Industrial Cleaners Limited, Warwick
(contractor)
|
Technical information
·
B41F
·
Chassis
Bristol LS5G
·
Body
ECW B45F
|
NAM995
|
Michael Wadman
NAM 995
in 76
|
David
Mant
NAM995 operated by
MacPherson of South Newton in Wilts at Toton railway depot in
Nottinghamshire on 21 Apr 68
|
History (not allocated
a fleet number)
·
Nov
55 New to?
·
?
Acquired by MacPherson of South Newton in Wilts
·
?
Acquired by Moore, Shaftsbury (non-PSV)
·
Jun
76 Acquired by Brutonian
·
Aug
76 Withdrawn
·
By
Jun 79 Disposed
|
Technical information
·
C38F
·
Chassis
Bedford SBG (Petrol-engine)
·
Body
Duple
|
Information
This coach was acquired
from a non-PSV operator in Shaftesbury as a stop-gap. A very unusual purchase for Brutonian and
apparently acquired from a non-PSV operator in Shaftesbury who ran into
trouble with their licence and it may have been acquired cheaply for
spares or as a stop-gap during a vehicle shortage.
|
Brutonian Recovery
Vehicles
Ian Trotter
|
Peter
Seawood
OMR877G
Bedford recovery van
|
|