Rowley's Buses of Bignall End

I am David Rowley, son of Bernard Rowley and Grandson of George E Rowley one time of 79 Heathcote Rd. Miles Green. Grandfather ran a bus service as early as 1928 from Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke town centre later extended to Longton. I have some photographs in my possession that I would like to share on this site, they are some of our 30s and 40s buses, Maudsley, Albion and one of unknown origin with solid rear tyres.

The shots are not perfect by any way I know, but if any one can recognise any of the vehicles and supply information about them it would be much appreciated.

David Rowley
10/2011

07/10/11 - 08:48

The penultimate picture in a fascinating batch is most certainly one of the famous Maudslay SF 40 models with Brush coachwork - the streamlined effect being somewhat incongruous with the ominous looking starting handle !! We had one of these splendid vehicles at Samuel Ledgard - its number was CUB 1 - and incredibly the bodywork, much adapted by a local contractor, ended up in the mid 1950s on an ex London Transport "Sutton" Daimler CWA6 HGF 948. "Before and after" pictures of CUB 1 are here for comparison with the Rowley's vehicle.

There has been lengthy comments regarding the vehicles below on my posting at this link.

Chris Youhill

P.S. I think I may have been a little hasty in naming the Rowley's bodywork as being by Brush - on closer examination there are many quite substantial differences. The Ledgard vehicle has one bay more that the other one and is centre entrance for example, and there are many variations in the mouldings, lights etc. Apologies, and hopefully someone may identify the body positively.

07/10/11 - 13:22

"The penultimate one is certainly a Maudslay SF40 chassis. I wondered if it had Burlingham Airflow body, of which I hold a photo, but it is not. The second and third photos are chassis of Albion make.
I cannot identify the first photo’s chassis, but do you notice that the front tyres are pneumatic, but the rear ones are solid! Also, the front/rear wheel diameters are very different! Interesting!
Wonderful photos, David; keep them coming!"

Chris Hebbron

08/10/11 - 05:33

Hello David, and thanks for the wonderful period photos! The first one looks to me to be a Guy B or BB, of circa 1925. Solid plate wheel at the front is unusual though, as Chris pointed out, but some solid tyred Guys did have plate wheels of this type, mainly on smaller chassis, before the adoption of pneumatics. Body and radiator look very "Guy" to me also, the quarter lights being typical of the 1925 period, before the design was cleaned up around 1926. This was a common chassis used by many smaller fleets at this time.

John Whitaker

08/10/11 - 05:37

The PSV Circle fleet history of PMT published in 1968 provides the answers and lot of other detail besides (it is an excellent record of the very complex and varied history of PMT, to my mind a much- neglected fleet). The beauty of the publication is that it includes past vehicles of operators taken over, not just the acquired fleet.
As the Rowley's fleet was quite small, I will list them all:
E 7340 Oldsmobile with B16F body New 1922, sold 3/23
E 7671 Guy with B14F body new 1923 sold 1925
E 8445 Unknown new 1924 sold 6/26
RF 1692 Albion with Lawton B20F body new 1925 sold ?
EH 9208 Daimler with Lawton B32F body new 1927 (ex-Roberts, Hanley in 1927) sold 11/27
RF 3968 Guy 6-wheel (FCX?) with Lawton B35F body new 1927 sold 9/30
VT 7642 Albion PM28 with Lawton B32F body new 1932 sold c1939 to Hollinshead, Kent Green by 1944
BRE 133 Maudslay SF40 with Willowbrook B40F body new 1935 sold 1/50 as caravan
HRE 139 Albion CX13 with Lawton DP35F body new 1939, to PMT as S491, sold 1955 to a Scottish operator, scrapped 8/62
LVT 193 Albion CX13 with Massey DP35F body new 1947, to PMT as S492, sold 1956 to Gaerlochhead Coach Services
NEH 751 Maudslay Marathon III with Metalcraft C35F body new 1949, to PMT as S493, sold 1960 to a Southport contractor
XRE 235 AEC Regal IV with Lawton DP41F body (later DP44F) new 1952, to PMT as S494, sold to dealers 1965
Truly a fascinating fleet, the pick to me being the very unusual Massey-bodied Albion. The loyalty to local coachbuilder Lawton is notable.
Rowley's were taken over by PMT in 1954. Given that list I would identify the vehicles, in order (with the exception of the first on which I can't be sure), VT 7642, LVT 193, BRE 133 and XRE 235.

David Beilby

08/10/11 - 05:41

The last picture shows XRE 235, an AEC Regal IV with rare Lawton B44F bodywork. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/28910542@N05/2855398839/

Roger Cox

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