Photo © West Yorkshire Road Car Co Ltd/West Yorkshire Information Service Collection. Please do not re-post without permission.

LWR417, West Yorkshire 851 (later DBW31) has been attracting much comment on the site recently. These official photos of it will help to give a fuller picture of the conversion to double deck coach that was carried out in West Yorkshire's East Parade Central Works.
For a fuller description of the conversion, the West Yorkshire Information Service Bulletin of the time covers this comprehensively.
"851, new in October 1952, entered Harrogate Works shortly afterwards for conversion to a double deck coach. The work was completed during May of this year (i.e.1953) and the vehicle entered service on Whit Saturday operating on the Bradford-Scarborough express service.
Space does not permit a detailed description being given, but some of the important alterations are dealt with below:-
The coach has many interesting features one of these being a special ventilation system. An electrically driven fan housed underneath the stairs is largely responsible for removing stale air from the lower deck while upstairs the same job is done by five ventilators positioned on either side of the roof. Fresh air is admitted to both decks through two air intakes situated on each side of the front indicator. Inside the vehicle, small ventilators are fitted directly above each side window and these, together with the arrangements already referred to, make it possible to dispense with the sliding windows thereby giving passengers a greatly improved view. Coach type seats are fitted and, in order to give travellers the greatest possible comfort, the seating capacity is reduced from 55 to 51 (27/24). Downstairs, except for two seats over the offside wheel arch, all seats face forward the rear two pairs on the near side being raised slightly. This has necessitated adjustments being made to one of the nearside windows. On the top deck the original seats, which were of the normal lowbridge design, have been removed and replaced by staggered pairs.
The vehicle's external appearance has been changed by the addition of a hinged metal unit built around the near side wing; this can be swung clear of the front wheel when it becomes necessary to inspect the engine. Mouldings and flashes have also been added, while the front indicator has been reduced in size and now resembles those fitted to the EUG type semi's. No provision is made for a rear indicator.
Another noticeable feature is the insertion in the roof of six Perspex panels, amber in clour, which give the top deck a 'warm look' on even the dullest of days. A different colour scheme has been adopted for each saloon. Upstairs the accent is on red and brown, while down below, light green is preferred. Inside the vehicle on the near side, a luggage rack sufficient to accommodate small cases or parcels has been installed, and underneath the stairs, an enclosed compartment accessible from the rear, provides additional luggage space.
An unusual livery of black and silver with cream lined mouldings and roof, make 851 easily recognisable despite the fact that there is no fleet number on either the front or the rear. The numbers '851' do, however, appear on the off side of the vehicle near the fuel tank - as on 965 rebuilt last year. The company has departed from normal practice by altering in design only, however, the fleet name. The result, though novel, is rather disappointing.
It is, perhaps, rather significant that 851 was chosen to become the second double decker coach seeing that 751 was the first. Members who have had the opportunity of inspecting both vehicles will no doubt agree that it is impossible to draw any comparison between them, so vastly do they differ".

Photo taken by West Yorkshire Road Car Co Ltd, May 1953, Harrogate Stray

©1953-2024 West Yorkshire Road Car Co Ltd/West Yorkshire Information Service Collection All Rights Reserved.
You're welcome to print these pages for personal use only or to link to them as long as it's not for financial gain. Photos may not be re-posted anywhere (including facebook, flickr and fotopic sites) without permission. See the Site Map for further details.