issue 194 (December 2024 – January 2025)
West Riding and Guy Motors had great hopes for its Wulfrunian double decker, but it was not to be. Basil Hancock has written a new book on the subject (you can order it through Classic Bus), and we feature the type in this issue. We also have details of a new book about a Manchester independent. Mike Fenton looks at Wilks & Meade in his latest Classic Coachbuilders offering, and more Gurney Nutting coaches make an appearance, too.
David Toy recalls when The Scottish Bus group and the National Bus Company swapped FLFs for VRTs; and talking of the FLF, George Rayner sings its praises from a driver’s perspective. We look at buses and coaches on the Earl’s Court forecourt, and an Alexander Y-type squeezes under an awkward bridge in Scotland.
How about a 30ft front-entrance Bristol JO5G? West Yorkshire made one such bus and Keith Jenkinson has the story. In the last Classic Bus we featured Bristol LHs ordered by Wigan but delivered to Manchester; we now look at what happened to them after they left Manchester.
Reading Buses CEO, Robert Williams dives into The Bus Archive to discover some Reading classics that served the town years ago, and Martin Curtis recalls Gelligaer’s VRTs. Our previous article on de-wiring London’s trolleybus system caused a flurry of interest, and in this issue we have some follow-up information.
in this issue
- how the Wulfrunian came about – Basil Hancock explains
- looking at Wilks & Meade – this issue's Classic Coachbuilder
- life after Wigan – Bristol LHs go to Wales and Devon
- the great exchange – swapping VRTs for Lodekkas
- in praise of the Lodekka – George Rayner recalls driving them
- on Earl's Court forecourt 1 – a visit to the Commercial Motor Show in 1968
- on Earl's Court forecourt 2 – Routemasters on display in 2014
- yet more Gurney Nutting – readers keep them coming
- the beauty of trolleybus wires – and other trolleybus memories
- Gelligaer Bristol VRTs – bodied by Northern Counties
- Guy at 60 – well, it was 50 years ago
- a West Yorkshire 30ft Bristol JO5G – with entrance ahead of the front axle
- squeezing through – a bus under a bridge in Scotland
- back to Reading – the CEO looks in The Bus Archive
- a Manchester independent – in a new book