This replaces an earlier image of the same vehicle. The Ayreshire Bus Owners (A1 Service) cooperative was exclusively a single-deck operation in its formative years, with the Albion Victor becoming the most common type by the mid-1930s. Like many hard-pressed operators, it received several examples of the utility-bodied Bedford OWB during the Second World War. Many were bodied by Scottish Motor Traction (SMT) to the standard Duple design. Generally disliked, they were replaced as soon as normal supplies resumed. The first double-deckers arrived in the late 1940s and, by agreement amongst the members, the fleet had become exclusively double-deck by the late 1950s (although some members operated coaches on private hire work) - a situation that continued until the mid-1970s (updated 11-Feb-17).
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Tags: A1 Service Bedford OWB Utility SMT
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There could not have been much incentive to convert an elderly double-decker to forward-entrance layout in an era where one-person operation of double-deckers in public service was not permitted, although there could have been some benefit for contract work where single-manning was both possible and desirable. A1 Service member Docherty of Irvine seemingly thought so when he acquired JXN 366 in March 1958. New as London Transport RTL 43 in January 1949 and always a central area 'red' bus, it had a standard 56-seat rear-entrance body. Docherty's conversion was both neat and functional, increasing the seating capacity by one. Note the short windows immediately in front of the rear bay and incorporated within the existing body framing - a cheaper option would have been to retain the original solid panels. It passed to another A1 service member in 1963 and was sold later that year for further service elsewhere, first entering preservation in 1975 - but subsequently spending some time as a non-PSV before re-entering preservation. It was last reported on Ian's Bus Stop as 'preserved, in store in blue and white livery 2008' (19-Feb-18).
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Tags: Leyland RTL Park Royal JXN 366 A1 Service
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This fictional image is an opportunity to compare the superb A1 and AA liveries side-by-side. AA was a breakaway from the original A1 cooperative and initially retained the latter's colours before establishing its own distinctive identify. Both vehicles are Roe-bodied Guy Arab IIIs - a combination not represented in either fleet as far as I'm aware, but which nevertheless looks 'right'. This image is based on a official Roe works photo of new deliveries to South Shields Corporation (26-Oct-09).
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Tags: A1 Service Guy Arab III Roe
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This is the first of a series of images based on the Ribble 'White Lady' double-deck coach. Similar bodies were built by Burlingham and East Lancs on Leyland PD1 and PD2 chassis respectively.
This fictional Foden version carries a Ribble registration, suggesting that the latter may have split its order between Leyland and Foden - possibly in the light of lucrative terms offered by Foden in order to break into the 'big bus company' market. Fodens were no strangers to the A1 Service members, who may have been tempted to purchase second-hand examples from well maintained fleets such as Ribble (15-Sep-09).
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Tags: A1 Service Foden Burlingham
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UWU 536 was new to Doncaster independent T Severn & Son in 1958. A1 Service member RB Steel of Stevenston acquired it in 1975 and ran it for three years. This fictional view - based on an image of OK Motor Service YUP 487 courtesy Philip Kirk - depicts the bus in front of Roe's Leeds premises, presumably for remedial work on its teak-framed body (27-Apr-17).
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Tags: Leyland PD3 Roe A1 Service Scottish bus UWU 536
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