West Riding Centre Entrance

I'm trying to identify a bus being used by this company in the early / mid 1950s.
They were double deck, used on the Wakefield to Ossett route and the distinctive feature was the double width door exactly midway along the side of the bus.
There was no other passenger door. In my recollection there were no doors fitted, so in winter you got blasted with cold air if you sat rearwards of the door opening.
I know that some AEC Regents had a double door, but the ones I've seen had the door more towards the front of the bus and had closing doors fitted.
Can anyone help?

John Hepworth

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04/07/15 - 07:25

The vehicles were AEC Regent IIIs with Roe H28/22 centre entrance dual staircase bodies of the West Riding company ordered as replacements for trams and used on routes from which trams had been withdrawn. As such they were painted in the red livery.

Phil Blinkhorn

04/07/15 - 07:26

I suspect many people will reply to this query. West Riding, despite being an "automobile" company ran trams, too. When their end came on the two routes- Ossett and Sandal (now the 110), I wonder if it was simplest to provide buses in line with the rigid tramway legislation- red and with a centre open platform (rather than entrance) with two staircases. I think most were AEC (Regent I?) with Roe bodies. They ran, as many have said, on what was always known as the "track"- the tramway. The reversing area at The Castle Inn at Sandal is, I think still there and the tramshed on the south side of Ossett with access tracks. Lovely if someone had a colour pic...

Joe

06/07/15 - 06:23

Try this site Joe http://jsh1949.co.uk/west_riding_buses.htm

John Darwent

06/07/15 - 06:25

West Riding replaced their tram network in June/July 1932 with red centre-entrance double-deckers. Red to show that the cheaper tram fares still applied.
Deliveries were:
1932 Titan TD2/Roe H26/22C 1-45
1933 Titan TD2/Roe H26/22C 46-48
1933 Guy Arab /Roe H26/22C 49/50
1936 Titan TD4c /Roe H26/22C 51-55
These were replaced by:
1946 Regent III/Roe H28/22C 56-64
1947 as above 65-74
1948 as above 75-92
1949 as above 93-117
These were replaced by Guy Wulfrunians, initially red.
All information gleaned from the PSVC fleet history.

Dave Farrier

07/07/15 - 06:50

Thanks both for adding info... that Huddersfield site is amazing John- I tend to forget it because of its "limited" name- and limited it isn't. Brilliant collection of Tracky photos, too.

Joe

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