Does anyone know when was the last 'back ender' was used in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Bob Powell
31/03/12 - 17:34
The memory's not what it was, but I think this question could well have two answers. The last open platform buses Newcastle bought as new vehicles were the Tin Front Orion bodied PD3's, and that was about 1957 or 58. after the formation of Tyne and Wear PTE, all open platform buses were rapidly withdrawn from service, and I think the last ones were gone by about 1974, but then for reasons unknown to myself, the PTE experienced a severe vehicle shortage and buses were hired, bought or borrowed from wherever they could get them, and for quite a while Newcastle became quite cosmopolitan as regards buses and vehicles from many municipal authorities could be seen around the area. The buses that came from Leeds had their fronts and the first side panel painted yellow and the Tyne and Wear logo added, but I think the remainder were left in their original livery. I don't know when the last of these vehicles finally went, but the buses that came from Edinburgh were still around in 1976
Ronnie Hoye
01/04/12 - 08:30
Like Ronnie I too suffer from diminishing memory these days (!) so I can't add give a definitive answer as to the final demise of the "original" Corporation back-enders but I can say for certain that, when my mother was in the General Hospital for an operation in November 1974 and my father and I used to catch the service 8 Spital Tongues Circle from outside the Central Station to the hospital for visiting time, the bus was invariably one of the AEC Regent IIIs with NCB bodywork so they were certainly still going strong then. The memory of those beautiful buses powering up Park Road, Northbourne Street and Bentinck Road is one which I'll never forget.
Ronnie is, of course, quite right to draw our attention to the second-hand buses which were acquired to cover for vehicle shortages: I can't remember, though, whether all the traditional back-enders had gone by the time they appeared or whether there was any slight overlap. Perhaps Ronnie or someone else can clear that up.
Alan Hall
01/04/12 - 18:03
The bus shortage in Newcastle mentioned above by Ronnie and Alan brought a rich kaleidoscope of types and colours to the city In addition to the ex Leeds Regents and Titans the PTE hired vehicles from Plymouth (MCW bodied Atlanteans) Leicester (East Lancs bodied PD3) Bournemouth (MCW bodied Atlanteans Lothian (Alexander bodied PD2s) and Southend (Northern Counties bodied Fleetlines) All operated in their owners colours which in the case of the Bournemouth Atlanteans was yellow like the PTE but a different application and shade
Chris Hough
02/04/12 - 12:35
To be technically correct, the last time Newcastle 'back enders' were used in service was in either 1977 or 1978 'I told you the memory's on the blink'. I started at Armstrong Galley 'the coaching division of Tyne and Wear PTE' in 1975, The Queens Silver Jubilee was in 1977 and 1978 was 100 years since the first horse drawn trams in Newcastle, the PTE celebrated both of them but I can't remember which the following applies to. Anyway, the PTE decided to run two restored Newcastle buses on the service 44 from Newcastle Central Station to Gosforth. The two vehicles were LVK 123, an all Leyland PD from 1948 in its original dark blue and cream livery, and NVK 341 a Northern Coachbuilders AEC Regent III of 1950 vintage. All the coach drivers had an Any Type Licence, and on occasion we were asked to fill in gaps in the schedule 'usually meal relieves' I got to drive the AEC on service 'once' but I only drove the Leyland around the perimeter road at Byker Depot. Both vehicles are now part of the N.E.B.P.T. Ltd and the AEC is very much alive and well, but the Leyland's been out of circulation for a while, but I understand that its been undergoing a complete overhaul, so hopefully it wont be long before they can both be seen together again.
Ronnie Hoye
03/04/12 - 08:37
Trawling through some old issues of BUSES I think I've got an answer on this one. The issue for March 1977 refers to the remaining Leeds Regents, which were transferred to South Shields late in 1976 but withdrawn shortly afterwards.
The copy for July 1977 states the following. "April 24 saw the end of rear-entrance bus operation by the PTE. The last rites were performed in South Shields when four Daimler CCG6s with Roe H35/28R bodies dating from 1964 were operated on services 512/3 by volunteer crews. Staff at South Shields have formed a preservation group and one of the Daimlers is to be restored to South Shields Corporation livery. The volunteer crews generously gave their day's wages to a fund to finance this preservation scheme. The buses in service on the last day were 1582-4/8 (LCU 122-4/8). Similar bus 1594 (MCU 54), damaged in an accident, is reported as being converted into a towing tender".
So that seems to clear that up! Does anyone know if any front-entrance half-cabs remained in service after this date, or if indeed any crew operation remained?
Dave Towers
03/04/12 - 13:01
As far as I know, the only front entrance half cabs to operate within the Tyne and Wear PTE area were, Northern's Routemasters, the Ex East Yorkshire Renowns based at Percy Main and United's Lodekka's, some of which were transferred to Northern when NBC was formed But to the best of my knowledge, of the three former Municipal undertakings 'Newcastle, South Shields and Sunderland' that were formed into Tyne and Wear PTE, none of them ever had any front entrance half cabs, 'not DD's anyway'
Ronnie Hoye
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