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AEC Regent I's

The first ex Oxford vehicles were acquired in 1940 as a result of wartime shortages. They were AEC Regent 1's and were numbered as follows: -

No

Registration

Body Type

19

JO 5403

Brush H28/24R

20

JO 5404

Weymann H28/24R

21

JO 5405

Weymann H28/24R

22

JO 5406

Weymann H28/24R

52

JO 1626

Park Royal H24/24R

53

JO 1628

Park Royal H24/24R

19-22 were City of Oxford Nos. GA16/9-21, new in 1932, and on delivery had petrol engines, fluid flywheels and Wilson preselector gearboxes. 19 had its body rebuilt to 028/24R in 1951.

52/3 were City of Oxford Nos. G154/2, new in 1931. AEC 6.6 litre, four-cylinder oil engines and Park Royal bodies were fitted before entry into service with Gosport and Fareham. The bodies were similar to that on 49 KMD 306 and were later altered to H30/26R at unknown dates. The four-cylinder engines were replaced by A.E.C. 7.7 litre six-cylinder oil engines in 1948.

These buses were, by the standards of the day, already getting on a bit, so it was decided to send the two Park Royal-bodied vehicles JO 1626/8 back to West London for rebodying. They also benefited from the replacement of their petrol engines by AEC 7.7 litre diesel units. 19 (JO 5403) however entered service as received and still in Oxford's ornately lined out-red, maroon and duck egg blue livery, alongside its Weymann-bodied cousins JO 5404- 6, now numbered 20-2.

The two Park Royal rebodies lasted until 1962, a further 22 years. No 19, rebuilt as an open-topper, lasted a further 24 years in total in the fleet.

The Weymann-bodied trio 20-22 were withdrawn in 1948/9 but that is not the end of the story. H Orme-White's policy of wasting nothing now comes into play again. Parts from the three Regent chassis were, in 1955/6, used to construct two nominally new chassis, on which were mounted. Duple look-alike coach bodies built locally by Reading of Portsmouth. These were registered simply as AEC's, and given new registration marks OCG 444 and PCG 436, fleet numbers 68-69 and continued in service until 1969.

The body of 22 was presented to Hoeford Cycle Speedway as a temporary pavilion at the rear of Hoeford garage in July 1950. It was scrapped in August 1952 along with the bodies of 20/1. 52/3 were also sold for scrap.


A rare photo of 19 (JO 5403) in July 1950 before conversion to open top.  Photo: Stephen Didymus Collection


No 19 (JO 5403) the only Oxford Regent converted to open top, and also the one which lasted the longest. It is now preserved at the Oxford bus museum


No 21 (JO 5405), a Weymann bodied example at Gosport Ferry. Compare the archaic body design to that of No 52/53 below.


No 22 (JO 5406) in COMS livery with Provincial fleetnames soon after arriving at Hoeford.  Photo: Solent Omnibus Club


No 52 (JO 1626) seen at Gosport Ferry still in fine condition in 1961.


No 53 (JO 1628) in company  with Provincial's own Regent 51 (DOU 428) at the Ferry Terminus. Photo: Roy Marshall


68 (OCG 444) one of the coaches constructed from the remains on No's 20-22. The Reading body was similar to the contemporary Duple bodies of the time.


AEC Regent V's

In 1970, following the NBC takeover, a number of elderly native Provincial double deckers were in the process of being withdrawn. In order to negate a shortage, City Of Oxford was again to supply replacements. By this time, of course, COMS was also under NBC control. Seven 30 ft long 1958 AEC Regent V's arrived this year, six carried Park Royal bodies and one had a Weymann ORION body. These looked splendid in the Provicial livery at the time, particularly the Park Royal examples. I was not particularly fond of the Weymann body style which to me never looked quite right. Oxford buses always had an above average specification, and these always seemed spacious when compared to what I was used to. This was also probably because of the fact that they only had 65 seats. Despite this, they were the largest capacity buses Provincial had at the time. They had very short service lives with Provincial and were withdrawn in 1973-75. Before this some were repainted in NBC all over green livery.

No

Registration

Body Type

Withdrawn

67

970 CWL

Weymann H37/28R

1973

60

972 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1975

79

974 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1973

66

975 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1975

68

976 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1975

69

977 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1973

80

978 CWL

Park Royal H37/28R

1973

 


 976 CWL whilst still in the service of COMS, in the attractive surroundings of the centre of Oxford


No 80 (978 CWL) one of the Park Royal bodied examples seen here at Gosport Ferry


Another Park Royal, No 79 (974 CWL) also at the Ferry terminus


The sole Weymann Orion bodied Regent No 67 (970 CWL) is seen here in Fareham
 

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