Leyland TD4 CWB 987

Does anybody know what happened to CWB 987. It is/was a 1936 Leyland TD4 that started life with Crosville; in 1952 it was rebodied by MCW, then somehow or other found its way into United's fleet, it later became a canteen (and a very good one) located in the Newcastle Haymarket Bus Station layover area. the last I heard was that it had been taken away to be restored but I've lost track of it. Can anyone bring me up to date?

Ronnie Hoye

04/06/12 - 17:04

This sounds a little odd, Ronnie, because there's no mention of such a vehicle in the Crosville fleet list. If it was new to them, why would it have had a Sheffield registration? Crosville only took six new double deck Leylands in 1936, all with Chester registrations and ECW bodies. If, as you say, CWB 987 was re-bodied in 1952, then unless it was a second-hand body, I would have thought that a Tilling company would (by then) have had the job done by ECW rather than MCW.

Chris Barker

05/06/12 - 08:18

You may well be right, Chris, I don't have any records about the bus so whoever told me it came from Crosville could have been wrong, but wherever it came from it always struck me as a complete odd ball as regards United. By the time the picture was taken the whole area was scheduled for redevelopment so it was on borrowed time and hadn't had it's annual repaint, hence the somewhat tatty appearance, it wasn't exactly in an area that was hidden from public view so prior to that it had always been kept up to scratch and was never allowed to become what anyone could justifiably call an eyesore.

Ronnie Hoye

This Crosville fleet list www.petergould.co.uk/ shows CWB 987 as a Leyland TD4c (i.e.torque converter) with a Cravens H29/26R body, that was new to Sheffield Corporation in 1936. It was bought by Crosville and numbered M511, in 1946, and, at some subsequent date, possibly 1952 as mentioned by Ronnie, it was fitted with a MCCW H28/26R body ex Salford Corporation. I would suspect that the torque converter would have been replaced by a standard clutch and gearbox by Crosville. This bus was withdrawn by Crosville in 1959, by which time the chassis was 23 years old, surely a testimony to the standard of Leyland engineering of those times.

Roger Cox

05/06/12 - 08:19

I did a simple image search and found this picture www.flickr.com/ which appears to be the canteen and also CWB 987. The comments may help to sort out the details but it is interesting to learn that it was still around in running but unrestored condition only 18 months ago. It deserves some care and attention after such a long and useful life.

Richard Leaman

05/06/12 - 08:20

CWB 987 was one of several ex-Sheffield TD4s originally with Craven bodies, which Crosville acquired in 1946 and subsequently rebodied with ex-Salford Metro-Cammell bodies.
It was "preserved" (in the literal sense of being kept safe from harm or loss, but unrestored) by the late Norman Myers, and the latest information I have, from the 2006 edition of the PSV Circle's Preserved Buses book, is that it was with someone called Armour in Derby.

Peter Williamson

05/06/12 - 12:07

Peter, that makes it even more interesting for me because I live in Derby but I've never seen or heard any reference to it. If there was a little more to go on, I would do some investigation and report back.

Chris Barker

06/06/12 - 08:00

Chris...If you look at the comments on the link in my last message above, there is mention of it having been at W.H.Fowler (Fowlers Coaches) of Holbeach Drove in Lincolnshire 18 months ago. A Flickr search brought up a set of pictures of their current and recent fleet and there are preserved vehicles in fine condition but no sign of this bus. Maybe it has moved on again?

Richard Leaman

06/06/12 - 08:01

Was the roof box used by Salford for the route number, like London Transport?

Chris Hebbron

06/06/12 - 09:48

In Glory Days Manchester and Salford there is no evidence that any Salford MCCW body had a roof-box of any description for any purpose. Must have been retro-fitted, but for what purpose we can only guess.

David Oldfield

06/06/12 - 09:56

Looks like this bus was meant to cause a few heads to be scratched. The book titled "Sheffield Transport" by the respected Chas. C. Hall is my main point of reference in connection with my favourite fleet. I must add that it does contain a few errors from first-hand observation, but nevertheless is an excellent piece of work. It contains an all-time fleet list in which I can find no reference to the vehicles registered CWB 9** shown in the Crosville fleet list mentioned by Roger Cox. I have no personal doubt that these would have been new to Sheffield and must conclude that this is an omission from the book. Everything else fits. However, there is also an error, I believe, in Peter Goulds list. The vehicle shown as CWB 73 should, I think, be CWB 473.

Les Dickinson

06/06/12 - 11:32

Further cross-checking of the CWB batch of TD4c suggests that Chas. C. Hall has these recorded as CWB 467-489 fleet numbers 267-289

Les Dickinson

06/06/12 - 11:33

The roof box, from memory, was fitted with some kind of an extractor fan. Further picture of this vehicle at: www.flickr.com/

Stephen Bloomfield

06/06/12 - 17:31

Les, I believe most of the mistakes are simply typos - including p 305: 1936 267 - 289 CWB 467 - 480 [which doesn't add up!]

David Oldfield

09/06/12 - 17:43

I believe that the 1936 Sheffield 267-289 batch of TD4c /Cravens did in fact bear a mixture of registration numbers as follows and not as quoted in C C Hall's tome;
267-270 CWB 467-470
271-275 CWB 71-75
276-280 CWB 476-480
281-289 CWB 981-989

John Darwent

08/04/17 - 07:36

CWB 987 ex Crosville TD4 is indeed still in existence with Bob Armour of Derby. However the bus does not reside near Derby as it is outstationed elsewhere. It was rescued initially by the late Norman Myres, who in his life, ensured the survival of some very rare but delicate vehicles, the majority now restored.

Gerald Anthony

11/04/17 - 07:31

I see that this bus originally had a Craven's body. To see two such vehicles, look at the posting in early June 2012 under Portsmouth Corporation. See Here

Andy Hemming

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