Old Bus Photos

Bournemouth Corporation – Leyland Royal Tiger – NLJ 272 – 94

Bournemouth Corporation - Leyland Royal Tiger - NLJ 272 - 262

Bournemouth Corporation
1954
Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13
Burlingham B42F

NLJ 272 is a Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13 with Burlingham B42F body, new to Bournemouth Corporation in 1954. She is seen on Southampton Common, while taking part in the Southampton City Transport Centenary rally on 6 May 1979.

Bournemouth Corporation - Leyland Royal Tiger - NLJ 272 - 262

This second view is a close one of the Royal Tiger badge. Compare the Tiger with the ‘fleetname’ on the Ellen Smith Leopard published a while ago! See it at this link

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies


27/05/16 – 06:20

That brings back many memories. These buses were regulars on our ‘school dinner run’ through Winton, in the early 1960s, between two schools. They were a brighter bus than the Park Royal bodied ‘RRU’ versions, but they could be rather warm on hot sunny days, in slow-moving traffic, as the rooflights had no means of shading.

Grahame Arnold


 

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Bournemouth Corporation – Sunbeam – 297 LJ – 297

Bournemouth Corporation - Sunbeam - 297 LJ - 297

Bournemouth Corporation
1962
Sunbeam MF2B
Weymann H65D

This Sunbeam MF2B was one of the last trolleybuses built for operation in the UK, in 1962. In a disgracefully short career, the batch was withdrawn when the system was abandoned in 1969. The livery can only be that of Bournemouth, and the body is by Weymann, to H65D configuration. She’s in the yard at Mallard Road for an open day on 22 May 1983. Note the special “End of Trolleybuses” decoration. The open day marked 50 years since the opening of the trolleybus system.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies


04/09/15 – 07:19

Whenever I see pictures of these vehicles (and the equivalent Hull trolleybuses) with such clean lines, I always think what a pity the AEC Q was not resurrected after WW2, instead of attempting the Regent IV. We may have seen buses as handsome as this in the 1950’s.

Allan White


05/09/15 – 07:17

Beautiful photo of a very attractive vehicle in the lovely Bournemouth livery. You are so right, Allan, in comparing it with the AEC’s 3Q3 Q’s.

BPJ 224
Copyright Ken Glazier

Here is a picture of LPTB’s 1934 Q5 on the open road, showing just how advanced the body styling was, in this case by Weymann, for this innovative chassis.

Chris Hebbron


08/09/15 – 06:56

I grew up with these beauties passing the end of my road, in Bournemouth. They were certainly clean-lined and to my eyes they still look modern. The last batch of MF2Bs with the red seats & cream interiors had an especially light and airy feel to them. However, mechanically the design suffered with weak half-shafts which had not been a problem with Bournemouth’s earlier B.U.T. and Sunbeam designs.

Grahame Arnold


22/02/17 – 07:03

I rode on 297 LJ on that fateful day in May 1969 as a schoolboy. My parents swapped tickets with me so I could ride on the "pretty bus". The final parade started at Bournemouth pier where I had a seat on 301 LJ (which actually was my favourite) As I’m sure you all know, 301 was the last British trolleybus to be built. What a waste!

Tim Barron


22/02/17 – 13:26

The last "proper" trolleybus, Tim. South Yorkshire PTE tried out a Dennis Dominator trolleybus in 1985, but the scheme went no further.

Roger Cox


23/02/17 – 06:41

The Dominator is preserved. www.dennissociety.org.uk/ 
Lots of nice Dennis vehicle photos on their site

John Lomas


03/03/17 – 10:29

You are correct Roger, the last "Proper" trolleybus built in the UK. I had forgotten about the Dennis! I also rode on the last Bournemouth service trolleybus & the last Bradford service trolleybus. Plus I sneaked onto the last/last "proper" trolleybus to move in the UK. The late, somewhat shambolic & no doubt highly illegal run in Thornbury depot the evening the Bradford system closed. (What fun!)
Now, what was the fleet No of the Bournemouth Mf2b I rode on in the Black Country Museum some 12 years ago?

Tim Barron


 

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Bournemouth Corporation – Leyland Tiger Cub – RRU 901 – 264

Bournemouth Corporation - Leyland Tiger Cub - RRU 901 - 264

Bournemouth Corporation
1955
Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1/1
Park Royal B42F

RRU 901 was originally Bournemouth 264 – a Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1/1 with Park Royal B42F body. It started life in Bournemouth 96 with an open rear entrance and front exit with doors in 1955. It was rebodied around 1957 for One Man Operation. It lasted until 1971 when it was sold to Burton on Trent (Maroon and Cream) and then transferred to East Staffs when Burton disappeared. It went into preservation in 1977 and went back to Bournemouth colours. It has had a bit of a chequered life in preservation and was in a sorry state in the early 2000’s.
Around 2008/9 it moved to Scotland where it was extensively re-panelled and repainted in a Western Scottish style livery, which is the way it is currently.
It had an overheating problem at Kirkby Stephen this year, but was in service on the Saturday, and since then the water pump has been removed and found to have been well and truly bodged by someone previously with a metal pin and black silicone mastic. It is seen in resting between duties at Kirkby Stephen West.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ken Jones, with additional information from Malcolm Davies


02/06/15 – 07:15

That livery wouldn’t look amiss in Southport!

Pete Davies


10/06/15 – 09:05

Compare this to Stockport’s Tiger Cubs, built by Crossley to the same basic design. Some have said the Stockport version has more than a passing resemblance to the RF and the Monocoach.

Phil Blinkhorn


12/06/15 – 06:31

RRU 903_1

RRU 903_2

A sister vehicle, RRU 903 is preserved in Yorkshire in Bournemouth Corporation livery. These photos show it in Grassington (in company with a much newer preserved bus, Pennine Dennis Dart R717 YWC) and a rear view at the farm near Skipton where the vehicle is kept. The rear end is very unusual, with the emergency door on the offside. I had the privilege of driving this bus a few months ago. It was the first crash gearbox bus I had driven for many years, and it was a great relief to feel the gears engaging without a "crunching" sound.

Don McKeown


13/06/15 – 06:44

Did this bus (and the rest of the batch) originally have a rear door in addition to the front? This was the normal Bournemouth fashion for many years. Although now clearly removed, it might explain the unusual rear design for the emergency door. A study of the Western SMT liveried bus reveals a similar layout at the rear.

Michael Hampton


14/06/15 – 06:54

NDB 356

Bournemouth did convert it’s dual entrance Tiger Cubs to front entrance as early as 1957 and did the same with the 1951 Royal Tigers later on. The unusual rear arrangements probably result from that change.
For comparative purposes here is a view of a Crossley bodied Stockport Tiger Cub on Park Royal design frames dating from 1958.

Orla Nutting


08/08/15 – 06:57

This batch of buses all had a rear open platform entrance, rather than a second door. The buses didn’t last long in this configuration before being rebodied, hence the "two" windows on the nearside as opposed to the one on the offside. On mine you can still see some of the framework for the steps underneath. This original set up would certainly explain why the emergency door is on the offside.

Malcolm Davies


08/08/15 – 11:39

I am still puzzled about access to that rear corner emergency exit. How would passengers get to use it in an emergency?
Is the rear seat moved forward to creat a gap behind it, or is the rear nearside seat a ‘three seater’ with a space on the offside?
It’s all rather unusual, but an expert with knoweldge of the interior layout will hopefully be able to resolve this puzzle.

Petras409


26/10/20 – 06:33

Close inspection of the picture of RRU 903’s rear suggests the rear offside seat pair is away from the rear end. Presumably, that would facilitate access from the gangway to the emergency exit, with clearances compliant with the C & U Regulations prevalent at the time of modification.

Terry Walker


31/10/20 – 06:26

Thanks Terry. Your suggestion has put my mind at rest. That’s 5 years of uncertainty finally resolved!

Petras409


 

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Old Bus Photos from Saturday 25th April 2009 to Wednesday 3rd January 2024