Wilts & Dorset Bedford VALs
I was looking at an article relating to the centenary this year of Wilts & Dorset and clicked on to a website that was mentioned in the text, as I scrolled down the page I came upon a handsome photo of a line-up of Bedford VALs in W&D livery all parked ready for a departure from Tidworth Barracks with a load of squaddies going on weekend leave. I have looked on various websites trying to ascertain just how many of these vehicles the company was running during the period, around 1964 I would guess? They were an impressive sight I must say.
Dave Knapp
10/02/15 - 09:11
Like several other former Tilling operators, W&D turned to Bedford during the 1960s as a source of lighter weight coaches. These were a viable alternative to the heavyweight Bristols and usefully provided the operator with stylish coaches which compared much better with those of its BET-owned and independent competitors, They were cheaper too! W&D took delivery of 13 Duple Viceroy-bodied VAL70s between 1967 and 1971, alongside an assortment of SBs, VAM14s, VAM70s and YRQs.
Philip Lamb
As I understand it, the VAL was introduced in 1962 or 1963. According to the appendix in the Wilts & Dorset history by Morris and Waller, they took the following:
1968 - LMR731-734F (4) VAL70
1969 - PEL903-906F (4) VAL70
1970 - SLJ756-758G (3) VAL70
1971 - WEL802-803J (2) VAL70
All transferred to Hants & Dorset from October 1972
Pete Davies
11/02/15 - 06:21
On Saturday 05/08/1972, I went for a drink in Liverpool with a girl from work (Kraft Foods in Kirkby). Outside the Crosville depot on Edge Lane were up to 13 Wilts & Dorset vehicles. They were on troop movements for soldiers bound for "the Troubles" in Ulster. After I had taken her home, I returned to spot the numbers.
I have a list of the 9 that I "needed":
14 (BMW 138C) Bedford SB13/ Duple
52/53(LMR 732/33F) Bedford VAL / Duple
59 (SLJ 756H) Bedford VAL / Duple
606 (MMW 356G) Bristol RE / ECW
621 (TRU 948J) Bristol RE / ECW
624 (XLJ 729K) Bristol RE / ECW
831 (133 AMW) Bristol MW / ECW
833 (EMR 298D) Bristol MW / ECW
The VALs were coaches, but the Bristols were DP.
(And we are STILL friends 42 years later).
On 16/07/1972 I had logged REs 620 (TRU 947J) and 623 (XLJ 728K) on the A5080 in Huyton (probably also on troop movements). This was in the days before the M62 had been built.
There had been a W&D coach in Liverpool on Fridays to Sundays for many years on troop leave specials, quite often being ex-Silver Star of Porton Down SAM 47. This troop leave coach also served Manchester.
On 29/05/1972 it was VAL 63 (WEL 803J) noted on the East Lancs Road at Worsley.
My notes only contain the fleet numbers, so I hope that I have the correct registrations (from this distance).
Dave Farrier
11/02/15 - 10:13
I've checked Dave Farrier's records against PVSC listing PK782 and am pleased to confirm his memory is still in good working order.
Philip Lamb’s photo was taken in the yard of the Southampton depot of Hants & Dorset, some time after the renumbering of the fleet on 5 September 1971, as it has the fleet number as stuck-on figures rather than the plate used previously. The ornate tower in the view is that of Southampton's Central Baptist Church - remarkably ornate for a "nonconformist" building. I was told on one occasion that there were three identical buildings in the block: in model bus terms, to 1/43, 1/76 and 1/148 scales. The smallest was a victim of the Blitz and the car park occupies that bit of land, the middle one is now used as the "hall" and the largest is the actual church. The depot site was sold for redevelopment when Stagecoach took over what had by then become Hampshire Bus.
Pete Davies
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Old Bus Photos from Saturday 25th April 2009 to Wednesday 3rd January 2024