Vulcan Coach

Any help with this one would be appreciated, all I have is registration, JRW 442. A note shows 'Penny's with a ? Mark (Vulcan)' another elderly coach to Carneys to transport shipyard workers from Sunderland to Middlesbrough daily in mid 1960's (1964). I ask has anyone a photo of a Vulcan coach. As my knowledge is limited were Vulcans a small independent coach builder.

Alan Coulson

25/12/14 - 07:02

Vulcan were a Southport firm that went into liquidation in 1931. The firm was acquired by Tilling- Stevens and production moved to Maidstone. Any coach running in 1960 would most likely be a Maidstone product. The registration JRW 442 was issued in Coventry in October 1949. I think Vulcan-badged lorries were produced post WWII, but I don't know if many coaches were.

David Hick

25/12/14 - 07:03

Vulcan were far from being a small, independent coachbuilder. The Southport firm was started in 1902 by the Hampson brothers, Thomas and Joseph, and in the years leading up to the Great War, made high quality cars for the prosperous sectors of society of those times. During the war, the company turned to munitions manufacture, and also assembled airframes for Airco, (chief designer - Geoffrey de Havilland - who later, in 1920, bought the residual assets of Airco himself). In 1916, both Hampson brothers left the business, and, in a foretaste of the troubles to come, Thomas Hampson was subsequently convicted in 1919 of appropriating £22,000 (around £1.3 million in today's money) of the company's cash for his own use, and sentenced to 12 months in gaol. In the over optimistic post war 1920s, Vulcan was bought up by the Harper Bean consortium. This appears to have been something of a precursor of today's private equity outfits, since it amassed the controlling share capital in a number of automotive component manufacturers with an eye on market domination in the post war boom years that never arrived. A petition to wind up Vulcan was presented in 1922 but the company struggled on, though the highly leveraged Harper Bean consortium itself went bust in 1924. Vulcan's first true passenger chassis, a normal control 20/26 seater, came in 1926. Another financial crisis afflicted Vulcan in 1928 and car manufacture then ceased entirely (apart from a few assembled under the Lea Francis name). Thereafter production concentrated, somewhat haphazardly, on commercial models, including single deck buses under the names of Countess, Duke, Duchess, Prince and Princess, and the double deck Emperor. The quality of these machines compared poorly with the established high standards of AEC, Leyland, Daimler, Dennis et al, and the firm went into receivership in 1931. The receiver managed to keep production going until 1937, when the entire share capital was acquired by J. Brockhouse and Co. The Vulcan Works were retained for general engineering as Brockhouse Engineering (Southport), but the rights to the motor vehicle side of the business were sold to Tilling-Stevens. Production of Vulcan badged lorries began again at Maidstone from March 1 1938, and during World War 2 Vulcan specialised in searchlight trucks designated TS19 and TS20 using the Tilling-Stevens petrol electric system. Vulcan badged lorries continued to be available after Tilling-Stevens was taken over by the Rootes group in 1950, but rationalisation of the Rootes commercial ranges saw the final disappearance of the Vulcan name and all models in 1953. A detailed synopsis of the Vulcan story made be found here:- www.gracesguide.co.uk/Vulcan_Motor_and_Engineering_Co

Roger Cox

26/12/14 - 06:50

As far as I know the only postwar Vulcan PSVs were of the 6PF model with a passenger capacity of 29-32 and a Perkins P6 diesel engine, offered briefly in 1949-50 before the Rootes Group consumed Tilling Stevens. Many were bodied by Dutfield which had a contract with TS to provide "default" bodywork if the customer had no preference of their own. A few were bodied as buses, including several with H Brown of Donnington Wood (Shropshire). Does anybody know how many 6PFs were built - or, better yet, have a chassis list hidden away?

Neville Mercer

26/12/14 - 11:44

Thanks to David, Roger and Neville, since posting? I have been giving an old photo, Penny's and the registration is visible JRW 442 even on old photo marked as Vulcan (29 seater?). Neville is this a 6PF model and coachwork by Dutfield no known chassis number.

Alan Coulson

27/12/14 - 05:16

Yes, that's a 6PF, but the bodywork isn't by Dutfield. Hard to spot the builder as that side-flash was generic and used by several coachbuilders ranging from Burlingham to Gurney Nutting. Typically though, small operators at this time favoured bodybuilders fairly close to home and I've seen a photograph of an Auto-Cellulose (of Smethwick) body with that particular moulding. But that is only a guess!

Neville Mercer

28/12/14 - 06:24

Roger, David & Neville. Neville this may interest you. Late on Saturday 27/12/14 from a local source came JRW 442, Vulcan 6PF 4645 Quorn C31F is listed to Bingley Motor Company of Coventry in 3/1950. Having been registered in October 1949. (David's notes). Bingley appears 1st. owner. The 4645 and Quorn C31F is of immense interest to me. Source has no further numbers re quantity of Coaches produced. Now to establish the Penny's connection it may not be in the Coventry area.

Alan Coulson

28/12/14 - 11:22

Alan, Quorn coachwork was constructed by Crawford Prince-Johnson, which was based in Melton Road, Queniborough near Syston, Leicestershire. The following link gives some information about this firm - scroll two thirds of the way down:- http://nonsequitur.freeforums.org/lkcs-lesser-known-coachbuilders-t58-880.html#p10003
The small picture of the Vulcan coach FJU 118 can be enlarged by clicking on it, and, apart from the exposed radiator, it appears to have bodywork virtually identical to that on JRW 442.

Roger Cox

28/12/14 - 16:15

Roger, thank you for most informative detail of the 28th I agree re almost identical those older radiators always look good whether on coaches or lorries. The newer style radiator with V in the grille gives coach modern look. I appreciate your information of the 25th. As I now build a picture of Vulcans of which I new very little.

Alan Coulson

19/05/16 - 08:07

Thought this photo might be of interest showing Vulcan JRW 442 with original owner Binley Coaches of Binley, Coventry (please note not Bingley Coaches as quoted by a previous correspondent)

Mike Holloway

19/05/16 - 14:35

The only surviving Vulcan 6PF I know of is CCF 777 with Dutfield C29F body, it was new to Brewster t/a Goldsmith Coaches, Sicklesmere 3/50, pic shows it in 2009 & as far as I know is still there undercover & still owned by a member of the Brewster family.

John Wakefield

20/05/16 - 05:28

Mike H. Thank you for posting photo and enlightening me of correct spelling of Binley, my spelling was taken from 3rd. party notes. However I have amended my notes.
Sometime has elapsed since my last posting 28/12/14. Further history traces of ownership after Binley read,
Bramfitt of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham ????.
Penny's of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham 1957.
Moore & Cartwright Building Contractor of Norton-on-Tees in County Durham 1960.

John W.
Surviving Vulcan CCF777 thank you for posting photo showing Dutfield body version surely someone will purchase this and do restoration project.
Were Duffield a major Body Builder?

Alan Coulson

20/05/16 - 09:19

Dutfield was one of the coach builders that mushroomed during the period of post war high demand. It started in 1947 in Portsmouth Road, Godalming, but had fizzled out by 1950. It had marketing links with Tilling-Stevens of Maidstone, and much of its construction was on Tilling-Stevens and Vulcan chassis. A bit more about this coachbuilder may be found at this link.

Here is a Dutfield advertisement for bodywork on Vulcan chassis.

Roger Cox

21/05/16 - 07:09

Here is another link to a picture of a Vulcan bus, FUJ 19, this time operated by the firm of H Brown of Donnington Wood, well known in enthusiast circles by virtue of its Sentinel fleet. The body is said to be by Dutfield, but it doesn't look like it to me. Neville is very knowledgeable about this operator (and, indeed about many others) so I'm sure that he can sort this one out for us.
See it at this link.

Roger Cox

16/07/17 - 07:44

I see that John Wakefield has posted information on a Dutfield body vehicle in storage in Sicklesmere area is it still in storage or being restored some where. I would like to know what is happing to that Dutfield vehicle and if it,s possible to visit vehicle.

Geoff Coote

17/07/17 - 06:03

Further to Roger Cox (21/05/16 0709) here's a shot of a vehicle with what is said to be a Dutfield service bus body. www.flickr.com/photos There are obvious similarities between its body and that on FUJ19, but there are obvious differences, too. Brown's apparently did have another Dutfield-bodied vehicle, so I suppose that's a slight pointer in favour of the body on FUJ19 being Dutfield.

David Call

20/07/17 - 07:06

The ex Goldsmith Vulcan CCF 777 is sill in store at Sicklemere still owned by the Brewster family. I understand its for sale but at a rather higher price than maybe its worth, £10,000 has been suggested. The telephone number 01284 386246 is still listed for F. Goldsmith The Garage, Sudbury Rd, Bury St Edmunds IP30 0TJ so presumably it could be viewed by appointment.

John Wakefield

21/07/17 - 06:56

2 doors North West from the house which Google Earth has marked as Goldsmith F is this StreetView. https://goo.gl/maps/Vf4NTRkAQbQ2
There is something hiding in the shed behind the wheelie bins.

John Lomas

21/08/17 - 06:52

I viewed this Vulcan coach yesterday, I had good look all over it and its well worth saving and complete. The owner told me it still runs and it can be bought. All the period features are intact, tax disc in the window says 1959. Original paperwork is with it. Get in touch with me and I can pass on someone's details if they are a serious buyer?

D Moore

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