That ‘Malta Buses can seriously damage the bus enthusiast’s health’ is a phrase often used by frequent Malta visitor and Stockport based bus restorer Cliff Marsh. Asked, how? He replied ‘By totally destroying your confidence in identifying vehicles. What you see on the surface may not be what’s under the skin, in fact it probably isn’t!’ Another regular Malta bus visitor, Glyn Bowen of the Cardiff Transport Preservation group joined Cliff in supplying historic images to support this article which was first published in 2003.
These are a selection of pictures (all Foden) from the 2006 Smallwood Vintage Rally. The 2007 event is set to be held Saturday 26th May-Monday 28th May.
Steve Morris of Quantock Motor Services Ltd, Taunton Somerset has been responsible for the restoration of some rare and interesting public service vehicles over the years and as a consequence his heritage fleet is probably the most comprehensive private collection in Europe. This year (2007) Steve Morris celebrates 30 years in vehicle restoration. The Quantock collection cannot in any way be described as a ‘stuffed and mounted’ as Steve operates the vehicles on a regular basis, and in public service. Their Leyland PD2/3 Titan ‘White Lady’ has been described as a rare, and it is therefore a historically significant, double deck coach.
Kington Vintage Club (in the wonderful Welsh Marches) holds a great two-day Vintage and Classic show every year on the third full week-end in August. In 2006 the dates were Saturday 19th August and Sunday 20th August 2006 and boy did it rain! But as those who attended will tell you it didn’t spoil the fun.
The 2007 event will be held on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August.
Entry forms for each section can be sent by Email as an attachment. Sections open are:- Steamers; Tractors: Plant Machinery; Motor-cycles; Push Bicycles; Stationary Engines; Vintage Cars (until 1960) Classic Cars (from 1961); Military Vehicles; Land Rovers; Commercial Vehicles; Traders; Model section; Craft Section; Static Displays and Classic Caravans. Please contact the Secretary using the Email address given…. MichaelRand@markwick17.fsbusiness.co.uk or phone him on 0791 860 3770.
Working the Cheshire farm which has been in his family for over 100 years John Sanderson, a man some call Mr Foden, finds time for a hobby that has over the years become almost a way of life. Ask why he, a man who has had a hand in over 300 Foden restorations, chose to stay ‘down on the farm’ and never joined the company’s workforce and you will get a very logical answer.
To bus enthusiasts the phrase ‘Brislington’s Finest’ is a popular collective description for the products of only one manufacturer, those of the long lamented Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company (later Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd). The motor products manufactured in Brislington by the BTCC were to gain a reputation for being rugged, reliable and economical and as such were readily accepted by Britain’s growing public service transport industry. After all, went the thinking of the time, any vehicle emanating from a city with so many hilly routes would accordingly be ‘up to the task’ elsewhere in the UK, and indeed the world.
In the early post war years Crosville Motors were experiencing difficulties in providing adequate services as the war period had forced a deterioration in maintenance standards and had a detrimental effect on the efficiency of their fleet. In 1949, in an attempt to rectify the situation the Government of the day redirected a batch of single deckers PS1/1’s originally ordered by Midland General to Crosville Motors.
Not only are railway vehicles moved around the country on railway tracks! In order to move them between preserved railways, and indeed between national train operating companies ,road transport is often the only way to faclilitate the transfer. Thus the heavy haulage of rail vehicles is now a well established buisness in its own right. David Gibson has recorded these moves around his native Staffordshire, all of rail vehicles leaving or heading for the Churnet Valley Railway.
