1948 Bedford OB Plaxton

This is a photograph that I took in Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1990 at the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally.

It's not listed in the programme of the event but it's a 1948 Bedford OB Plaxton, one of only 2 Plaxton bodied Bedford OB's thought to have survived. It was apparently new to Howard of Whitby in February 1948 and in 1990 looks to have been owned by Bee Coach Hire of Manchester.

1947 Bedford OB

This was one of the vehicles taking part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1988.

It's a 1947 Bedford OB and the programme of the event had the following note about the vehicle:

 

HTF 586 BEDFORD OB, SMT B29F, 1947, WARBURTONS OF BURY. Entered by Greater Manchester Transport Society. Warburtons first postwar coach, HTF 586 was used by them until sold in 1950 to R.W. Rouse of Oxhill. Rouse used the coach until retirement in 1973 when the vehicle passed to preservation.

Bedford OB Duple Vista

This was one of the vehicles taking part in the Greater Manchester Transport Society's Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally at Heaton Park, Manchester in September 1993.

Not listed in the programme of the event, it's a 29 seater 1949 Bedford OB Duple Vista apparently provided new to McKinlays of Prestonpans in 1949 where it had the registration number SS 7376. Later it was with Tours (Isle of Man) where it was given the number 1949 MN and was then acquired by East Yorkshire Motor Services where it was again re-registered as KSU 381. I've also seen a photograph of the vehicle in Shetland taken in 1973 when it was with Sandwick Transport, and still had the original SS 7376 registration number. I believe it again has this original number, though it retains the East Yorkshire livery.

Greater Manchester Transport Museum

I took this photograph at the Greater Manchester Transport Museum in June 1983.

On the left is the former Rawtenstall Corporation 1950 Leyland Tiger PS2/1 with East Lancs B35R body, which I understand is now in the Bury Transport Museum. On the right is the 1947 Bedford OB that was originally operated by Warburton Brothers (Bury), and is still in the Greater Manchester Transport Museum.