London Transport
AEC Regal IV
MCW B41F

Here is another of the Uxbridge allocated RF buses, seen in the summer sun of 1971, the year in which UX garage saw the welcome return of these stalwart performers, having lost them previously in 1962 in favour of RT double deckers. RF 334, MLL 971 stands at Heathrow Central on route 223, in the close company of RT 4182, LYF 241, on route 140. I know not the identity of the bohemian gentleman who seems to be reflecting upon the sanity of someone wishing to photograph a bus. Tillingbourne operated five ex London Country RF buses between 1971 and 1973, RFs 233, 254, 595, 680 and 699, and these I drove at weekends. Acceleration from rest in second gear was rather sedate, and the cab was a bit restricted (the RF was 7ft 6ins wide) but the vehicle felt like a true thoroughbred. The RT and RM families suffered the derating of their engines to 115 bhp, but I believe that the RF retained full engine power, which, in the case of the 9.6 litre horizontal A219, was 120 bhp.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Roger Cox

11/12/14 – 06:39

I was once told by the owner of a preserved RF that, according to the drawings in his possession, they are actually only 7ft 4ins wide.

Peter Williamson

Sheffield Corporation
1960
AEC Regent V 2D3RA
Roe H39/30RD

This is July 1974 and South Yorkshire PTE has been in operation for just over three months. The bus looks a little uncared for, no fleetname, no destination and generally a bit shabby. It is at Bents Green terminus of the 81/82 Cross City services. At 14 years old, the bus still exudes an air of quality, these were really smart buses in their heyday when they were used on various B fleet services to Bradway, Low Edges, Castleton etc.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild

08/12/14 – 15:58

This bus would have been an unusual sight on this route in 1974- which may account for the lack of a destination- some lazy crews would not bother trying very hard to find destinations on a strange bus. At certain times of day a bus would have been available in the City Centre to cover for breakdowns etc. – this may have been it.
SYPTE was very slow at repainting the fleet until extra paintshop capacity at Rutland Way was acquired c1980- some vehicles were running around in Sheffield livery until c1979 and looked pretty deplorable at the end.

Phil Drake

09/12/14 – 11:53

I remember these buses from our days in Sheffield Ian. From memory, as you say, they were mainly used on the longer routes outside the city boundary. I seem to remember that they had or were later fitted with saloon heaters and together with the platform doors this made them almost luxurious in the cold weather!

Stan Zapiec

10/12/14 – 06:27

Ian did of course post a photo of 1331 when brand new at Roe’s factory at Leeds. This shows how superb these splendid vehicles looked in their heyday. You can view it at this link.

John Darwent

13/12/14 – 06:34

I would rather have the blue & cream Sheffield livery, even in a poor sorry state, than the horrendous brown & cream.

Andy Fisher

16/12/14 – 06:35

Andy, I agree with you but I don’t know if you’ve seen the Sheffield Volvo B7TL painted in SYPTE brown and cream – it actually looks quite stunning!

Ian Wild

16/12/14 – 10:01

The worst livery was when SYPTE hastily overpainted the blue bands with whitewash to eradicate the Sheffield connection.

Dave Farrier

22/12/14 – 07:40

I am not saying all later brown & cream busses looked bad, just the SCT busses repainted did nothing to enhance the appearance of a wonderful bus. Notice the wheel rim on this one. It seems to be the smaller grooved type fitted to the input of 1959 tram replacement fleet from Roe (not shown outside the factory), not the full chrome ones fitted on the Alexanders & most other forward control busses in the fleet. It also seems to have a blue back wheel. With all the Atlantians in service, they obviously did not care about these older, beautiful busses.

Andy Fisher

25/12/14 – 07:00

23rd, saw a Wrights 08 plate painted in the brown & cream. Pass the bucket!

Andy Fisher

Mansfield District Traction Company Limited
1963
Bristol Lodekka FLF6B
ECW H38/32F

A smart looking Lodekka pictured in Mansfield in August 1968. Detail differences from the THC ‘norm’ were the livery with its larger area of cream and the destination layout. The Bristol BVW engine would no doubt ensure a refined journey on this bus.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild

05/12/14 – 05:52

It’s good to see a shot of a Lodekka in something other than a standard Tilling red or green livery and with a different destination display. It almost gives a taste of what might have been if the Bristol/ECW make had been made available on the open market much earlier than it eventually was. There would have been no need then for the Loline and would we have seen Lodekkas in the liveries of such as Luton, Reading, Leigh, Oxford and Lancashire United and dare we say Aldershot & District. Interesting conjecture.

Philip Halstead

05/12/14 – 05:53

At the time of the photograph, Mansfield District had a multiplicity of starting points for their services in the town, this was one of them, Queen Street. Since then, one bus station has come and gone and Queen Street now runs past the frontage of the new bus station which is a short distance ahead of where this Lodekka was standing.

Chris Barker

05/12/14 – 11:35

No need for the Loline? Perhaps, but, good as the Lodekka was, the Loline was a better bus, and I’ve driven both.

Roger Cox

05/12/14 – 11:36

The link below will take you to some magnificent photos of Mansfield District buses, including one of the slightly later FLF/6G’s. Apart from livery, they look so much nicer when shorn of adverts. //midlandgeneralomnibus.

Chris Hebbron

06/12/14 – 07:10

Is it really on the pavement- because the road is already broken up? Clearly cared for- look at the undented dome. Does the camera lie or was that really the green?
But seriously, did these go to West Riding, post Wulfrunian or were those Gardners?

Joe

06/12/14 – 12:01

Whilst it shouldn’t have been parked there I don’t think it’s on the pavement. It’ll be well close inasmuch as the roadway at the rear was tight. It’s not ‘on stand’. There was a small café just behind the photographer that survived on trade from the busmen. The 101 stand was about 100yds further on. As for the condition of the vehicle, quite normal for this operator. MDT prided themselves during the 60’s / very early 70’s in not sending any dirty or damaged vehicles out on service. That policy was sadly abandoned once ‘leaf green’ appeared in the stores!

Berisford Jones

07/12/14 – 06:13

Chris H: many thanks for the link to the gallery. The Sunbeam Sikh is nothing short of magnificent, and the rake of the steering column brings us back to Lodekkas and Lolines.

Ian T

07/12/14 – 06:15

Nice to see MDT in the spotlight. I recall my first sighting of an MDT bus when I was about 6 or 7 years old, on a walk with my grandma somewhere in the Moor Bridge area of Bulwell. I identified what I thought was an MGO AEC (same style bodywork, same destination display) but it was GREEN where I was expecting MGO blue.
I remember managing to read the "Mansfield District" fleet name and was intrigued by this first (to me) manifestation of a group corporate style. Obviously I later came to understand this local grouping and always treasured the rare sightings of MDT vehicles. I think the photo captures the shade of green rather well, it was lighter than Tilling green, more a sort of apple green but its rarity in the public domain is all the more special.
Local acquisitions meant that the MDT fleet contained some rarities that sister companies like MGO did not possess, but of course these feature in my my long list of pictures I should have taken but didn’t.
The transfers to West Riding to replace Wulfrunians were rear-entrance LDs/FSs as far as I know, but this is one of the eras I need to revisit when I can get my time-machine working properly.
I suspect I am not the only one with this problem?

Rob Hancock