British Classic Buses
in New Zealand (Page 2)
British Classic Buses
in New Zealand (Page 2)
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Last updated 25 April 2010
Here is a second page of (older, archived) material about buses of British origin in New Zealand. The latest material is on Page One.
New Zealand buses Page One is here and Page Three is here.
MORE DISCOVERIES FROM THE CAMP SITES
Yet MORE gems from Mat and Molly Foster - where would these pages be without their delightful photos? Let's start with this creature. With the rego EW9549 and the name "Uncle Jed", it is clearly a post-war Leyland Tiger. But what are its origins? I don't know, but maybe you have some suggestions. Mat says "The Leyland is a motorhome and is still registered for road use".
Update July 2009 - I think I may have identified it. A Dunedin company named Turnbull Motors (were they the same as Turnbull Coaches, taken over by Ritchies in 1974?) bought a Leyland OPS2/1 Tiger in 1950 and gave it a NZ Motor Bodies full-fronted, 35-seat, dual entrance body. The fleet number was 24, and the chassis number 473106. It's the only full-front Tiger I've come across in New Zealand, so I'm guessing that this is it.
And then there's this mystery bus. An AEC Regal, but from where? Rather the worse for wear, there should be enough clues there for someone to identify it. Please let me know what you think. There's another picture below.
Mat says "The AEC Regal has pretty much had it, although the engine still fired up after putting a battery on it - not been started for 4-5 years!"
Steve wrote "The AEC Regal, I am sure, would be an old Dunedin bus as, when I was a youngster, my parents would take us into town sometimes and I never ever forgot that type of bus."
I don't have any record that Dunedin had Regals (maybe they did), but Wellington certainly did.
This vehicle is not what it appears. "The Bedford is not a Bedford - it's a 1955 Seddon. Once again it has an SB3 front on it. Not sure what body it has, but the chassis number is 30648."
David Edlin wrote in July 2009; "I believe the “Seddon” bus that isn’t really “all it seems” is a New Zealand Motorbodies-built SB Bedford built in 1955 or thereabouts, with chassis number 30648 indicating an early SB3 Bedford build. The petrol Bedford engine has, I believe, long since been removed and transplanted with a Seddon diesel engine (good move!). The chassis number lines up with the age of the vehicle, and the styling cues are all Motorbodies. Not just the front, but the distinctive windscreen treatment and the shape of the rear end, though not the two roof-top windows which I believe were added by an owner after discharge from NZ Railways Road Services. I firmly believe that only the engine is Seddon. I do recognise that Motorbodies also bodied other marques, but all I have seen differ considerably from the SB3."
You could be right David, and thanks for the comments.
Mat wrote "the twin steer Bedford VAL is number four that I have found here so far". One of them is on Page 2, and the other two are below;
"This VAL is a 1964, and the only one with that body still on. It's called 'Chubby Cheeks' and is the only one of the 28 that came to NZ with this body. It was a Bedford promo bus."
"The other VAL (blue) is a1965, and comes from South Island. I saw it on the same day - what's the chances of that?"
"The AEC is from 1957 with an AEC engine, but has not moved for a year or so - it's just parked up and for sale." Maybe it's a Regal IV from Christchurch or New Plymouth - what do you think?
Stephen Reed kindly emailed to say "The green AEC bus (Christchurch or New Plymouth) on your web site is a former Christchurch Transport Board AEC Regal Mk 4. To sort out the fleet number take the registration and subtract 111 (they were all re number plated in sequence when the black plates were issued). E.G .if the registration number is DV 439 (as it appears to be in the photo) then the Christchurch Transport Board fleet number is 328. The year would be either 1952 or 1954 as I am not sure of the cut off from the first and second batches of these wonderful buses."
Thanks very much Stephen. No.328 is shown in the Regal IV production list as chassis number 9821E1162 with a Crossley B42D body, and was new in April 1953 (although the in-service date would, of course, have been later). The original number plate was apparently P.2037.
And thanks again Mat for the great pictures.
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