Northern General Transport Percy Main Depot

Northern General Transport Percy Main Depot - Part Three

A handful of Percy Main's service vehicles carried the Wakefields name, and we've seen a couple of examples, but we turn now to the other side of their operations, they also had a superb fleet of coaches. I don't think it ever exceeded twenty in number, but they were always immaculately presented and meticulously maintained. Up to the late 50's, most of the coaches were laid up during the in winter months, but with the growing popularity of Northern's Express service routes, and demand for seats often exceeding supply, the practice of de-licensing was discontinued, and Wakefields vehicles could frequently be found working these routes as duplicates 'on hire' to Northern.

Although these weren't Wakefields first coaches, I cant trace any earlier vehicles. They had eight of these hansom Duple Coronation C30F coaches. Four 1938 Leyland Tiger TS8's - FT 4544/7 - 104/7; and four AEC Regals - FT 49?? - 108/111 from 1939. They had long lives and remained in service until 1954. Many quality pre-war chassis were rebodied in the late 40's and early 50's but I do not know if these were. The Leylands spent some of the war years in Ireland with the Northern Ireland Transport Board

These Beadle bodies were popular with many BET group companies, most were built on refurbished pre war chassis, usually AEC or Leyland, and that was certainly the case with ten of NGT's. However, from as early as 1923, NGT had a number of vehicles built on their own chassis. From 1951/3 a total of 43 vehicles were built on chassis classified as NGT/AEC, they were numbered 132/174, I'm not sure if NGT built the chassis from scratch or just refurbished them, but they had AEC running gear and A173 engines. 37 were bodied by Picktree to NGT designs, the service vehicles were affectionately know as 'Kipper boxes' In 1952, six of the chassis 143-48 were bodied by Beadle as FC35F, and allocated to Percy Main, they were FT 7275/80 - 175/80. Two more arrived in 1953, FT 7791/2 - 191/2, but I can't find a chassis listing for them, so it is possible they may have been rebodies. They were FC39F and classed as D/P's, the fronts were slightly different with less bright trim and a number section on the destination layout. At the time the first six were delivered the predominant colour for the coach fleet was red, but the livery later reverted to this familiar cream layout.

Too much reflection on the photo I'm afraid

To my mind, the Weymann Fanfare was one of the most handsome coach bodies ever built. Percy Main had six of these superb vehicles, they were C41F on AEC Reliance MU3RV chassis, FT 8997 - FT 9002 - 197/202; all delivered in 1955

Another four AEC Reliance 2MU3RV - EFT 550/53 - 250/53, with C41F Burlingham Seagull bodies, arrived on the scene in 1961, I know they're not the classic Seagull of a decade earlier, but they still had an air of superiority about them, and personally, I liked them. They were eventually transferred to Northern and used as D/P's

1963, was the year Percy Main's last new 'coaches' arrived in the form of two C41F Plaxton Embassy II Bedford SB5's HFT 264/5 - 264/5. I think Sunderland District also had some of these, but I am not aware of any others in the group.

Wakefields last throw of the dice came in 1968, with the arrival of four PSU3A/4R Leyland Leopard's with C47F Alexander 'Y' bodies; EFT 703/4F - 303/4; and GFT 805/6G - 305/6. When not engaged on private hire or excursion work, they were frequently to be found working as duplicates on Northern express routes, okay, this one is carrying a days worth of road dirt, but its clear from its general appearance that it's a long way from being scruffy or neglected, like all NGT group coaches they were always immaculately turned out and meticulously maintained

What I am about to say next, is my own personal opinion, and is based on my observations and experiences as a driver at Percy Main from 1967 to 1975.

Perhaps I am guilty of looking through rose tinted spectacles, we know BET and Tilling group companies were not perfect; and there is always room for improvement, but their vehicles were always well cared for and maintained to a very high standard. Always fearful of the wrath of the area Traffic Commissioners, the public service they provided, was usually of an equally high calibre. Fast forward to 1973, the Wakefields name has completely disappeared, and the four Alexander 'Y' types are all that remains of the once glorious coach fleet. Express service, private hire and excursion work has been transferred to National Travel, and now that the lunatics are running the asylum, former Tilling and BET group companies no longer have control over their destiny. Bright trim and badges have become an unnecessary drain on recourses. NBC has a virtual monopoly, so Public Service and pride in the fleet have become outdated and unimportant value that are surplus to requirements. The new regimes accountants, to quote Oscar Wilde, "know the price of everything and the value of nothing" as a result vehicles look sad and uncared for, the disease of apathy complacency and neglect has become a pandemic, and the company initials of NBC have become an acronym for 'NoBody Cares'. Look at 304's sister, as well as a change of name and livery, the wheel embellishments, Leopard badge and other bits and pieces of trim are all missing, in all probability, if any of the seat cushions have been replaced the upholstery does not match the original. The former NGT group were not alone, and the general impression that NBC vehicles project is one of couldn't care less. It makes me so sad when I look back to when these vehicles first came to Percy Main and proudly carried the Wakefields name.

This is as far as we can go, the arrival of the AN68 has still to come, but the curse of the MK I Leyland National is already upon us. Wholesale fleet changes are taking place, with some vehicles moving from one end of the Country to the other. Among others, vehicles from as far a field as East Kent and Maidstone and District were reallocated to the NGT group. The Tynemouth name survived until 1975, but then, along with all the other Northern group subsidiaries, it became a memory.

Ronnie Hoye
09/2013

01/10/13 - 06:30

A first class series of articles and brilliantly illustrated. Brought back many memories of trips to Geordie relatives in the 1950s and 1960s and of regularly working in the area as a rep in the late 1960s. The ubiquitous exhortation to "Shop at Binns", the variety of colour schemes and the Orion bodied Guys all made an impression on my childhood mind and the photos helped bring them back to life.
The 1960s Burlingham Seagull photo reminded me of a comment I heard many years ago something like "the only thing Seagull about that thing are the "wings" on the front panel". I thought that it was rather a handsome body though perhaps the front was a little overdone.

Phil Blinkhorn

01/10/13 - 08:34

Superb article, Ronnie, and an excellent array of photographs. Your assessment of NBC is spot on. (Personal view it may be but accurate it certainly is).
In part two you question whether the 1953 Guys were Aurora or Orion. All your photographs are of Orions. NO Aurora (genuine originals, nor the later front loaders) would have been half finished rattle traps.
As a Burlingham fan and lover of the original Seagull, I too have a soft spot for the Seagull 70. Question? You say they were MU3RV. Are you sure they weren't 2MU3RV? That would have been more usual for that year. The 2MU3RV was introduced in 1959.

David Oldfield

02/10/13 - 08:54

The photo of the Marshall Camair bodied Panther reminds me of the 1968 Commercial Motor Show at which a Northern all red Camair was on display. Its rather "different" looks were the subject of much comment but the one I remember best was "which silly B****r specified those" as the speaker pointed to the random pattern of flowers (roses if I remember rightly) which adorned the ceiling. I never travelled on one in service so I don't know if the show bus was a one off but the possible reaction of the north eastern miners, shipwrights and dockers, if the flowers were a standard feature, had obviously struck the man.

Phil Blinkhorn

02/10/13 - 10:03

Regarding the 'roses on the ceiling' I seem to recall that, at the same time, Sunderland District had a few saloons painted in what was described as a 'psychedelic' interior style, with assorted random blobs of paint scattered around in some sort of pattern.

David Todd

03/10/13 - 08:41

Indeed a great series of photos and some interesting research.
Some of the photos in the article appear to have been taken as the buses came out of the factory, as they don't have "Shop at Binns" painted on them yet.

Paul Robson

04/10/13 - 06:23

You're probably right, Paul. The memory may be playing tricks, but I seem to think that when the 1967&8 Alexander bodied Daimler Fleetlines arrived, they were fully painted, but the name fleet numbers and the 'Shop at Binns' logo Etc, weren't put on until after they had their PDI inspection.

Ronnie Hoye

09/10/13 - 12:11

Thanks Ronnie for your 3 part History fo Tynemouth and District Transport Company and Wakefields Motors. I travelled to school for 7 years on many of these old well-kept favourites along the Coast Road and the Alexander bodied Fleetlines were all time favourites although I did have a soft spot for 280 and 240! I can still remember nearly all the fleetnumbers and registrations and used to visit Percy Main to see if any new additions had arrived. Sadly a big part of my life back in the day...

Tom Carr

10/10/13 - 15:19

Sorry, David, I've just caught up with your comments. You're right, the Seagulls were 2MU3RV's. Oy blum moy luck uve tripeing sculls, either that, or I just plain got it wrong.

Ronnie Hoye

Copy changed

10/10/13 - 17:47

Ronnie, you should never admit the lack of typing skills.
Always blame your Chinese secretary - Ty Po!

Anon

15/10/13 - 08:39

Did Wakefields' have separate Cap/Uniform badges like Tynemouth, Tyneside, SDO, and Northern?

Stephen Howarth

15/10/13 - 11:30

The answer to your question, Stephen, is yes, but only sometimes. All the NGT group uniforms were the same, they were a double-breasted military style with epaulets and had BET buttons, however, from memory, I think the colour of the piping and embroidered name on the collars was different. Northern and Tynemouth were red, SDO were blue and Tyneside green, I can't remember what Gateshead was. On stage carriage work, all Percy Main crews wore Tynemouth uniforms, however, until about the mid 60's, those drivers who had become regulars on the coach roster were issued with a second similar uniform in a dark maroon colour, to be used only when they were on coach work. I seem to remember that the piping and Wakefields name were in gold. All the uniforms were restyled 'cheaper' in the mid sixties, they became single breasted with no epaulets and plain buttons, and Wakefields uniforms were discontinued. Indecently, drivers and conductors had different overcoats; they both had a white half band about 4 or 5 inches up one of the sleeves, but drivers were on the right arm, and a conductor on the left. I was told that this was a throwback to the days before buses had indicators and hand signals were used, the reason a conductor had the band on the left was that at certain junctions they were expected to stand on the platform and give a left turn signal.

Ronnie Hoye

17/10/13 - 06:52

Thanks Ronnie for the full and comprehensive information on Wakefield's uniforms. I take it from that they never had a Cap Badge, but insignia embroidered on to the collar of the tunic.

Stephen Howarth

22/10/13 - 09:59

I seem to remember a 'ghost sign' on a rather dilapidated garage on Albion Road North Shields opposite Christ Church which read 'Wakefields Motors' and I always wondered if that was an early depot before sharing the Tynemouth depot at Percy Main. The sign was written in feint white paint! I think I remember rightly...

Tom Carr

23/10/13 - 15:44

You're quite correct, Tom, Wakefields depot was in North Shields. The entrance was in Church Way, which is just off Albion Road. I assume it became vacant in 1933 when the vehicles were moved to Percy Main.

Ronnie Hoye

24/10/13 - 11:55

Thanks for that and your excellent history of the bus companies from the perspective of a former driver. As a passenger I must have travelled thousands of miles on Service 11 later the 306 and have many fond memories of 236 breaking down outside of the Wills Factory.

Tom Carr

31/10/13 - 17:34

A terrific article. The distinctive livery of the buses gave Tynemouth a bit of identity, unlike today when the county borough has long been swallowed up by North Tyneside.
Having lived in the North Shields area all my life, I must have travelled many miles on Tynemouth and Wakefields buses, and for a short time in 1970 or 1971 I was one of a number of students employed as conductors during the summer holidays. My favourite route as a conductor was the long journey between Blyth and Sunderland which, at that time, had only been running for a few years since the opening of the Tyne Tunnel in 1967.

Bobjs

12/05/18 - 06:22

Ronnie.
With reference to Black Spot you refer to in part one of your excellent coverage BS can be seen listed on old survey maps as a BOUNDARY STONE.

Alan Coulson

16/05/18 - 06:11

I have never worked for either BET or THC -only for National Bus and family owned independents - and I know who I would prefer to work for. However I would offer the following (no less nor no more biased than those of other contributors) observations -
1) Presumably BET sold out to the NBC because they were embarrassed by the enormous profits they were making (or more realistically were going to make in the future).
2) The numbers of passengers and potential profit in the industry would enable companies to operate half cab vehicles with 2 man crews under pre-war terms and conditions of employment and wasteful use of resources indefinitely.
I know that this is a nostalgia site, but for those of us working in the industry at the time (and thinking about it) were uncomfortably aware that with or without NBC things were never going to be the same again. Return on capital employed was never going to look good again.
The political and economic policies around NBC rather than NBC itself was the cause. Never forget that the people operating the NBC subsidiaries were exactly the same people as were running the subsidiaries of THC and BET before them, so therefore the fault lies with the remit given to them rather than the staff involved - hence in a word politics. Exactly the same reason for the even worse failure that followed - deregulation and privatisation.
So please stop slagging off (by implication) we ex-employees of NBC who tried their best to implement policies for which we were not the authors, and give the best service to the customers with the tools and methods we were given

Malcolm Hirst

18/05/18 - 06:57

The seminal tome "National Bus Company 1968-1989" (John A Birks et al) records that BET did not sell out willingly at all. They did so because they were under twin threats. One threat came from Barbara Castle, who wanted to get her hands on their interests to develop her transport policies, and so overplayed the potential danger to their profits from the compulsory purchase powers of the new Passenger Transport Authorities. The other threat came from the trade unions, who had said they would not rest until the BET subsidiaries were under public ownership.

Peter Williamson

19/05/18 - 07:12

Does the book say how much the government paid to purchase BET and how the Labour government raised the money to do so? In the post-war nationalisation frenzy period, it usually issued what were than called Gilt Edged Securities, such as 4.5% Transport Stock 1965-1969. The public would then buy the stock, which would vary in price according to the variation in interest rates generally, but would be paid at the issue price during the five year redemption period. I recall there was one disgraceful one issued to fund World War One and which had no redemption date and so never reached to issue price. In the end, the government of the day promised to repay it to holders if they had or when when they reached retirement age! But I digress!

Chris Hebbron

23/05/18 - 06:52

Chris, �35 000 000 seems to ring a bell. Did Barbara Castle twist BET's arm to sell, by threatening them with compulsory nationalisation or the effects of the CTAs on the profits from their most profitable operations? or had BET realised just how increasingly hard they were having to sweat their assets to generate worthwhile profits from their bus business, when they wee making much better returns from laundries/TV/etc? I suspect Barbara Castle threatened BET, BET put up a bit of a "free-market" fight, but that at that end of the day a willing buyer payed a bit more than first offered to what was really a willing seller.

Philip Rushworth

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