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West Yorkshire Road Car Company 
1951
Bristol LL5G
ECW B39R

The LL was just a longer version of the L with a body width of 7’ 6” the LW that had a body width of 8’ 0” and the LWL was the longer 8ft wide version. This bus went into service at West Yorkshires Harrogate depot in 1951 with a fleet number of 418, it was in 1954 when the new different fleet numbering system came into being and 418 became SGW 1.

A full list of Bristol abbreviations can be seen here

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By looking closely at the wheels of SGW1, it can be seen that they are inboard of the mudguards by quite a distance. This is due to it having an 8ft wide ECW body on a 7ft 6ins wide Bristol LL5G chassis. Quite a few of the ‘Tilling’ fleets operated such vehicles, as it was a way of utilising supplies of the outgoing narrower chassis, whilst taking advantage of the increase in overall vehicle width then recently introduced. The 8ft wide version of this body could be identified by its split rear window – which had a pillar down the centre – as opposed to the single piece version on the narrower body. Still a handsome looking bus though isn’t it?

Brendan Smith

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As I’ve written elsewhere Brendan, in my opinion this design of body, in all its versions, was the finest looking and most practical of any in the "front engined" era – and constructed to the usual high ECW quality as well.

Chris Youhill