Chilton Queens base at Didcot was on the edge of City of Oxford's territory and it is from there that this interesting independent with a liking for AEC;s purchased this Marshall bodied Reliance. When the NBC told it's member companies that they had to buy just Nationals it really hurt bodybuilders like this and Willowbrook too who had relied on decent sized orders from within the BET Group. Oxford had been a part of that too and these might have been the last ones but it managed to get away without buying the dreaded National by having mostly Bristol VR deckers and turning to lightweight Fords for country services which were much more suited to their small ill-equipped garages. As for heavyweight coaches instead of AEC's Oxford bought Leyland Leopards as they became the NBC norm.
BUSWORLD PHOTOGRAPHY
I AM CHRISTOPHER LEACH THE ARTIST. I started this blog so that I can share with everyone my vast collection of transport photographs showing a personal and nostalgic view of the industry with images that span some 45 years taking in the U.K and some of Europe. I have no darkroom and so rather than being the perfectionist after tidying them up I upload the images warts and all, and even those that won't scan squarely or are scratched. In a way it adds age and character. You are all free to download these for your personal use but please remember I still own them and you are not just free to use them without prior permission for any knd of publishing. Click on images to enlarge them and if you want to see more leave your comments or visit my website for the mother-site with galleries including those Buses & Girls: PICTUREWORLD
Sunday 24 June 2018
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2 comments:
Chiltern Queens was based at Woodcote in Oxfordshire, about half-way between Wallingford and Reading to the east of the River Thames. It reached Didcot with a bus route from Reading via Wallingford. Tom Tappin Ltd, a substantial coach operator which also ran one local bus route, had a depot in Didcot.
Thanks Philip,
this is not my neck of the woods and I'm sorry I thought Woodcote was very close to Didcot.
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