I nearly purchased this Atkinson but could not find the time to work on it. It was in the yard of Craddocks of Coven along with a number of retired Atkinsons. They were a big user of the Atkinson chassis but what made this interesting was its three axled spread not that common when this was built. I suspect it was an Atkinson conversion, they did a number of these for special customers and I worked on several. It was powered by a Gardner 6LW, Craddocks also operated a 1950s eight leger with a Gardner 8LW engine.
Tags: Atkinson Craddock Brothers Gardner 6LW 8LW
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Another vehicle from the Craddocks of Coven fleet. This 2 axled Mk 2 Atkinson had the Gardner 240, 8LXB engine, this power unit was more associated with the 3 axled Atkinson Venturer which could handle 75 ton with ease
Tags: Craddock Brothers Coven Atkinson Mk2 cab gardner 240 LXB
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Don Everall was a well known coach operator in the West Midlands and ran several coach operations. They also had a used PSV division based in Wolverhampton,there headquarters, where they kept an AEC Matador.
This Matador was a very basic ex military unit with just the towing equipment added for recovery. Like several aging Matadors it suffered a fire in the cab caused by faulty electrics. Everall's had recent lost one of there Plaxton bodied coaches in a front end accident. The back end of the coach was quickly cannibalized and used for one of the more unusual Matador re-bodying jobs. The regular driver Billy ? Appleby told me it was great job, and visibility was much improved, his only criticism was it had no demisters. I have seen photographs after it was sold, and appears to have used to transport a motor cycle team. After posting this photograph another photograph of it has emerged, it is with a touring showman, and is a towing tractor for his Waltzer. The crane has been removed and a Gardner generator fitted, the address is Birmingham but unable to read name of operator.
Tags: AEC Matador Don Everall Wolverhampton Black Country Plaxton
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When Coventry decided to move to the new generation of rear engined buses there was great suprise when they orded 22 locally made Daimler Fleetline's and 22 of the rival Leyland Atlantean PDR1/2; with many local politicians and councillors voicing there opinion on supporting local industry. Leyland Atlantean 358 delivered in 1964 has a another suprise in the choice of Willowbrook H44/32F body.
Tags: Coventry Corporation Transport
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A few weeks ago PYEWACKET947 commented on the rear light fitted to BCT Leyland Olypics from the 1950s. The rear shot of 2261 clearly shows what a lack of rear end lighting vehicles from this period had. The Olympic "chassisless" and had a MCW body.
Tags: Birmingham City Transport Leyland Leyland Olympic MCW Chassisless 2261 JOJ 261 BCT
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