AEC Regent

I took this photograph at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1996.

It's a 1955 AEC Regent III, a former Huddersfield Corporation bus, and the programme of the event said this about the vehicle:

AEC Regent III, East Lancs L55R Body, 1955                                               JVH 373

Huddersfield Corporation 243

Entered by     E.G.Sykes, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

The last lowbridge bus to operate in the fleet. Recently returned to the rally scene after a

fifteen year absence. Withdrawn from service 1970.

AEC Regent

This vehicle was entered in the 'Double Deck Buses Pre 1956' class at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1998.

It's a 1951 AEC Regent III with a 9.6 litre AEC diesel engine and a Roe H31/25R body. The note in the programme of the event reads as follows:

AEC Regent III 9613A, Charles H Roe, 1951                                                           KDT 393

Entered by    D A Peart, Wheatley Hills, Doncaster

New to Doncaster Corporation as an experimental vehicle and was the only one made to this specification. Sold after only 4 years of operation to Blue Ensign. Wrecked in an accident in 1961 it was re-built by Roe. Used as a driver trainer 1967 - 1971 and then on to preservation. Bought by the present owner in 1980 in a derelict state, restored to original condition by 1986 it has been much rallied since and has won many trophies since.

I've twice previously showed photographs of AEC Regent III buses, on 31 January 2015 and 13 July 2016.

AEC Regent

This is one of the vehicles taking part in the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1998.

It's a 1954 AEC Regent III, and the programme of the event had this information about it:

AEC Regent III/East Lancs  1954                                                                              UTC 672
Entered by               The Cotton family
Bamber Bridge Motor Services was once a small operator running services in Mid Lancashire. BBMS sold out to the Ribble undertaking in 1967 and number 4 was then taken out of service. Rescued in a very poor state No. 4 has been completely re-built over the years. Rumour has it that BBMS approached Leyland Motors whose factory was just around the corner to supply one PD chassis in 1954. Leyland refused to be bothered with a single request and AEC in turn supplied the chassis. BBMS then used the vehicle on the Leyland factory run, just to prove a point. Leyland never refused a single vehicle order after that. No. 4 is another fine vehicle privately owned and forming part of the Manchester Museum's collection.

UTC 672 has since been bought by Cumbria Classic Coaches, and you can read about it here.

AEC Regent

I photographed this former Bury Corporation AEC Regent in September 1995 in Heaton Park, Manchester, at the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally organised by the Greater Manchester Transport Society.

The programme of the event had this to say about this vehicle:

AEC Regent III 9613A Weymann H56R, 1952                                                      BEN 177
Bury 177
Entered by     D.R. Stubbings, Rossendale
The majority of Bury's Buses were Lancashire built Leylands, Two AEC chassis were bought in 1950 and placed in store until Weymann bodies were fitted. These two AEC buses were unpopular with Bury's bus drivers, being 'odd-men out in the fleet.

Buses at Heaton Park, Manchester

This is a photograph I took at the Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally organised by the Greater Manchester Transport Society on 1 September 1996.

Of the seven buses pictured here, five were from the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, one was in private hands but garaged at that museum, and one belonged to the Mersey & Calder Bus Preservation Group. Not all the buses are listed in the programme of the event, but here are details of these seven buses (from left to right):

PND 460 - a Manchester Corporation 1956 Leyland Titan PD2/12 with MCW Orion body.
The programme says:
Entered by Greater Manchester Transport Society
Former Operator - Manchester Corporation Transport. The operating area of Manchester stretched from the plains of Cheshire to the hilly borders of Yorkshire and basically similar vehicles to this were used throughout.

ROD 765 - a Devon General 1956 AEC Regent Mk5 MD3RV with Metro Cammell H33/26RD body.
The programme says:
Mersey & Calder B.P.G.
Entered by M.Knott, Claremount, Halifax
New to Devon General in 1956, it served in the coastal towns of Torquay, Paignton, Teignmouth and Dawlish until its sale in 1968 to Red Rover of Aylesbury. It is seen today at the end of a thorough external restoration.

PTC 114C - a Leigh Corporation 1965 AEC Renown 3B3RA with East Lancs H41/31F body.
The programme says:
Leigh 15
Entered by Greater Manchester Transport Society
The AEC Renown Chassis was designed to be of very low height to allow the bus to pass under low bridges, but at the same time retain the normal seating arrangement rather than the long bench seats traditionally found on the upper saloon of low height buses. By the time the vehicle was withdrawn in 1978 it was one of the last AEC vehicles in the fleet of Greater Manchester Transport.

JBN 153 - a Bolton Corporation 1956 Leyland Titan PD2/12 with Metro Cammell H34/28R body.
Not listed in the programme, but it's a Greater Manchester Museum of Transport vehicle.

TNA 520 - a Manchester Corporation 1958 Leyland Titan PD2/34 with Burlingham H37/28R body.
Not listed in the programme, but again it's a Greater Manchester Museum of Transport vehicle.

122 JTD - a Lancashire United 1959 Guy Arab IV with Northern Counties H41/32R body.
The programme says:
Lancashire United Transport 27
Entered by Greater Manchester Transport Society
Lancashire United's standard bus for a long time was the Guy Arab chassis with a Gardner engine and Northern Counties bodywork. No. 27 was unusual in having the larger 6LX Gardner engine.

DJP 754 - a Wigan Corporation 1958 Leyland Titan PD2/30 with Northern Counties H33/28R body.
The programme says:
Entered by S Lord, Wardle, Rochdale, Lancs
Former Operator - Wigan. This 'Tin-Front' bus is housed in the Museum of Transport. The style of bus dates back to a BMMO design and later known as 'An Edinburgh Front'.

Note: I'm not absolutely certain about one or two of the descriptions, particularly of the bodywork as I've found some discrepancies in information I've found on different internet sites.