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| WEB NEWS 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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In this issue of WHOTT Web News we take a brief look at the Double Deckers and the Bristol RELH. |
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Pangs of nostalgia....as Bert looks
back - With the
celebration of 125 years since the birth of Royal Blue, Bert looks
back in this issue at the last type of vehicle to be delivered in
the traditional Royal Blue livery of blue and cream - the Bristol
RELH/ECW. The Commercial Motor magazine fully road tested one of the new RELH, Royal Blue 2376 before going into service in 1968. Inspired by this road test Bert decided to take a trip on the very same vehicle some weeks later. Boarding the coach at Western National garage forecourt at Wherrytown, Penzance ready for a 08:05 departure to London, with a journey time of 12 hours 24 minutes. Want to read the full story, then become a member and receive our quarterly newsletters. |
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Who's Purchased a
New Double Decker? -
Double-deck buses with the small, independent operators are becoming
more common nowadays but the scene just after the war, and indeed up
to the late nineteen-seventies, was quite different. Finding one in
the West Country then, and particularly one that had been bought
new, was positively rare. Geoff Bruce has trawled through his notes
and plucked out some interesting examples that could be found in the
Western Traffic Area, territory that mirrors WHOTT's interest area,
plus the neighbouring counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. There were no new double-decks recorded in Cornwall or Dorset during the period, although the registration KRL 721 was used to re-register an AEC Regent with Tilling H56R body new to Brighton, Hove and District, which was acquired by Pendennis Motors of Falmouth in July 1948 and had originally been GP 6247. Devon could boast only one new double-deck during this era, that being an all-Leyland PS2/10 with low bridge body. Registered POD 100 in May 1954, it joined the fleet of Greddes of Brixham, trading as Burton Cars. Somerset independents, however, could do a little better with four new double-decks, with Wiltshire having six and finally Gloucestershire having eleven. Full details of these vehicles can be found in the latest edition of WHOTT News. Hutchings & Cornelius Dennis Loline with East Lancs L68R body in June 1958. In June 1973 they had the distinction of being the first independent operator to purchase a Bristol VRT. |
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| VDV 137S - 3 fleet numbers, 5 owners, 7 liveries, 8 fleet names & WHOTT - 937 has had a varied career with various operators and liveries throughout the West Country. Recently acquired by WHOTT for preservation she has now been restored as 937 in Devon General livery. Details of the vehicle were published in WHOTT's News Extra 2. The story of this vehicle continues in the latest edition of 'WHOTT News' with more details of the various livery carried. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Above is some of the many liveries carried by this vehicle. It has now been preserved by WHOTT as Devon General 937. |
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 Plus:Exeter Tramways Centenary Just the Ticket - 6 Archive update Commercial Vehicle Chat Points of View It's in the Blood
PCV 887M operated by Suttons of Cornwall. |
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Would you like to see the full magazine? If so, please consider becoming a Member and we’ll send current year copies right away. Alternatively individual back numbers can be purchased at £2 each by request. Our Shop postal rates apply. |
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© Copyright The West Country Historic
Omnibus & Transport Trust |
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