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

Halifax Corporation Transport and Joint Omnibus Committee
1965
Leyland Titan PD2/37
Weymann H36/28F

Here we have one of Halifax corporations work horse Titans on a winters day. If memory serves me correctly they had very good heaters and were usually very warm although they did have a tendency to steam up a bit. Where I lived as a lad was at the terminus of the bus route and in those days the bus would stand there for anything from 5 to 10 minutes depending on its out-bound journey before starting back to town. When the weather was cold the driver would keep the engine running to keep the bus warm and I remember what a fantastic sound the engines of these Titans had on tick-over, very calming. The best sounding diesel engine on tick-over ever in my opinion though was the miniature train that ran between ‘Peasholm Park’ and ‘Scalby Mills’ at Scarboroughs north bay. I am not sure the number of cylinders 3 or 4 and probably water not air cooled but I am fairly sure it was a Lister engine, it could only be described as ‘music to the ears’.

A full list of Titan codes can be seen here.

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I recall nothing warm about the earlier ones, as a kid I would huddle around the Clayton Dewandre heaters on the Regent III’s but buses of the 241-248 variety were way worse than the older vehicles, these later modified titans were better with moquette seating in the lower saloon and I quite liked the Roe bodied ones, but warm – no!

Christopher

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06/10/12 – 07:28

I think this bus is coming from Queensbury through Catherine Slack with Windy Bank on the left. It takes me back to the time when I was without my car for a while when living on the Mountain in Queensbury. The Halifax double decker used to come up through Bradshaw. I remember the bus proudly wearing a plaque to it having been refurbished.

Alex

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06/10/12 – 10:58

Actually it is passing through Cote Hill along Burnley Road, returning from Booth to Halifax. The cottages on the left are at the top of Bairstow Lane, obscured by the bus is the Peacock public house with the Warley hillside in the background.

John Stringer

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If this was anywhere near Queensbury there would be at least a foot of snow not just a few inches, believe me I lived there for a few years. Three months of winter then nine months of bad weather is Queensbury.

Peter

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06/10/12 – 18:49

I too lived in Queensbury from 1967 to 1986 and I got used to the weather until I’d had enough after 19 years.
Thanks for putting me right.

Alex

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07/10/12 – 08:17

Peter, that sums up Queensbury pretty well from my limited experience of Halifax in the mid ‘sixties. Driving a bus up the "hill" was always an experience – not too bad until you got above Boothtown, and then the strength of the wind could be decidedly alarming. In really extreme conditions, with memories still vivid of trams being blown over, the double decks were replaced by saloons.

Roger Cox

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Not to mention the FOG many a time you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. That’s why Percy Shaw of Boothtown invented the Cats Eyes so he could get home from his favourite pub at Queensbury, can’t remember it’s name, that’s an age thing I’m afraid.

Peter

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07/10/12 – 10:00

Peter The pub is the Old Dolphin just outside the the Queensbury boundary at Clayton Heights. I saw him a few times leaving in his Rolls Royce Phantom.

Alex