Bristol lagged a long way behind the other UK manufactures like Leyland and Daimler with it's rear engined front entrance double-decker the VR. Consequently operators in the nationalised BTC Group had no choice but to buy convention half-cabs. No doubt the engineering staff didn't mind at all but the problems came when OPO was introduced widely on double-deckers as all of them were unsuitable. One solution was to take buses away from the more fortunate former more up to date BET fleets like Southdown and send them to places like Wrexham in Wales which was still full of Lodekka FS buses etc. On the face of it this Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetline was moons away from a Lodekka but of course they had one thing in common and that was most often a Gardner engine.
Intriguingly, although OMO fitted, I think this bus was being used with a conductor that day.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Well, if you look closely, the ticket machine holder (which seems to me to be an unusual combined Setright and Almex fitting) is positioned vertically, so it's out of the driver's way, and also the driver doesn't seem to be paying any attention to the passengers who are boarding.
I believe Wrexham was Crosville's last depot with half-cabs, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were still some crew workings on OMO vehicles until the final conductors were retired or went driving.
Yes Ross they might have needed driver familiarisation first or maybe Union approval before they could use them as OPO's. They hung on to a few half-cab double-deckers which is one reason why I visited the bus station. I remember when Crosville garages just had one or two Lodekkas left Wrexham still had a lot more. Not a huge Bristol fan myself, but half-cabs are all half-cabs so I wanted them to live on!
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