United Automobile Services
1950
Bristol LL6B
ECW B39R

This bus has been on this website before it was one of the first and I did not research into it as well as I could of done, but as this bus is in the process of being preserved I think I should do it justice. 
This bus entered service with United in 1951 as a LL5G – B39R with a fleet number of BG460. All that coding meant it was classed as a long version of a Bristol L with bus seating and livery, with a 7.0 litre 5 cylinder Gardner engine.
In 1953 (I had 1963 here but from a comment below by David Hudson I was ten years out) it would appear it was re-engined with a Bristol 8.1 litre 6 cylinder engine the seating was reduced to 33 and the class changed to duel purpose making it a LL6B – DP33R with a fleet number of BBE1. At this time I think it would of been re-painted to Cream and Red more or less a reversal of the above shot which was the colour scheme for United ‘Express’ vehicles. 
In 1961 it seems it was re-classed back to a bus I am not sure if the seating was increased back to 39 though (see David Hudsons comment), the fleet number was also changed to BB51 but later that year the the first ‘B’ which stood for Bristol was dropped. The bus must have been repainted back to Red and Cream as the above photo was taken after 1964.
Two years later 1966 it was withdrawn from service with United passing to W Norths Limited, Sherburn-in-Elmet (dealer) between Leeds and York in 1967. Fortunately it was bought by a contractor as a staff bus and not scrapped, I am not sure how long it was with the contractor but eventually it was bought by a private individual for preservation.

Looking along the side of B51, an extra strip of aluminium beading beneath the windows (curving down towards the front) can be seen. This was presumably added by United as extra brightwork, when it was upgraded to express standard and repainted cream and red. On being demoted back to bus duties, and resuming its original red and cream livery, it looks like the beading was simply painted over. West Yorkshire Road Car gave the same treatment to its LS5G express vehicles in later life, when converting them to buses. Shame on both counts that the beading couldn’t have been just left polished as nature intended.

Brendan Smith

When I  was a lad one holiday the family went on service 43 from Leeds to Scarborough. I think the bus was a Lodekka. On our return we joined a long queue at Westwood to return to Leeds. An inspector announced that a bus was going to depart but would be nonstop to Seacroft and Vicar Lane only. The bus came on to the stand and was a West Yorkshire L. The driver must have had a date with a  lady as we literally flew to Leeds. Although this was donkey years ago it has stuck in my mind. Later in my career I drove Bristol Ks at Southend corporation which were on hire from Eastern National.

Philip Carlton

I’m building a 4mm scale layout based in the Northeast and would like a model of this bus (preferably in United livery)
Does anybody out there know of a source?
Thanks,
Trevor Elliot,
Bellingham WA USA

As the present owner of NHN 128, just a few comments on its history. Vehicle converted to dual purpose in 1953, using seats from earlier L6Bs. Fitted with Bristol engine at this time. 1961 re-seated to B39R using seats from earlier vehicles with wooden grab rails. Sold to Buxted Chickens (Ross Poultry) seeing service until 1976. Awaiting restoration following fire damage in 1980s

David Hudson

In answer to Trevor Elliot, Corgi OOC made that model (I have two) I bought them off e-bay, I think I paid about £8.00 each plus P+P

Jimmy

18/12/12 – 07:53

In the early 50’s I was a driver at Scarborough depot seasonal only, but later transferred to Redcar on a permanent basis. I spent many an hour driving up and down Scarborough seafront, but my favourite run was service 58 Scarborough to Whitby and Middlesbrough.
The fleet numbers I remember were BB,BBE,BH,BG. My memory isn’t too good now,but if you think I can be of any help don’t hesitate to ask me.

Robert Robinson

United Automobile Services
1950
Bristol K6B
ECW H30/26R 

Here we have a line up of three United Automobile buses in Scarborough bus station. the one in the centre is as the specification above having a Bristol AVW 8.1 litre six cylinder diesel engine. In 1965 all United double decker buses had the Bristol engine, 20 had been converted from Gardner 5LW engine I think they needed the power of the Bristol engine.
The single decker on the left is a 1965 Bristol SUL4A registration CHN 3C fleet number S3 with an ECW B36F body. I think United only had five of these lightweight vehicles mainly used on lightly trafficked routes. There was two types of Bristol SU the SUS (Small Underfloor Short) and the SUL (Small Underfloor Long) both versions were powered by an Albion 4.1 litre, four cylinder diesel engine and had a 5 speed synchromesh gearbox
The bus on the right or should I say half a bus is a 1956 Bristol LS5G registration 637 CHN fleet number U237 with an ECW B41F body. There is a much better shot of a United Bristol LSG here.

28/10/15 – 13:22

NHN906 was the last surviving Bristol K6B in the United fleet. There were half a dozen of them at Scarborough for many years for use on the town services there. After they were displaced by new FLFs in the mid-sixties, they moved north to Northumberland. BH1 &2 (NHN 901/2) went to Whitley Bay where they were mainly used on the Whitley Bay town service. BH3-6 (NHN 903-6) went to Ashington. When United renumbered their fleet into an all numerical system at the beginning of 1969, there were only two survivors, BH1 & 6 which became 51 & 52. NHN 901 probably never operated with it’s new number. It was still in service in December 1968, but a few days into the new year, I noted that it was parked out of use behind the depot at Whitley Bay. NHN906 at continued for a few more months at Ashington. I occasionally saw it in the 444 from Bedlington to Ashington via North Blyth. It also sometimes appeared as a substitute for an FLF on the Newcastle services. It appears to have been taken out of service in June 1969.

John Gibson

29/10/15 – 06:21

Small correction to the original text. The SU had a five speed constant mesh (not synchromesh) gearbox. Behind the apparent uniformity of vehicle types in the Tilling fleets of the time lay a difference between operators in the engine choice. Some would not countenance anything other than a Gardner in double deck and large saloon orders. Others were happy to accept the Bristol engine which was cheaper to buy and speedier in delivery. Gardners were highly sought after by many manufacturers, and output was not particularly high. In retrospect, it testifies to the ultra conservative iron grip that Hugh Gardner maintained upon the company that production methods barely altered for over 50 years from the introduction of the LW series in 1931. Given the apparent insatiable demand for the Patricroft products, Gardner rested on its laurels, and no real effort to increase output was properly addressed. Back then, the idea that Gardner would ultimately cease to exist was inconceivable.

Roger Cox

United Automobile Services 
1955
Bristol LS5G
ECW B45F

Photographed at the Corner Cafe Scarborough is a bus version of the Bristol LS5G owned by United Automobile, there has been two coach versions on this site before click the Bristol LS link below to view them. United had large numbers of one man operated single deck vehicles as it had many country routes and a lot of countryside between the towns it serviced. Keeping costs down by one man operation and light vehicles like the LS using less diesel meant country routes could be maintained.

A full list of Bristol codes can be seen here.

A full list of United codes can be seen here.

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Lovely to see this excellent picture. United did indeed have many Bristol LS types on country routes before they gave way to the later MW. I have heard it said that wherever you were – from Berwick-on-Tweed all the way down to Bridlington – a United LS was certain to pull up at your bus stop… given time!

Nice also to see the Corner Cafe. It has been a favourite image on Scarborough postcards throughout the decades – nearly always with a United vehicle parked at the terminus nearby! Sadly, when I visited the resort last autumn, the cafe had finally been demolished to make way for a new development of flats. The end of an era indeed.

Dorsetcol