UNUSUAL BRISTOLS
Last Updated : August 27th 2024 (AXI2554 added)
This page is occasionally updated with links to other pages on the website covering interesting and unusual vehicle uses and conversions.
Last Updated : August 27th 2024 (AXI2554 added)
This page is occasionally updated with links to other pages on the website covering interesting and unusual vehicle uses and conversions.
 Paddy Bloomer acquired the body only of former Citybus RELL6G 2554 (AXI2554) in 2024 to mount on a boat and the resulting vehicle can be seen here on the River Lagan in Belfast with the iconic Harland & Wolff cranes in the background. | |
 Former Crosville FS6G 308PFM is seen getting a remarkable roof conversion by Street Trucks in Spain during May 2020. Presumably this was a lockdown project for someone, but you do wonder if they were thinking straight when they undertook it! |  This is the resulting conversion of 308PFM, an overheight open-top double decker! Certainly higher than 4 metres this would not be street legal on European streets.and you wonder whether Street Trucks ultimately regretted the conversion? Open-toppers have been converted back to closed top before (HWJ924W for example), but certainly I have never seen an open roof extension added to one like this! |
 Bristol Omnibus undertook a programme in the early 1980s to rebuild some of its huge fleet of dual-door RELLs to single door in order to extend their lives. They were in the process of being withdrawn in massive numbers and with the choice available it was surprising that several flat screen examples were chosen. Here we see 1161 (WAE794H) in February 1981 which was reallocated to Bath and saw service into Badgerline days, although it never received the yellow-based livery and was finally withdrawn during 1986. |  West Yorkshire 1278 (TYG198F) was damaged by fire in October 1970. It languished in damaged condition for some time before being rebodied by ECW in March 1972 with the latest curved-screen bodywork style having previously carried a 1968 flat-front body. |
 While there was nothing ostensibly unusual about Eastern Counties RE890 (HAH890D) it certainly stood out in that fleet because in 1967 it was fitted with a Leyland O680 engine and semi-automatic gearbox when all the other examples in the fleet had Gardner 6HLX engines and manual gearboxes. Its performance must have been transformed, and I bet it was popular with drivers, but it remained unique in the fleet and was withdrawn along with the others in 1980. |  GPD301N was the first of a large batch of LHS buses with London Country. It was sold in 1984 to a church in Northern Ireland who rebuilt it with this 4-piece arrangement of flat windscreen glasses, presumably to make it cheaper and easier to replace breakages. It is seen here much later after passing into preservation and was remarkably rebuilt back to standard ECW windscreens. |
 Former Yorkshire Traction ultra-low Series 2 VR HWE831N was not the most likely candidate for conversion to a coach after finishing its service life with the operator, but that's exactly what Coaching At Wheels did in 1992. Not only that but the following year it became a very rare VR to operate in Northern Ireland when it was sold to Ards Tours of Newtownards. Seen here at Larne it appears to have been hired by the Merseyside Bus Club who clearly appreciated its rarity value. |  Eastern National's 1973/4 conversion of some of their FLFs for one-man operation (OMO) is well known, but less familiar is Eastern Scottish's earlier attempt using AA876 (YWS876). This was done in 1970 with the most obvious feature being the additional bulkhead window next to the doorway. Clearly unsuccessful it was never operated in service as such (note the PRIVATE destination), although it does appear to have seen use during a spell on loan to Cumberland Motor Services in 1971 as seen here. The alterations were retained, but the cab was sealed for normal operation and the bus saw out a full operational life, finally being withdrawn and scrapped in 1979. |
 Not a whole bus this time, but the front cowl of Lincolnshire 2526 (BVL286C - scrapped in 1981) has been restored and installed at the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society's premises complete with working LED lights. I particularly like the touch where pictures have been hung where the bulkhead window and windscreen would have been giving even more of an impression of the whole bus being there! |
 Possibly the most complete transformation of any Bristol was that of Hants & Dorset LH6L 3516 (NLJ516M). In 1981 it was withdrawn with light accident damage but rather than going for scrap its ECW body was removed after complete refurbishment the chassis had this 1920s-styled charabanc body hand crafted by the staff at Barton Park workshop. The restyled vehicle is now approaching 40 years old and is still going strong in the "English Riviera". |
 In the early 1980s the National Bus Company's MAP initiative (Market Analysis Project) concluded that double deckers were the most efficient vehicles for use on all-day services. United Counties therefore initiated an interesting - and unique - programme to bring their flat-fronted VR fleet up to nearly Series 3 standard. The most obvious alteration was the replacement of the flat windscreen with the later curved, bowed version, but a number of other changes were also incorporated including the fitting of power steering. Full Series 3 spec was not quite reached though, as the engine remain unencapsulated. They became known as "760 Project" conversions, after the first bus so treated (in February 1981), but the programme was terminated in early 1984 after 11 vehicles had been completed, due to the time and cost involved. 778 (CBD778K) was the last to be started and sat partially rebuilt for years eventually returning to service in full United Counties livery in March 1986. Ironically several of the unconverted vehicles lasted just as long in the fleet as these upgraded versions! |
 East Kent Road Car took delivery in 1975 of a special order of four LHS6L buses with low height bodies. These were to replace Bedfords for use on service 507 between Ashford Town Centre and South Willesborough which had to pass under a particularly low bridge at Ashford Railway Works. The reduction in height was achieved by using a much shallower roof line with a lower peak at the front resulting in a "squashed" destination aperture as seen in this photo. The offending bridge was rebuilt in the mid 1980s and the quartet moved to Maidstone, initially on loan to the local municipal operator (Boro'Line) and later sold to them. All four were withdrawn and sold for scrap in 1990. |
 Former Lincolnshire Road Car 1903 (JFE539G) was a late flat-front VR still in service with its original operator in 1984, but when it was finally withdrawn it was far from done! Exported to Australia it was used for many years for excursions in Perth before it passed to Blue Mountains Explorer in 1998 when it ran for a further five seasons. After a decade languishing withdrawn and robbed for spares (to keep their other pair going) it was finally broken up around 2015, but the front end was salvaged and installed as seen here in the the Katoomba ticket office where it is used as a photo opportunity for people to sit in the driver's seat and pretend they have a full load of passengers! |
 Southdown's early Marshall-bodied RESL6Gs were largely unremarkable other than being unusual in having manual instead of semi-automatic transmission, but KUF210-229F had "rotovents" in place of the more normal hoppers and sliders. These tubular installations could be turned to expose a slot allowing fresh air to enter the saloon. Apparently they were very good at extracting cigarette smoke but not so effective at providing ventilation on long hot summer days! KUF210F is seen here in August 1978. |
 TRB568F was acquired by Mark Abood in Jacksonville, Florida in 1992. He intended to use it in conjunction with race events but found the Gardner just too slow for his requirements. Easy solution - remove the front axle and all the running units, sell the parts for way more than you paid for the whole bus, and fit it with a massive towbar to fit behind a tractor unit! |
 |
 The original 1956 body of Crosville DLG797 (XFM208) was destroyed by fire at Rock Ferry. It was rebodied by ECW in 1966 using the original LD jigs but with contemporary features such as no beading for the upper-deck cream band. This Lodekka remained unique but led an ordinary life until withdrawal and sale for scrap in 1978. |
 |
 |
 This is former Eastern National 2401 (XVX26) undergoing an attempt to break the world record for driving a double decker bus on two wheels! The bus remained under control for only a short distance before falling back onto four wheels, but it was an interesting use at the end of its life. Immediately prior to this is had been used as a promotional vehicle for The World Bus, a world tour undertaken by 431FHW, departing from Liverpool in November 1988 and returning in December 1989 without any major mechanical issues! |
 SRB66F and SRB67F, seen here together in 1972, were a unique pair, the only two ECW-bodied RESH chassis to be constructed. The RESH was the Short High version of the RE and was intended to fill the "small coach" niche, but this role was in fact taken up by the LH family, presumably due to the preference for lightweight chassis amongst independent coach operators. Once again Bristol was ahead of its time, the market for heavyweight coaches not really taking off until the 1980s, by which time of course it was too late for the Bristol factory which Leyland snuffed out in 1983. Only 11 RESH were built, the other 9 all carrying Duple bodywork. New to Midland General with 43 dual-purpose seats, the ECW pair both passed to Trent in 1976 and were later demoted to bus livery (retaining their DP seats) but were sadly scrapped once they became time-expired. |
 Duple-bodied LHs were rare enough as coaches, but only three were built with Dominant-style bus bodywork - a pair with Silcox of Pembroke Dock and KBX38P with Davies of Pencader. It was obviously a robust design as it lasted a decade with each of its first two owners (Nuttall of Modbury was its second owner). It finished its days with Tally Ho! where it looks anything but 20+ years old. |
 In September 1969 The Flying Scotsman was shipped to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. from where it undertook a tour of North America. Two ex-Crosville Lodekkas (RFM410 and RFM415) were acquired by a company involved in promoting the tour, London Stateside Ltd. and were converted with offside entrances and modified to act as merchandise sales vehicles to accompany the locomotive. This photo shows RFM415 undergoing promotional work in London in September 1969 prior to being shipped. |
 While the tour was initially a success and ran until 1971 covering over 15,000 miles, London Stateside Ltd. mysteriously became bankrupt almost immediately while the Lodekkas were still in Boston and by the end of October 1969 both had been sold locally and took no further part in the tour. RFM410 was never traced, but RFM415 became a boutique in Vermont and was last seen in a scrapyard in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. RFM410 is seen here in Boston during its short period of use in the U.S.A. (Photo : Rick Seferian) |
 Very unusual was the rebuilding of early Bristol Omnibus RELLs from single to dual-door configuration. Alan O Watkins was able to capture this view of 1077 (OHU772F) actually undergoing surgery. This was the pilot rebuild which was fitted with a level floor, but the remaining conversions retained their ramped floors. A total of 20 conversions were completed, consisting of the entire Cheltenham District (8) and Gloucester City (8) allocations plus half of the Bath Electric Tramways allocation (3) and one from Bath Tramways. The Gloucester buses were part of the main Bristol fleet and were fleetnumbers G1044-6/55 and G1072-5. |
 This RESL is actually former Bristol Omnibus 508 (THU354G) but for a few years from 2013 Malcolm Hodgson had some fun with it by painting it in United Automobile red livery and putting "XHN934G" plates on it at certain rally sites (not on the public roads I hasten to add!). He took this unusual step due to there being no survivors of United's once large fleet of RESLs left in the UK. THU354G is a rare survivor in its own right and in 2016 Mike Walker added it to the Bristol Omnibus Vehicle Collection and repainted it once again into its rightful Tilling green livery. Photo : Neil Harrison |
 During the miners' strike of 1984/5 a number of vehicles were fitted with armour over the windows to transport workers willing to cross the picket lines. I have 13 LHs listed as having been used by the National Coal Board but until this photo of SJA352K appeared (courtesy of Guy Alertse) I had no idea that any REs had been involved. Guy took this photo in February 1985 at Brimington (near Chesterfield) with Markham (the colliery) in paper on the destination and front dash. The bus was still with Trent at the time although naturally (given the political tensions at the time) all visible signs of its ownership had been removed. It survived to be returned to normal service and after a lengthy spell with independent operators has now been beautifully restored by Steve Thorpe and team. Information which came to light following the publication of the above photo indicates that at least a further four REs were being prepared for use at Pleasley Vale when they were firebombed and destroyed, an indication of just how divisive the strike became. |
 At first glance Greenslades 316 (AAX259J) is a perfectly normal coach in National white livery photographed by Dave Mant at Salisbury in April 1975. However this was unique as the only LHL ever to have been owned by the National Bus Company! It was new to Hills of Tredegar in 1971 and came to Greenslades in 1974 via Venner of Minehead. The reason it was acquired is unclear but it didn't last too long, passing back into independent hands in 1977 when Devonways Travel took it on. |
 In 1985 United Auto won a contract to provide vehicles for an internal service to RAF Fyllingdales from places such as Scarborough, Whitby and Pickering. They chose the nine suriving REMH6G coaches for this work and painted them in this anonymous light blue and white scheme. Most had already been updated with later Plaxton Supreme front ends like GGR434N seen here. Their operation was not successful however and the contract was lost in 1987. All of the REMHs were withdrawn and sold for scrap. Eric Bowerbank provided the following perspective on this interesting operation: "I was Area Engineer Cleveland from 1986 to 1988. I tried to tell the United hierarchy that long distance RE coaches were totally unsuitable for this contract. They had very narrow front brakes, mechanical handbrakes, and a reputation for smashing brake drums due to heat when braking ( and this was on North East to London work). I spent many an embarrassing time at Fylingdales changing vehicles over and trying to effect repairs locally. The drivers, which were all employed by Fylingdales and not United, hated the REs after the lovely Hardwicks Leopards that they had been used to and therefore didn't treat the REs very well. On the steep hills that had to be negotiated they should have driven slower in lower gears but this was not in UAS control therefore the brakes were never in good adjustment for long. Also Leopards had automatic brake adjusters whereas REs had very old fashioned manual adjusters which required the use of a pit to make adjustments. It was never ending. We also struggled to get engineers to Fylingdales because we always had more than enough work keeping the stage carriage fleet running. From recollection, the number of workers using the contract was diminishing and this added to United losing the contract." |
 Most of the LHs that were exported to Malta in the 1980s for use on the famous Malta Bus Route network would qualify as "unusual" but this Plaxton-bodied one takes the biscuit. New to Silcox of Pembroke Dock as RDE298S it became Y-0611 in 1986, then EBY611 as seen here when the system of registrations changed. Unhappy with the Leyland O401 engine it carried the Maltese owner uniquely (for an LH) fitted an AEC505 unit plus 6 speed AEC gearbox, AEC axles and uprated braokes which must have made it the ultimate LH on the road. The story didn't end there though. Parts for AEC engines in general eventually dried up and towards the end of its career in Malta (in 2004) it received yet another make, this time a DAF DNS620 from a truck which was in fact a rebadged Cummins B unit. In a final twist it survived the 2011 cull when all of the old vehicles were withdrawn at a stroke and replaced with a brand new fleet of King Long buses, being stored by Heritage Malta and eventually brought back to the UK by Mike James of PeopleMovers.com. Sadly it was deemed to be in too poor condition for restoration and was eventually sold for scrap in 2021. |
 Flights of Birmingham fitted this Plaxton Elite-bodied LHS coach with the front dash from a Plaxton Paramount 3 body giving it a modern look. The LHS was originally registered GHH256N with Yeowart of Whitehaven but was subject to a number of reregistrations while with Flights. |
 United Auto 4166 (LHN266D) was severely damaged in an accident in 1969 such that it was sent back to ECW where it received a new body to the high-windscreen flat-front pattern. It remained unique as a Series 1 RE with this body. (Photo : David Little) |
 I like the use of the rear engine covers on WDM348R here, removed and turned round to create a servery for the cafe for which the VR was being used at Amsterdam-Noord in 2016. This bus was unusual for an export in having the Leyland 501 engine, and it was active for more than a decade until the engine expired at the docks in 2005 where it stayed until converted as seen in this Frans Angevaare photo taken in August 2016. |
 In the mid-1960s Western Welsh were looking for a replacement for the less-than-successful Albion Nimbus and the newly introduced Bristol LHS seemed to fit the bill. Nimbus 27 (WKG 27) had been involved in an accident and the chassis was written-off, so prototype LHS6L chassis LHX003 was purchased. After many alterations to 27's Weymann body (e.g. front-mounted radiator and wheelbase longer than the Nimbus) it was fillted to the LHS chassis, painted blue and ivory, numbered 1 and registered MBO1F in April 1968. This photograph shows it at the rear of Penarth Road depot on 15th June 1968. It lasted with Western Welsh until May 1977 when it was sold to Thornes of Bubwith on Humberside; it is still owned by them as a preserved vehicle, but is now registered PKH 228F as MBO1F was transferred to one of Thornes' coaches (Photo and caption : Mike Street) |
 Eastern National experimented in 1973/4 with the conversion of eight FLFs to one-man operation in the hope of extending the lives of these sturdy reliable workhorses. The first conversion in 1973 was WVX525F, followed by six more later in the year (listed here). The last, most radical, conversion was 2942 (AVW401F) in 1974 at the same time as being downgraded from coach to bus specification. The only external feature of its conversion visible here is the Pay As You Enter sign to the left of the entrance doors, but internally the changes were extensive (Photos : Richard Delahoy). |
 This view from behind the driver's cab gives some clues as to some of the problems facing the operation of 2942 by the driver only. The opening to speak to the driver and hand over your fare was - naturally enough - directly behind the driver's seat causing them to have to swivel round through almost 180 degrees. Understandly this was never a popular turn along with having to slave over the gearbox. A second FLF (AVW397F) was rebuilt again with the same internal alterations, but even this enhanced layout was unsuccessful and of course within a few short years it was OMO that condemned the Lodekka to early withdrawal across the country. |
 A final view of AVW401F from half way down the stairs (which were reversed during the conversion) clearly showing where the paint has been worn off by drivers clambering over the offside wheelarch to use the entrance into the saloon! This was also a unique feature of 2942 - in the other conversions the only way into the saloon was to use the external cab door and walk around the outside of the bus. |
 Talk about a bus with nine lives! This is EWS742W in June 2014 now converted for use as a racing kart transporter - no easy retirement for this VR having previously been used as a mobile home for trips around Europe and beyond. |
 Former Bristol Omnibus 7125 (818SHW) has been hard at work in Switzerland and Germany for many years, but in 2012 it received this unusual modification to allow the front portion of the upper deck roof to be raised on struts for promotional purposes. |
 The unusual moulding on the rear panel of HDL412N, which is seen here in service with Merseypride Travel in 1994, betrays the fact that for some years in the early 1990s this bus was used by Hannell (future proprietor of Merseypride) as a mobile carpet showroom. Samples were loaded through this hatch, but once Hannell's attention turned towards PSV operation he reinstalled seating - 37 dual-purpose - and sealed the hatch. The high-mounted registration number was another consequence of this episode in its history. Many thanks to Stephen Day for permission to reproduce his photo here. |
 Former Crosville DFB150 (AFM113B) gained this enormous extension to its front bonnet when its original Bristol engine was replaced with a DAF unit during the 1980s. The conversion was obviously successful as the bus was still active in 2014 in its role as a caravan following professional cycle races around Europe. |
 Just about everything in this view is unusual - VRs on normal London Transport service were rare enough, but VOD592S in service with Ensign has been fitted with almost standard LT blinds (they are reversed compared with normal blinds) and to top it all off it - uniquely for a VR - carries a front cowl from an LH! (Photo : Ian Kirby) |
 SPM21 seen here was a convertible open-top FS6B (later converted to Gardner 6LX engine) which had a long service career with Brighton, Hove and District and subsequent companies. After final withdrawal in 1990 it found another lease of life with this fabulous mobile home conversion and has been in use with its Swiss owner ever since. |  Here we see sister bus to the one opposite - SPM22 had an identical service life to 21 and was also rebuilt as a high quality motor home and exported to Switzerland. It was named "Big Snail" to reflect the fact that it carried a home on its back and not, I hope, its performance on the road! However, the twist in the tale is that it was purchased by Adam Colby (who lives in the Norwich area) in April 2014 and it has now been repatriated to the UK for a further life in preservation. |
 The Burning Man Festival takes place in the Nevada desert every summer and has featured heavily-converted UNW928R for several years. The roof-mounted pedastel must be a first as well as the open staircase on the offside! |  Another VR to feature at the Burning Man festival for several years is LAK938W which has been covered in fur containing thousands of LED lights along with a similarly-treated trailer. It is some sight at night time! |
 Adrian Flint turned up in Kathmandu in December 1988 expecting to drive a Top Deck Lodekka back to London - little expecting that he would need to rebuild it before he started! The LD in question was "Slippers" AKA ODL12 which had had its roof ripped off when running empty in India! As can be seen Adrian made a very passable job of it out of available sections of wood and Slippers was rebuilt back in England to see a further four years of service. |
 This is former Western National FDV779V with F.A.D.D.S., a party bus company in Tennessee, U.S.A. At first glance I thought this had the most humungous sound system until I realised that those are all cooling units! The extra weight must certainly be testing the wooden inserts on the ECW bodywork which were only designed to carry the lightweight aluminium body panels. |
 Former Southern National/Western National LD6B (RTT995) was converted for use in Japan at Lydney in 2003. Work included fitting a Gardner engine, lowering of the roof to meet local height restrictions, and consequent conversion to traditional lowbridge layout with sunken offside gangway and four-abreast seating across the width of the bus. A fascinating YouTube clip can be viewed here and a passenger clearly using the sunken gangway can be seen at 2:20. |
| UWV608S | |
 At first sight it is hard to believe this is former Southdown convertible VR UWV608S but a few signs are still there - the front windscreen profile, the occasional ECW window vent and particularly the view from the rear (seen here). The changes underneath the body were equally comprehensive - a Cummins engine was fitted, mated to an American (possibly Allison) gearbox and replacement (Eaton?) axles. It also looks like the suspension was ungraded as it sits considerably higher than normal. Truly this was the most unusual of VRs! |  The bus was involved in a front-end accident in 2014 and when rebuilt the opportunity was also taken to convert it to left-hand drive. Not much was left to remind the driver that they were in control of a VR, although he need only turn his head to see the familiar internal bulkhead! |
 Large areas of the lower deck were left seatless. |  The view everybody wants on an open-topper - from upstairs! The bus was not returned to service in 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit and was still out of use when captured in these photos in 2023. |
