London Skid Pan

I've just come across a Pathe Film entitled "The Traffic Moves - 1933" (see the link below).
It features Berlin's trams, buses and S-bahn trains taking up their daily duties (claiming to be in 1933). However, my attention was drawn to the scene showing their imposing six-wheel double-deckers on a "skid pan".
When did London start using their skid pan?
Was it earlier than 1933?
Does anyone know which other operators had one?
Was the skid pan a German idea after all?
Link to view film - www.britishpathe.com/

Paul Haywood

01/08/12 - 12:04

Manchester City Transport had a skid pan at their Bennett Street Training Department, behind Hyde Road Depot. It lasted well into Greater Manchester Buses days.

John Stringer

02/08/12 - 07:35

The British Pathe website also has a 'short' called 'School for Skids' showing LT's skid pan in 1947, showing Tilling ST's (there's a surprise, poor things)and LGOC STL's.
Incidentally, I've always been intrigued by Berlin's pre-war deckers. They were certainly working in 1944, but no doubt suffered badly by May 1945. Does anyone know the make of chassis and body? The pig-snout significantly beats that of the Dennis Ace!!

Chris Hebbron

02/08/12 - 07:36

Paul, a quick look on YouTube brought forth a British Pathe clip 'School For Skids' (Skidpan at Chiswick Works), showing London Transport STL853 (BXD592) on the skid pan. An interesting clip, but unfortunately undated. However, another Pathe News clip 'Busmen's New School' is dated as 1937, and depicts the then Minister of Transport, Mr Leslie Burgin, declaring London Transport's new "Training Ground" open. He is seen with Lord Ashfield, first Chairman of London Transport. Again worth a watch for another view of an STL on the skid pan. Looks like you may be right that Germany pipped us to the post on that one! Unless, as the saying goes, "anyone knows different...."

Brendan Smith

02/08/12 - 11:34

Chris. Post-war Berlin deckers were almost exclusively MAN. I know pre-war German commercials, like the cars, sometimes had different names for more familiar post-war marques. I suspect MAN, or father of MAN. [There was also a hint of Parisian in the buses on the clip.]

David Oldfield

02/08/12 - 11:35

Re the date of the first Pathe News clip, it is after 1935 because a Ford 8 Model C passes by but also must be after 1938 as a just pre War/early post War Hillman Minx can be spotted. My guess, late 1939 judging by the general look of the traffic.

Richard Leaman

03/08/12 - 18:00

David, this link takes you to an interesting site for the Berlin double-deckers. It seems that the standard pre-war d/d's were NAG and Bussing for the four-wheel D2's of 1925, Bussing for the six-wheel D3's of 1929/1934 and Mercedes for the six-wheel D38's of 1938. NAG merged into Bussing and Bussing merged into MAN which of course supplied many post-war d/d's to Berlin. How on earth the driver of these snout-nosed monsters managed to judge their stopping distance is beyond me. www.doppelstockbus.de

Paul Haywood

The following link shows a skid pan in 1929 www.britishpathe.com/

Ian Matthews

29/01/13 - 17:53

Manchester Corporation had a skid pan at Hyde Rd behind the Car Works. It was also used by the City Police. A particular Inspector in the 1960s would demo how he could lift a rear wheel on a PD2 to impress the new recruits and also those of us lucky enough to be trained on the pan from outside companies.
My employer at the time, concerned at the winter accidents to its car fleet had us all trained using old Ford Anglias - which interestingly had the same 3 speed box and gear lever as the 1967 Cortina I drove. No namby pamby outrigger wheels or dual computerised controls. To get the certificate you had to not only attend the course but be passed by both an MCTD and a City Police Inspector.
One of the most worthwhile courses I ever did. Now if only I could have got my hands on a PD2!!

Phil Blinkhorn

30/01/13 - 06:14

Well for my money the 1929 Pathe film showing LGOC B Types on the Chiswick Skid Pan proves that we got one over on the Germans. We skidded to a halt first!
Mind you, the German mass departures are impressive, but I couldn't help thinking that the speeding trams exiting the depot was a bit 'staged'. After all, most tram depots have a fan of tracks that lead into a single connection onto the highway.
If the trams had continued at that speed, there would have been an almighty crash, just behind the cameraman's right shoulder!

Peter Murnaghan

Comments regarding the above are more than welcome please get in touch via the 'Contact Page' or by email at

Quick links to the - Best Bits - Comments - Contact - Home