Leeds City Transport

Leeds City Transport

Last week I found an album of old photos on a mart stall at Todmorden. Very interesting find.
Here are a few shots of some Leeds City Transport vehicles, there is no markings claiming copyright.

Roy Dodsworth
11/2015

 

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13/11/15 - 13:32

A very nice find! I can't help but wonder if the photographer took heed of the advert on the side of 5223 NW!

Pete Davies

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13/11/15 - 15:33

A super find Roy, thanks for posting them. They seem to date from the early 1960s and show them using their magnificent full destination blinds. It would be good to discover who was the photographer.
With reference to the Crossley, I confess that I don't ever remember seeing the destination "Hudson Road" used on Leeds buses before. I presume this was a Montague Burton (the Tailor) peak hour working, but from where and via which route did it run?

Paul Haywood

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13/11/15 - 17:11

Looking at the photo of Crossley MNW 720, it has the unpainted engine cover, unlike JUB 727, which unusually for that time, has a painted engine cover!

Richard Watson

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14/11/15 - 06:57

A lovely collection of period pictures Roy, showing LCT in arguably its proudest and best presented form. PUA 673 looks in absolutely pristine condition and, for one example, the metalwork of the sliding windows appears "brand new" rather than cleaned up on overhaul and so could this photo perhaps be taken earlier than the others ??
Could I also ask if your family has any previous connection with the WYRCC depot at Ilkley, in which case I was at Ben Rhydding Primary School with your brother Ernest.

Chris Youhill

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15/11/15 - 07:44

An excellent set of photos. Leeds was always one of the most interesting of the municipal fleets, with it's early adoption of semi-automatic gearboxes, and the large number of rear entrance 30ft double-deckers, and of course, those superb destination blinds.

Don McKeown

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19/11/15 - 06:41

As everyone's said, these are wonderful photos and I'll be visiting that stall at Todmorden when I'm next in the area. Thursday is market day!
I believe they must have been taken on at least two separate occasions.
The photo of 7504 UA is looking along York Street with the tram tracks still in situ, but the overhead gone, following final closure of the tram system on 7/11/59, whereas buildings have yet to be erected attaching to the public house (The Yorkshire Hussar) behind WUA 820. These were in existence, at least, by January 1960.
Insofar as Crossley MNW 720 is concerned, I agree with Paul Haywood's suggestion that the destination would, most likely, be shown on peak extras to Monte Burton's whose main premises were on Hudson Road. I would suggest these would part cover either the 61 or 62 Circular routes which normally traversed that road but I must say I can't remember seeing them myself.

Steve Crompton

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19/11/15 - 11:30

Interesting Steve that you mention The Yorkshire Hussar minus attached buildings as the whole of that side of Eastgate , bus stops as well, is now gone, lock stock and barrel, almost as far as Vicar Lane. The Yorkshire Hussar was subsequently renamed the Tam o' Shanter and finally Hoagy's Piano Bar. I'm not against progress per se, but that area of Leeds is in my view being stripped of all tradition and appeal - and the other side of Eastgate and behind it is also scheduled for the chop.

Chris Youhill

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20/11/15 - 06:51

Thanks for the fine Leeds gallery, Roy. I wonder how long the Crossleys stayed at the Transport Dept, and whether any saw service elsewhere? The MCW Orion version of the Roe safety staircase on the Daimler CVG6 is something I've never seen before; the Orion on the Meadows-engined Wolverhampton Arab IV at Wythall has something nearer to a Birmingham staircase, costing 2 o/s wheelarch seats. To make Chris Y's mention of Hoagy's Bar even more topical, Howard Hoagland Carmichael is This Week's Composer on Radio 3.

Ian Thompson

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20/11/15 - 14:16

Glad you all enjoyed the Leeds City pics. The album contained 84 pics and I have divided them into sections to put on the site when space free.
Chris Youhill, my brother Ernest did go to school with you. My Dad was depot manager at Ilkley WYRCC and at age 11 I drove the first Lodekka round the depot under the guidance of Wilf Spittlehouse! Can anyone beat that?

Roy Dodsworth

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23/11/15 - 11:40

Thanks very much Roy, and on reflection I believe a long while ago that you sent me a picture or two of your Dad as a driver and then as the Ilkley Depot inspector (1960/1 and years either side). His inspecting code number was "I 1" no confusion possible as he was the only inspector based there at the time. He was a perfect gentleman, respectful and immaculately turned out at all times. I can't beat your experience at "having a go" in the first Lodekka but Wilf did let me have a gentle drive in others in the depot occasionally. He had a habit, which I personally did NOT mind but some did, of bursting forth into powerful unaccompanied renderings of nice Methodist hymns - and he really did have a very good voice indeed, always spot on and in tune too. Once when I was a conductor my driver missed and the spare was out so, overalls and all, Wilf propelled me to Keighley and back in SGL 14 and a very spirited perfomance it was too - he certainl knew how to drive properly on the road. They were really happy days at Ilkley, and amarked contrast to my later years working on the Leeds City Transport buses in your super pictures.

Chris Youhill

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24/11/15 - 11:08

Further to my 'driving' a Lodekka, I have found further information, it was DX4 - MWY 113. A friend of mine owns BT models and I persuaded him to use West Yorkshire livery, with those details. So I have a scale model of the bus I 'used' to drive. Model still available on BT website. I also remember seeing at Ilkley depot a front entrance Lodekka, this was on trial but not successful, I think it was swapped for a rear entrance with United. But not sure.

Roy Dodsworth

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25/11/15 - 07:20

What a lovely story about driving the Lodekka Roy, a treat indeed at such a young age. Your Lodekka (DX4) was one of eleven LDs delivered in 1954 (DX3-13:MWY112-122), all being early production models with H33/25RD bodywork. DX3/4 along with DX48 (RWY826) were West Yorkshire's only Gardner-powered Lodekkas, the Company preferring Bristol engines (AVW and BVW) for the type generally, so your drive was more special than you had thought! the trusty Gardner 6LW unit was fitted to DX3/4 from new, whereas DX48 was delivered new with a Bristol AVW engine in 1956. It received one of Gardner's early 6LX engines in January 1959 as an experiment, but actually retained that unit right until the very end. Even then, DX48's spirit lived on as the engine was removed following withdrawal, overhauled and fitted into one of the Series I Bristol VRTs.
Wilf Spittalhouse sounds a real gem, and I am assuming (which can be a mistake on this website!) he would be related to Roy Spittalhouse, as the surname is unusual. Roy worked at Head Office in Harrogate for many years. I did not know Roy personally, but saw him from time to time in the workshops, or in the office buildings. I seem to recall that he travelled in to work from the Otley/Wharfedale direction, hence my assumption.

Brendan Smith

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Thank you Roy for the further information which is most interesting.
DX 4 had been transferred (to Bradford I believe) by the time I worked there but was one of only three WY Lodekkas with Gardner engines - DX 3/4/48. You're spot on about the front entrance Lodekka DX 82 - although I don't know about it being on trial as such as it was with WY a good while at Leeds depot before being sent to United in exchange for their 456 LHN - the latter incidentally being in the initial WY allocation at Ledgard's Otley depot after the takeover.
An amusing little episode involving me conducting, and your Dad inspecting :- As you no doubt recall when the Bradford - Ilkley routes were double decked they had to go on Valley Drive and back out of Ilkley to Ben Rhydding terminus. The official line was that you left Bradford showing "Ilkley" until reaching Burley, when you had to alter the destination to Ben Rhydding - they must have thought that Bradford and Shipley folk would never have heard of Ben Rhydding !! Well we had DX3 on loan for a few days once and, being at Bradford depot by then they're rolls did not have Ben Rhydding on them. Dad boarded at Toll Bridge and politely said "You should have Ben Rhydding on" - I said that I knew this but the roll didn't have such a destination. Well your Dad ascended to the landing on the steps and wound right through the roll end to end before graciously conceding that I was right - I think he was actually slightly embarrassed but without an need.
Sorry I must stop rambling on off the topics, but I'm a self confessed rambler !! Back to the splendid greens of Leeds City Transport, and looking forward to seeing more from your find.

Chris Youhill

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28/11/15 - 13:06

The Crossley photo is in Torre Road Yard. With ref. the Hudson Road destination this could have been short working on the 15/16 service. The Regent on 38 route is at Oakwood clock. The "Baby Daimler" seems to be at the Dewsbury Road terminus on route 2 whilst the "Big Leyland" is parked at the Moortown enopposite the former Chained Bull pub.not sure about the Regent on the 42 route, maybe Oldfield Lane.

Glyn Andrews

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01/12/15 - 06:13

In the conversation which spilled over from Leeds City Transport photos to the subject of West Yorkshire Road Car and particularly YWW 77, I thought I would fill in a few facts. DX 82, as the vehicle was known, was FSF 6B. As I understand it, DX 82 was new to West Yorkshire in 1960 and was re-built by ECW in that year with a modified entrance and alterations to the front bulkhead. It was also re-built by ECW in the following year, when it was shunted in the rear by another West Yorkshire Lodekka, TWY 609, at Sandbeds between Bingley and Keighley. For some reason, DX 82 wasn’t popular with the staff, possibly because it wasn’t standard format, so it was exchanged in March 1967 for a rear-entrance FS from United Auto, 456 LHN.

David Rhodes

 

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