SCT '61 Photo Index
West Monmouthshire
(or the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board to give the undertaking its full title) jointly owned by the Bedwellty and the Mynddislwyn Urban District Councils

Click on any thumbnail for a full size photo
1. AAX27
Former West Mon Omnibus Board 13, AAX27, a Leyland Beaver TSC9 new in 1935 with a Weymann B32R body, but rebodied by Burlingham as B32F in 1944/45. It was further modified by W. Meredith with sliding windows in 1952/53. Withdrawn in 1959, and acquired by the West of England Transport Collection, it passed to David Hoare of Chepstow in 1974. The body was scrapped in 1976. It was loaned to Jasper Pettie, Edinburgh in 1980 and restored as a replica of Alexander lorry 158.
Photo taken early 1974, West of England Transport Collection, Winkleigh
2. AAX27
Second photo of former West Mon Omnibus Board 13, AAX27, a Leyland Beaver TSC9 new in 1935 rebodied by Burlingham as B32F in 1944/45.
Photo taken early 1974, West of England Transport Collection, Winkleigh
3. AAX27
A detail of the rear axle of West Mon Leyland Alpine Beaver 13, AAX27. This shows what I believed to be a ratchet and pawl mechanism, but on looking at it again I'm not sure. Whatever we are seeing inside the tyres is not the normal edge of a brake drum. However, I do seem to recall someone at West Mon saying they still had the sprag brake mechanism off the PD2 (also 13) and it fastened to the brake drums.
Photo taken Sunday 5 October 1980, West of England Transport Collection, Winkleigh
4. AAX27
The West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board was famous for the service up Aberbargoed Hill which ascended at around 1 in 4 after a low bridge under the railway. Two Leyland Beaver lorry chassis were bodied as buses for the service, one of which was rescued after withdrawal, but by the time this picture was taken existed only as a chassis. Parked outside at Winkleigh in this 1978 view, the chassis of AAX27 may well have been lost by now.
Photo taken Sunday 12 November 1978, Winkleigh
5. EWO579
West Mon Guy 21, EWO579, a Guy Arab II 5LW new in 1943 and rebodied by Bruce in 1950. Apparently rather insecurely parked on a steeply sloping parking ground!
Photo taken Depot Yard, Blackwood
6. GWO521
New in April 1948, West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 26, GWO521, was a Leyland PD2/1 with a Leyland L27/26R body.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
7. GWO522
West Monmouth 4, GWO522, an all-Leyland L27/26R PD2/1 of 1948.
Photo taken 1967, Depot Yard, Blackwood
8. HWO590
West Mon 1, HWO590, a Foden PVSC6 new in 1948 with a heavily rebuilt Dodson B32D body from WO 4625, a Leyland Lion. It was rebodied in 1953 with a Willowbrook B31F body. It was fitted with sprag gear to prevent run back on the Bargoed Hill route which had a section of 1 in 4.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Hanbury Square, Bargoed
9. HWO590
Second shot of West Mon 1, HWO590, a Foden PVSC6 new in 1948 with a heavily rebuilt Dodson B32D body from WO 4625, a Leyland Lion. It was rebodied in 1953 with a Willowbrook B31F body. It was fitted with sprag gear to prevent run back on the Bargoed Hill route which had a section of 1 in 4.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Bargoed Hill
10. HWO590
Third shot of West Mon 1, HWO590, a Foden PVSC6, new in 1948, was rebodied in 1953 with a Willowbrook B31F body. It was fitted with sprag gear to prevent run back on the Bargoed Hill route which had a section of 1 in 4.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Railway Bridge, Bargoed Hill
11. JAX480
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 14 and 27, JAX480 and JAX500, two Daimler CVD6s with Bruce L27/26R bodies new in 1950, seen at the garage at Blackwood after withdrawal earlier in the year.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Blackwood
12. LWO322
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 8, LWO322, which was new in August 1953, was a Leyland PD2/12 with a Leyland L27/26R body.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
13. NLP635
West Mon 20, AEC single decker NLP635, new in 1953 and acquired in 1957. This was an AEC Monocoach with Park Royal B45F body which started life as a demonstrator. I seem to remember this or a similarly numbered vehicle being tried by LT in the 1950s.
Photo taken Depot Yard, Blackwood
14. FCH19
West Mon acquired number 10, FCH19, from Davies, Tredegar in 1968. A Leyland Tiger Cub with Saro B44F body, it had been new to Trent in 1954.
Photo taken Sunday 7 September 1969, Depot Yard, Blackwood
15. MWO389
West Mon 12, MWO389, a Leyland L27/26R bodied Leyland PD2/12 dating from 1954 seen in Caerphilly.
Photo taken Thursday 16 August 1962, Caerphilly
16. MWO389
New in 1954, West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 12, MWO389, was a Leyland PD2/12 with a Leyland L27/26R body.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
17. PWO479
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 10, PWO479, an A.E.C. MU3RA Reliance with a Willowbrook B43F body is seen at the garage at Blackwood and was the first of a pair, new in 1956.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Blackwood
18. PWO480
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 19, PWO480, an AEC MU3RA Reliance with a Willowbrook B43F body, was new in September 1956.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
19. UNN111
Acquired from East Midland D111 in 1968, UNN111 became West Mon 11. The Leyland PD2/21 chassis carried Metro-Cammell L31/28RD bodywork and dated from 1956.
Photo taken Sunday 7 September 1969, Depot Yard, Blackwood
20. TAX710
West Mon moved from maroon to blue from 1969 before the change of name to Islwyn Borough Transport that came following the 1974 local government reorganisation. Still displaying the old name 23, TAX710, was a Leyland Titan PD2/40 with Willowbrook L31/28RD bodywork new in June 1958 and is seen at Blackwood depot after withdrawal.
Photo taken Thursday 3 August 1978, Depot Yard, Blackwood
21. TAX710
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 23, TAX710, a Leyland PD2/40 with a Willowbrook L27/28RD body, was new in June 1958.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
22. UWO688
West Mon 13, UWO688, was a Leyland PD2/38 with Willowbrook B31F body, new in 1958 to replace an ageing Leyland Bull. It was fitted with sprag gear to enable it to operate on the Bargoed Hill route, along with Foden HWO590, and was later rebodied as a double decker.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Hanbury Square, Bargoed
23. UWO688
West Mon 13, UWO688, the Leyland PD2/38 new in 1958 is seen descending Bargoed Hill and passing under the railway bridge with its very limited clearances.
Photo taken Friday 17 August 1962, Railway Bridge, Bargoed Hill
24. UWO688
West Mon 13, UWO688, the Leyland PD2/38 fitted with a Willowbrook B31F body when new in 1959 was rebodied with a Massey L27/28RD body in July 1966 following the cessation of the Bargoed Hill route.
Photo taken Sunday 7 September 1969, Depot Yard, Blackwood
25. UWO688
West Monmouthshire 13, UWO688, was a Leyland Titan PD2/41 with Willowbrook body new in March 1959 and rightly well-discussed on SCT61.
Photo taken Tuesday 13 April 1971, Tredegar Bus Station
26. UWO688
West Mon 13, UWO688, was the Leyland PD2/41 with a Massey L27/28RD body dating from 1966. It was originally fitted with a Willowbrook B31F when new in 1959 to operate the infamous Bargoed Hill route which was unsuitable for double-deck operation.
Photo taken 1967, Blackwood Depot
27. UWO688
West Monmouthshire on UWO688
Photo taken Sunday 7 September 1969, Depot Yard, Blackwood
28. XWO473
XWO473 was number 24 in the West Mon fleet and was a Leyland PD2/40 with Longwell Green L27/28RD body, new in 1959.
Photo taken Sunday 7 September 1969, Depot Yard, Blackwood
29. 125BAX
West Mon 2, 125BAX, a Leyland PSUC1/11 Tiger Cub with a Weymann B45F body was seen at the garage with some still in the old livery visible in the background.
Photo taken Friday 30 July 1971
30. 204CWO
West Mon purchased buses in ones and twos at regular intervals and in March 1962 took delivery of a pair of Leyland PD2/40s with Massey L27/28RD bodywork registered 203CWO and 204CWO which under their gap filling numbering scheme were numbered 14 and 27 respectively. Still in service in 1978, 27 is seen at Blackwood depot.
Photo taken Thursday 3 August 1978, Depot Yard, Blackwood
31. AWO532B
West Mon single decker 30, AWO532B a Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1/11 with Willowbrook B45F body, one of two new in August 1964. A single decker in the distinctive Gelligaer livery is behind it.
Photo taken Hanbury Square, Bargoed
32. EWO195C
West Mon 15, EWO195C, is one of a pair of Leyland PD2/40's with Massey L27/28RD bodywork purchased in 1965, the other being 17, GWO351C. Seen here in the later Islwyn Borough Transport light blue livery at rest in Blackwood depot yard.
Photo taken Thursday 3 August 1978, Depot Yard, Blackwood
33. GWO351C
West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board 17, GWO351C, was a Leyland PD2/40 with a Massey L27/28RD body new in December 1965.
Photo taken Sunday 4 June 1967, Depot, Blackwood
34. OAX160F
In 1968 West Mon took delivery of a single Leyland Leopard PSU4/1R with Willowbrook B45F bodywork to what was quite an old design at the time, with curved rear dome and traditional split front windscreen rather than the curved screen BET design. At the time of the photograph 29, OAX160F, was out of service at Blackwood depot. The yellow light on the front appeared on some but not all of the single deck buses on my 1978 visit.
Photo taken Thursday 3 August 1978, Depot Yard, Blackwood
35. VAX63H
One of a trio of Leyland Leopard PSU4A/2R with Willowbrook B47F bodywork, numbered 4 12 and 19 VAX62-64H delivered to West Mon in 1970. Number 12, VAX63H, is seen in Islwyn Borough Transport blue livery in this 1978 picture taken at Blackwood depot
Photo taken Thursday 3 August 1978, Depot Yard, Blackwood
36. VAX63H
West Mon Omnibus Board 12, VAX63H, a Leyland PSU4A/2R Leopard with a Willowbrook B47F body seen at the R.T.I.T.B. at High Ercall.
Photo taken Sunday 30 September 1973, High Ercall
37. CAX766K
West Monmouthshire 24, CAX766K, a Leyland Leopard PSU3B/2R with Willowbrook B53F body, new in 1972.
Photo taken c. Oct 1971, Cardiff Bus Station