United Welsh Services
1959
Bristol Lodekka LD6G
ECW H33/27RD – O33/27R (1991)

This vehicle was built for United Welsh in 1959 with ECW body, and it worked on routes in Gower. In 1969 when United Welsh merged with South Wales Transport it became 916, and in 1974 it was converted to a tree lopping vehicle. In 1991 it was acquired by the 447 Group and restored as an open topper, and registered as ACY 178A, then ACY 307A its original number having been transferred to a National Express coach. The registration number was later transferred back to this vehicle which was then bought by the SWT Group in 2010. It is seen at the Barry Island event in June 2013 although it was not in service.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ken Jones

15/07/13 – 14:44

In response to the subject of open toppers, here’s a very extreme one. Poor old once-proud Lodekka, subjected to such ignominy. I don’t know any history of this vehicle. Perhaps somebody can tell us more. I don’t know who took the photo either, it’s just a print that has been in my spares box for many years.

David Rhodes

16/07/13 – 08:01

An open-staircase, frilly-hatted Lodekka toastrack! Looks as though the platform’s been shortened by a foot or so, too. Must have knocked a few hundredweight off the UW. In a way I agree with David R that this LD has suffered ignominious treatment, but it’s all done with such style that I can forgive them!

Ian Thompson

17/07/13 – 07:13

You get the impression that the toastrack is about to set out on a Kenyan safari. All very Colonial-looking!

Chris Hebbron

Brighton, Hove & District
1941
Bristol K5G
ECW O33/26R

This vehicle has appeared before on this site in a rather good April fool joke. New to Bristol Tramways as fleet their number C3315 it was sold to Brighton, Hove & District in 1955 as their 992 who reputedly carried out the conversion to open-top. Later sold to Thomas, Port Talbot, then to Bristol Omnibus and thence Badgerline. Then after a stint with First Bristol and First Somerset & Avon it was loaned to the Bristol Vintage Bus Group in Bristol.
Standing aside is GHT 154 another K5G with a H30/26R Bristol body it was new in 1940 to Bristol Tramways and had fleet number C3338. It also is in the care of the Bristol Vintage Bus Group. 
Both vehicles looking great at the Bristol Running Day 2011.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson

12/07/13 – 08:04

These are examples of Bristol Tramways’ large tram replacement programme, in which 272 new K5Gs entered service between 1938 and 1941 for Bristol Joint Services.
Bristol’s own body works could not meet the demand and ECW supplied bodies for 78 of these buses.
BH&D must have been responsible not only for the open top conversion of GHT 127 (and five others) but also the fitting of the more modern PV2 radiator, first used in 1946, and the lower bonnet line.

Geoff Kerr

12/07/13 – 12:15

GHT 154, the K5G with a H30/26R Bristol body, is a bus brought back from near-death and is a tribute to those who put in all the hard graft to bring her back to as-new condition.
Rob McCaffrey, in his ‘Transport Illustrated’ blog, mentions a little about its history and also shows a couple of photos of the downstairs inside (click to enlarge). Here’s the link: //transport-illustrated. 

Chris Hebbron

12/07/13 – 22:46

Very sad but here is another one that appears on Ebay every now and then in Arizona. Totally unrealistic asking money for this, offering to a good home would be better. Wish I had the time and the room. I think this is 124.

Mike Pannell

Cardiff Corporation
1964
Guy Arab V 6LW
Neepsend H37/28R – O37/28R (1976)

This vehicle was new to City of Cardiff Transport in 1964 and is now owned by Cardiff Transport Preservation Group having been donated to them in 2008 by the National Museum of Wales. One of 12 Guy Arab V’s fitted with Neepsend rear entrance body it was converted to open-top by Cardiff in 1976 for use on city tour duties along with similar bus 424 which is preserved in Essex . It is seen in service at the Barry Island event in June 2013.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ken Jones 

09/07/13 – 07:41

There are pictures of the different types of Arab Vs owned by Cardiff Transport on Mike Street’s fleet list covering 1964-72,including no. 424 mentioned above.The original maroon and cream livery suit these buses much better than orange and white.For the fleet list paste the following into your browser:-
mikestreet.webplus.net/Cardiff_Bus_Fleet1964-1972.pdf

David Jones

09/07/13 – 11:40

Following its appearance at the Rally, ex-Cardiff 434 was selected to appear at the Rhiwbina Festival (Rhiwbina is a suburb on the northern edge of Cardiff). A lady approached a couple of us who were there with the bus and asked ‘Is this a Guy?’. When we confirmed that it was, she told us that her father had worked for Guy Motors and that she had some photos and documents. Would we like to see them? We most certainly would!

She has now sent me the attached scan of a photograph of Burlingham-bodied Guy coach (28 RRF – or is it 29 RRF? – no. 51 in the Harper of Heath Hayes fleet, very similar to the preserved one that appeared at last year’s Newbury Rally.
The lady tells me that her father was George Edgar Harris (b.1917, d.1980), and that he was appointed manager of the export sales department at Guys in 1948. He was appointed to the board of Guy Motors (Pty) Ltd in 1957, and was a director of Guy’s parent company from January 1958 to about 1960.
The photograph appears to have been taken during a visit by several potential Guy customers from far and wide to the fleet of a regular buyer of Guy Motors products.
As a postscript, I attended the Llangollen Railway’s Classic Transport Weekend on Saturday and was delighted to see ex-Chester Corporation (and now resident of the North West Museum of Transport) Guy Arab IV/Massey arriving to take up its position as one of the three buses on the Glyndyfrdwy-Corwen run. A notice above the front windows upstairs highlighted that it’s now celebrating its 60th birthday. It ran on the service in fine form and is a credit to all concerned.
Guy Motors lives on!

Berwyn Prys Jones

12/07/13 – 12:13

The lady who provided the photograph has sent me some additional information:

I should mention that the bus in my photograph (the one you submitted to the website, “old-bus-photos”), is almost identical to a bus in a photograph on page 79 of Robin Hannay’s book, “80 Years of Guy Motors Limited”. The two buses look as though they belong to the same fleet. They both bear the name “Harper”, but the bus in my photo has the number 51 painted on it, and its number plate is 28 RRF, while the numbers of the bus in Robin’s photo are 52 and 27 RRF respectively. Robin’s photo was taken in 1960, and his bus looks more dilapidated than the one in my photo, which I believe was taken in 1957!

Berwyn Prys Jones

13/07/13 – 08:00

Something about this Seagull has struck me as "wrong" – it just doesn’t look "right" from the front . . . but I’ve not been able to put my finger on it. Until now – I just leaned back at my desk and noticed the OOC Wallace Arnold Seagull in the display cabinet above my desk: the headlights are normally above the front beading, with any spot/fog lights beneath – here they’re mounted much lower down at the same level as the spot lights.

Philip Rushworth

29/04/16 – 06:01

According to the new Burlingham body list published by the PSV Circle (B1002) the Guy is thought to be the very last Seagull Mark III.

Alan O. Watkins