Chiltern Queens of Woodcote
1958
AEC Reliance MU3RV
Plaxton Consort C41C

The above AEC Reliance chassis No 1598 fitted with a Plaxton Consort C41C body No 2355 was supplied new to Batty Holt Ribblesdale of Blackburn Lancashire in 1958.
I bought the coach off a preservationist in Farnham Surrey in 1982 who had acquired it from Chiltern Queens of Woodcote, Oxfordshire where it had operated for a number of years in their fleet. Still in that livery I rallied it for almost 3 years before selling it to Whittaker Tours of Walsall who began to use it on vintage tours, weddings etc. It then went to some travellers where it has remained for a number of years gradually becoming more dilapidated. It certainly was a nice coach to drive and travel in 1950s opulence when I had it.

There are other photographs of the above Reliance to be seen here.

Photographs and Copy contributed by Gerald Walker

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Several photographs of this vehicle appear on the website www.travellerhomes.co.uk under the ‘AEC’ heading. Be warned that the sections of this site are not in alphabetical order (it is, after all, run by hippies!) so you will have to scroll downwards to find the AEC bit. According to this site the vehicle was advertised for sale on ebay (or as they prefer "greedbay") in 2009. Has somebody bought it for re-preservation? I hope so.

Neville Mercer

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What a beautiful looking vehicle indeed. I have driven many a thousand very happy miles in virtually identical coaches with Wallace Arnold Tours of Leeds, who had a large number of them. They were extremely nice to drive, had an excellent performance, their reliability was legendary (no pun intended on the model name) and the passengers found them comfortable and pleasant.

Chris Youhill

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You lucky person, Chris. Reliances had left front line service by the time I gained my licence. I trained on an ex Chiltern Queen ZF 691 Reliance and ZF Reliances are my favourite vehicles. I was brought up in Sheffield on SUT Reliances of all descriptions.
Anyone need help to drive their preserved Reliance?

David Oldfield

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The magnificent ZF/690 Reliances caught us all napping at Wallace Arnold David.  Until you got the hang of the unfamiliar gearbox the way that third and fourth gears seemed to be "anywhere" between first and second on the left and fifth and sixth on the right could be most embarrassing – we desperately "stirred the tub of treacle" hoping to find third and fourth until it eventually dawned on us that there was a gentle spring preventing unintentional selection of fifth and sixth – and then these lovely smooth powerful vehicles showed their true gentle and civilised nature.

Chris Youhill

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Sounds as if you’re as big a fan Chris as I am! I was trained how to use the ZF. Good case for type training!!!

David Oldfield

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Indeed David – and on reflection I’m just wondering if my memory is playing tricks ??  WAS the gentle protecting spring on the right, or was it it on the left of the gate to prevent unintentional engagement of first and second gears ??

Chris Youhill

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I did my training on said vehicle when it was about 26 years old. I don’t know, or remember, how the springing was set up but it was supposed to centre the lever on the 3/4 axcis. This it tended to do quite well, as I remember, although age wore the linkages – and with misuse (normally due to ignorance of how to use it) could make accurate selection of gears a bit haphazard.
I remember a  Western National driver, shortly after they had taken over Devon General, making a total hash of driving a DG 6U3ZR from Plymouth to Exeter.
My problem, as a rookie, was selecting reverse rather than second – when setting off – due to being too brutal with the gear lever. My instructor reckoned I was responsible for many a case of "brown trousers" when I set off in reverse from traffic lights in Reading!
As you said (Chris) once you had learned to tame the beast it was a real pussy cat. [The same was also true of the ZF Tiger - especially a 260/Van Hool (ex Armchair) that became a favourite of mine!]

David Oldfield

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Thanks for those experiences David.  I seem to remember now that 1/2/3/4th were normal and you had to overcome the spring to find 5th and 6th, and when changing down let the lever come out of the spring and locate and "settle" itself ready for 3rd and 4th.
This would explain the possible pitfall, which I also remember, of engaging second instead of reverse or reverse instead of second when moving off in one direction or the other.

Chris Youhill

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As a former Chiltern Queens driver I have happy memories of this vehicle as it was always a favourite with drivers, went well, and no body noise at all, the only problem was watching your speed as it went so well and ran quietly. Thanks for the memory.

Philip Smith

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