Bob Brimley writes:
I attended the above rally at the Devon County Showground, Westpoint, Exeter. A good selection of vehicles attended but surprisingly
this did not include any former Exeter Corporation vehicles.
Here is a selection of photographs from the day:
1. This is what you call a mini bus. It would appear to be based on the Maidstone & District Harrington bodied AEC Regals.
2. A line up of Bedfords FFX 458 a 1952 Bedford MLC/Lee Motors, KPW 986 a 1950 Bedford OB/Duple Vista & KJH 731 a 1948 Bedford OB/Duple Vista.
3. ROD 765 a 1956 ex Devon General AEC Regent V/MCW.
4. The 6 cylinder petrol engine in ex Crosville Bedford OB/Duple Vista MFM 39.
5. MSL 294 a 1948 ex Douglas Corporation AEC Regent III/Northern Counties.
6. OTA 632G a 1969 ex Royal Blue (S National) Bristol RELH6G/ECW.
7. Representing the commercial vehicles on show KJT 688 an ex Dorset Commer/Karrier fire engine.
8. 811 BWR a 1962 ex West Yorkshire Road Car Co Bristol SUL4A/ECW.
9. FTT 704 a 1945 ex W National Bristol K6A with 1955 ECW body.
10 XTA 839 a 1958 ex Devon General Albion Nimbus NS3N/Willowbrook.
11. CD 7104 a 1922 ex Southdown Vulcan VSD chassis with replica body. This vehicle is something of a puzzle: see below.
This bus CD 7104 attended the WHOTTs 8th Historic Vehicle Rally last Sunday but is proving to be somewhat of a mystery.
According to the information displayed this was a 1922 ex Southdown Vulcan (VSD) which was severely damaged in a fire at Bognor Depot in 1923,
and was subsequently rebuilt with a Harrington charabanc body. The chassis was acquired by World of Country Life in 1992 and now carries a
replica body as near as possible to the original.
However according to my records CD 7104 was one of a batch of four such vehicles which entered service with Southdown but carried Harrington Ch18F from new.
A Vulvan VSD was damaged in the Bognor depot fire but this was BP 7493, acquired in 1923 from Albert Trickey (Sapphire) which carried a C F Rymer
B23R body and this was rebuilt as a charabanc. However the Rymer body was rear entrance body whereas the one now carried by CD 7104 is front entrance.
Can anybody throw any further light on the history of this rare vehicle?