Manchester Lowbridge Bus

I have a photo which includes a lowbridge Manchester Corporation bus - dated to early 1941. It's only the rear and I wondered if anyone is expert enough to know the make of vehicle/body and number range of these. it looks to be in the 1XX range, but it's not really clear. It's hard to believe that ManCorp needed many of them, but I might be wrong!

Chris Hebbron

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18/10/15 - 13:04

In answer to Chris Hebbron's question on Manchester's Lowbridge bus(es) I can give the following information.
In 1930 fleet numbers 189-268/278 were taken in to the fleet. These were a mix of Crossley Condor, and Leyland TD1 chassis with a mix of Crossley, Arnold, Brush, Short, and Stratchan, bodywork to L26/22R configuration.
1931 saw fleet numbers 269-277 (to fill the gap in 1930) delivered, these again being Crossley Condors, with Crossley L26/22R bodywork.
One final lowheight bus was delivered, again in 1931, and was a solitary Crossley Condor, with Crossley L26/22R body. This was fleet number 320 registered VU 3668.

Stephen Howarth

19/10/15 - 06:56

Somewhere in the back of my mind is a thought that there was low bridge on service 53. Not sure though.
The 53 was an intense route and if it needed lowbridge buses it would have needed quite a number.

David Slater

19/10/15 - 06:57

Ah, it's more complex than I thought it was going to be! Does the photo give any more clues, at least to the body - although they may all look the same - to a standard ManCorp design of the period!

Chris Hebbron

19/10/15 - 08:44

Manchester route 53 was the famous circular route where single deck cars were required, if I remember correctly without checking the tramway literature. Hence those superb combination "California" bogie single deckers, a survivor of which can be seen at Heaton Park.
When the route was converted to motorbus operation, the same height limitations would have applied, necessitating lowbridge vehicles.
Were there any other route lowbridge requirements, I wonder?

John Whitaker

19/10/15 - 17:24

The bridge on Kirkhamshulme Lane (between Stockport Road and Hyde Road) used to require lowbridge buses but the road was lowered many years ago to permit normal double deckers. There were still a few (2900s I seem to remember) that were not suitable and upto about 1960 the running boards that included trips on the 53 all carried a note warning that these vehicles were not allowed on that working.

John Hodkinson

19/10/15 - 17:24

Route 53 encountered low bridges at Miles Platting, Ashburys and Kirkmanshulme Lane.
An educated guess would be that this is one of the 1930/1931 batch of Crossley Condors originally bodied by Crossley but rebodied by Crossley using Metro Cammell frames in 1935/1936. Delivered with petrol engines some received diesel engines and at least one reverted to petrol on being rebodied.

Phil Blinkhorn

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