Jones, Aberbeeg
1961
Leyland Tiger Cub
Weymann B44F

889AAX is a Leyland Tiger Cub from the fleet of Jones, Aberbeeg. According to the Keith Jenkinson book of 1978, she is an OPSUC1/3 from 1959 with conversion to OPSUC1/3T at a later date. The PSVC listing for 2013 shows her without the ‘T’ suffix and says she was first registered in 1961, so she must have been stored for a while. The body is by Weymann, to B44F configuration. We see her in Netley, on her way to the rally on 9 July 1995.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

18/06/15 – 10:50

It’s quite unusual for there to be a significant delay between construction and entry into service. The chassis numbers of these vehicles indicate that construction of their chassis was commenced in late 1958, and most vehicles with similar-age numbers entered service in 1959. The Weymann body numbers similarly indicate 1959 vehicles, but chassis/body numbers were often issued when the relevant bit was ordered, rather than when it was actually constructed, so it’s not possible to draw any firm conclusions there. (Leyland were an exception to this).
The registration AAX reversed dates from 11/60 to 2/61, so it would appear that these vehicles were indeed registered (or possibly re-registered) in early 1961.
BLOTW gives the chassis designation as home-market PSUC1/3 rather than OPSUC1/3, but, either way, it would seem that these vehicles were among the minority of Tiger Cubs to feature epicyclic gearboxes.

David Call

18/06/15 – 16:48

I believe this bus was part of a cancelled export order for Trinidad, which would explain the delay between construction and registration.

Roy Nicholson

20/06/15 – 15:11

Do you mean that it would have taken a while to get the vehicles back from Trinidad? I’m not sure I follow the logic.
I see that I omitted to mention the fact that the batch was of three vehicles, Jones 98-100 (889-91 AAX).

David Call

21/06/15 – 05:56

David, I may be wrong – I usually am! – but I suspect what Roy means is that the vehicles were constructed but never exported, being stored until a buyer was found.

Pete Davies

21/06/15 – 05:57

As originally built the windscreens included push-out ventilators at the bottom, as might be required for hotter climes. These were removed by Jones because, as far as I recall, they were not water-tight.
I presume the order must have been cancelled at a very late stage during bodying (why? – penalties would have to be paid), and that the bodied vehicles then sat around until an operator was prepared to pay for some semi-auto Tiger Cubs . . . and that operator must have been Jones.

Philip Rushworth

21/06/15 – 05:58

Doug Jack refers to these in ‘The Leyland Bus’ – "Three overseas OPSUC1/3’s with Weymann bodywork (B44F) were diverted in 1960 from Trinidad Agencies to Jones of Aberbeeg."

David Williamson

22/10/15 – 07:26

The picture of the Jones tiger cub on the way to Netley rally has me driving it as I was the owner at the time. Regarding the difference in build and going into service was as was mentioned, a cancelled order. Three were left at Southampton docks so I was told. They originally had full length sliding side windows as well as the push out vents in the windscreens.
While at Netley rally, I discovered I had a slow puncture in the front offside tyre, so had to put the spare on. This was of dubious condition as it was on the bus when I bought it. I took it easy on the return journey to South Gloustershire, but as I exited the roundabout at Salisbury collage there was a bang , it had blown. So there we were with no back-up Luckily I had a good few passengers, so we jacked it up intending to put the original tyre on. As luck would have it, another old bus from the rally appeared and the owner offered to take it to a garage and inflate it, so although it was slowly leaking, we got back home safely, albeit with a rather deflated tyre.

Alan Roberts

08/10/18 – 08:52

Alan R, being the owner of 889 AAX in 1995, I wonder if you could confirm that the vehicle had:
1) semi-automatic transmission, with a direct air selector pedestal;
2) a two-speed axle.
Assuming it was indeed two-pedal, this doesn’t appear to have impressed Jones, who continued to specify manual transmissions for vehicles purchased new, even though their operating territory would perhaps have favoured semi-automatic. As for the two-speed axle, these were never as common on semi-auto vehicles as manual, although certainly not unknown.

David Call

Stocker’s of St Margarets
1945
Morris Commercial CV11/40
Stocker C16F

AJD 959 is a Morris Commercial CV11/40 new in 1945. She started life with a van body, which was replaced by Mr Harry Stocker in 1959. The capacity is given as C16F, but should it be FC16F? She’s on Southampton Common, arriving to take part in the Southampton City Transport Centenary Rally on 7 May 1979.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

15/06/15 – 06:12

This is an interesting vehicle, not the only conversion done by this operator who was also a coal merchant. One other similar vehicle also survives, if memory serves. It was quite a challenge for him to build the coach body, I’d hazard, but the result is quite attractive, with, as ever, rear wheel spats improving the look immensely. The lower body front bears some resemblance to some Provincial bus/coach bodies built by Reading & Co.
I view the narrow width of the front axle with some trepidation, recalling the rare times I had to drive one of BT’s Commer/Dodge PB Spacewagons, which dug into the road at every conceivable opportunity, when deviating from the straight and narrow! Dreadful, underpowered vans, which had to be driven, foot to the floor, to even reach 50…… eventually! Driving a desk was more fun!

Chris Hebbron

15/06/15 – 06:12

The F for full front is only used for chassis which were usually bodied as halfcabs. Those which were always full-fronted. e.g. Bedford SB, Albion Victor, are simply C.

Peter Williamson

16/06/15 – 06:54

A handsome vehicle, in sharp contrast to some of the dreadful van-derived minibuses. It seems very long for the seating capacity, was it 2+1 seating?

David Wragg

16/06/15 – 08:19

Thank you, Chris and Peter, for your thoughts. I have found a shot of AJD 959 in later life she’s seen at Duxford for Showbus in the markings of Felix, Long Melford. The date is 28 September 2003.

Pete Davies

16/06/15 – 16:33

I can’t answer your question, David. The figure is as given in the PSVC listing for 2012. There could be a typing error in there (26?) because the back row looks to have 5 seats.

Pete Davies

17/06/15 – 06:53

I am a bit puzzled by the chassis designation of this vehicle. The CV11/40 was a goods model generally of normal control layout, though a similar design, classified CVF, had semi forward control. A few CV11/40 chassis were bodied as small buses/coaches like the example seen in this link:- www.sct61.org.uk/zzlyh285 Was AJD 959 rebuilt to forward control? The normal control machine shown in the SCT link had a 17 seater body, so 26 seats in the Stocker coach would seem to be unlikely.

Roger Cox

18/06/15 – 16:47

This lovely little vehicle visited the Manchester MoT at Boyle St last year (and was at St Helens before that) so I had a chance to inspect its interior. It definitely has 16 seats – I counted them! Does anybody know its current whereabouts? Given its bijoux dimensions it could well be kept at its new owner’s home.

Neville Mercer

20/06/15 – 05:55

Zooming in on //tinyurl.com/pfknpa8 reveals that there are just four headrests showing at the rear, but they are so wide that it must be 2+1 seating. So I suggest (2+1)x4 + 4 = 16.

Peter Williamson

26/11/21 – 06:26

Just come upon this thread. Harry Stocker built 4 coaches on Morris Commercial van/lorry chassis. AJD 959, KAR 20C also a survivor unrestored with Richard Bennett of Dodinghurst, Essex, LNK 304 and DRO 542. all except DRO were forward control. AJD 959 was restored by Stephen Golynia of Felix Taxis, Long Melford and sold to John Crankshaw of Holmfirth in 2010. To my knowledge he is still the owner

John Wakefield

Jersey Motor Transport
1959
Leyland Titan PD2/31
Reading H31/28R

780 JGY is a Leyland Titan PD2/31 with H59R body by Readings of Portsmouth. She was new in 1959, as J 8588, for the Jersey Motor Transport fleet and carries the usual advert for Mary Ann.
Is my eyesight playing tricks again or does the bodywork look a bit "Park Royal"? She’s at Amberley on 21 September 1997.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

12/06/15 – 06:11

Did Readings use Park Royal frames hence the similarity?

Philip Halstead

12/06/15 – 07:54

I’m not aware that they ever did, Philip. They always seemed to plough their own furrow and were quite happy to do one-off orders to an individual design. Granted, this body shape is a bit Park Royal’ish, though. Was this one bus the total order for JMT, of its type? It certainly looks very smart, stylish and airy inside.

Chris Hebbron

16/06/15 – 06:51

The Ian Allan ABC British Bus Fleets ‘West of England’ (May 1964) included details of the JMT fleet and has a photograph of number 27 is included.
The fleet list shows a batch of 5 Reading bodied Leyland Titan PD2/31s. They were numbered 16 (J 1583); 22 (J 8587); 27 (J 8588); 47 (J 1588) and 52 (J 1528). The dates new are given as 1958 (16, 47 and 52) and 1959 (22 and 27). Whether they all looked similar I don’t know.

David Slater

18/06/15 – 06:11

Jersey Motor Transport (JMT) J 8587 (22) and J 8588 (27) were the second batch of Reading bodied PD2/31 Titans delivered to JMT, arriving in June 1959. These were of a 4 bay design, where as the first batch had 5 bays {please see picture of J 1588 (47)}.
No.27 was the last double decker bought new by JMT, ex London Transport RTLs being bought after that.

Also shown is a picture of sister vehicle J 8587 in service in Jersey at The Weighbridge Bus Station for many years the main departure point for JMT services.
The rear of J 1528 (52), one of the first batch is seen on the extreme right.

Stephen Howarth