SUNBEAM Trolleybuses

Sunbeam (car + trolleybus company)

wallpapers_sunbeam_logotypes

This is the complete history of Sunbeam, only the fat printed text goes about the trolleybuses. The rest comes back when I write about and show you the Sunbeam Cars.

Sunbeam badge

Sunbeam was a marque registered by John Marston Co. Ltd of Wolverhampton, England, in 1888. The company first made bicycles, then motorcyclesand cars from the late 19th century until about 1936, and applied the marque to all three forms of transportation. The company also manufactured aero engines in the First World War and 647 aircraft during the Second World War. A Sunbeam was the first British car to win a Grand Prix race, and set a number of land speed records. The company went into receivership in 1935 and was purchased by the Rootes Group, which continued to use the Sunbeam marque.

Early history

Sunbeam motifs

 John Marston was apprenticed to the Jeddo Works of Wolverhampton as a japanner (metal lacquerer). In 1859, at the age of 23, he bought two tinplate manufacturers and set up on his own as John Marston Co. Ltd. Marston was an avid cyclist, and in 1877 set up the Sunbeamland Cycle Factory, producing bikes known as Sunbeams. Between 1899 and 1901 the company also produced a number of experimental cars, but none was offered to the market.

The first production car named as a Sunbeam was introduced in 1901, after a partnership with Maxwell Maberley-Smith. The Sunbeam-Mabley design was an odd one, with seats on either side of a belt-drive powered by a single-cylinder engine of less than 3 hp (2.2 kW). The design was a limited success, with 420 sold at £130 when production ended in 1904 (source?? Other sources state 130 made). At that point the company started production of a Thomas Pullinger–designed car based on the Berliet mechanicals. They introduced a new model, based on a Peugeot motor they bought for study, in 1906 and sold about 10 a week.

1927 Sunbeam bus with an MS2 chassis and a Weymann body, used by Walsall Corporation.

1928 Sunbeam bus with an MS2 chassis and a Weymann body, used by Walsall Corporation.

In 1905, the Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed separate from the rest of the John Marston business, which retained the Sunbeam motorcycles and bicycles.

1928 Sunbeam 6 wheel 27 pass. Dodson Body

1928 Sunbeam 6 wheel 27 pass. Dodson Body

The Breton car designer, Louis Coatalen, joined the company from Hillman-Coatalen in 1909, and became chief designer. He soon reorganised production such that almost all parts were built by the company, as opposed to relying on outside suppliers. He quickly introduced his first design, the Sunbeam 14/20, their first to use a shaft-driven rear axle, upgrading it in 1911 with a slightly larger engine as the 16/20.

1931 Sunbeam bus with a W4 chassis and a Park Royal body. Courtesy of Eardley Lewis

1931 Sunbeam bus with a W4 chassis and a Park Royal body. Courtesy of Eardley Lewis

Sunbeam made a small number of Veterans, and by 1912 were making conventional, high-quality cars. Direct competitors to Rolls Royce, Sunbeams were considered to be a car for those who thought an RR a little ostentatious.

Sunbeam Nautilus

Louis Coatalen in the Nautilus at Brooklands in 1910

Coatalen was particularly fond of racing as a way to drive excellence within the company, noting that “Racing improves the breed”. After designing the 14/20, he started the design of advanced high-power engines, combining overhead valves with a pressurised oil lubrication system. In 1910 he built his first dedicated land-speed-record car, the Sunbeam Nautilus, powered by a 4.2-litre version of this engine design. The Nautilus implemented a number of early streamlining features, known as “wind cutting” at the time, but the custom engine suffered various problems and the design was eventually abandoned. The next year he introduced the Sunbeam Toodles II, featuring an improved valve system that turned it into a success. Coatalen won 22 prizes in Toodles II at Brooklands in 1911, and also achieved a flying mile of 86.16 mph (138.66 km/h) to take the 16 hp Short Record. Sunbeam cars powered by more conventional (for the time) side-valve engines featured prominently in the 1911 Coupé de l’Auto race, and improved versions won first, second and third the next year. Sunbeams continued to race over the next few years, but the company had moved on to other interests.

1932 Sunbeam ad 1946

1932 Sunbeam ad 1946

1933 Sunbeam Sikh with Christopher Dodson H36-38R body J-9215

1933 Sunbeam Sikh with Christopher Dodson H36-38R body J-9215

Coatalen also designed a number of passenger cars, notably the Sunbeam 12/16. By 1911 Sunbeam were building about 650 cars a year, at that time making them a major manufacturer.

First World War

Starting in 1912 they had also branched out into aircraft engines, introducing a series of engines that were not particularly successful commercially. Coatalen seemed to be convinced that the proper solution to any engine requirement was a design for those exact specifications, instead of producing a single engine and letting the aircraft designers build their aircraft around it. Their most numerous designs were the troublesome V8 Sunbeam Arab, which was ordered in quantity in 1917 but suffered from continual vibration and reliability problems and only saw limited service, and the more successful V12 Sunbeam Cossack. Meanwhile Coatalen continued to experiment with ever-more odd designs such as the star-layout Sunbeam Malay, which never got beyond a prototype, the air-cooled Sunbeam Spartan and the diesel-powered Sunbeam Pathan. The company was fairly successful with the introduction of newer manufacturing techniques, however, and was one of the first to build aluminium single-block engines, a design that would not become common until the 1930s.

1933 Sunbeam Weymann 3 axle trolleybus, this machine had a 60 seat body

1933 Sunbeam Weymann 3 axle trolleybus, this machine had a 60 seat body

During the First World War, the company built motorcycles, trucks, and ambulances. The company also participated in the Society of British Aircraft Constructors pool, who shared aircraft designs with any companies that could build them. Acting in this role, they produced 15 Short Bombers powered by their own Sunbeam Gurkha engines, 20 Short Type 827s, 50 Short 310s, and others including Avro 504 trainers; they even designed their own Sunbeam Bomber, which lost to a somewhat simpler Sopwith design. Sunbeam had produced 647 aircraft of various types by the time the lines shut down in early 1919.

Post-war

1926 Sunbeam 14 40 Tourer

 Sunbeam 14/40 Tourer 1926
Beaulieu National Motor Museum Sunbeam 350 pk
Sunbeam 350hp at the National Motor Museum
Sunbeam 1000HP
 The record-breaking Sunbeam 1000hp

In 1919 Darracq bought the London-based firm of Clément-Talbot (becoming Talbot-Darracq) in order to import Talbots into England from France. On August 13, 1920, Sunbeam merged with the French company Automobiles Darracq S.A.. Alexandre Darracq built his first car in 1896, and his cars were so successful that Alfa Romeo and Opel both started out in the car industry by building Darracqs under licence. Adding Sunbeam created Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq, or STD Motors.

1934 Sunbeam bus with an MS3 chassis and a Metro-Cammell body. Turning in Victoria Square

1934 Sunbeam bus with an MS3 chassis and a Metro-Cammell body. Turning in Victoria Square

In addition to quality limousine, saloon and touring cars, Coatalen was pleased to build racing cars for Henry Segrave—who won the French and Spanish GPs in 1923/4. He also built a Brooklands racer with a purpose built V12 18.3 litre engine whose design was a hybrid of the Sunbeam Manitou and the Sunbeam Arab aero engines. This engine had four blocks of three cylinders arranged in two banks set at 60 degrees (unlike the Arab which were set at 90 degrees). Each cylinder had one inlet and two exhaust valves actuated by a single overhead camshaft. The two camshafts were driven by a complex set of 16 gears from the front of the crankshaft – a very similar arrangement to that used on the Maori engine which had two OHC per bank of cylinders. This famous car (Sunbeam 350HP) established three Land Speed Records – the first achieved by Kenelm Lee Guinness at Brooklands in 1922 with a speed of 133.75mph. Malcolm Campbell then purchased the car, had it painted in his distinctive colour scheme, named it Blue Bird and in September 1924 achieved a new record speed of 146.16mph at Pendine Sands in South Wales, raising it the following year to 150.76mph. The same year Coatalen’s new 3 litre Super Sports came 2nd at Le Mans—beating Bentley—this was the first production twin-cam car in the world. In 1926 Segrave captured the LSR in a new 4 litre V12 Sunbeam racer originally named Ladybird and later renamed Tiger. Coatalen decided to re-enter the LSR field himself, building the truly gigantic Sunbeam 1000HP powered by two 450 hp (340 kW) Matabele engines. On 29 March 1927 the car captured the speed record at 203.792 mph (327.971 km/h). The car is now at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, UK.

1935 Park Royal H31-25D body was one of sixty-three Sunbeam MS2s

1935 Park Royal H31-25D body was one of sixty-three Sunbeam MS2s

Sunbeam’s great era was really the 1920s under Coatalen’s leadership with very well engineered, high quality, reliable cars — and a great reputation on the track.

1935 Sunbeam 202 , ALJ 286 with massive ark from trolley booms

1935 Sunbeam 202 , ALJ 286 with massive ark from trolley booms

A later land speed record attempt, the 1930 Silver Bullet, failed to achieve either records, or the hoped-for advances in aero engines. It is now almost forgotten. Sunbeam did not really survive the depression and in 1935 went into receivership and was sold to Lord Rootes. The last true Sunbeam was made in 1935. The new entry model “Dawn” was a typical mid-1930s design with independent front suspension whereas other models, the 18.2HP and Speed 20 were based on Vintage designs and qualify as PVT under VSCC rules.

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal body

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal body

Coatalen’s obsession with improvement meant that there were numerous small changes in models from year to year. Therefore although his designs are basically similar, few parts are interchangeable.

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal O68R bodywork ALJ-896

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal O68R bodywork ALJ-896

In the Vintage period, typically two models dominated production volumes at each period:

  • 1920–24 16 hp, 16/40, 24 hp, 24/60 & 24/70 all based on pre-war designs.
  • 1922–23 14 hp The first highly successful post-war 4-cylinder.
  • 1924 12/30 & 16/50 only produced in small numbers.
  • 1924–26 14/40 and big brother 20/60 developed from 14 hp with 2 more cylinders added.
  • 1926–30 3 litre Super Sports, highly successful and much coveted, the first production twin OHC car in the world.

1935 Sunbeam TB advert

1935 Sunbeam TB advert

  • 1926–30 16 hp (16.9) & 20 hp (20.9). Two new designs with six-cylinder integral cast iron block and crankcase. Both were reliable capable cars produced over many years, (20.9) with a 3-litre engine producing 70 BHP is noted for its performance and is well respected as a practical and reliable touring car. It has many shared components with the 3-litre Super Sports (brakes, suspension, steering, axles, gearbox, transmission).
  • 1926–32 20/60 developed into 25 hp with bore increased from 75 to 80 mm. A few 8-cylinder cars produced in this period, 30 hp & 35 hp.
  • 1930–32 16 hp bore increased from 67 to 70 mm, (16.9 to 18.2 hp).
  • 1931–33 New model 20 hp introduced with 80 mm bore and 7 main bearings rated at 23.8 hp. Very smooth and powerful engine.
  • 1933 18.2 hp engine installed in Speed 20 chassis and renamed ‘Twenty’.
  • 1933–34 20.9 hp engine resurrected with improved exhaust manifold and downdraught carb installed in new cruciform braced chassis for the Speed 20. Highly desirable and fast touring model especially the 1934 body style.
  • 1933–35 Twenty-Five introduced with modified 1931–33 23.8 hp engine.
  • 1934 Twenty given the 20.9 engine in place of the 18.2.
  • 1934–35 Dawn introduced. 12.8 hp (9.5 kW) engine and IFS. Nice little car but not a great success.
  • 1935 Speed 20 renamed Sports 21 with redesigned body style.
  • 1935 Sports 21 given a high compression version of Twenty-Five engine.

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal O69R body BRU-8

1935 Sunbeam MS2 with Park Royal O69R body BRU-8

The most successful, judged by volumes, was the 16 hp (16.9) followed by 20 hp ( 20.9) made from 1926 to 1930. Whilst the 16 was solid and very reliable, it was a little underpowered at 2.1 litres, the 20.9 made a big jump to 3 litres and 70 bhp (52 kW; 71 PS) with similar body weight and vacuum servo brakes and was capable of 70 mph (110 km/h).

1936 Park Royal H31-25D body on its Sunbeam MS2 chassis BRU8

1936 Park Royal H31-25D body on its Sunbeam MS2 chassis BRU8

Sunbeam built their own bodies but also supplied to the coachbuilder trade; many limousines were built on Sunbeam chassis. The sales catalogue illustrates the standard body designs.

Rootes Group

1947 Sunbeam-Talbot Saloon

Sunbeam-Talbot Saloon 1947
1948 Sunbeam-Talbot 90 4-Door Sedan
 Sunbeam-Talbot 90 4-Door Saloon 1948

STD Motors went into receivership in 1935. By this point only Talbot was still a success and in 1935 that portion was purchased by the Rootes GroupWilliam Lyons of “SS Cars,” who was looking for a name change, given the rising Nazi connotations, tried to buy Sunbeam but they were also purchased by Rootes. After World War II SS Cars changed their name to Jaguar.

1938 Sunbeam BTH 5

1938 Sunbeam BTH 5

Car production at the Wolverhampton factory was terminated but trolleybus production continued there and Karrier trolleybus production was re-located there from Luton by 1939. During wartime the factory produced the only trolleybus available in the UK; a four-wheeled double decker known as either the Karrier or Sunbeam W4. Rootes sold the factory and designs to Brockhouse Ltd in 1946 who sold them in turn to Guy Motors in 1948 who built Sunbeam trolleybuses at their factory until the last was completed in 1964.

Sunbeam-Rad-Badge-2

Rootes was an early proponent of badge engineering, building a single mass-produced chassis and equipping it with different body panels and interiors to fit different markets. They ended production of existing models at all the new companies, replacing them with designs from Hillman and Humber that were more amenable to mass production.

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body BDA367

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body BDA367

In 1938 Rootes created a new marque called Sunbeam-Talbot which combined the quality Talbot coachwork and the current Hillman and Humber chassis and was assembled at the Talbot factory in London. The initial two models were the Sunbeam-Talbot 10 and the 3-litre followed by the Sunbeam-Talbot 2 Litre and 4 litre models based on the earlier models only with different engines and longer wheelbases. Production of these models continued after the war until 1948.

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body

In the summer of 1948, the Sunbeam-Talbot 80 and Sunbeam-Talbot 90 were introduced, with a totally new streamlined design with flowing front fenders (wings). The 80 used the Hillman Minx based engine with ohv and the 90 utilised a modified version of the Humber Hawk with ohv. The car bodies were manufactured by another Rootes Group company, British Light Steel Pressings of Acton, however the convertible drophead coupé shells were completed by Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders inCricklewood. The underpowered 80 was discontinued in 1950. The 90 was renamed the 90 Mark II and then the 90 Mark IIA and eventually in 1954 the Sunbeam Mark III, finally dropping the Talbot name. With the model name changes, the headlights were raised on the front fenders and an independent coil front suspension and the engine displacement went from 1944 cc to 2267 cc with a high compression head and developing 80 bhp (60 kW; 81 PS).

1940 Sunbeam trolleybus no. 86 in Cape Town, 1940

1940 Sunbeam trolleybus no. 86 in Cape Town, South Africa

There was one more model of the Sunbeam-Talbot that appeared in 1953 in the form of an Alpine, a two seater sports roadster which was initially developed by a Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth as a one-off rally car that had its beginnings as a 1952 drophead coupé. It was named supposedly by Norman Garrad, (works Competition Department) who was heavily involved in the Sunbeam-Talbot successes in the Alpine Rally in the early 1950s using the Saloon model. The Alpine Mark I and Mark III (a Mark II was never made) were hand built like the Drophead Coupé at Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders from 1953 to 1955 when production ceased after close to 3000 were produced. It has been estimated that perhaps only 200 remain in existence today. The Talbot name was dropped in 1954 for the Sunbeam Alpine sports car, making Sunbeam the sports-performance marque. In 1955 a Sunbeam saloon won the Monte Carlo Rally. Production ceased in 1956 and replaced by the sporty Sunbeam Rapier.

1940 Sunbeam Trolleybus, Rotherham Black Country Histor

1940 Sunbeam Trolleybus, Rotherham Black Country Histor

In 1959 a totally new Alpine was introduced, and the 1955 Rapier (essentially a badge-engineered Hillman Minx) was upgraded. After several successful series of the Alpine were released, director of US West-Coast operations, Ian Garrad, became interested in the success of the AC Cobra, which mounted a small-block V-8 engine in the small AC Ace frame to create one of the most successful sports cars of all time. Garrad became convinced the Alpine frame could also be adapted the same way, and contracted Carroll Shelby to prototype such a fit with a Ford engine. The result was the Sunbeam Tiger, released in 1964, which went on to be a huge success.

1943 Sunbeam W, rebodied by Roe in 1955

1943 Sunbeam W, rebodied by Roe in 1955

Chrysler era

Sunbeam.rapier

But at this point, Rootes was in financial trouble. Talks with Leyland Motors went nowhere, so in 1964, 30 percent of the company (along with 50 percent of the non-voting shares) was purchased by Chrysler, who was attempting to enter the European market. Ironically, Chrysler had purchased Simca the year earlier, who had earlier purchased Automobiles Talbot, originally the British brand that had been merged into STD Motors many years earlier.

1943 Sunbeam W with Park Royal bodywork and rebodied in 1960 with a Roe H34-28R body

1943 Sunbeam W with Park Royal bodywork and rebodied in 1960 with a Roe H34-28R body

Chrysler’s experience with the Rootes empire appears to have been an unhappy one. Models were abandoned over the next few years while they tried to build a single brand from the best models of each of the company’s components, but for management, “best” typically meant “cheapest to produce,” which was at odds with the former higher-quality Rootes philosophy. Brand loyalty started to erode, and was greatly damaged when they decided to drop former marques and start calling everything a Chrysler. The Tiger was dropped in 1967 after an abortive attempt to fit it with a Chrysler engine, and the Hillman Imp–derived Stiletto disappeared in 1972.

1943 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body rebodied in 1960

1943 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body rebodied in 1960

The last Sunbeam produced was the “Rootes Arrow” series Alpine/Rapier fastback (1967–76), after which Chrysler, who had purchased Rootes, disbanded the marque. The Hillman (by now Chrysler) Hunter, on which they were based, soldiered on until 1978. A Hillman Avenger-derived hatchback, the Chrysler Sunbeam, maintained the name as a model, rather than a marque, from 1978 to the early 1980s, with the very last models sold as Talbot Sunbeams. The remains of Chrysler Europe were purchased by Peugeot and Renault in 1978, and the name has not been used since.

Products

Sunbeam rear entrance Tonneau

BCLM exhibit 03
 Sunbeam car at the Black Country Living Museum
BCLM exhibit 05
Early fire engine on display at the Black Country Living Museum, preserved by the Marston Wolverhampton Heritage Trust

Sunbeam Cars

Pre WWI

  • 1901–04 Sunbeam Mabley
  • 1902-03 Sunbeam rear entrance Tonneau
  • 1903–10 Sunbeam 12 hp
  • 1904-05 Sunbeam side entrance Tonneau
  • 1905–11 Sunbeam 16/20 and 25/30
  • 1908 Sunbeam 20
  • 1908–09 Sunbeam 35
  • 1909 Sunbeam 16
  • 1909–15 Sunbeam 14/20, 16/20, and 20
  • 1910–11 Sunbeam 12/16
  • 1911–15 Sunbeam 18/22, 25/30 and 30
  • 1912–15 Sunbeam 12/16 and 16
  • 1912–14 Sunbeam 16/20

Inter-war years

1932 Sunbeam saloon 2194 cc

 1932 Sunbeam 20
1935 Sunbeam Model 25 Saloon
1935 Sunbeam Model 25 Saloon
Sunbeam-Talbot 90
 1950 Sunbeam-Talbot 90
  • 1919–21 Sunbeam 16/40
  • 1919–24 Sunbeam 24, 24/60 and 24/70
  • 1922–23 Sunbeam 14 and 14/40
  • 1923–26 Sunbeam 20/60
  • 1924–33 Sunbeam 16 (16.9 and 18.2)
  • 1925–30 Sunbeam 3 litre Super Sports (Twin Cam)
  • 1926–32 Sunbeam Long 25
  • 1927–30 Sunbeam 20 (20.9)
  • 1930–33 Sunbeam 20 (23.8)
  • 1933–35 Sunbeam Speed Twenty
  • 1934–35 Sunbeam Twenty
  • 1934–35 Sunbeam Twenty-Five
  • 1934–35 Sunbeam Dawn

Rootes Group Cars

  • 1936–37 Sunbeam 30
  • 1938–48 Sunbeam-Talbot Ten
  • 1939–48 Sunbeam-Talbot Two Litre
  • 1938–40 Sunbeam-Talbot Three Litre
  • 1939–40 Sunbeam-Talbot Four Litre

Post WWII

Double decker buses

1928 Sunbeam Sikh - JJ 9215 Christopher Dodson H36-28R

1933 Sunbeam Sikh – JJ 9215 Christopher Dodson H36-28R

Sikh 1930-33 (three built)

1929 Sunbeam Pathan 4 wheeler

1929 Sunbeam Pathan 4 wheeler

Pathan 1930-1938 (at least four built for Woverhampton Corp’n)

  • DF2 1936-1948 (one built for Wolverhampton Corp’n.)

None built

Double decker trolleybus

1935 Park Royal H31-25D body was one of sixty-three Sunbeam MS2s

1935 Park Royal H31-25D body was one of sixty-three Sunbeam MS2s

MS2 1934-1948

1934-sunbeam-bus-with-an-ms3-chassis-and-a-metro-cammell-body-turning-in-victoria-square

MS3 1934-1948

6-wheeled Sunbeam MS3 trolleybus that was operated by Newcastle Transport

6-wheeled MS3 Sunbeam trolleybus that was operated by Newcastle Transport

MF1 1934-1949

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body BDA367

1938 Sunbeam MF2 with Park Royal H29-25R body BDA367

MF2 1935-1952

1943 Sunbeam W with Park Royal bodywork and rebodied in 1960 with a Roe H34-28R body

1943 Sunbeam W4 with Park Royal bodywork and rebodied in 1960 with a Roe H34-28R body

W4 1943-1947

FWX 914 Sunbeam F4 East Lanes H37-29F Trolleybus

FWX 914 Sunbeam F4 East Lanes H37/29F Trolleybus

F4/F4A 1948-1965

1948 Sunbeam S7 Trolleybus

1948 Sunbeam S7 Trolleybus

S7/S7A 1948-58

Double or single deck trolleybus

301LJ (301) Sunbeam MF2B  Weymann

301LJ (301) Sunbeam MF2B / Weymann

MF2B 1934-65

Export only

Sunbeam-Coatalen engines

Sunbeam, Wolverhampton, England, started to build aircraft engines in 1912. Louis Coatalen joined Sunbeam as chief engineer in 1909, having previously been Chief Engineer at the Humber works in Coventry. The company quickly became one of the UK’s leading engine manufacturers and even designed an aircraft of its own. Sunbeam discontinued the production of aero engines after Coatalen left the company in the 1930s.

From here only Sunbeam Trolleybuses

1943 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body rebodied in 1960

1943-sunbeam-w-with-roe-h62r-body-rebodied-in-1960

1943 Sunbeam W, rebodied by Roe in 1955

1943-sunbeam-w-rebodied-by-roe-in-1955

1943 Sunbeam Ws with Weymann H30-26R bodies

1943-sunbeam-ws-with-weymann-h30-26r-bodies

1943, Rotherham 74 (CET613) is Sunbeam MS2C, with what I believe to be an East Lancs bod

1943-rotherham-74-cet613-is-sunbeam-ms2c-with-what-i-believe-to-be-an-east-lancs-body

1944 56-seat Sunbeam S4 trolleybuses, four of which were bodied by Roe and four by Weymann. Car 16, CPY287, was one of the Roe-bodied examples

1944-56-seat-sunbeam-s4-trolleybuses-four-of-which-were-bodied-by-roe-and-four-by-weymann-car-16-cpy287-was-one-of-the-roe-bodied-examples

1944 Sunbeam W and rebodied by Roe H37-28R in 1961

1944-sunbeam-w-and-rebodied-by-roe-h37-28r-in-1961

1944 Sunbeam W built and rebodied by Roe, H37-28R

1944-sunbeam-w-built-and-rebodied-by-roe-h37-28r

1944 Sunbeam W but rebodied by Roe in 1962

1944-sunbeam-w-but-rebodied-by-roe-in-1962

1944 Sunbeam W from 1944 but rebodied by Roe in the early 1960s

1944-sunbeam-w-from-1944-but-rebodied-by-roe-in-the-early-1960s

1944 Sunbeam W seen here with a Park Royal H30-26R body

1944-sunbeam-w-seen-here-with-a-park-royal-h30-26r-body

1944 Sunbeam W utility chassis that was rebodied by Roe in 1960 GKP511

1944-sunbeam-w-utility-chassis-that-was-rebodied-by-roe-in-1960

1944 Sunbeam W utility chassis that was rebodied by Roe in 1960

1944-sunbeam-w-utility-chassis-that-was-rebodied-by-roe-in-1960

1944 Sunbeam W with a Park Royal H30-26R body. In January 1958 it re-entered service with a new Roe H33-28R body

1944-sunbeam-w-with-a-park-royal-h30-26r-body-in-january-1958-it-re-entered-service-with-a-new-roe-h33-28r-body

1944 Sunbeam W with Roe H61R body, on learner duties. New in 1944-6, rebodied in 1958

1944-sunbeam-w-with-roe-h61r-body-on-learner-duties-new-in-1944-6-rebodied-in-1958

1944 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body rebodied in 1960 GKP511

1944-sunbeam-w-with-roe-h62r-body-rebodied-in-1960

1944 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body, rebodied in 1960

1944-sunbeam-w-with-roe-h62r-body-rebodied-in-1960

1944 Weymann utility bodied Sunbeam W4 a

1944-weymann-utility-bodied-sunbeam-w4

1944 Weymann utility bodied Sunbeam W4

1944-weymann-utility-bodied-sunbeam-w4.

1945 Sunbeam bus with a W4 chassis and a Park Royal body

1945-sunbeam-bus-with-a-w4-chassis-and-a-park-royal-body

1945 Sunbeam Roe

1945-sunbeam-roe

1945 Sunbeam W chassis carrying Roe

1945-sunbeam-w-chassis-carrying-roe.

1945 Sunbeam W started life as Southend Corporation 131 with a Park Royal Utility body

1945-sunbeam-w-started-life-as-southend-corporation-131-with-a-park-royal-utility-body

1945 Sunbeam W with a Brush body

1945-sunbeam-w-with-a-brush-body

1945 Sunbeam W with Park Royal H30-26R body 1

1945-sunbeam-w-with-park-royal-h30-26r-body

1945 Sunbeam W with Park Royal H30-26R body

1945-sunbeam-w-with-park-royal-h30-26r-body

1945 Sunbeam W with ROE 31-29R bodywork GRH356 a

1945-sunbeam-w-with-roe-31-29r-bodywork-grh356

1945 Sunbeam W with ROE 31-29R bodywork GRH356 b

1945-sunbeam-w-with-roe-31-29r-bodywork-grh356

1946 Sunbeam W trolleybus, rebodied by Roe in 1959

1946-sunbeam-w-trolleybus-rebodied-by-roe-in-1959

1946 Sunbeam W trolleybus, rebodied by Roe in 1959a

1946-sunbeam-w-trolleybus-rebodied-by-roe-in-1959

1946 Sunbeam W with Northern Coachbuilders H56R body 1

1946-sunbeam-w-with-northern-coachbuilders-h56r-body-1

1946 Sunbeam W with Northern Coachbuilders H56R body 2

1946-sunbeam-w-with-northern-coachbuilders-h56r-body-2

1946 Sunbeam W with Northern Coachbuilders H56R body 3

1946-sunbeam-w-with-northern-coachbuilders-h56r-body-3.

1946 Sunbeam W with Northern Coachbuilders H56R body 4

1946-sunbeam-w-with-northern-coachbuilders-h56r-body-4

1946 Sunbeam W with Northern Coachbuilders H56R body

1946-sunbeam-w-with-northern-coachbuilders-h56r-body

1946 Sunbeam W with Roe bodywork

1946-sunbeam-w-with-roe-bodywork

1946 Sunbeam with a W4 chassis and a Park Royal body

1946-sunbeam-with-a-w4-chassis-and-a-park-royal-body

1946 W4 Sunbeam chassis fitted with a Park Royal body. It entered service with Wolverhampton Corporation Transport

1946-w4-sunbeam-chassis-fitted-with-a-park-royal-body-it-entered-service-with-wolverhampton-corporation-transport

1946-sunbeam-london-dd-trolleybus-2

1946-sunbeam-london-dd-trolleybus

1947 Sunbeam Maidstone trolleybus

1947-sunbeam-maidstone-trolleybus

1947 Sunbeam W chassis

1947-sunbeam-w-chassis

1947 Sunbeam W with an N.C.B. H30-26R body

1947-sunbeam-w-with-an-n-c-b-h30-26r-body

1947 Sunbeam W with Brush B35C body

1947-sunbeam-w-with-brush-b35c-body

1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body 1

1947-sunbeam-w-with-weymann-h56r-body

1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body 2

1947-sunbeam-w-with-weymann-h56r-body

1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body 3

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1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body 4

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1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body.1

1947-sunbeam-w-with-weymann-h56r-body-11

1947 Sunbeam W with Weymann H56R body

1947-sunbeam-w-with-weymann-h56r-body

1947 Sunbeam W, rebodied by Roe H32-28R in 1960

1947-sunbeam-w-rebodied-by-roe-h32-28r-in-1960

1947 Sunbeam W4 with Northern Coachbuilders H30-26R bodywork

1947-sunbeam-w4-with-northern-coachbuilders-h30-26r-bodywork

1947 Sunbeam Ws delivered between 1947 and 1949 - 449 and 440 had been rebodied by Roe in 1960-1 but 473 still carried the original Park Royal body.

1947-sunbeam-ws-delivered-between-1947-and-1949-449-and-440-had-been-rebodied-by-roe-in-1960-1-but-473-still-carried-the-original-park-royal-body

1948 Sunbeam F4 with Brush B32C body

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1948 Sunbeam F4 with Brush bodywork

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1948 Sunbeam F4 with Brush H30-26R body a

1948-sunbeam-f4-with-brush-h30-26r-body

1948 Sunbeam F4 with East Lancs H37-29F body b

1948-sunbeam-f4-with-east-lancs-h37-29f-body

1948 Sunbeam F4 with East Lancs H37-29F body

1948-sunbeam-f4-with-east-lancs-h37-29f-body

1948 Sunbeam MS2 with Roe H72R body

1948-sunbeam-ms2-with-roe-h72r-body

1948 Sunbeam S7 Trolleybus

1948-sunbeam-s7-trolleybus

1948 Sunbeam S7 with locally produced Northern Coachbuilders bodywork

1948-sunbeam-s7-with-locally-produced-northern-coachbuilders-bodywork

1948 Sunbeam S7 with Northern Coachbuilders H39-31R body 1

1948-sunbeam-s7-with-northern-coachbuilders-h39-31r-body

1948 Sunbeam S7 with Northern Coachbuilders H39-31R body

1948-sunbeam-s7-with-northern-coachbuilders-h39-31r-body

1948 Sunbeam trolleybus with a W4 chassis and a Park Royal body

1948-sunbeam-trolleybus-with-a-w4-chassis-and-a-park-royal-body

1948 Sunbeam W with Park Royal H54R body

1948-sunbeam-w-with-park-royal-h54r-body

1948 Sunbeam W with ROE H32-28R body EJW-451

1948-sunbeam-w-with-roe-h32-28r-body-ejw-451

1948 Sunbeam-NCB trolleybus 501

1948-sunbeam-ncb-trolleybus-501

1949 Sunbeam bus with an F4 chassis and a Park Royal body

1949-sunbeam-bus-with-an-f4-chassis-and-a-park-royal-body

1949 Sunbeam MS2 with original Park Royal H72R body

1949-sunbeam-ms2-with-original-park-royal-h72r-body

1950 Sunbeam F4 trolley rebodied by Roe in 1964

1950-sunbeam-f4-trolley-rebodied-by-roe-in-1964

1950 Sunbeam F4 trolleybus built in 1950 and rebodied by Roe in 1965

1950-sunbeam-f4-trolleybus-built-in-1950-and-rebodied-by-roe-in-1965

1950 Sunbeam F4 vehicles with Park Royal H56R bodywork

1950-sunbeam-f4-vehicles-with-park-royal-h56r-bodywork

1950 Sunbeam F4 with Park Royal H30-26R body ADX-191

1950-sunbeam-f4-with-park-royal-h30-26r-body-adx-191

1950 Sunbeam F4 with Park Royal H30-26R

1950-sunbeam-f4-with-park-royal-h30-26r

1950 Sunbeam F4 with Park Royal H56R body b

1950-sunbeam-f4-with-park-royal-h56r-body-

1950 Sunbeam MS2 with Roe H40-30R body

1950-sunbeam-ms2-with-roe-h40-30r-body

1950 Sunbeam S7 with Park Royal H38-30RD Body ERD-149

1950-sunbeam-s7-with-park-royal-h38-30rd-body-erd-149

1950 Sunbeam S7 with Park Royal H38-30RD body

1950-sunbeam-s7-with-park-royal-h38-30rd-body

1951 Sunbeam F4 wit Brush H30-26R body NDH-958

1951-sunbeam-f4-wit-brush-h30-26r-body-ndh-958

1951 Sunbeam F4 with Brush H30-26R bodywork

1951-sunbeam-f4-with-brush-h30-26r-bodywork

1951 Sunbeam F4a with Willowbrook H36-34R bodywork XDH-72

1951-sunbeam-f4a-with-willowbrook-h36-34r-bodywork-xdh-72

1951 Sunbeam MS2 with Roe H70R body

1951-sunbeam-ms2-with-roe-h70r-body

1951 Sunbeam trolleybus

1951-sunbeam-trolleybus

1951 Sunbeam with East Lancs H29-26R body

1951-sunbeam-with-east-lancs-h29-26r-body

1952 Sunbeam Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court.

1952-sunbeam-commercial-motor-show-at-earls-court

1952 Willowbrook H32-28R body on a Sunbeam F4 chassis

1952-willowbrook-h32-28r-body-on-a-sunbeam-f4-chassis

1953 Sunbeam F4 rebodied by Roe in 1964.

1953-sunbeam-f4-rebodied-by-roe-in-1964

1953 Sunbeam F4 with Willowbrook H32-28R body a

1953-sunbeam-f4-with-willowbrook-h32-28r-body

1953 Sunbeam F4 with Willowbrook H32-28R body c

1953-sunbeam-f4-with-willowbrook-h32-28r-body

1953 Sunbeam F4 with Willowbrook H32-28R body

1953-sunbeam-f4-with-willowbrook-h32-28r-body

1953 Sunbeam F4A with Willowbrook body, passes 131, ODH 89, a full-front Park Royal-bodied Leyland PD2-1 of 1951

1953-sunbeam-f4a-with-willowbrook-body-passes-131-odh-89-a-full-front-park-royal-bodied-leyland-pd2-1-of-1951

1954 CMS-Sunbeam

1954 Sunbeam 2 axle, double deck trolleybus, 30 ft. overall length, built for Walsall Corporation in 1954

1954-sunbeam-2-axle-double-deck-trolleybus-30-ft-overall-length-built-for-walsall-corporation-in-1954

1954 Sunbeam F4A with Willowbrook H36-34RD body

1954-sunbeam-f4a-with-willowbrook-h36-34rd-body

1954 Sunbeam F4A with Willowbrook H70R body

1954-sunbeam-f4a-with-willowbrook-h70r-body

1954 Sunbeam MF2B chassis and Roe bodywork and nicknamed ‘Coronations

1954-sunbeam-mf2b-chassis-and-roe-bodywork-and-nicknamed-e28098coronations

1954 Sunbeam MF2B with ROE H30-24D body RKH102 a

1954-sunbeam-mf2b-with-roe-h30-24d-body-rkh102

1954 Sunbeam MF2B with ROE H30-24D body RKH102 b

1954-sunbeam-mf2b-with-roe-h30-24d-body-rkh102

1955 Sunbeam F4A built with a distinctive Willowbrook body.

1955-sunbeam-f4a-built-with-a-distinctive-willowbrook-body

1955 Sunbeam F4A Willowbrook H70RD at Ingram Road, Bloxwich on Route 15

1955-sunbeam-f4a-willowbrook-h70rd-at-ingram-road-bloxwich-on-route-15.

1955 Sunbeam MF2B-MV with Roe H54D body a

1955-sunbeam-mf2b-mv-with-roe-h54d-body

1955 Sunbeam MF2B-MV with Roe H54D body

1955-sunbeam-mf2b-mv-with-roe-h54d-body

1955 Willowbrook bodied Sunbeam

1955-willowbrook-bodied-sunbeam

1956 Sunbeam F4A Willowbrook H36-34RD.

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1956 Sunbeam F4A with 70 seat Willowbrook body

1956-sunbeam-f4a-with-70-seat-willowbrook-body

1956 Willowbrook-bodied Sunbeam F4A'

1956-willowbrook-bodied-sunbeam-f4a

1956-51 Willowbrook-bodied Sunbeam F4A, passes 131, ODH89, a full-front Park Royal-bodied Leyland PD2-1 of 1951

1956-51-willowbrook-bodied-sunbeam-f4a-passes-131-odh89-a-full-front-park-royal-bodied-leyland-pd2-1-of-1951

SONY DSC

1957-sunbeam-model-coachwork-by-munck-of-bergen-norway

1958 Guy-Sunbeam Arab Trolleybus Belfast

1958-guy-sunbeam-arab-trolleybus-belfast

1958 Sunbeam F4A with a Harkness body

1958-sunbeam-f4a-with-a-harkness-body

1958 Sunbeam MF2B  Weymann H63D

1958-sunbeam-mf2b-weymann-h63d

1958 Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H63D body WRU-261

1958-sunbeam-mf2b-with-weymann-h63d-body-wru-261

1958 Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H63D body

1958-sunbeam-mf2b-with-weymann-h63d-body

1959 Sunbeam MF2B  Weymann H63D

1959-sunbeam-mf2b-weymann-h63d

1959 Sunbeam Roe trolleybuses

1959-sunbeam-roe-trolleybuses

Nottingham Trolleybus 544

1959-sunbeam-s7-h40-32r

Walsall trolleybus 3 axle 850

1959-sunbeam-s7-h40-32r

1959 Sunbeam S7 with East Lancs H40-32R body

1959-sunbeam-s7-with-east-lancs-h40-32r-body

1959 Sunbeam S7A trolleybus with East Lancs H40-32R bodywork

1959-sunbeam-s7a-trolleybus-with-east-lancs-h40-32r-bodywork

1959 Sunbeam

1959-sunbeam

1960 Roe bodied Sunbeam F4A a

1960-roe-bodied-sunbeam-f4a

1960 Roe bodied Sunbeam F4A

1960-roe-bodied-sunbeam-f4a

1961 Burlingham bodied Sunbeam F4A

1961-burlingham-bodied-sunbeam-f4a

1961 Sunbeam F4A trolleybuses with Burlingham H38-30F bodies

1961-sunbeam-f4a-trolleybuses-with-burlingham-h38-30f-bodies

1961 Sunbeam F4A with Burlingham front entrance bodywork a

1961-sunbeam-f4a-with-burlingham-front-entrance-bodywork

1961 Sunbeam F4A with Burlingham front entrance bodywork

1961-sunbeam-f4a-with-burlingham-front-entrance-bodywork

1961 Sunbeam F4A with Burlingham H38-30F bodywork

1961-sunbeam-f4a-with-burlingham-h38-30f-bodywork

1961 Sunbeam F4As with Burlingham H38-30F body

1961-sunbeam-f4as-with-burlingham-h38-30f-body

1961 Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H65D body 296-LJ

1961-sunbeam-mf2b-with-weymann-h65d-body-296-lj

1961 Sunbeam S7A bodied locally by J Brockhouse

1961-sunbeam-s7a-bodied-locally-by-j-brockhouse

1962 Sunbeam MF2B trolleybus a

1962-sunbeam-mf2b-trolleybus

1962 Sunbeam MF2B Trolleybus

1962-sunbeam-mf2b-trolleybus

1962 Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H65D body a

1962-sunbeam-mf2b-with-weymann-h65d-body

1962 Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H65D body

1962-sunbeam-mf2b-with-weymann-h65d-body

1962 Sunbeam trolleybus with Weymann bodywork a

1962-sunbeam-trolleybus-with-weymann-bodywork

1962 Sunbeam trolleybus with Weymann bodywork

1962-sunbeam-trolleybus-with-weymann-bodywork

1965 Sunbeam MF2NS UTIC trolleybu

1965-sunbeam-mf2ns-utic-trolleybus

9591947823_9f63aaffcd_k

Lots of trolleys

A Sunbeam W4 chassis fitted with a Park Royal body. Courtesy of Eardley Lewis.

sunbeam-w4-chassis-fitted-with-a-park-royal-body-courtesy-of-eardley-lewis

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Barrack Street Bridge Route 18 Southbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 846

barrack-street-bridge-route-18-southbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-846 © Weston Langford

Barrack Street Jetty ARHS Special Sunbeam Trolleybus 851

barrack-street-jetty-arhs-special-sunbeam-trolleybus-851 © Weston Langford

bc_gb149_p_7043

Sunbeam bc_gb149_p_7043

Cambridge Street and Gregory Street Down ARHS Special Sunbeam Trolleybus 851

cambridge-street-and-gregory-street-down-arhs-special-sunbeam-trolleybus-851 © Weston Langford

Cambridge Street near Holland Street Route 80 Westbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 856

cambridge-street-near-holland-street-route-80-westbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-856 © Weston Langford

Cambridge Street near Holland Street Route 108 Westbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 856

cambridge-street-near-holland-street-route-108-westbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-856 © Weston Langford

FWX 914 Sunbeam F4 East Lanes H37-29F Trolleybus

fwx-914-sunbeam-f4-east-lanes-h37-29f-trolleybus

Grantham Street and Brookdale Street Route 77 Eastbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 869

grantham-street-and-brookdale-street-route-77-eastbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-869 © Weston Langford

Hay Street East Trolley Bus Depot Sunbeam Trolleybuses 854

hay-street-east-trolley-bus-depot-sunbeam-trolleybuses-854 © Weston Langford

Hay Street East Trolley Bus Depot Sunbeam Trolleybuses 859

hay-street-east-trolley-bus-depot-sunbeam-trolleybuses-859 © Weston Langford

Hay Street East Trolley Bus Depot Sunbeam Trolleybuses 859a

hay-street-east-trolley-bus-depot-sunbeam-trolleybuses-859 © Weston Langford

Hay Street East Trolley Bus Depot Sunbeam Trolleybuses 859b

hay-street-east-trolley-bus-depot-sunbeam-trolleybuses-859 © Weston Langford

OC14 Sunbeam of Wolverhampton

oc14-sunbeam-of-wolverhampton

Oceanic Drive Terminus Route 77 Eastbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 856

oceanic-drive-terminus-route-77-eastbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-856 © Weston Langford

Perth Station Wellington Street Eastbound Sunbeam Trolleybus 882

perth-station-wellington-street-eastbound-sunbeam-trolleybus-882 © Weston Langford

Perth Trolley Bus, Sunbeam No 42, on the Wembley Route

perth-trolley-bus-sunbeam-no-42-on-the-wembley-route © Graham Lees

Perth Trolleybus 13 Wellington St Rangoon Sunbeam Trolleybus

rangoon-sunbeam-trolleybus

single deck Sunbeam trolleybuses used in Brisbane

single-deck-sunbeam-trolleybuses-used-in-brisbane

Sunbeam & Guy Huddersfield 4

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Sunbeam & Guy S7 Reading Corporation Transport department 5

sunbeam-guy-s7-reading-corporation-transport-department-5

Sunbeam & Guy Trolleybus Pretoria City Transport Department 3

sunbeam-guy-trolleybus-pretoria-city-transport-department-3

Sunbeam & Guy Trolleybussen van de City of Johannesburg 6

sunbeam-guy-trolleybussen-van-de-city-of-johannesburg-6

Sunbeam adelaid 02

sunbeam-adelaid-02

Sunbeam Derby Corporation Trollybus Sunbeam F4A

sunbeam-derby-corporation-trollybus-sunbeam-f4a

Sunbeam F4 with Brush H30-26R body

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Sunbeam MF2B 263

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Sunbeam Newcastle Upon Tyne Corporation 7

sunbeam-newcastle-upon-tyne-corporation-7

Sunbeam Perth 55

sunbeam- perth – 55

Sunbeam Perth 57

sunbeam-perth-57

Sunbeam T Bus MS3 chassis with Metro-Cammell bodywork

sunbeam-t-bus-ms3-chassis-with-metro-cammell-bodywork

Sunbeam trolley bus in Queen Square

sunbeam-trolley-bus-in-queen-square

Sunbeam Trolleybus Western Australian Government Tramways Perth 8

sunbeam-trolleybus-western-australian-government-tramways-perth-8

Sunbeam Wolverhampton

sunbeam-wolverhampton1

Sunbeam4

sunbeam4

Sunbeam10 Sunbeam-Rad-Badge-2 Sunbeam-trolleybus rijdt in 1977 op lijn 5 naar Liceu Solum over de Avenida Emidio Navarro, dichtbij het hoofdstation van Coimbra.

sunbeam-trolleybus-rijdt-in-1977-op-lijn-5-naar-liceu-solum-over-de-avenida-emidio-navarro-dichtbij-het-hoofdstation-van-coimbra © Tim Boric

TBus2

Sunbeam TB 2

wallpapers_sunbeam_logotypes West Perth Subway Down ARHS Special Sunbeam Trolleybus 843

west-perth-subway-down-arhs-special-sunbeam-trolleybus-843 © Weston Langford

Weymann utility bodied Sunbeam W4 trolleybus 172

weymann-utility-bodied-sunbeam-w4-trolleybus-172

This is IT

Buses SARO Saunders-Roe 1929-1964 Isle of Wight UK

Saunders-Roe      1947 Foden PVSC5 with Saunders B36F body

Saunders-Roe Limited
Industry Aerospace, Engineering
Fate Merged with Westland Aircraft later Agusta-Westland
Founded 1929
Defunct 1964
Headquarters East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK
Key people Samuel Edgar Saunders
Alliot Verdon Roe
Products Aircraft, helicopters, hovercraft

1947 Foden PVSC5 with Saunders B36F body

1947 Foden PVSC5 with Saunders B36F body

Saunders-Roe Limited, also known as SARO, was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works, East Cowes, Isle of Wight.

History1953 Saunders-Roe Princess a 1953 Saunders-Roe PrincessSaunders-Roe Princess G-ALUN displaying at the Farnborough SBAC Show in September 1953

The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S. E. Saunders. Prior to this (excepting for the Sopwith/Saunders Bat Boat) the products were Saunders, the A4 Medina for example dating from 1926. Sam Saunders the founder developed the Consuta material used in marine and aviation craft.

Saunders Roe, commonly abbreviated Saro, concentrated on producing flying-boats, but none were produced in very large quantities – the longest run being 31 Londons. They also produced hulls for the Blackburn Bluebird. During the Second World War Saro manufactured Supermarine Walrus and Supermarine Sea Otters. Their works at Beaumaris, Anglesey, modified and serviced Catalinas for the Royal Air Force.

In January 1931 Flight magazine revealed that Whitehall Securities Corporation Limited acquired a substantial holding in Saunders Roe. Whitehall Securities was already a large shareholder in Spartan Aircraft Ltd, of Southampton, and arising out of this investment Spartan was effectively merged into Saunders Roe.

In 1938 Saunders-Roe undertook a re-organisation of the commercial and administrative sides of its business. First, the marine section, consisting of the shipyard and boat building business, was transferred to a new company, Saunders Shipyard Ltd., all of the shares of which were owned by Saunders-Roe Ltd. Mr. C. Inglis was appointed shipyard manager. Secondly, the plywood section of the business carried on at the factory on the River Medina was transferred to a new company, Saro Laminated Wood Products Ltd., in consideration for a majority of the shares therein. Laminated Wood Products Ltd., which had marketed most of the plywood output, also merged its interests into the new company. Major Darwin, managing director, left the company. On the aircraft side of the business Mr. Broadsmith continued as director and general manager. All other senior posts in the executive staff remain unchanged.

In 1947 they flew the SR.A/1 fighter prototype, one of the world’s first jet-powered flying boats, and in 1952 they flew the prototype Princess airliner, but the age of the flying-boat was over and the two further Princess examples to be completed were never flown. No further new seaplanes were produced here. Modification work on Short-built flying boats continued at Cowes until 1955.

1954 Saro Princess G-ALUN Cowes

Saro works at East Cowes in September 1954 with stored Princess G-ALUN

The last fixed-wing aircraft they built was experimental SR53 mixed-power interceptor.

1948 K6A-Saunders Roe

1948 K6A-Saunders Roe

In 1951 Saunders-Roe took over the interests of the Cierva Autogiro Company at Eastleigh including the Skeeter helicopter project. In September 1952 the company comprised:

1948 Leyland PS1 with Saunders B35F bodywork

1948 Leyland PS1 with Saunders B35F bodywork

There was a branch design office in London, during the 1950s. It was situated in Queens Square, overlooking the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

  • Saunders-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd, Friars Works, Beaumaris, North Wales
  • Saro Laminated Wood Products Ltd., Folly Works, Whippingham, I.O.W.
  • Princess Air Transport Co. Ltd of Osborne I.O.W. with an office in London at 45 Parliament St. SW1.

1948 Leyland PS1-1 with a Saunders DP32F body

1948 Leyland PS1-1 with a Saunders DP32F body

In 1959 it demonstrated the first practical hovercraft built under contract to the National Research Development Corporation to Christopher Cockerell‘s design, the SR.N1.

hovercraft-1

SR.N1

In the same year Saro’s helicopter and hovercraft interests were taken over by Westland Aircraft which continued the Skeeter family with the Scout and Wasp. In 1964 all the hovercraft businesses under Westland were merged with Vickers-Armstrongs to form the British Hovercraft Corporation. This, in turn, was taken over by Westland and was renamed Westland Aerospace in 1985, and hovercraft production was reduced to nearly nothing until the advent of the AP1-88. The company produced sub contract work for Britten-Norman, produced composites and component parts for the aircraft industry, especially engine nacelles for many aircraft including the De Havilland Canada “Dash 8”, the Lockheed Hercules, the British Aerospace Jetstream and parts for the McDonnell-Douglas MD-11. By the mid-1990s, over 60% of the world’s production of turboprop nacelles took place in the East Cowes works.

Gloster Saro Meteor-E95LDD

 Gloster Saro Meteor light foam tender at Brooklands Museum

In the late 1960s/early 1970s the Saunders-Roe Folly Works, by then owned by Hawker Siddeley was merged with the Gloster works to form Gloster-Saro utilising both companies’ expertise in aluminium forming to produce fire appliances and tankers in the Gloster factory at Hucclecote, mostly based on Reynolds-Boughton chassis. In 1984 Gloster Saro acquired the fire tender business of the Chubb group with the company merging in 1987 with Simon Engineering to form Simon Gloster Saro

1948 Saunders DP35F bodied Leyland PS1-1 Tiger

1948 Saunders DP35F bodied Leyland PS1-1 Tiger

In 1994 Westland was taken over by GKN, and when GKN sold off its shares of Westland to form Agusta-Westland, it retained the East Cowes works, where it continues aircraft component design and production.

1948 TET bus 75 Guy-Arab met carrosserie Saunders (Engeland).

1948 TET bus 75 Guy-Arab met carrosserie Saunders (Engeland).

Laird (Anglesey) Ltd was formed in 1968 and incorporated the Beaumaris and Llangefni factories of Saunders-Roe and the engineering business of Birkenhead shipbuilders Cammell Laird. Laird developed the Centaur, which was half Land Rover and half light tank. The company is now known as FAUN Municipal Vehicles Ltd.having been taken over yet again. Today, FAUN manufactures portable aluminium roadways and runways at Llangefni under its TRACKWAY brand.

1949 AEC Regent IIIRT KLB593 Saunders RT3-3

1949 AEC Regent IIIRT KLB593 Saunders RT3-3

Saunders and Saunders-Roe Designs

Flying boats

1920 Saunders KittiwakeSaunders Kittiwake

SAUNDERS A.3 A3 VALKYRIE Airplane

Saunders A.3 Valkyrie

Saunders-A.4-Medina

Saunders A.4 Medina

Saunders A.14

Saunders A.14

Saunders-Saro A.7 Severn

Saunders/Saro A.7 Severn

1930 Saro A17 Cutty SarkA.17 Cutty Sark

1930 Saro Cloud A19 of the Royal Air ForceA.19 Cloud

1936 Saro A.21 WindhoverA.21 Windhover

1936 Saunders Roe A.27 LondonA.27 London

A.29 Cloud Monospar

A.29 Cloud Monospar

SARO A.33

A.33

1940 Saunders-Roe A.36 LerwickA.36 Lerwick

1939 Saunders Roe A.37 ShrimpA.37 Shrimp

1947 Saunders-Roe SR.A.1SR.A/1

1952 Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess

pow52princess11

SR.45 Princess

Jet Princess (Paper Project only)

Duchess (Paper Project only)

Saunders-Roe P.192 Queen

Saunders-Roe P.192 Queen – concept only for a 24 jet engine, 313 ft wingspan flying boat for P&O with accommodation for 1,000 passengers.

Land-based aircraft

Saunders T1

Saunders T.1

Segrave_Meteor_1_01

A.22 Segrave Meteor – Designed by Sir Henry Segrave

1929 Saunders A.10Saunders/Saro A.10 “Multigun” – 1928

1931 Saro and Percival as the A-24 Mailplane

Saro-Percival Mailplane also known as A.24 Mailplane – designed by Edgar Percival, – 1931

1933 Spartan CruiserA.24M (Spartan Cruiser) – derived from Saro Mailplane. Built by Spartan Aircraft Limited – 1932

1957 Saunders-Roe SR.53SR.53 – mixed power interceptor

Saunders-Roe SR.177SR.177 (cancelled before completion)

Helicopters

1950 Cierva W.11 Air HorseCierva Air Horse

helicogyre1a

Helicogyre

1962 Saunders-Roe Skeeter

1962 Saunders-Roe W.14 Skeeter

Skeeter

1959 Saro P.531P.531, Scout, Wasp

Hovercraft

Saunders-Roe SR.N1 HovercraftSR.N1 (“Saunders Roe Nautical 1”): First modern hovercraft

SRN2

SR.N2 First to operate a commercial service

1966 Saunders-Roe SR.N3 Hovercraft

srn3 hovercraft

SR.N3 First designed for military us

SRN4 Hovercraft Mountbatten ClassSR.N4 or Mountbatten class – large 4 prop ferry

1964 Saunders-Roe SR.N5SR.N5 Also Bell SK-5, PACV used in Vietnam

1982 SR.N6 of Hovertravel on the SolentSR.N6 Longer SR.N5 38 passengers

Spacecraft

With the Royal Aircraft Establishment

1956-59 Black_Knight_Rocket_EdinburghBlack Knight

1964 Black ArrowBlack Arrow

Black Prince

The Rocket Development Division was formed in 1956 and the Rocket Test site at Highdown started functioning exactly one year later. It was this Division, in conjunction with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, that was responsible for the design, manufacture and static testing of the Black Knight Rocket, the first of which was successfully fired at Woomera, South Australia, on 7 September 1958.

1951 AEC Regent OKM317. It was originally a demonstrator for Saunders Roe

1951 AEC Regent OKM317. It was originally a demonstrator for Saunders Roe

Military canoes, assault boats and load carriers (World War II)

Designed by Fred Goatley# Marine designer Mark 2 Canoe – 1941–1942 (used on the Cockleshell Heroes “Frankton Raid”) Mk 2** Canoe – 1943 ( used in Leros – various, incl. Sunbeam Raids ) 12 man Assault craft c. 1940–1942 8 ton load carrier. c. 1942–1943

1951 Commer 23A Avenger with a Saro C37F body 1951 Commer Avenger. The bodywork was by Saro

1951 Commer 23A Avenger with a Saro C37F body

Electronics

The Electronics Division was formed in 1948. Its progress was rapid and the Division also designed and manufactured such diverse specialist equipment as Analogue Computers, Control Simulators and a variety of Electronic Equipment and Electronic Test sets associated with Guided Weapons. When using strain gauges of the normal wire type in the dynamic testing of helicopter components, notably rotor blades, Saunders-Roe found that such a high proportion of the gauges were failing that development was considerably retarded. The Electronics Division was therefore asked to devise an improved gauge and, in collaboration with Messrs. Technograph Printed Circuits Ltd.,[6] produced the foil strain gauge.

1951 Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1-9 built in 1951 with Saunders-Roe B44F bodywork

1951 Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1-9 built in 1951 with Saunders-Roe B44F bodywork

Hydrofoil

  • R-103 – a 17 ton hydrofoil for Royal Canadian Navy, Known as “Bras d’Or”. Built in 1956 by Saunders-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd. (This should not be confused with HMCS Bras d’Or, a 240 tonne hydrofoil patrol vessel, which was the result of the tests performed by the R-103)

1951 Saro C33F bodied Commer Avenger I

1951 Saro C33F bodied Commer Avenger I

Illuminated signs

Early in aviation, it was difficult – if not impossible – to supply uninterrupted power in aircraft. Saunders-Roe solved this problem by putting an ionising gas (tritium; 3H) in small tubes. Tritium was discovered in 1934 by Lord Rutherford. The tubes (“Betalights”) are made of borosilicate glass. The inside of the tubes is coated with a fluorescent powder, which glows as a result of the ionizing radiation of the tritium gas. Such a tube emits light for 15 years. Betalights were used to illuminate the flight instruments, exit signs and corridors of the aircraft produced by Saunders-Roe. When Saunders-Roe was acquired by Westland Helicopters production continued via Saunders-Roe Developments Ltd of North Hyde Road, Hayes, Middlesex (the former Fairey Aviation Head office). Betalight production was made independent under the name SRBT (Saunders-Roe Betalight Technology). A factory was established in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, where tritium supplies are readily available. Today betalights are used in self luminous escape-route signs, under the product name Betalux.

1953 AEC Regent III OKM317 was originally a demonstrator for Saunders Roe

1953 AEC Regent III OKM317 was originally a demonstrator for Saunders Roe

Mark 3 airborne lifeboat

Avro Shackleton with Saunders-Roe airborne lifeboat

 Mark 3 airborne lifeboat fitted underneath an Avro Shackleton

In early 1953, Saunders-Roe at Anglesey completed the Mark 3 airborne lifeboat to be fitted underneath the Avro Shackleton maritime reconnaissance aircraft. This model was made entirely of aluminium, previous marks being made of timber. Parachuted at a rate of 20 feet per second into the rescue zone, the craft was powered by a Vincent motorcycles HRD T5 15 hp engine; sails and a fishing kit were also provided. The Mark 3 measured 31 feet (9 m) from bow to stern and 7 feet (2 m) across the beam and held enough to supply 10 people with food and water for 14 days.

1953 Guy Arab UF with Saro B44F body

1953 Guy Arab UF with Saro B44F body

Road vehicles

During World War II, Saunders-Roe opened a factory at Fryars in Llanfaes, Anglesey, converting and maintaining Catalina flying boats. In the late 1940s and 1950s the Beaumaris factory began making bus bodies under the names Saunders, SEAS (Saunders Engineering & Shipbuilding) and SARO. When AEC took over Crossley Motors, many of the design staff left and joined SARO. In pre-Atlantean days when Leyland began looking at low floor vehicles, the “Low Loader” (STF 90) bodied by SARO was similar in certain respects to the Crossley chassisless bus designs. Bodies were manufactured at Beaumaris for installing on “Leyland Royal Tiger” and “Leyland Tiger Cub” chassis; SARO bodied 250 RTs for London Transport between 1948 and 1950 (RT 1152–1401), which were almost indistinguishable from the standard Weymann/Park Royal products; and some double-deck buses for Liverpool Corporation. 620 prefabricated Rivalloy (the brand name comes from rivetted (aluminium) alloy) single deck buses components for local assembly were sold to Autobuses Modernos SA, Cuba which later became Omnibus Metropolitanos, S.A. Another large customer was Auckland Regional Transport in New Zealand who took the Rivalloy body on 90 Daimler Freeline chassis.

1953 Leyland PS1-1 with a Burlingham C31F body and Ribble 426, FCK858, a Leyland PSUC1-1 Tiger Cub with a Saro B44F body

1953 Leyland PS1-1 with a Burlingham C31F body and Ribble 426, FCK858, a Leyland PSUC1-1 Tiger Cub with a Saro B44F body

1953 Leyland PSUC1-1 with Saro B44F body

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1953 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 of with Saunders Roe 44 seat body

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1953 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 with Saunders-Roe B44F bodywork.

1953-leyland-tiger-cub-psuc1-1-with-saunders-roe-b44f-bodywork

In the UK large numbers of SARO bodies were specified by the British Electric Traction group on Leyland Tiger Cub chassis, operators including Trent, East Midland, Ribble and the Northern General Group. An integral version of the body design powered by a Gardner 5HLW engine was bought by Maidstone & District.

1953 SR-DaimlerFreeline-D650-1953.G.Bennett

1953 SR-Daimler Freeline-D650-G.Bennett

1954 AEC Regent III 9613S with Saunders-Roe H32-26R bodywork.

1954-aec-regent-iii-9613s-with-saunders-roe-h32-26r-bodywork

1954 Leyland Atlantean is seen here with the Saro body was H37-24R

1954-leyland-atlantean-is-seen-here-with-the-saro-body-was-h37-24r

1954 Leyland PSUC1-1 Tiger Cub with a Saro B44F body

1954-leyland-psuc1-1-tiger-cub-with-a-saro-b44f-body

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub new to Trent with Saro bodywork.

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-new-to-trent-with-saro-bodywork

The factory later passed to Cammell Laird who mainly used it for producing refuse-collection vehicles, but when Metro Cammell Weymann had a production backlog, they completed a batch of MCW-style double deck forward-entrance highbridge bodies on Leyland Titan PD3 for Brighton Corporation, these were numbered 31-5, registered LUF131-5F and delivered in June and July 1968, they were unusual as front engined half-cab buses built to be driver operated.

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub NNY70 with Saro B44F body

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-nny70-with-saro-b44f-body

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1 with Saunders-Roe (SARO) bodywork.

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1954 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 with Saunders Roe B44F body.

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-psuc1-1-with-saunders-roe-b44f-body

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 with Saunders-Roe B44F bodywork

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-psuc1-1-with-saunders-roe-b44f-bodywork

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub with Saro B44F body

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-with-saro-b44f-body

1954 Leyland Tiger Cub with Saunders-Roe (SARO) body

1954-leyland-tiger-cub-with-saunders-roe-saro-body

1954 Leyland Tiger Cubs were purchased by Thomas Bros. Nine were Weymann bodied and nine carried Saro B44F bodies

1954-leyland-tiger-cubs-were-purchased-by-thomas-bros-nine-were-weymann-bodied-and-nine-carried-saro-b44f-bodies.

1954 Leyland Tiger Cubs, 375 with a Weymann body and 343 with a Saunders-Roe body

1954-leyland-tiger-cubs-375-with-a-weymann-body-and-343-with-a-saunders-roe-body

1954 Saro B44F bodied Leyland PSUC1-1 Tiger Cub R323

1954-saro-b44f-bodied-leyland-psuc1-1-tiger-cub-r323

1954 Saro B44F bodied Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1

1954-saro-b44f-bodied-leyland-tiger-cub-psuc1-1

1955 Leyland Tiger Cub-Saro B44F PZ4874

1955-leyland-tiger-cub-saro-b44f-pz4874

Daimler Freeline Saunders-Roe 201

daimler-freeline-saunders-roe-201

Daimler Freeline Saunders-Roe 201Brochure

daimler-freeline-saunders-roe-201 AD

Saunders Roe ad

SaRo Ad

Saunders Roe- AEC Regent Mk III Demonstrator.

saunders-roe-aec-regent-mk-iii-demonstrator

SaundersRoe Company 1954 Company

That’s it.

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Charles H. ROE Bus Body/Coach builders Leeds Yorshire England UK

Charles H. Roe

 roe logo kwLogo
1978 Roe bodied Atlantean XWG633T
 A November 1978 built Roe body on a Leyland Atlantean AN68A/1R, new to South Yorkshire PTE as their 1633, pictured in Manchester with Citybus

Charles H. Roe Ltd. was a Yorkshire coachbuilding company. It was for most of its life based at Crossgates Carriage Works, in Leeds.

1930 Guy BTX trolleybuses with Roe L27-26R body

1930 Guy BTX trolleybuses with Roe L27-26R body

In 1947 it was taken over by Park Royal Vehicles. Two years later, along with its parent, it became part of Associated Commercial Vehicles (ACV) in 1949, which was merged with Leyland Motors Ltd in 1962. In 1965 30% of Park Royal and Roe’s shares were exchanged by Leyland Motor Corporation for shares in Bristol Commercial Vehicles and Eastern Coach Works held by the Transport Holding Company. Later the THC was succeeded by the National Bus Company and Park Royal, Roe, Bristol, ECW and Leyland National Ltd became subsidiaries of a new company Bus Manufacturuers Holdings 50% owned by British Leyland and 50% by National Bus. Leyland took complete control of BMH in 1982 and closed Charles H. Roe in 1984. In the following year, a group of employees from the former business, supported by Yorkshire Enterprise Ltd, began the Optare coachbuilding business in the former Roe carriage works.

1930 Guy BTX with Roe L29-26R bodies

1930 Guy BTX with Roe L29-26R bodies

History overview

Mr Charles H. Roe was a coachbuilder, draughtsman, engineer and entrepreneur who established a coachworks business bearing his name in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1917. He continued to be its managing director until 1952. Charles H. Roe Ltd produced distinctive and durable coachwork which although associated most strongly with municipal operators, particularly in Yorkshire, sold to a wide range of bus, trolleybus and coach operators, and there were even a few car, railway carriage, tram and commercial vehicle bodies too. Eventually becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of British Leyland in 1982 it was closed in 1984. Former workers and management pooled their redundancy money and in 1985 returned to the Roe factory in Leeds with a new bus-building business under the new name of Optare Ltd.

1930 Leyland Lion LT1 with Roe bodywork

1930 Leyland Lion LT1 with Roe bodywork

History

Early years

Charles Henry Roe was born in York on 22 May 1887. His father Charles Roe worked for the North Eastern Railway at their carriage works in the town, eventually rising to a foreman’s position. C.H. Roe served his apprenticeship at the drawing office of the carriage works and his first job after gaining his trade in 1912 was as a draughtsman at the Wakefield works of Charles Roberts and Company who built railway rolling stock. A year later he moved to Leeds to work as an assistant to the chief engineer at the Hunslet-based RET Construction Co who was a pioneer builder of trolleybuses. Whilst there he worked on a twin-shaft drive transmission system from the traction motors of the trolleybus chassis to replace a previous chain-drive arrangement and designed a lightweight body featuring steel panels over a suitably reinforced teak body frame. As an engineer and draughtsman he was exempt from World War I Conscription. Customers for the RET vehicle with Roe-designed bodies included the trolleybus systems of Bloemfontein Corporation, The Shanghai Transport Company and Ramsbottom Urban District Council. The Ramsbottom examples were to a steel-frame design but it was wood and metal composite construction particularly using teak that became synonymous with the C.H. Roe name. The RET business had gone through one bankruptcy prior to C.H. Roe joining, originally having been founded as the Railless Electric Traction Company Ltd. in 1908. In 1916 The RET Company was required under war regulations to turn over production to munitions and being unable to supply orders in hand for trolleybuses was closed down in 1917.

1931 Guy BTX with a Roe L29-26R body

1931 Guy BTX with a Roe L29-26R body

Sole trader

By August 1917 C.H. Roe had set up on his own account as an engineer and coachbuilder in a nearby factory unit. Always an innovator with a shrewd grasp of the value of intellectual property Roe applied for his first patent (relating to driving pulleys) on Armistice Day November 11, 1918. During this time Roe continually extended his site, which adjoined that of his former employer which had now been requisitioned by the Royal Flying Corps. As a sole trader, Roe built a wide variety of products from simple flatbed trailers for traction engines to a refrigerated mobile fish shop body and stylish charabanc bodies on the ubiquitous Ford Model T. Another early patent was for a tipping body for lorries (spelt in true Yorkshire style ‘lurries’ in the application) with compartments to allow discrete loads to be kept separate. Railless Ltd had reformed after the war to build trolleybuses and Roe designed and/or built bodies went on examples supplied to the North Ormesby, South Bank, Normanby & Grangetown Railless Traction Company and to York Corporation.

1932 AEC Regal dating from 1932, was fitted with this Roe B32F body in 1938

1932 AEC Regal dating from 1932, was fitted with this Roe B32F body in 1938

The first company

Expansion at the Hunslet site was by the end of 1919 impossible, but C.H. Roe lived with his wife in the Cross Gates area of the city of Leeds and knew that a large shell-filling factory there had been vacated by the government. Thus for the purpose of purchasing this large site with a modern factory building and space for expansion he registered Charles H Roe Ltd on May 26, 1920. The shareholders included his father and a number of family friends. Whilst the formation of the company and negotiations to buy the Cross Gates site commenced, coachbuilding continued at the Hunslet factory, bodies including Charabancs on Karrier and Lancia chassis. After taking possession of the Cross Gates site the first Roe double-deck bodies were built for Birmingham Corporation on Railless Ltd chassis, a second trolleybus maker to patronise Roe was Clough, Smith Ltd whose trolleybuses comprised their Leeds-built electrical equipment on Straker-Squire chassis and were hence known as Straker-Clough; Roe bodies supplied to them were then supplied to the Teesside Railless Traction Board (a municipal joint committee who had taken over the North Ormesby Company) and Rotherham Corporation. Other products of this era included a number of charabancs on chassis including Leyland, Thornycroft and Fiat and a stylish limousine on a Lancia chassis. All types of bodies from other builders were also repaired and painted.

1932 AEC Regent with Roe body

1932 AEC Regent with Roe body

Trading difficulties in the early 1920s recession affected many businesses, the under-capitalised original Roe company being just one, during 1921 two debentures had to be secured to continue trading, the second relating directly to the Birmingham Corporation double deckers. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and the first company was voluntarily wound-up after a directors’ meeting in November 1922. The receiver of the original company was able to give the bank a small surplus, whilst among the debts received £3,000 had come from various other purchasers plus £900 from Railless Ltd, who had subcontracted the Birmingham bodybuilding contract to Roe. Late payment can kill many a new business and it seems to have been the death of the original Roe company. C.H. Roe in a personal capacity bought the remaining assets from the receiver for £1,140.

1932 AEC Regent with Roe H30-26R body

1932 AEC Regent with Roe H30-26R body

Charles H Roe (1923) Ltd

The early years

One lesson had been learned in the formation of the second company (initially Charles H. Roe (1923) Ltd) in that share capital was one third larger (£8500 rather than £5850). At this time motorbus, rather than trolleybus or charabanc bodies began to assume a greater prominence. Like trolleybuses however a lot of the coachbuilding work on motorbuses was subcontracted either from the chassis manufacturer or from a dealership company. Thus many early Roe bus bodies on Karrier chassis were sold by the Huddersfield company as complete products.

1934 AEC Regent with Roe 56 seat body

1934 AEC Regent with Roe 56 seat body

An even more complicated situation arose with the Leeds based operation Tramway Supplies Ltd. They tendered for complete vehicles and then subcontracted the chassis supply to one manufacturer and the body supply to another. One of the body subcontractors was the Blackburn Aircraft who also had a factory in Leeds. They built their last bus bodies in 1924, just as Government orders for aircraft (particularly flying boats, a Blackburn speciality) began to pick up. Railless Ltd (the third Railless company) were, incidentally, backed by Short Brothers another aeroplane manufacturer with a specialism in flying boats and a sideline in bus bodies.

1934 AEC Regent with Roe H30-26R body

1934 AEC Regent with Roe H30-26R body

An example of how complicated the whole complete vehicle contract thing could get concerns a Tilling-Stevens bi-mode petrol-electric/trolley bus (type PERC1) built-for and patented-by the Teesside Railless Traction Board’s manager. Tilling-Stevens had contracted to supply a complete vehicle; they then subcontracted the body to Tramway Supplies who sub-subcontracted it to Blackburn, who sub-sub-subcontracted it to Roe.

1934 AEC Regent-Roe H30-26R

1934 AEC Regent-Roe H30-26R

Other odd work in the early years of the new company included in 1924 a 36 seat petrol-fuelled rail vehicle for the Derwent Valley Light Railway. It was based on two Ford Model T chassis fitted with flanged steel tyres and coupled back-to-back, this rail minibus or petrol multiple unit seated 18 in each carriage and was driven from one end only, the rearward-facing car running in neutral gear with the engine switched off. When worked coupled fuel consumption was stated to be 14.33 mpg and if one unit was run the even more efficient figure of 17.55 mpg was obtained. It wasn’t enough to save passenger operations on the line from oblivion however and the units were exported in 1926 to the County Donegal Joint Railway Committee (CDR) in the north-west of Ireland who converted them from standard gauge to 3 ft gauge, lowering the bodies in the process. The CDR thus became the first railway in Ireland to use internal combustion engines and by the time of closure ran all passenger services and a number of freights using Gardner-powered diesel units.

1934 Leyland TD3 with a Roe H24-24C body

1934 Leyland TD3 with a Roe H24-24C body

By 1925 Roe were receiving orders directly from customers in the council-owned sector, many of them previous customers for sub-contracted bodies, Mr Roe’s approachability during body construction may have played a part in this, letters from general managers of the time thank C.H. Roe for his enabling inspection of bodies in-build. Among municipals taking Roe bodies by this time were Ramsbottom, Rotherham, Northampton, Doncaster, Leeds, Oldham, Bradford and the Teesside Railless Board, most of whom would continue to be Roe customers for a long time; chassis included Bristol, Guy, Thornycroft and AEC. The first double-deck motorbuses were for Doncaster in 1925 on AEC, a year later Roe were building 30 ft-long six wheeled double-decks for Oldham on Guy chassis. Unlike London at the time all of Roe’s double-deck customers specified closed-tops on the upper deck. In 1926 Straker-Squire finally folded and Roe stored uncompleted vehicles for Clough, Smith prior to a new arrangement which saw their electrical equipment fitted to Karrier chassis. Also at this time Roe started building enclosed, or saloon, coaches which were often fitted to chassis which had previously carried charabanc bodies, Roe having a surplus of second-hand charabanc bodies by 1925. Two further debentures were called for, but this time it wasn’t to keep the business going, but to fund the expansion of the premises.

1935 AEC Regent originally with Roe H30-26R body

1935 AEC Regent originally with Roe H30-26R body

Independent prosperity

One of the more significant patents to emerge from Cross Gates was number 313720 registered in 1928 the name of the Company, Mr C.H Roe and Mr William Bramham, the works manager who was later to be general manager at Eastern Coach Works at Lowestoft, Northern Coachbuilders of Newcastle upon Tyne and Saunders-Roe of Beaumaris. This concerned a continuous machined teak waist rail designed to double-interlock with the vertical teak pillars and the steel reinforcing strips, once assembled also binding those to the outer panels; it could be accurately described as an early example of system-built coachwork. New chassis makes bodied in the late twenties included Albion and Crossley, both of whom chose Roe bodies for demonstrators, in Crossley’s case for its first double-decker. Trolleybuses continued to figure, makes including Karrier-Clough and Guy, the three-axled double deck now being the common form for these, customers including Bloemfontein, South Lancashire Transport and corporation fleets including some detailed above, Doncaster for example taking one of the only two Bristol trolleybuses with a Roe body in 1928.

1935 Roe H26-22C bodied AEC Regent

1935 Roe H26-22C bodied AEC Regent

Another significant patent was jointly granted in 1930 to the company, Mr Roe and J.C. Whitely the general manager of Grimsby Corporation for a central entrance double decker with a distinctive design of staircase which rose transversely two steps to a wide landing and then branched into forward and rearward ascending longitudinal flights to the upper deck. Roe built bodies to this style until 1950 and licencees included H. V. Burlingham of Blackpool.

1936 Leyland Cub KPZ2 with Roe bodywork

1936 Leyland Cub KPZ2 with Roe bodywork

In 1934 five years after the original company was wound up, the board agreed to remove the (1923) from the current company name. At the same time share capital rose to £12,000 and the current mortgages and debenture were repaid in favour of a new first mortgage.

1936 Leyland KPZ2 Cub with Roe B24F body

1936 Leyland KPZ2 Cub with Roe B24F body

In 1935, encouraged by the chassis builder, a Commercial Motor Show exhibit was built on an AEC Regent chassis for Leeds Corporation, this bus had a rakish streamlined outline and a full-width cab but more importantly had an all-new steel framework patented by the company, Roe and Bramham (who became a director that year) and a ‘Safety Staircase’ patented by the company, Roe, Bramham and William Vane Moreland, the general manager of Leeds City Transport. This staircase on a rear platform bus gave less loss of seating capacity than the straight staircase favoured in London and Birmingham but intruded less onto the boarding platform than the normal semi-spiral arrangement whilst being superior to either layout in having two broad landings allowing boarding and alighting passengers to pass on the staircase. It became a standard feature of all subsequent peacetime Roe double-deck bodies for Leeds Corporation and was widely employed by other fleets, 777 examples being built by Roe prior to expiry of the patent in 1950.

1936 Leyland TS7 with ROE B32 F Body

1936 Leyland TS7 with ROE B32 F Body

During World War II, Roe mainly continued to build passenger bodies, although supplying the war effort more directly with such specialised bodywork as mobile printing presses for field communications use on Foden Lorries and articulated mobile kitchens, canteens and dormitories to assist blitzed factories. These were on semi-trailer chassis coupled to Bedford tractor units. Similar bus-seated vehicles were built mainly for use within Ordnance factories (where they became known as Bevin buses) but two were supplied to Liverpool Corporation and briefly used as service buses (1942-4) before being converted to mobile canteens. More normal passenger vehicle bodies were built during the war to the Government-mandated ‘utility’ outline including 240 single-deck 32 seaters on Bedford OWB chassis and over 400 double-deck bodies on Guy and Daimler motorbuses and Sunbeam trolleybuses, most to the sunken upper deck offside gangway or lowbridge layout.

1936 Leyland TS7c with Roe B34F body

1936 Leyland TS7c with Roe B34F body

In 1945 nominal share capital increased to £108,000 and the valuation of the works increased to £98,000. In 1939 both the English Electric Company and Metro Cammell Weymann had approached Roe about amalgamation or takeover and in 1945 talks were opened with Mumford of Lydney in Gloucestershire. These talks were inconclusive but in 1947 Park Royal Vehiclesbought a controlling shareholding in the company, three Roe board members were replaced by Park Royal directors and C.H Roe joined the board of Park Royal. In 1949 Park Royal were taken over by Associated Commercial Vehicles by then the parent company of AEC, Crossley and Maudslay.

1937 AEC Regent Roe Pullman H31-25R

1937 AEC Regent Roe Pullman H31-25R

The ACV years

Although ACV owned three chassis manufacturers and three coachbuilders (Park Royal, Roe and Crossley) they did not try to tie the hands of customers. Some rationalisation happened early in that any orders for Park Royal composite bodies were transferred to Roe, and steel-framed bodies were either built by Park Royal or by Roe using Park Royal frames. By the mid-1950s all metal-framed bodies by ACV, regardless of coachbuilder, had a Park Royal outline.

1937 Bristol JO5G with Roe B32F body

1937 Bristol JO5G with Roe B32F body

The flagship of the Roe composite body range was however exclusively built on AEC Regent III; this was the Pullman body, the only Roe bus ever to be named. The prototype – a Leeds bus to the specifications of W. Vane Moreland – with its deep windows and four window bays rather than the then standard five had looked ultra-modern when shown on a pre-war Regent at the 1937 Commercial Motor Show in London, it is an acknowledged influence on the London Transport designers whose RT1 appeared two years later with similar construction and outline.

1937 Leyland TD5 with Roe H31-25R body

1937 Leyland TD5 with Roe H31-25R body

Trolleybuses continued to figure, on Sunbeam/Karrier, Crossley or BUT chassis. The most striking of these were the Coronation class vehicles built on Sunbeam MF2B chassis for Kingston upon Hull Corporation Transport. These had a front entrance on the front overhang and a central exit; they were fitted with twin staircases and were intended to be one-man operated so were equipped with trolley-pole retriever equipment at the rear.

1938 Leyland Tiger TS8 with Roe B30F body

1938 Leyland Tiger TS8 with Roe B30F body

After the initial post-war boom Roe also took on a great deal of repair, rebuilding and refurbishment work, adding a workshop for this purpose. Plymouth Corporation had its entire fleet of Guy Arab utility buses thoroughly rebuilt by Roe, some 100 passing through the works. Roe also extended the Brush or Metro-Cammell bodies of Midland Red‘s post-war underfloor engined single deckers from 27 ft 6in to 29 ft 3in, allowing an extra four seats to be fitted. This work covered classes S6, S8, S9, S11 and all but one of S10, a grand total of 455 buses all converted in 1952 or 1953. In 1952 Charles H Roe resigned from the position of managing director, although he remained as chairman.

1938 Leyland TS8-Roe B36R

1938 Leyland TS8-Roe B36R

As pressure of work eased Roe also introduced a coach body for the AEC Reliance. This was known as the Roe Dalesman and ran through four separate marks, from 1953-9. It was mainly stock-built for coach dealers selling to small independents but major operators to use the type included West Riding Automobile Company and Black and White Motorways. Other specialist work undertaken included two single deck trams for Leeds, a mobile chest X-ray unit for tuberculosis control and crew cab lorries on Ford Thames Trader for the Uganda police force. Box vans were supplied on Bedford to the Bradford Dyers Association.

1938 Leyland TTB3 or TTB4 with a Roe H35-29R body

1938 Leyland TTB3 or TTB4 with a Roe H35-29R body

The composite body had been revised post-war, with a new patent waist rail, the teak structural member now covered by rolled steel plate. In 1957 the composite double decker reached its final form with teak framing to the lower deck ceiling or upper deck floor and an aluminium framework above. This was to continue in production, mainly on Daimler half-cab chassis until 1968, the last batch being built for Northampton Corporation on CVG6, replacing earlier Roe-bodied CVG6s which at the time comprised the entire Northampton fleet, all but five having composite bodies.

1938 ROE CM-Roe

1938 ROE CM-Roe

Simultaneously Park Royal bowed to pressure from the British Electric Traction group of major regional bus operators and replaced their rather elegant mid-1950s aluminium-framed body with a steel-framed structure of very angular outline, this first appeared as the production version of the integral AEC Bridgemaster, but soon spread to all other steel-framed Park Royal and Roe double deckers. Crossley had been closed by ACV in 1958, having ceased to make chassis five years previously.

1939 Karrier E6 with Roe H32-28R body

1939 Karrier E6 with Roe H32-28R body

Roe metal-framed bodies to this new outline went on a wide range of double deck chassis. A large batch were built for BET on the new Leyland Atlantean, these were delivered in 1960 to Trent Motor Traction, Devon General and the Northern General Transport group. As well as looking ungainly these buses became notorious for their propensity to corrode. Roe also built both forward and rear entrance bodies using this structure on conventional chassis, Swindon Corporation taking Daimler CVG6 and both Yorkshire Traction and Stratford Blue Motors taking rebodied Leyland Tigers.

1939 Leyland Tiger TS8 with Roe B32F body

1939 Leyland Tiger TS8 with Roe B32F body

Far less conventional was the Guy Wulfrunian which was even more avant-garde than the Atlantean, it was designed to the requirements of the independent West Riding company and featured a front engine on the front entrance platform, instead of a front radiator it had two Cave-Browne-Cave heat exchangers on the upper deck front face to provide passenger heating and ventilation as well as engine cooling. The front wheels had double wishbone independent suspension and like the rear axle had a self-levelling air suspension system, the foundation braking was by disc brakes on all four wheels with a drum brake on the driveshaft providing the parking brake and the fluid flywheel adapted to serve as an integral retarder. At a time when only Jaguar and Ferrari road cars had front discs this was a technological adventure, like the Routemaster and Midland Red’s motorway coach it was shown with its Roe body in a cutaway-centre spread of boy’s comicThe Eagle where it took its place alongside V-Bombers, Nuclear Submarines and Deltic Locomotives. Roe bodied 131 out of the 137 Wulfruninans built from 1959 to 1965.

1940 AEC Regent with Roe bodywork

1940 AEC Regent with Roe bodywork

The Wulfrunian body was lower built as this chassis was designed as a low height bus with stepless entrance and centre gangways on both decks. Roe also softened the outline of the body with a subtly curved rear dome; the use of equal-depth windows on both decks produced a much more balanced look.

1941 Leyland TD7 with a Roe L24-24R body

1941 Leyland TD7 with a Roe L24-24R body

Other oddities at the dawn of the 1960s included single-deck buses on the double-deck AEC Regent V chassis, most of these were built for South Wales Transport for a route with a very low railway bridge in Llanelli under which underfloor engined single decks could not work but there were also one each for the Leeds Council Welfare department (with a rear ramp for wheelchair access) and for the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.

1942 Guy Arab I with Roe L24-26R

1942 Guy Arab I with Roe L24-26R

1942 Leyland Titan TD7 with Roe H26-32C bodywork

1942 Leyland Titan TD7 with Roe H26-32C bodywork

In 1962 ACV merged with Leyland Motors to form the Leyland Motor Corporation. In 1965 LMC sold a 30% shareholding in Park Royal and Roe to the state-owned Transport Holding Company in return for a 25% stake in Bristol Commercial Vehicles and Eastern Coach Works. Charles H Roe retired as company chairman in 1962 and died in 1965.

1943 Guy Arab II with a Roe B38C body

1943 Guy Arab II with a Roe B38C body

1943 Guy Arab II with Roe L27-26R body

1943 Guy Arab II with Roe L27-26R body

1943 Guy Arab II with Roe L27-28R body

1943 Guy Arab II with Roe L27-28R body

1943 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body

1943 Sunbeam W with Roe H62R body

The mixed economy

The original outline of the body for rear-engined double deckers was widely considered unsatisfactory and Sunderland Corporation took a heavily revised version on Daimler Fleetline from 1962-6 featuring a prominent peak at the front dome and a reverse rake to the upper-deck rear in the style of the contemporary Ford Anglia saloon car. Great Yarmouth Corporation instead specified double curvature windscreens of Alexander design on its Atlanteans (including a unique short-wheelbase batch in 1967) and on the last three Daimler Freeline single deckers. This then became a standard option at Roe who also optionally fitted the Alexander style double-curvature upper-deck front window on rear engined chassis, curving the line of the foremost upper deck side windows down to meet this, producing an elegant style which suited the Fleetline and the post 1964 low height Atlantean. Also in 1964 for that year’s Commercial Motor show Roe built its first body to the 36 ft length permissible since 1961, it was an early Leyland Panther for the Kingston upon Hull Corporation Transport fleet. Unlike the Coronation trolleybuses they were to replace, the Hull Panthers were allowed to be one man operated. Roe then built versions of this body for Leeds on the similar AEC Swift from 1967 to 1972 and also built standee single decks on Daimler Roadliner and Fleetline for Darlington and on Seddon Pennine RU for Doncaster.

1944 Daimler CWA6 with a Roe H30-26R body

1944 Daimler CWA6 with a Roe H30-26R body

1944 Guy Arab II with body by Roe

1944 Guy Arab II with body by Roe

1944 Sunbeam W with Roe body

1944 Sunbeam W with Roe body

In 1964 Leeds, the last provincial bastion of the rear-open platform double decker took a batch of Fleetlines to Great Yarmouth outline and the first of these was also shown at the 1964 show, Leeds continually revised this design over the next few years, in 1966 it was extended to 33 ft long rather than the previous 30 ft 10in, both decks had double curvature screens and side glazing became panoramic, with double-width window glasses. In 1968 angled flat glass at the front and a glass-fibre dash was added and a centre exit was fitted whilst the rear dome reverted to a square outline. This made the appearance similar to the Oldham Corporation variant supplied with conventional side glazing on standard wheelbase Atlanteans since 1965. The Leeds design was produced until 1975 with a few going to independent operators in England and Scotland. The Leeds and Oldham designs in turn led to the Park Royal–Roe standard design for Atlantean and Fleetline built from 1969 to 1981, which had a deeper front screen optionally to Alexander layout or flat-glazed and wider pillar spacing than the previous standard but not as long as that fitted to the Leeds style or the Manchester Corporation Mancunian. Roe built one batch of 34 Mancunians on long Fleetlines in 1972. These buses had been due to be bodied by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in 1970, but they suffered a fire destroying their works in Blackburn, so the contract was transferred to Park Royal, who in turn transferred it to Roe (shades of that Teesside Tilling-Stevens).

1945 Sunbeam W with Roe 62 seat coachwork

1945 Sunbeam W with Roe 62 seat coachwork

The standard design was adopted by West Yorkshire PTE (successor to the Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield Halifax and Calderdale fleets) and many municipals and also (from 1972) on the AN68 Atlantean became the National Bus Company’s second-choice double decker, being especially associated with ‘Leyland’ fleets such as Ribble, Northern General and Southdown but it also became the standard double decker with London Country who had over 300.

1946 AEC Regent IIIs with Roe H31-25R bodi

1946 AEC Regent IIIs with Roe H31-25R body

1946 Leyland PD1-Roe H31-25R

1946 Leyland PD1-Roe H31-25R

1946 Roe B35R bodied Guy Arab III

1946 Roe B35R bodied Guy Arab III

Nearing the end

In 1982 Leyland Vehicles, the truck and bus division of the by now state-owned British Leyland bought out the National Bus Company’s 50% shareholding in the joint-venture Bus Manufacturers Holdings Ltd which had not only owned Bristol, ECW, Park Royal and Roe but also the Leyland National factory at Workington.

1947 AEC Regals with Roe B32F body

1947 AEC Regals with Roe B32F body

1947 AEC Regent III with Roe H28-22C body

1947 AEC Regent III with Roe H28-22C body

1947 AEC Regent III with Roe H31-25R body

1947 AEC Regent III with Roe H31-25R body

1947 AEC Regent III-Roe H31-25R

1947 AEC Regent III-Roe H31-25R

1947 Daimler CVD6's coaches rebodied by Roe in the mid-1950s

1947 Daimler CVD6’s coaches rebodied by Roe in the mid-1950s

1947 Leyland Tiger PS1 with Roe B35R bodywork

1947 Leyland Tiger PS1 with Roe B35R bodywork

1947 Leyland Titan PD1-3 with Roe bodywork

1947 Leyland Titan PD1-3 with Roe bodywork

1947 Roe B35R bodywork was fitted to this Leyland PS1

1947 Roe B35R bodywork was fitted to this Leyland PS1

1947 Sunbeam W new in 1947, rebodied by Roe H32-28R in 1960

1947 Sunbeam W new in 1947, rebodied by Roe H32-28R in 1960

1947 vintage Leyland PS1 with a Roe B32F body

1947 vintage Leyland PS1 with a Roe B32F body

In 1981 and 1982 Roe-bodied six 18-metre long articulated buses for British Airways, these employed Leyland National body sections on Leyland-DAB underfloor-engined chassis, Roe modifying the body for the higher frame height. They featured five entry-exit doors, two on the offside, and were used to transport passengers from their aircraft to the terminal at Heathrow airport.

1948

1948 AEC Regent III with Roe H50C body 1948 AEC Regent IIIs with Roe H28-22C body 1948 BUT 9611T with Roe bodywork 1948 Daimler CVD6 with Roe B35F body 1948 K6A-Saunders Roe.1948.E.Kentell2 1948 Leyland PS1 with Roe B32F body 1948 Leyland PS1s with Roe B36R body 1948 Roe B32F bodied Leyland PS1 1948 Roe bodied BUT 9611T

AEC-AEC-BUT-DAIMLER-SAUNDERS-LEYLANDx3-BUT

1981 had been a peak production year at Roe, with 182 bodies built, the highest total since 1966 (the year when double-decks were finally allowed to be operated without a conductor, the first bus to do so, on the day of the law change, being a Great Yarmouth Roe-bodied Atlantean). The standard body was phased out in 1981, as the Fleetline had been discontinued and the Atlantean could not be sold in the EEC after 1983 as it fell foul of noise-pollution laws. 1981 was also the year that the Park Royal coachworks were closed. The new body to take its place was for the new Leyland Olympian chassis and Roe produced 299 of these prior to closure, most went to three fleets, West Yorkshire PTE and NBC subsidiaries Bristol Omnibus Company and London Country, with one batch to Strathclyde PTE and a sole vehicle to the Scottish Arts Council which was equipped as a travelling art gallery.

1949

1949 AEC Regal III (ECX741, number 282, which had a Duple B35F body when new in 1949) and was fitted with a Roe FB39F body 1949 AEC Regal III of 1949 (originally with a Duple body). In 1960 is was rebuilt by Hanson and given a new FB39F body by Roe 1949 AEC Regal III with Roe B32F body 1949 AEC Regent III with Roe H31-25R body 1949 Daimler CVD6, with Roe H31-25R body 1949 Guy Arab III-Roe L27-26R 1949 Roe-bodied Crossley 1949 Sunbeam MS2 with Roe H72R body

AECx4-DAIMLER-GUY-CROSSLEY-SUNBEAM

Production peaked at this point because the Government was phasing out the New Bus Grant which had provided up to 50% of the cost of a bus used on local services provided it met certain rules. In order to compensate for this drop in bus sales Leyland Bus (as it had now become) decided to produce a new flagship product for the booming deregulated coach market following the Transport Act 1980. This was the Royal Tiger underframe and the Roe Doyen body. This was a sophisticated product, as the Tiger coach chassis competed head on with the Volvo B10M the Royal Tiger Doyen was designed to provide a British alternative to the high-end Setra coach from Germany. Production got off to a slow start, not helped by overly centralised control from Leyland and a rigid set of body specifications which did not initially provide all the features more demanding coach customers wanted. In 1983, the year of launch only 10 complete Royal Tiger Doyens entered service, a further 13 underframes being supplied to Van Hool and Plaxton to receive versions of their standard coachwork. In 1983 production of the underframe was moved to Workington and 22 coaches were completed by Roe as well as 86 Olympians. The plant was not at that point viable for British Leyland who had been impoverished by the chronic failure of its Austin mass-production car division. Thus Roe followed Daimler, Guy, AEC, Park Royal and Bristol into oblivion.

1950

1950 AEC Regent III with Roe built H31-25R body 1950 AEC Regent III with Roe H31-25R body 1950 Crossley DD42-5 with a Roe L27-26R body 1950 Daimler CT6 with Roe H40-30R body 1950 Leyland PSU1-13 Royal Tiger with a Roe B44F body 1950 Leyland Titan PD2-3 built in 1950 with Roe H31-28RD bodywork from 1959 1950 Leyland Titan PD2-3 built with Roe bodywork 1950 Roe L27-26RD body after rebodying in 1958 Albion CX39N 1950 Sunbeam F4 trolley rebodied by Roe in 1964 1950 Sunbeam MS2 with Roe H40-30R body

AECx2-Crossley-Daimler-Leylandx3-Albion-Sunbeamx2

Many Roe bodies survive in preservation and some on special tourist services, the earliest design being a replica of a 1929 body on a Leyland Lion at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport.

1951

1951 A.E.C. 9821E Regal IV with a Roe B40D body 1951 AEC Regak IV with Roe B41F body 1951 1951 AEC Regent III with Roe H31-25R body 1951 Guy Arab III saloons with attractive Roe centre entrance bodywork 1951 Guy Arab III with Roe C31F bodywork 1951 Guy Arab III with unusual Roe coach body 1951 Leyland Titan PD2-12 with Roe FCH30-20RD bodywork 1951 Roe B40C bodied AEC Regal IV

AECx3-GUYx3-Leyland-AEC

Three diecast model manufacturers produce 1:76 scale models of Roe vehicles, EFE have a pre-war Leyland Tiger bus, Corgi OOC produce the final style of rear entrance composite body as a half-cab or a trolleybus and Britbus make the NBC version of the standard Atlantean body in single or dual-door format.

1952

1952 Guy Arab III with Roe B41C bodywork. 1952 Leyland PD2-12s with Roe coach body 1952 Leyland Royal Tiger with Roe bodywork 1952 Leyland Tiger PS2-12 with Roe C35F

Guy-Leylandx3

1953

1953 Daimler CVG6 with a Roe H33-25R body

1953 Guy Arab IV with a Roe body 1953 KGG711 was an AEC Regal IV with Roe body 1953 Leeds 601, the Metropolitan-Vickers equipped Roe bodied railcar 1953 Maley & Taunton equipped Roe bodied railcar new in June 1953

Daimler-Guy-AEC-Railcar ROE 2x

1954

1954 1951 Guy Wolf with Metalcraft body and CCC597, a 1954 Guy Otter with Roe B25F body 1954 AEC Regent III-Roe H3-25R 1954 AEC Reliances with Roe B34C+24 body 1954 Guy Otter with a Roe B25F body 1954 Leyland Royal Tiger with Roe bodywork 1954 ROE CMS-Roe

Guy-AECx2-Guy-Leyland-Roe ad

1955

1955 Guy 5LW with Roe centre-entrance standee body 1955 Guy Arab LUFs, fitted with Roe B34C+24 body 1955 Leyland Tiger Cub with a Roe B34+24C standee body 1955 Leyland Titan PD2-11 with a Roe H33-25R body 1955 Sunbeam MF2B-MV with Roe H54D body

Guyx2-Leylandx2-Sunbeam

1956

1956 AEC Regent V with Roe H33-27R body

1956 AEC Reliance MU3RV with Roe B44F bodywork

1956 AEC Reliance-Roe B44F 1956 Daimler CVG6 with Roe H37-26R body 1956 Daimler CVG6 with Roe H37-28R body 1956 Guy Arab IV Roe L27-26R

AECx3-Daimlerx2-Guy

1957

1957 AEC Regent V 1949U with Roe H37-28R body 1957 AEC Regent V with Roe H37-28R body 1957 AEC Reliance MU3RV with Roe Dalesman body 1957 AEC Reliance MU3RV with Roe Dalesman C41C bodywork 1957 Guy Arab IV built with Roe H33-28R bodywork 1957 Guy Arab IV with Roe L55R body 1957 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-2 built in with Roe Dalesman C41C bodywork 1957 Leyland Tiger Cub with Roe 39 seat body 1957 Roe B41R bodied Guy Arab LUF 1957 Roe-bodied AEC Regent

AECx4-Guyx2-Leylandx2-Guy-Aec

1958

1958 AEC 2MU3RV Reliance with a Roe DP41F body 1958 AEC MU3RV Reliance with a Roe Dalesman C37C body 1958 AEC MU3RV Reliance with Windover body. Reliance with Roe DP41F body, 366CPT, new in 1958 1958 Leyland PD2-30 with Roe H37-28R body 1958 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 with Roe B41D body 1958 Leyland Titan PD2-30 with Roe bodywork 1958 Leyland Titan PD2-30 with Roe H33-26RD body 1958 Leyland Titan PD3-1 with Roe body 1958 Roe DP41F bodied AEC MU3RV Reliance

AECx3-Leylandx5-AEC

1959

1959 AEC Reliance with Roe Dalesman coach body 1959 Daimler CVG6LX-30 with Roe bodywork 1959 Guy Wulfrunian with Roe bodywork 1959 Leyland Titan PD2-27 built in 1959 with Roe H33-28R bodywork 1959 Leyland Titan PD3-1 built with Roe H39-30R body 1959 Leyland Titan PD3-5 with Roe body 1959 Roe B37F bodied AEC Regent Vs

AEC-Daimler-Guy-Leylandx3-AEC

1960

1960 AEC Regent V 2D2RA with a Roe H39-32R body 1960 AEC Reliance 2MU3RV with Roe B45F bodywork 1960 Daimler CVG6 Roe 1960 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with Roe H44-34F bodywork 1960 Leyland PD3-1s with Roe L31-32RD body 1960 Leyland Titan PD2-40 with Roe H37-28R body

AECx2-Daimler-Leylandx3

1961

1961 AEC Reliance with Roe B41D body 1961 Daimler CVG6-30 with Roe H73F body 1961 Leyland Leopard L1 with Roe B44F bodywork 1961 Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 1961 Roe H43-32F bodied Guy Wulfrunian

AEC-Daimler-Leyland-Guy-AEC

1962

1962 AEC Regent V 2D2RA with Roe H39-31R body 1962 AEC Reliance with Roe 41 seat dual door body 1962 Daimler 572CNW, a CVG6LX with Roe H39-31F body 1962 Daimler CVG6-30 with Roe front entrance bodywork 1962 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with Roe H44-33F bodywork 1962 Leyland PD3-4 with Roe H38-32F bodywork 1962 Leyland PD3A-1 with Roe body 1962 Roe bodied AEC Regent V 1962 Roe H33-26R bodywork was fitted to Pontypridd 87, 872MTG, a Guy Arab IV

AECx2-Daimlerx2-Leylandx3-AEC-Guy

1963

1963 AEC Regent V with Roe B37F body 1963 Daimer Fleetline CRG6LX with Roe H43-33F body 1963 Daimler CVG6 with a Roe H37-26R body 1963 Daimler CVG6LX with Roe H39-31R body 1963 Guy Wulfrunian with Roe H41-34F body 1963 Leyland Leopard L2 with Roe B49F body 1963 Roe B44F bodied AEC Reliances 1963 Roe bodied AEC Regent V

AEC-Daimlerx3-Guy-Leyland-AECx3

1964

1964 AEC Reliance 2MU3RA with Roe B41D bodywork 1964 AEC Renown 3B3RA with Roe H39-31F body 1964 AEC Renown with Roe bodywork 1964 Daimler Fleetline with Roe bodywork 1964 Daimler Fleetline with Roe H70F body 1964 Daimler Freeline  Roe DP43F 1964 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with Roe H43-33F 1964 Leyland PD3-5 built in 1964 with a Roe H41-32F body 1964 Roe bodied Daimler CVG6-30s 1964 Roe H41-32F bodied AEC Regent V

AECx3-Daimlerx3-Leylandx2-Daimler-AEC

1965

1965 AEC Reliance and had it fitted with a neat Roe coach body 1965 AEC Reliance with a Roe C37F body 1965 Leyland Leopard L2 with Roe B45F bodywork 1965 Leyland Panther with 45 seat Roe bodywork 1965 Roe H43-32F bodied Guy Wulfrunian

AECx2-Leylandx2-GUY

1966

1966 AEC Swiftl with dual door Roe bodywork 1966 Daimler Fleetline with Sunderland designed Roe bodywork 1966 Leyalnd Atlantean PDR1-2 with Roe H38-27F body 1966 Leyland Atlantean with Roe body 1966 Leyland Panthers and carries a Roe body 1966 Roe bodied example and one of Leeds last AEC deckers

AEC-Daimler-Leylandx3-AEC

1967

1967 AEC Swift MP2R with Roe B44F body 1967 Daimler Fleetline with Roe body 1967 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-2 with Roe H43-33F body 1967 Leyland Atlantean Roe 1967 Leyland Panther with Roe bodywork 1967 Leyland Titan PD2A-27 with Roe H33-28R bodywork 1967 was this Daimler Fleetline with 33 foot Roe bodywork with panoramic windows

AEC-Daimler-Leylandx4-AEC

1968

1968 AEC Swift with Roe 48 seat bodywork 1968 Daimler Fleetline with dual door Roe body 1968 Daimler Fleetline with Roe bodywork 1968 Leyland Atlantean PDR2-1 with a Roe body

AEC-Daimlerx2-Leyland

1969

1969 Atlanteans-Roe 1969 Leyland Royal Tiger Cub with Roe bodywork

Leyland x 2

1970

1970 Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with Roe H45-29D bodywork 1970 Leyland Atlantean PDR1A-1 with Roe bodywork

Daimler + Leyland

1971

1971 AEC Swift with Roe B48D body 1971 Leyland Atlantean with dual door Roe bodywork 1971 Leyland Atlantean with Roe dual door body 1971 Leyland Atlantean-Roe

AEC- Leyland x 3

1972

1972 Daimler CRG6LX with Roe H44-33F body 1972 Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with Roe H44-34F bodywork 1972 Daimler Fleetline SRG6LX with Roe dual door 48 seat bodywork 1972 Leyland Atlantean PDR2-1 with Roe H45-24F bodywork

Daimler x 3 + Leyland

1973

1973 Daimler Fleetline with Roe 74 seat dual door bodywork 1973 Leyland Atlantean AN68-2R with Roe H45-33D body

Daimler and Leyland

1978

1978 Roe bodied Atlantean XWG633T

Leyland

roe logo kw

Finish

MCW (Metro Cammell Weymann) Buses + Metrobus

Metro Cammell Weymann03Travel West Midlands MkII Metrobuses seen in Dudley.

002 S3M-B1

3-axle Metro Cammell WeymannSuper Metrobus (11 m) owned byKowloon Motor Bus in Hong Kong.
003 Yorkshire_Traction_MCW_Metroliner

A double deck Metroliner 400GT with Yorkshire Traction, with a Megabusvehicle behind it

Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 1932 by Weymann Motor Bodies Ltd and Metro Cammell‘s bus bodybuilding division to produce bus bodies.

MCW bus bodies were built in Metro-Cammell’s and Weymann’s factories until 1966 when Weymann’s factory in Addlestone was closed (the Metro-Cammell and Weymann brand names were dropped in the same year). From 1977 MCW also built bus chassis.

In 1989 the Laird group decided to sell its bus and rail divisions. No buyer for the complete group could be found so each product was sold separately. The Metrorider was bought by Optare who relaunched it as the MetroRider; the Metrobus design was bought by DAF(chassis) and Optare (body), who jointly reworked it into the Optare Spectra. The Metroliner design was acquired by Optare though not pursued. The Metrocab was bought by Reliant. Metro-Cammell’s rail division and the Washwood Heath factory went to GEC Alsthom (now Alstom)

Bodies

  • London Transport RLH
  • Orion series
  • London Transport’s DMS body built in partnership with Park Royal throughout the 1970s.
  • West Midland PTE’s standard bus body in the 1970s on both the Daimler/Leyland Fleetline (again built in partnership with Park Royal) and theBristol VR.
  • A generic double deck body range built in the 1970s on Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline chassis with notable customers being Liverpool Corporation and Tyne & Wear PTE.

Chassis/Complete buses

  • Metroliner – single and double deck coach
    • Metroliner – Semi-integral 4.23 m high double deck coach
    • Metroliner 400GT – integral 4 m high double deck coach
    • Metroliner – Semi-integral 3.2 m high single deck coach
    • Metro Hiliner – Integral 3.4 m high single deck coach

Others

MCW Metrobus

MCW Metrobus
01

Preserved West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive MCW Metrobus Mk1 in May 2013
02

Arriva Buses Wales Metrobus Lower Saloon Interior
Overview
Manufacturer Metro Cammell Weymann
Body and chassis
Doors 1 to 3
Floor type Step entrance
Powertrain
Engine Gardner 6LXB Gardner 6LXCT Gardner 6LXDT Rolls-Royce Eagle 220 Mk III Cummins LT10 Cummins LTA10-B282
Transmission Voith DIWA851 Voith DIWA851.2 Voith DIWA854 Voith DIWA864G Maxwell
Dimensions
Length 9.7m, 11.0m, 11.3m or 12.0m
Width 2.5m

The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) between 1977 and 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model (which had a symmetrical windscreen) in 1981, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985. The Metrobus was conceived as an integral product manufactured completely by MCW, but Alexander and Northern Counties also bodied some examples.

MCW planned to produce a single deck version but this was not to come into production.

United Kingdom

03

Travel West Midlands Metrobuses Mk11s in Dudley in April 2006
04

Preserved Northern General Transport Company Metrobus MkII in May 2009

In the United Kingdom, the Metrobus was mainly used in the metropolitan areas, especially London and the West Midlands.

London

London Transport purchased 1,440 MkI examples between 1978 and 1985, numbering them M1 to M1440. Two MkII prototypes were delivered to London Transport as M1441 and M1442 in 1984, but there were no further orders. In 1987 and 1988, 14 secondhand Metrobuses were purchased from Greater Manchester PTEWest Yorkshire PTE and Busways. London Transport’s low-cost subsidiary Harrow Buses leased 29 new MkII Metrobuses in 1987, but had to return them to their lessor three years later. London Transport’s Metrobuses were the mainstay of the double decker fleet between 1987 and privatisation in 1994, when most of them passed to seven of the new operators.

MTL bought the London Northern company, with a host of Metrobuses. It acquired more when it took over London Suburban Buses, and including some ex-London examples from its Merseyside operation. Garages were at North Acton, Holloway and Potters Bar. Metroline Northern perations in London dwindled during 2002, with Ms replaced by low-floor buses on most routes. Some clung through 2003 on as deputising on the AEC Routemaster routes, but operation on TfL services ceased in March 2004. Potters Bar was the last outpost, where a handful remained on other services until May 2005; where the Volvo Olympians took over.

London General reached the end with Metrobuses in normal service in February 2003, when Stockwell’s last were withdrawn. This still left a couple for special purposes (M1440 at Sutton and the “spotted cow” liveried M1435). There was still a crowd of white-blouse and grey-skirt training buses too, which were mainly moved out from their comfy homes to the Plough Lane open-air space, to make room for the new larger fleet of low-floor WVLs. There is an open-top MCW Metrobus for use by hire in London General; it was also replaced by the withdrawn NVs that left route 74 with a lurch.

First CentrewestFirst Capital and London United also reached the end with Metrobuses in normal service in 2003.

Arriva London also continued using Metrobuses until these were finally displaced in 2002/03.

Some of the MCW Metrobuses were converted to open-top for use by The Original Tour, which is classed as MB class. These were withdrawn by December 2007, replaced by modernised buses. London Pride Sightseeing also has MCW Metrobuses, but these were sold to Ensignbus.

By 2014, there were no MCW Metrobuses licensed for use in London.

West Midlands

Main article: West Midlands Metrobus

The West Midlands PTE and its successor, West Midlands Travel, also purchased significant numbers of Metrobuses (over 1,100), both MkI and MkII examples. These included five prototype vehicles (allocated to Washwood Heath depot near the MCW factory so they could see the vehicles performance in service) and 50 dual-purpose Metrobuses with high-back seats, purchased in 1986. Many of these buses were converted to normal seated buses and continued in service until November 2008. They were mainly used on limited-stop services. Fourteen guided buses were delivered for route 65 (branded Tracline 65), which was the first guided bus system in UK, although the experiment only lasted a couple of years. All of the 14 guided buses were converted for conventional use.

In early 1995 Marshall Bus of Cambridge were contracted to overhaul all of West Midland Travel’s Metrobus fleet. This was the largest used bus overhaul programme in Europe at the time and Marshalls set up a dedicated business division and staff to handle it. Many unavailable parts had to be sourced and made to original patterns by the Marshall procurement team. A production line was established in one of Marshall’s aircraft hangars and anything up to 30 Metrobuses could be found in work at some stage along the line. Duration of refurbishment of each bus was usually 2-3 per week. No powerline items were included with the result that original engines were simply put back in the overhauled buses as they were. This had the effect that as the vehicles were driven from the West Midlands to Marshalls at Cambridge and driven back once completed, they frequently broke down. Over 600 mainly MkII metrobuses were overhauled and the contract ended abruptly in 1999 due to lack of confidence in Marshall Bus over delays with WMT orders for their new single deck buses. As a result of the unique experience gained by Marshall Bus on the Metrobus programme, they won a similar contract to overhaul Transport for London AEC Routemasters starting in 1999.

The last public service ran the 1 service from Birmingham Town Hall to Acocks Green Village, arriving back at Acocks Green Garage at 15:25 on 24 July 2010 and was bus 2903 C903FON. A Metrobus Farewell event was held at Acocks Green on that day and all three of the last Metrobuses were operated, these were 2832, 2903 & 2988 (B832AOP, C903FON & E988VUK). All cash fares taken on the day were donated to Cancer Research UK.

The Green Bus still operate various former Harrow Buses MkII and former National Express West Midlands Mk-IIA Metrobuses on both school services and commercial services.

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) purchased over 100 examples between 1981 and 1985. The SYPTE standard fully sprung seats were fitted along with 20 MkIIs having coach seats for express work. The vehicles were noted for quick acceleration although had distinctive engine noise and were rust prone around the engine bay.

The Metrobus also found sales to National Bus Company companies prior to privatisation, Maidstone & District Motor Services and Northern General Transport Company purchased significant numbers.

Hong Kong

Early introductions

In Hong Kong, the China Motor Bus (CMB) introduced 12 Metrobuses (MC1-MC12) in 1978 for its luxury coach services (which covered the routes between Repulse BayStanley and theCentral District). Within a year, MCW produced an 11-metre 2-axle version of Metrobus. Only 40 were produced all for CMB as MB1-MB40 in 1978/79. The MB class were allocated mostly on express and cross-harbour services. Both batches of CMB Metrobuses had MkI bodies.

1980s

05

Preserved China Motor BusMetrobus MkII ML1 in George Street, Sydney in January 2007
06

Kowloon Motor Bus 3-axle MCW Metrobus MkII (11m)

In 1981, MCW produced prototypes of 3-axle, 12-metre long “Super-Metrobuses”. Two were purchased by CMB as ML1-ML2 and three by Kowloon Motor Bus as M1-M3, later renumbered 3M1-3M3. All were bodied with MCW MkII bodies. CMB purchased a further 82 (ML3-84) between 1983 and 1988, while KMB purchased 80 2-axle Metrobuses (M1-M80, with MkII bodies) between 1983 and 1985.

While KMB was not interested in the 12-metre version Super-Metrobuses, they did express their interest in an 11-metre 3-axle version (the CMB 11-metre version Metrobuses were 2-axle) with 254 11-metre 3-axle Metrobuses (S3M1-254) purchased between 1986 and 1989. Fifty of these buses were fitted with Cummins engines, and another one (later numbered S3M145) was originally fitted with a prototype air-conditioner, but this proved unreliable and was subsequently removed.

Between 1987 and 1989, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) also purchased 59 2-axle Metrobuses for their feeder bus services. 39 of them (101-139) were brand new with MkII bodies, while another 20 (140-159) were second-hand buses purchased from South Yorkshire PTE) with MkI bodies.

Argos Bus purchased 6 Metrobuses for their non-franchised routes and private hire services between 1988 and 1989. They were from the same batch as those bought second-hand by KCRC.

KMB purchased eight further 2-axle Metrobuses (M81-M88) in 1989. These buses were fitted with Cummins LTA10-B282 (282 hp) engines and Voith D864G 4-speed gearbox, and were used on the hilly KMB Route 51 (between Tsuen Wan and Kam Tin, climbing Tai Mo Shan along its way). Later KMB fitted some of its older Metrobuses with Cummins engines, in order to avoid excess damage to buses running the hilly route.

Withdrawal

07

The Original Tour MCW Super Metrobus 12m MkII in London in June 2011

The MkI second-hand Metrobuses were the first to be withdrawn, and all of them have now been scrapped. Many of the KCRC ones were loaned to Citybus for few years before final withdrawal.

CMB removed its MC-class Metrobuses from the luxury routes after introducing Dennis Darts for the service in 1991, preserving the seating layout. These Metrobuses were allocated to non-luxury routes in the Southern District, Hong Kong, as well as route 13 serving the “Mid-levels“. Although CMB was the first to introduce Metrobuses, it withdrew only 3 of them (all were accident victims) before the end of its franchise in August 1998. Its earliest Metrobuses were 20 years old at that time. New World First Bus purchased all the remaining CMB Metrobuses and Super-Metrobuses when it took over most of the CMB routes, and converted 3 MC-class Metrobuses to training buses. In 2000, the last of the MCW Metrobuses were de-registered, briefly exported to The Original TourBig Bus Company or Australia. Some of the MCW Metrobuses were brought back to The Original Tour in the year 2006. As of 2013, the last of the examples from United Kingdom were withdrawn. For Australia, there is a bunch of space for preserved buses from Hong Kong.

KMB allocated its 3 Super-Metrobuses to the New Territories for many years. For example, they were serving on route 61A (which connected Tuen Mun and Yuen Long new towns) right before the KCR Light Rail took over the services. After that, they were seen on route 36A (which connected a public housing estate in Kwai Chung to a ferry pier) until the route’s decline in the mid-1990s. They spent a few further years as spare buses before being withdrawn from passenger service in 1996 and converted to training buses. They were finally sold and scrapped in 2001.

KMB started to withdraw its 2-axle Metrobuses in 1997. Some of them had their chassis damaged due to the fatigue caused during their service on the Tai Mo Shan KMB Route 51, which climbed to the highest altitude achievable by buses in Hong Kong. These were withdrawn by 2003. The 11-metre 3-axle Metrobuses in KMB were not withdrawn until summer 2002.

KCRC also started to withdraw their Mark II Metrobuses in the early 2000s. The last 2-axle Metrobus in Hong Kong (KCRC 134) was withdrawn in October 2005.

The last Metrobus in Hong Kong (KMB fleet number S3M233, license no. EH8559) ceased operation on 8 May 2007. As of mid-2011, no more Metrobuses were licensed and in use in Hong Kong.

End of production

Production of the Metrobus ceased in 1989 with the financial collapse of MCW. The last Metrobus built was West Midlands Travel 3121, it had a message from the builders stating that it was the last one built by MCW and signed by the staff on the inside of the roof.

The Metrobus design was purchased by Optare in 1990, which had recently joined the United Bus group with DAF Bus. Despite owning design and production rights, the two companies heavily reworked the design to produce a new vehicle, the DAF DB250 based Optare Spectra, which was launched in 1991 and ceased production in late 2005.

1935 AEC Regent new to Leeds as number 161 with an MCCW H30-26R body 1936 AEC 664T with Metro-Cammell H40-30R body 1936 Midland Red FEDD 1742, BHA303 with an MCCW H30-26F body 1936 Trent FEDD carries an MCCW body 1936 Trolley met MCW body lt260a 1936 Trolleybus met MCW body 1936. A BMMO FEDD with MCCW body 1937 Daimler COG5 with Metro-Cammell H30-24R 1938 London H1 class Trolleybus 796, ELB796, one of 160 in the class MCCW 1938 London Transport 898, ELB898, an H1 MCCW 1939 Birmingham City Transport M.C.C.W. bodied Daimler COG5 1939 Leyland TD6c with an M.C.C.W. H28-24R body 1940 AEC Renown with MCCW H32-32R body 1940 Daimler COG5 - Metro Cammell H28-26R 1940 Daimler COG5 4266, GNC61, with Metro Cammell H28-26R 1944 Metro Cammell-Crossley H28 26R body 1946 Birch Bros K183, HLY483 was a Leyland PD1 with a Birch L28-25F body. It was rebodied in 1956 with an MCCW H30-26R body 1946 Leyland PD1 with an M.C.C.W. H30-26R body 1946-7 of ten Leyland PD1s with Birch L28-25F bodies. Seven of them received new MCCW H30-26R bodies in 1956-7 1947 Leyland PD1-3 with a Metro Cammell H32-26R body 1948 BUT 9641T with Metro-Cammell body H40-30R body 1948 Guy Arab III with an MCW 35 seat body 1948 Guy Arab III with MCW 35 seat rear entrance body 1948 Leyland PD1 with MCCW H28-26R body 1948 London Transport 1768, HYM768, a 1948 BUT 964T161 with MCW bodywork 1949 Daimler CVG6, one of eighty-seven with Metro-Cammell H30-24R body 1949 Leyland Comet Truck Tiger MCW Olympic Bus Brochure wq669-O1XU5S 1949 Leyland PD1-3 with Metro-Cammell H33-26R body 1950 B.M.M.O. S12 with a Metro-Cammell B44F body 1950 BMMO S6 Midland Red MCW Bus Photo wk2595-HPYEB3a 1950 BMMO-MCW S10 1950 Bristol K6G had not been bodied until July 1952 fitted with a 1940 Metro Cammell FH32-28R body ex-Birmingham trolleybus 83. 1950 Daimler CVG5 156, FEA156 with a Metro-Cammell B35R body 1950 Guy Arab IV with a Metro Cammell body 1950 Leyland Birmingham Tiger with MCW body 1950 Leyland Olympic that was delivered to King Alfred Motor Services in Winchester 1950 1951 A.E.C. 9821LT Regal IV with a Metro-Cammell B39F body 1951 BUT 9641T with Metro-Cammell body H40-30R body 1951 Daimler CVG6 FRJ511, ex Salford City Transport, with a Metro-Cammell body 1951 King Alfred's Leyland MCCW Olympic 1951 Leyland PD2-1 with Metro Cammell H30-26R body 1951 Leyland Titan PD2-1 with Metro-Cammell H30-26R bodywork 1951 Leyland Titan PD2-3 with MCW bodywork. 1951 Two Newcastle But trolleys Metro-Cammell body H40-30R body 1952 A.E.C. 9821LT Regal IV with a Metro-Cammell B39F body 1953 A.E.C. 9821LT Regal IV with a Metro-Cammell B39F body 1953 Metro-Cammell H30-25R bodied Guy Arab IV 1954 AEC MCW Aurora Double Decker Bus Brochure Weymann wp4815-PKC3G8 1954 Daimler CVG6K - Metro Cammell H32-28R 1954 Edinburgh Corporation Transport - line up of new Leyland Titan PD2-20 buses, with MCW bodywork, 1954 1954 Leyland MCW Arcadian Worldmaster Bus Brochure wk8694-9E49QB 1954 Leyland MCW Olympian Transit Bus Brochure & Specs wk3586-ZLNAZP 1954 Leyland PD2-12 with an MCW body 1954 Leyland PD2-20 with Metro-Cammell H33-29R body 1954 Leyland Titan PD2-20 LFS454 with a Metro-cammell Orion body 1954 MCW Jason Leyland Bus Brochure wj8672-EWMNN1 1954 Metro Cammell H37-26RD body. It was a B.M.M.O. D7 1954 Paul Street bus station circa 1960 Left is a 1958 Leyland PD2-40 chassis and MCW body at the old Paul Street bus station 1955 Leyland Atlantean and was a PDR1 model with Metro Cammell H37-24RD bodywork 1955 Leyland Titan PD2-13 with Metro-Cammell H33-28RD body 1955 Leyland Titan PD2-20 built in 1955 with Metro-Cammell H34-29R bodywork 1956 158343437 metropolitan-cammell-weyman-mcw-bus-coach-body-sales- 1956 A E C Regent V MD3RV with Metro-Cammell bodywork. 1956 AEC Reliance with an MCW B44F body 1956 Leyland Titan PD2 with Metro-Cammell H63R body 1956 Leyland Titan PD2-12 with Metro-Cammell H33-28R bodywork 1956 Leyland Titan PD2-12 with Metro-Cammell Orion H36-30R body 1957 cibeles1957vh5 1957 Leyland Titan PD2-12 with MCW body KCH101, of 1957 alongside former Edinburgh Leyland Titan PD2-20 also with MCW body, LFS466. 1957 Leyland Titan PD2-20 MCW Orion H34-29R new in 1957 1957 Leyland Titan PD2-20 with an MCW Orion body 1957 Leyland Titan PD3-4 with Metro-Cammell H31-35F body 1958 670121pq1pz3 1958 cascorro1958sl9 1958 Daimler CVG6 with Metro-Cammell H33-27R body 1958 Leyland Titan PD3-4 with Metro-Cammell H41-32R bodywork. 1958 Leyland Titan PD3-4 with Metro-Cammell Orion H41-32R bodywork 1959 AEC Regent V 2LD3RA built in 1959 with Metro-Cammell H39-31F bodywork 1959 Leyland Atlanteans delivered to Ribble. Delivered in November 1959 it had an M.C.C.W. H44-34F body 1959 Leyland Atlanteans with Metro-Cammell H78F bodies 1959 Leyland Titan PD3-1 with Metro Cammell H40-32F body 1960 AEC Regent V with an MCW body 1960 AEC Regent V with MCCW H40-32F body 1960 Birch Brothers MCW Orion bodied PD2 at Luton in 1964 CONFIDENCE1 1960 Daimler CVG6 with Metro-Cammell H33-27R body. 1960 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with MCW body 1960 Leyland PDR1-1 Atlanteans with Metro-Cammell H44-33F body 1961 Leyland PD3A-1 with Metro Cammell H41-33R body 1961 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-1 with MCW body 1961 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-2 with Metro-Cammell B41F bodywork ww1271 1961 Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1-2 with Metro-Cammell DP41F body 1962 Daimler CVG6 with MCCW H37-28R body 1962 Leyland Titan PD3A-1 with Metro Cammell H39-31F body 1963 Daimler CVG6 with Metro Cammell body 1963 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with MCW 74 seat boywork 1963 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with Metro-Cammell H43-33F bodywork 1963 Leyland Atlanteans with MCW bodywork 1964 Leyland PD2-37 with a Metro Cammell H37-28R body 1964 Metro-Cammell H40-30F bodied AEC Regent V 2D3RA 1965 Bedford VAL14 with MCW Topaz II C52F bodywork 1965 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with MCW bodywork and Lancs United 43, 543RTB, a 1961 Guy Arab IV also with MCW bodywork 1965 Leyland Atlantean PDR1-1 with Metro-Cammell H45-32F body 1966 Liverpool Leyland Atlantean L819, FKF819D, an MCW body 1967 A E C Swift MP2R with Metro-Cammell B37D+30 dual entrance bodywork bd3663a 1967 A E C Swift MP2R with Metro-Cammell B37D+30 dual entrance bodywork 1967 Bedford VAM with a rare MCW Metropolitan coach body 1967 Bedford VAM with MCW bodywork 1967 Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with MCW H43-31F bodywork 1967 Leyland Panther PSUR1-1R 87, GND87E, with MCW B40D bodywork 1967 Leyland Panther PSUR1-2R with Metro-Cammell C44F bodywork 1967 Leyland Titan PD3A-12 with MCW body 1967 MCW Metropolitan C45F bodied Bedford VAM5 1968 AEC Swift MP2R with MCW B48D body 1968 AEC Swift with MCW 48 seat bodywork a 1968 AEC Swift with MCW 48 seat bodywork 1968 Bristol RELL6G with Metro-Cammell B47D body a 1968 Bristol RELL6G with Metro-Cammell B47D bodywork 1968 Ford R192 with MCW Metropolitan C45F bodywork 1968 Leyland Panther PSUR1A-1R with Metro-Cammell-Weymann B47D bodywork 1968 Leyland Panther PSUR1A-1with MCW bodywork. 1968 Leyland Panthers with MCW body 1968, Leyland Panther PSUR1A-1s with MCW bodywork 1969 AEC Merlin 4P2R with Metro-Cammell B25D bodywork 1969 Bedford VAM70 with MCW Metropolitan C45F body 1969 Leyland Panther PSUR1A-1 with Metro-Cammell B47D+24 body 1969 MCW leylandexmadrid908copiayr6 1969 MCW UK 1969 Scania BR111MH with Metro Cammell Weymann B42D body 1970 AEC Swift with MCW B33D+34 body 1972 Daimler Fleetline with MCW body 1972 Metro-Scania BR111MH with Metro-Cammell B40D bodywork 1974 Daimler Fleetline MCW H44-24D 1975 Daimler Fleetline MCCW, ex-London Transport DMS194 1987 MCW Metro Double Decker Tour Bus Brochure Cummins wo5189-X3V9BH 1987 MCW Metro Highliner Tour Bus Brochure Cummins wo5187-78FR9P 11950 Daimler CVG6D with Metro-Cammell H28-26R body 158310357_metropolitan-cammell-weyman-mcw-bus-coach-body-sales- 158343431_metropolitan-cammell-weyman-mcw-bus-coach-body-sales- AOW3902_leyland_olympic APOLLO OMNIBUS MCW LEYLAND ROYAL TIGER BUS COACH SALES BROCHURE 1956 Cardiff Bus MCW MetroRider Es el que lleva el 518 de la EMT (el de OMO lava más blanco), con lo que creo que podemos suponer que su carrocería también era MCW f01xr4 f02fz6 GM Buses MCW Metrobus images Leicester City Transport Scania MCW 136 when new Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster LERT 1-1 MCW Leyland Titan OPD2 MCW Orion leylandteruel1ab6 M1 M723nf MCW 5022qp3 MCW 55163 MCW am0547biseq7 MCW am0548bisze0 MCW Aurora Bus body manufacturer brochure MCW B460WHJ Alder Valley Metroliner with C51F body MCW bodied AEC Merlin London Country MCW bodied chassisless Leyland Olympian single-decker 521-CTF.Warstone MCW D702NWG Yorkshire Traction Metrobus with DPH43-29F body MCW DD Leyland am0540zu4 MCW doubledeck bus MCW emtleylabg8381re3 MCW Evolution Thames Travel 1257 MCW images MCW in Manchester DD MCW in Manchester MCW JNA-404.Manchester MCW Leyland am0542bisdk2 MCW Leyland am0546ul1 MCW Leyland bus [link] several times in Montevideo, Uruguay, MCW Leyland Olympic ntc232-lr MCW Leyland Worldmaster traval1021df0 MCW Metrobus buses 276 (FUT36V) and FUT38V MCW Metrobus Ensign MCW Metrobus Hong Kong a MCW Metrobus Hong Kong MCW Metroliner Yorkshire Traction MCW Metroliner MCW Metrorider ad MCW Metrorider MCW Orion Lightweight bus body - sales brochure issued by Metropolitan-Cammell-Weymann, 1956 MCW Super Metrobus (ex City Sightseeing Adelaide, ex New World First Bus CM8935 No. ML1, ex China Motor Bus CM8935 No. ML1). MCW MCW-ad 2 Merseyside-PTE-MCW-Leyland-Panther-FKF914G-Colour-Bus MR_LCNW MXX-21_thumb Northern MCW Metrobus C 771 OCN A line up of six former Tyneside buses Pat4858 Rochdale Corporation bus 220 AEC Regent III Weymann GDK 720 in Rochdale, Lancashire 7 March 1964 sevilla3jq4 Strathclyde Buses MCW Metrobus MB68 G406OGD and MCW Metrorider M115 E55LBK (MYC1974) This MCW Apollo body is mounted on a Leyland Royal Tiger chassis and is bound for Jamaica trolebs0276bisrc2 West_Yorkshire_PTE_bus_Scania_Metropolitan_Metro_Cammell,_Bradford,_26_July_1975