SCT'61
Trevor Leach Memorial Collection

Two official West Yorkshire photographs taken on the A64, east of York, showing a fleet of buses returning from Scarborough on the express service to Leeds, with some extended to Keighley.

Leading the field is West Yorkshire JWU894, fleet no. 665, the last of a batch of 6 1950 Bristol L6Bs with ECW FC31F bodies, which became CB6 in 1954 and later EB16 and SB16. Next is not quite what it seems, as it is Tillings Transport LYM727, which was a rebuilt AEC Regal, rebodied by ECW in 1951 with an FC37F body of the type usually associated with Bristol LL or LWL chassis. This was frequently on hire to WY, along with other Tillings coaches, at this time; they travelled up to Yorkshire on Fridays as duplicates to the London-Leeds service, spent the weekend in Yorkshire being used on duties such as this, and then returned to London on Monday.

Third in line is another hired coach, this time Crosville MFM43, fleet number SL75, a 1950 Bedford OB with Duple C29F body. This was hired under a different arrangement, in that Bedford OBs from Crosville and Lincolnshire, amongst others, were hired by WY for several months at a time, during the Summer months in 1951 and 1952 at least, to help out on busy services such as these. Next in line is a West Yorkshire L5G or LL5G with ECW body - the registration appears to be JWU, which complicates it as this included both types. The solitary double decker is the unmistakeable 751, GWX108, new in 1949 as a standard Bristol K6B with ECW L27/28R body, but which was rebuilt in early 1951 as a double deck coach with CL21/20RD seating and a special cream and maroon livery. This was relaced in 1953 by 851, the black and chrome KSW6B coach, and was then repainted into Tilling red and cream and reseated to standard L27/28RD - retaining the platform doors to the end of its life.

Following that is an interesting old timer, being one of the 1937 Bristol JO5G/ECW B32F saloons that had been rebuilt with standard Tilling-style 2-piece roller blind indicator at the front, immediately post-War. Following that are a further three standard L5G or LL5Gs and bringing up the rear is an impressive column of 7 elderly pre-War or Wartime Bristols with ECW B32F bodies, all retaining "Bible" type destinations, These could be either Bristol JO5Gs or early L5Gs with tall radiators - the distance makes it impossible to tell.

The views were obviously for publicity purposes and were used as such, having appeared in other publications at the time. One can speculate on how the views were achieved - did the whole convoy stop each time, and wait for the photographer to move? The nearside photo appears to have been taken first, though only just before the offside view as trees in the background appear to be common to both - but note that the car or van behind the JO5G is no longer there in the offside view!

It is difficult to date these views; they are between 1951 and 1953 because of the inclusion of 751, and either 1951 or 1952 are probables as the Crosville OB and Tilling AEC were both hired in those years. The balance of probabilities, also bearing in mind that WY had other publicity photographs taken around this time, is the Summer of 1951.

Photo taken by West Yorkshire Road Car Co (Trevor Leach collection), c.1951, A64 East of York

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Photo ref: wy665a. Page and photo added January 2019
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