Taunton Running Day 2014

I thought you may like to see a small selection of shots I took on Sunday the 11th of May at this years Taunton Running Day.

Ken Jones
05/2014

HJA 965E is 1967 Leyland Titan PD2 with Neepsend body built for Stockport Corporation Transport, and spent some 20 years on town services and routes into Manchester. It has a Leyland 9.8 litre diesel engine and a 4 speed synchromesh gearbox.

EVD 406 is a 1949 Crossley with Roe bodywork, originally operated in Airdrie but in 1953 it was purchased by Woods of Mirfield and rebodied as seen in the picture.

JVH 378 is a 1955 AEC Regent III with East Lancashire bodywork. It was one of over 30 similar vehicles purchased by the Huddersfield Joint Omnibus Committee.

JLJ 401 is a 1949 Leyland Tiger PS2 with Burlington coach body, and one of 3 such coaches built for Bournemouth Corporation. It was later used as a temporary customs post during the rebuilding of Hurn airport.

468 FTT is a 1960 Bristol FLF with 68 seat ECW body. Although similar to those used in Taunton this vehicle worked in Cornwall and Devon until withdrawn in 1981.

LYF 104 is a 1951 Leyland Titan 7RT with Park Royal body which remained in service with London Transport until 1963, whereas KGK 529 is a 1949 Leyland PD2 with Leyland 8ft body.

304 VHN is a 1964 Daimler CCG5 with Roe body is one of a batch of 12 vehicles built for Darlington Corporation. Unlike many other Daimler vehicles which had pre-selection transmission these vehicles had a manual 4 speed gearbox. The vehicle has only recently returned to service after an extensive restoration.

EMW 284 & HMV 294 allows a chance to see Wilts and Dorset Bristol K and L side by side. The coach dates from 1947 and has a Beadle 31 seat body, whereas the KSW dates from 1952 and has ECW 55 lowbridge body.

JFM 575 is a 1948 AEC Regal with Strachans 35 seat body which was new to Crosville Motors working in Cheshire and North Wales.

OHY 938 is a 1952 KSW with ECW 55 lowbridge body used by Bath Services before becoming a driver training unit.

100 VRL is a 1964 AEC Reliance with Harrington Coachwork, originally built for Hawkey's Coaches of Newquay. In later life it worked for Ridlers of Dulverton and would have been seen in Taunton in the 1970s.

JVY 516 is a 1954 AEC Regal III with Barnaby 35 seat coach body, and operated for over 16 years by the independent York Pullman Company.

25/05/14 - 09:33

Ken
Good selection of photos well done

Roger Burdett

25/05/14 - 09:34

An excellent set of photos. I'd be interested in comments on this observation. The Stockport PD2 is beautifully preserved but carries nut guard rings and lacks rear wheel disks. I may be an old pedant but for all but the last few months of its service under Stockport Corporation Transport management it carried rear wheel disks. It never ran in service with nut guard rings, Stockport seemingly had an aversion to these only keeping them on its PD3s in service. I just wonder why, when so much effort has gone into such a great piece of preservation, the ship has, at least for me, been spoiled for a happorth of tar.

Phil Blinkhorn

25/05/14 - 09:36

Thanks, Ken, for these superb shots of the wonderful Taunton Running Day. Pretty well every vehicle there was unusual and interesting in one way or another. Restoration and driving standards were excellent too. You could hop off one service and straight onto another, and my only regret is that the first southward train from Oxford on a Sunday morning isn't till 8:50, which means that you don't get to Taunton till 11:15. With a better train service I could probably have ridden on every single vehicle. A day to remember, and a fine gallery to bring it all back. By the way, I was wearing a little homemade Old Bus Photos lapel badge, but no-one accosted me saying "So you're a fellow crackpot..."

Ian T

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