by Ken Jones. Added to website 21 September 2010
The 2010 Kingsbridge 7ft 6in running day also celebrated the 50 anniversary of the Bristol SU although many of the expected vehicles
didn't get there leaving only 4 running on the day.
Of those preserved only 3 are SUS [short version] and the rest are SUL [long version].
I drove down by car taking a bus driver with me as his Daimler half cab is under repair. He was to drive a vehicle on the day and I'd help him
with navigation etc.
The organisers know my favourite single decker is the Bristol SU and so 672 COD had been allocated to us. This is one of the preserved SUS.
I recommend the website
www.bristolsu.co.uk
for more information, and the book from WHOTT
www.busmuseum.org.uk/shop.htm.
672 COD was new to Western National in 1960 and initially numbered 2620 but changed to 600 before entering service at Totnes depot.It spent
much of its life in Penzance working the Mousehole service. It has been restored to full working order, although we found it sluggish and difficult
to start - so no surprise that on the morning of the Kingsbridge running day the owner was out early changing the fuel pump - well something to do
with fuel. Here are a collection of pictures from the 2 days we were allowed to look after it.
For more on the Kingsbridge Running Day (on this website)
CLICK
1. Shows the vehicle ready for us when we arrived at its home base.
2. We had to go and get some fuel so took it to Kingsbridge, but because of its short length and height we drove in as if it were a car.
3. View of interior towards the rear.
4. The vehicle rests in the shade while the driver checks his routes and I take the pictures.
5. A photographic stop for me - easy when only 2 of you on board - showing a typical Devon County Council 3 arm fingerpost.
6. View towards driver - capacity is 30 people sitting in a mixture of longitudinal and standard seats.
More surprises for me - knowing that I come originally from Taunton the owner installed a genuine Western National rural destination blind set marked Taunton Depot.
7. Our first service on the running day was service 99 to Sherford and South Pool - very exhilarating for the driver and passengers who all
breathed in together when passing a tractor. I decided the route would go to Bishops Lydeard hence the destination [had to get a railway theme
in somewhere].
8. Lots of interest at South Pool from photographers so we gave them a chance of a photographic run past - I changed the destination to Bridgwater - very subtle.
9. Taken at Hope Cove on service 100 I chose the Somerset village of Churchinford for the destination. Cars caused our driver to be extra
cautious like the Discovery that kept coming towards us as if we would evaporate - we didn't and it had a long way back to reverse.
10. Taken at East Allington - our final run of the day on route 106. I chose Langley Marsh as the destination as this is an out station of Quantock Motors.
11. Prior to taking the bus back to its home I changed the destination to Taunton and service 276 which was one of the town routes which worked
up my road. Being only a mile from the Western National garage when in Taunton we would get all types of vehicles under test on our service
although it was meant to be double deckers we did occasional get an SU.