2011 – Issue 1 of 4
(PSV Circle records show JO5032 was new as Oxford 41 in 1932, fitted with the A139 AEC 5.1 litre four cylinder petrol engine and a Weymann 32 seat body. The Regal 4 was introduced to compete against the Leyland Lion, but had little success as only 177 were built. Ed.) A venerable ‘Joe’ without the lid on. Also on show were SFC 610, a Willowbrook-bodied centre-entrance AEC Regal IV coach and TWL 928, a Park Royal-bodied AEC Regent III. The latter had been used in the advertisement for the mini-running day but sadly wasn’t in use today. There too was the Denis Loline I/East Lancs 305 KFC with its side panels removed and the bonnet left open so that visitors could see for themselves the various parts of a working bus. Harking even further back are several buses in various states of undress, as it were, mainly early Daimlers with their chassis and wooden frames clearly visible. The museum certainly packs in a lot in a comparatively small space and is worth visiting several times to really appreciate all it has to offer. As it was coming up to 11.30, the first trip of the day was due to 14
depart and PWL stood invitingly in the yard. Too invitingly perhaps, for when I clambered up the stairs eager to sample the somewhat mixed delights of travelling on a lowbridge I found it had already attracted far too many people. A quick retreat to the downstairs saloon was called for. Off we eventually went, out of the museum yard into the Hanborough station yard and along the narrow road to reach the main highway to Oxford. It was to be a very pleasant round trip of some five or six miles including a fairly twisty stretch through a small village, a mile or so out into the countryside, and then about a mile along a dual carriageway past an airfield and on to a small estate of offices and car showrooms. The driver pulled up at a bus stop on the estate and the conductor who’d issued us with proper-looking Oxford Bus Museum tickets announced a photo-stop. Gentlemen with cameras duly got off and photographed PWL to their heart’s content. One enterprising gentleman had solved the conundrum of how to combine filming the bus with travelling on it at (almost) the same time. He had a quiet word with driver, proceeded down the road to a nearby roundabout and filmed the bus going past. Just down the road the bus driver pulled up while the gentleman with the video camera ran after the bus and jumped back aboard. A good enough idea for me to follow his example on the second trip ... We made our way back to the museum, most of us (enthusiasts anyway) thinking we could enjoy a much longer trip on this bus. Back at the museum it was time to visit the stalls and relieve them of the City of Oxford book and a DVD of the Lathalmond Running Days (though unfortunately – but perhaps fortunately for viewers - not of the one that Mac Winfield and I visited last May). By this time, the exposed-radiator AEC Regent V, 956 AJO, had been brought out. Its highbridge Park Royal body suggested that despite being seven years younger, it might well belong to the same batch as PWL 413. On the road, though, it was another matter. With a lighter body and despite having a smaller engine, it was a very different creature and appreciably quicker. We followed the same route as before with the same photo-stop. I walked back to the car to find, as I did at Lathalmond, cause to ask “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?’” this time to Geoff Phillips of Neath, another CTPG and PSV Circle member. He had, as it happened, 15
- Page 1 and 2: FREE TO MEMBERS £1 TO NON MEMBERS
- Page 3 and 4: CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE; A Happy New Y
- Page 5 and 6: The N/S corner has had the higher p
- Page 7 and 8: of the body, riveted to the door an
- Page 9 and 10: DWO 123 AUTONUMEROLOGY; This was th
- Page 11 and 12: Oxford Bus Museum Mini-Running Day,
- Page 13: parents owned many years ago and fe
- Page 17 and 18: Any disappointments? Yes inevitably
- Page 19 and 20: LONDON TO CARDIFF IN 1931; (1) (5)
- Page 21 and 22: HONG KONG PHOOEY On one of the cold
- Page 23 and 24: It was nearly 40 years ago that Car
depart and PWL stood invitingly in the yard. Too invitingly perhaps, for<br />
when I clambered up the stairs eager to sample the somewhat mixed<br />
delights <strong>of</strong> travelling on a lowbridge I found it had already attracted far<br />
too many people. A quick retreat to the downstairs saloon was called for.<br />
Off we eventually went, out <strong>of</strong> the museum yard into the Hanborough<br />
station yard and along the narrow road to reach the main highway to<br />
Oxford. It was to be a very pleasant round trip <strong>of</strong> some five or six miles<br />
including a fairly twisty stretch through a small village, a mile or so out<br />
into the countryside, and then about a mile along a dual carriageway past<br />
an airfield and on to a small estate <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices and car showrooms.<br />
The driver pulled up at a bus stop on the estate and the conductor who’d<br />
issued us with proper-looking Oxford Bus Museum tickets announced a<br />
photo-stop. Gentlemen with cameras duly got <strong>of</strong>f and photographed PWL<br />
to their heart’s content.<br />
One enterprising gentleman had solved the conundrum <strong>of</strong> how to<br />
combine filming the bus with travelling on it at (almost) the same time. He<br />
had a quiet word with driver, proceeded down the road to a nearby<br />
roundabout and filmed the bus going past. Just down the road the bus<br />
driver pulled up while the gentleman with the video camera ran after the<br />
bus and jumped back aboard. A good enough idea for me to follow his<br />
example on the second trip ... We made our way back to the museum,<br />
most <strong>of</strong> us (enthusiasts anyway) thinking we could enjoy a much longer<br />
trip on this bus.<br />
Back at the museum it was time to visit the stalls and relieve them <strong>of</strong> the<br />
City <strong>of</strong> Oxford book and a DVD <strong>of</strong> the Lathalmond Running Days (though<br />
unfortunately <strong>–</strong> but perhaps fortunately for viewers - not <strong>of</strong> the one that<br />
Mac Winfield and I visited last May).<br />
By this time, the exposed-radiator AEC Regent V, 956 AJO, had been<br />
brought out. Its highbridge Park Royal body suggested that despite being<br />
seven years younger, it might well belong to the same batch as PWL 413.<br />
On the road, though, it was another matter. With a lighter body and<br />
despite having a smaller engine, it was a very different creature and<br />
appreciably quicker. We followed the same route as before with the<br />
same photo-stop.<br />
I walked back to the car to find, as I did at Lathalmond, cause to ask<br />
“Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?’” this time to Ge<strong>of</strong>f Phillips <strong>of</strong><br />
Neath, another CTPG and PSV Circle member. He had, as it happened,<br />
15
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