In the early 1950s Beadle developed an integral coach design which utilised the running units from pre-war Leyland Tigers and AEC Regals, thus producing modern looking coaches from outdated looking vehicles.
All of them went To BET Group companies, apart from 1 to Birch Bros and 2 to Austin, Woodseaves. They were built in varying lenghths up to 30 foot long. Southdown took 50 in total using Leyland TS8 running units - 20 thirty footers in 1952 (850-869) and 30 twenty-six footers in 1953/54 (870-899). The thirty footers were unusual in that they had centre entrances.
Apart from a batch of late (1955/56) central entrance AECs for Maidstone and District, the rest were forward entrance (i.e. immediately behind the front axle). Southdown 851, LCD851, was the first of the 30 footers to actually be delivered (in 3/52).
Beadle utilised the running units from 1938 TS8 1204, EUF104, to produce this attractive FC35C coach. The 8 foot width emphasises that the donated running units were from a 7 ft 6 in wide vehicle. The original Harrington body off 1204 finished up in Lights chalk pit near Lewes.
Roger's friend Roy Brown photographed it when it was still quite new at Conoe Lake, Southsea in April 1952

Photo taken by Roy Brown (Roger Janes collection), April 1952, Canoe Lake, Southsea

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