As a sequel to the Northern General tree cutter published recently (link below), this is sister bus BCN 601 as delivered new to the Gateshead Omnibus Company. Once again, I am grateful to Keith Lee and David Slater for providing the original (monochrome) image; and to Bob Kell for the following information.
The first Gateshead buses since 1913 were delivered in 1950 as twenty Guy Arab 5LW chassis with Park Royal H56R bodies, fleet numbers 1 to 20 (BCN 601 to BCN 620). The first eleven buses were 8ft wide and the remaining nine were 7'6" wide for the High Level Bridge, but it is difficult to tell them apart. Contrary to the information quoted under the tree cutter, it is now believed that the bodies were built wholly by Park Royal, without any involvement of Guy Motors.
The Northern General Transport Company had not patronised Park Royal for bus bodies since 1928 and these were the first since then. The livery was dark maroon and cream with black lining (Bob recalls that the maroon was darker than that used on the trams). When new, they also had a small front 'United style' illuminated panel saying 'Gateshead'. All were eventually transferred to Northern General and allocated fleet numbers within the 19xx series (19-Jan-13).
See this bus converted to a tree cutter:
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/8390313754/in/photo...
Strictly Copyright: You are encouraged to provide links to this image but it would be an offence to post it elsewhere (or to publish or distribute it by any other means) without the express permission of the copyright owner. Please provide your link to this page (not the full size image) so that visitors can read the caption and supporting information.
Tags: Guy Arab III Park Royal Gateshead Omnibus Company digitally coloured
© All Rights Reserved
HCN 479 (fleet number 79( was the last of five Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland PD3s delivered new to Northern General subsidiary Gateshead & District Omnibus Company in 1958. The company's origins were as a tramway operator, the final trams giving way to buses - Guy Arabs and Leyland PD2s - in 1951. These first buses perpetuated the tramway livery of deep maroon. The subsequent Leyland PD3s were delivered in a new dark green livery, to which extensive areas of cream relief were later addded (updated 08-Nov-17)
All rights reserved. Not to be posted on Facebook or anywhere else without my prior written permission. Please follow the link below for additional information about my Flickr images:
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/6046035749/in/set-7....
Tags: Leyland PD3 MCW Gateshead & District Omnibus Company Northern General Transport Company NGT HCN479
© All Rights Reserved
This image is based on another excellent source image from the Go-Ahead archives courtesy of Keith Lee. The Northern General Group briefly experimented with dual-door buses, initially by converting a batch of Alexander-bodied Atlanteans that had been delivered new as single-door buses to the parent company.
The converted buses initially ran in the simplified green and cream Gateshead livery depicted and were repainted into NBC yellow with cream band n 1973. One was subsequently repainted poppy red before reverting to yellow; and a second (illustrated elsewhere in this collection) gained NBC blue before being repainted red. They all remained in dual-door configuration until disposal (19-May-10).
STRICTLY COPYRIGHT: You may download a copy of any image for your personal use, but it would be an offence to remove the copyright information or to post it elsewhere without the express permission of the copyright owner.
Tags: Gateshead & District digitally coloured Leyland Atlantean Alexander
© All Rights Reserved
After successfully converting an elderly Leyland PD3 to normal-control layout with a Routemaster-style front end, Northern rebuilt an accident-damaged Routemaster to semi-forward-control layout. Christened the 'Wearsider', it initially appeared in a bespoke version of Northern's traditional red and ivory livery and was later repainted NBC poppy red. This fictional version carries Gateshead & District's pre-NBC green and ivory livery. The lower case fleetname in a forward position on the upper deck was a particularly neat feature of the final pre-NBC Northern Group liveries (19-May-10).
All rights reserved; not to be posted on Facebook or anywhere else without prior written permission. Please follow the link below for additional information about my work and the techniques used:
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/6046035749/in/set-7...
Tags: AEC Routemaster Park Royal Gateshead & District Omnibus Company
© All Rights Reserved
This is a digitally-modified version of the accompanying Northern General image. NCL 64L was one of thirty Willowbrook-bodied Daimler Fleetlines ordered by Maidstone & District Motor Services but diverted to Northern General. Although legally owned by the latter, it entered service as Gateshead & District fleet number 2824 in 1972. It was renumbered 4258 in 1975 and transferred to Northern on absorption of the Gateshead fleet the following year. After withdrawal in 1978, it was sold to Citybus, Belfast for further service and was withdrawn the following year after being maliciously damaged (14-Feb-13).
See my complete collection of Northern General Group Buses here:
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/sets/72157626362372...
Strictly Copyright: You are encouraged to provide links to this image but it would be an offence to post it elsewhere without the express permission of the copyright owner
Tags: Daimler Fleetline Willowbrook Gateshead & District
© All Rights Reserved