Luxicoaches
1948
Crossley DD42
Crossley L53R

This shot first appeared on the ‘Do You Know’ page of this web site and thanks to the following contributions I have the following information.

”The Crossley DD42 was ex Chesterfield Corporation. It was sold to Luxicoaches of Borrowash Derby in the 1960’s. When it was with Chesterfield it had an open platform the doors were fitted later by Luxicoaches”.

Trevor Haigh

“The Crossley DD42 decker in lowbridge form was quite a rarity, and Chesterfield’s buses were all of this design, L53R I think.
Only Plymouth and Luton Corporations took the lowbridge type, other than perhaps a few that were delivered new to independents, e.g. Mainwaring’s of Bignell End, whose fleet including a couple of Crossley deckers was acquired by PMT (Potteries Motor Traction) in 1953.
Many of these municipal lowbridge Crossleys did have further owners such as this Chesterfield example with Luxicoaches. Plymouth examples passed to Wesley’s Coaches, Hedingham District, and I think…. Rosslyn of Par. A Plymouth example is now fully restored and preserved in the West of England Transport Collection I believe.

Keith Jackson

Reading also had a dozen 52-seat lowbridge all-Crossley DD42/8s with HOE engine and constant-mesh gearbox. They were with the Corporation from late 1950 to 1967-68, no 95 surviving as a trainer till 1969.
No 85 went on a trip to South Eastern France after withdrawal, and is now undergoing a very thorough rebuild.

Ian Thompson

May be the reason why the ‘Gearless’ Crossley’s were chosen was to be ‘forward thinking and modern’?
As every motor Bus at that time – apart from the Wartime Daimlers – had a ‘Crash’ Gearbox which some Drivers had difficulty using. It could also have been a ploy for drivers to make the change from Trolley-Bus to Motor-Bus easier whilst the two systems ran in tandem. The Atlantean (with it’s semi-automatic gearbox and fluid flywheel transmission) finally replaced the Trolley-Buses in 1963.
If the reliability and fuel consumption figures had been better, C.P.P.T.D. may well have continued with the ‘Gearless Crossley’ up to the start of the Atlantean !!

John

I can remember Reading Corporation Transport No 85 Crossley was in residence in a yard up the Woodcote Road north of Caversham near Reading in 1971. It was looking a little faded- what I could see of it- the owner of the yard was adamant that we weren’t going to get any closer! He didn’t trust teenagers!
The Crossley buses made heavy weather of climbing St Anne’s Hill on the 21 service to Uplands Road in Cavesrsham Heights.Sometimes, I would get on and my friend’s older sister with her friends might be coming back from Westwood School which was always a pleasant surprise- what with the four seats together. Downstairs on the seats one was cautioned to mind your head and also "Children should not occupy seats while adults are standing". I went on a visit to the Mill Lane depot in August 1968- not long before the end of the trolleybuses- there was a 1961 Sunbeam ready to go for scrap- all the numbers and coat of arms painted out- the electric motor had gone, we were told, but it was bought for preservation and survives- the others went to Teeside. Anyway, I was allowed to start a Crossley. Of course, I didn’t have a camera- today all kids have their phones and it would be filmed and shown on YouTube. I think my friends thought I was mad. However, they did post me a nice postcard of Reading- of Broad Street with Sunbeam No 181 -our favourite trolleybus bang in the middle of the shot. 181 still survives and I have the postcard on a board in my kitchen!

Nick Ratnieks

I’m glad to say that Reading Crossley-Crossley 85, which you recall seeing looking in Moodie’s Transport yard just north of Reading, has now been under cover for about 12 years in a bus museum about 15 miles from Reading and is undergoing a very meticulous restoration by Graham Green.

Ian Thompson

06/12/14 – 07:13

Crossley DD42/5 DJY 965 has returned to Plymouth for further preservation with the Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group, during November 2014. It under-took an excellent journey from Cardiff to Plymouth under its own power, and is now stored under cover with many of our other vehicles.

David Hockings

07/12/14 – 08:16

Great news to hear about DJY 965 ! I well remember how much work went into this restoration when at Winkleigh many years ago after it was rescued from a field in Northants ! Delighted its back home , and still runs so well.

Steve Milner

Photograph by ‘unknown’ if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Halifax Corporation Transport and Joint Omnibus Committee
1954
AEC Reliance MU3RV
Park Royal C41C

As it is Sunday again it is another coach, this time an Halifax Corporation AEC Reliance, this coach was bought from Holloway Coaches of Scunthorpe in 1965. But it was delivered new to Bourne & Balmer of Croydon in 1954 I presume they were the only two owners before Halifax. When this coach entered service it was numbered 260 but at the time of this photo it was fleet number 200 so the date of this shot is late 1966 or early 1967 as it was renumbered 256 and rebodied by Plaxton to a C41F in 1967.
The double decker next to this coach by the way is a 1948 Leyland Titan PD2/1 with a Leyland H30/26R body.

The PD2 alongside became Oldham 467 in 1965.

Keith Jackson

The following is from the August 1965 edition of ‘Buses Illustrated’.

AEC Reliance MBY 347 was originally owned by Bourne & Balmer Croydon later used by Timpsons the owners of Bourne & Balmer and latterly owned by Holloway Coaches of Scunthorpe.

Trevor

It was actually bought to provide seats for a duel purpose conversion project, I think it cost £300. Having been in an accident on Standedge or somewhere equally difficult it returned to the body shop at Halifax and was evaluated and they decided it could be reinstated. Surely one of the best bargains EVER, it ran years on contracts, tours, private hires and was rebodied later, good bus, I travelled many miles on it.

Christopher

Photograph by ‘unknown’ if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Felix Motors Ltd (Hatfield) 
1953
AEC Regent III
Roe H31/25R

Felix motors was started in 1921 the company was named after “Felix the Cat” a cartoon character of the time, for some time the cartoon image was used as an emblem on the side of the vehicles. I have seen a photograph on the web somewhere of one of there vehicles showing the Felix logo if I find it again I will update with a link to it.

A full list of Regent III codes can be seen here.

The other Felix company in Derbyshire also used Felix as a logo but were recently threatened with legal action by the film company which owns the rights so it has now been dropped Both Felix companies used similar liveries but the Derby one has as far as I know always used saloons

Chris Hough

Absolutely right Chris – you will find a Willebrew ticket from Felix (N Frost) of Stanley Derbyshire, on the tickets side of the website.

Stephen Ford

06/12/11 – 06:47

I wrote a book about the ‘other’ Felix a few years ago and it would appear that both of company histories shared a similar beginning. ‘My’ Felix started in 1921 and was named after a popular song of the day – Felix kept on walking. The first vehicle R 7831 which carried a cartoon cat emblem over the front window was sold to the above Felix in 1926 (it was suggested that this was why the Hatfield based company was named Felix but I never found any proof of this).
Sadly it has just been reported that Felix (Stanley, Derbyshire) is to cease on 29th January 2012 after being taken over by TrentBarton – the local large bus company. Hope this is of interest.

Paul D Chambers

30/10/12 – 05:57

Felix in Stanley Derbyshire are now showing ‘Black Cat’ on the side, but are run by Trent/Barton.

John Swan

07/10/13 – 17:38

I recall seeing Felix buses in Doncaster but had no idea of the origin of the name. I suppose I assumed it was the proprietor’s name or else the Latin for "happy"!
Early on Felix ran some Leyland Tigers but no others from the Leyland "zoo", being mainly an AEC operator.

Geoff Kerr

08/10/13 – 07:39

Geoff – somewhere, in an article long ago, there appears a magnificent lady driver in WW2 just climbing elegantly into the cab of a prewar Felix Regent in Doncaster. She is dressed in a long white smock and sports a very chic 1930s hat and, if I remember rightly, a long skirt in lieu of the usual slacks.

Chris Youhill

08/10/13 – 12:51

She was clearly ‘doing her bit, don’t ya know! A change from driving the Rolls, what with the fuel rationing!"

Chris Hebbron

08/10/13 – 17:55

Nay Lad, not in them parts….
Actually, if you read Peter Gould’s potted history, its all there. www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/felix.htm  
Notice, too, how buses from them parts seem to have two fog lamps…

Joe