Could anyone help me to identify the bodywork on a few coaches which I need to complete the details on some photographs?
EAJ 126 Leyland PS1, ran for Lamcote Coaches, Notts. coachwork and original owner?
CJL 162 Crossley SD42, new to Camplin (Holme Delight) of Donington, Lincs. coachwork required.
FS 8585 AEC Regal, registered before 1934, presumed re-bodied after WW2, ran for Lamcote, coachwork and origin required.
On each of the three, the coachwork is not immediately obvious to me. Will I kick myself or will my ignorance be justified? I would be very grateful for any help!
Chris Barker
14/01/12 - 12:20
The Camplin, Donington Crossley CJL 162 was new in 1949, had chassis number 97353, and had a Street DP35F body. (This is according to PSV Circle Chassis List CXB24). Hope this helps.
John Stringer
14/01/12 - 16:25
The "Crossley" book by Eyre, Heaps and Townsin tells us that Henry Street of Nottingham produced six coaches on Crossley SD42 chassis in 1948/9. It seems that this firm occupied part of the the former horse-tram sheds of Nottingham Corporation on Muskham Street.
Roger Cox
15/01/12 - 07:10
Well I wouldn't have guessed that! I've heard of Street bodywork but I had no idea they were based in Nottingham. Chesterfield Corporation had an Albion coach with Street body which was taken over from an independent but it really bore no resemblance to the Crossleys (assuming they were all the same) It would be interesting to know who had the other five!
Chris Barker
15/01/12 - 07:11
Slightly deviating from the original question, but didn't Chesterfield Corporation once have a second-hand Albion Valkyrie with a Street coach body?
John Stringer
15/01/12 - 15:15
Chris, again from the "Crossley" book, the very first Street bodied SD42 was FBE 826 supplied to Fenwick of Spilsby, Lincs. Four still to find....
Roger Cox
15/01/12 - 16:36
Look no further Roger !
97340: FBE 826 C33F 1948 Fenwick, Spilsby
97344: FFU 391 C33F 1949 Fenwick, Spilsby
97353: CJL 162 C35F 1949 Camplin, Donington
97629: CJL 258 C35F 1949 Nightingale, Spalding
97695: KAH 388 C35F 1949 Braybrokke, Swaffam
97834: KNN 875 C35F 1949 Butler, Kirby-in-Ashfield
John Stringer
16/01/12 - 07:44
Many thanks Roger and John. Isn't it amazing what you find when you start digging! I found I have a photo of KNN 875 which I bought from Simpson of Oxford about 35 years ago! It appears to have been re-bodied at some point because apart from a step front below the drivers windscreen, it looks pure Duple. Perhaps the original Street body didn't stand the test of time! It's very pleasing to be able to report that Butler Bros of Kirkby-in-Ashfield are still very much in business with a fleet of modern coaches still operating from their original premises.
With regard to my question, I believe that the PS1, EAJ 126 was part of a small batch, there was at least one more, EAJ 127 delivered new to someone in North Yorkshire. Any ideas?
Chris Barker
16/01/12 - 15:34
May I echo your thanks to John, Chris. The wealth of information being collectively unearthed on this website is amazing.
Your comment about the durability of the coachwork of some of the smaller constructors is surely true. Only a few of the small makers who proliferated in the early post WW2 period were really up to the standards of the established bodybuilders.
Roger Cox
13/01/13 - 07:49
There were two Leyland PS1/1s with Strachan C32F bodies new in 1947 to Jackson, Guisborough. They were EAJ 125 and EAJ 126
John Kaye
14/01/13 - 07:00
Thanks again John. Having looked again at the photo and seeing the side windows in pairs, I should have known it was Strachans!
Chris Barker
14/01/13 - 10:49
After the intriguing mention of the Street-bodied Crossley, Chris B, a firm I'd never heard of, could we see the photo of it, please?
Chris Hebbron
14/01/13 - 14:19
Chris H, I would love to be able to submit a picture of the Street bodied Crossley but I'm afraid I don't have the means which is a pity because I'm sure it would be viewed with much interest. Can I ask if any of the other contributors have any pictures of J W Camplin of Donington, 'Holme Delight' and may have CJL 162 which they could post.
Chris Barker
17/01/13 - 16:06
Getting back to Chris's original question, according to the PSVC's AEC Regal chassis list, FS 8585 was a Regal 4 with Cowieson B34R body new to SMT no B125, but it "may have received a Longwell Green C33F body in 1951 when with Lansdowne Luxury Coaches Ltd, Leytonstone."
Michael Wadman
18/01/13 - 06:22
Of the operators listed above as having received Street-bodied Crossleys, the one given as Braybrokke, Swaffam, would have been A F Braybrooke & Son, of Swaffham (Norfolk). Sometime in the 1960s, it seems, the centre of operations apparently moved to Mendlesham (Suffolk) - which is nowhere near Swaffham! Does anyone know the story behind this move?
In 1978 the operator sold out to the established coach tour operator (but not, hitherto, coach operator) Galloway Travel, and as Galloways things have continued at Mendlesham up to the present day.
Fenwick's were at Old Bolingbroke for many years, which is only a few miles from Spilsby. I don't know whether or not they were ever at Spilsby, or whether that was simply an approximation for Old Bolingbroke. I can't find any trace of the operator now.
David Call
18/01/13 - 06:23
Michael, many thanks. It was certainly rebodied with something but my knowledge of Longwell Green half cab coach bodies is nil and I couldn't possibly have identified it as such. It's quite a nice looking coach with hints of Duple about it, particularly the side flash and the rear wheels with the rearward sweeping top edge. The body looks to me as if would date from around 1948.
Chris Barker
18/01/13 - 15:19
Further to the above, Nightingale (t/a Reliance) was apparently based at Pode Hole, just outside Spalding, and, probably amongst other things, ran on a route between Spalding and Quadring Fen, alongside Elsey's Coaches of Gosberton. Nightingale was aquired by Elsey's in 1960.
As Chris pointed out, Butler Brothers are still in operation, and I suppose that from the point of view of most OBP readers it would be a bit superfluous to say who Camplin's were.
David Call
19/01/13 - 11:47
Re David Call's query about Braybrooke of Swaffham, I can expand a bit on their history.
A.F.Braybrooke & Son was founded in 1946 when they acquired the long established business of W.T.Jarvis of the Regent Garage, Swaffham, Norfolk. The fleet was quickly upgraded with three new Crossleys and then in October 1949 they acquired the premises and eight vehicles of Tye Bros, Mendlesham, Suffolk. The Mendlesham premises included an adjoining house which became the home of A.W.Braybrooke (the "& Son" part of the company name).
The Swaffham part of the business was sold in 1964 to Colin S.Pegg of Caston (who passed away only recently and who was related to the Carter family of Litcham whose coaches have travelled the roads of Norfolk for over eighty years).
When A.W.Braybrooke retired in March 1978 the business was acquired by the Stedman brothers and assumed their Galloway name a few moths later.
Galloway continues to trade from new premise in Mendlesham, operating a very smart modern fleet on local bus, National Express and extended tour work.
Nigel Turner
07/04/13 - 17:59
I saw Braybrooke of Swaffham mentioned. They had a couple of Q types. I'm keen to know where they came from. Can anyone help?
Andrew MacKenzie
Comments regarding the above are more than welcome please get in touch via the 'Contact Page' or by email at obp-admin@nwframpton.com
All rights to the design and layout of this website are reserved
Old Bus Photos from Saturday 25th April 2009 to Wednesday 3rd January 2024