The dying days of DXD 42C.
In and amongst the scanning of Clem Smith's vast archive, I occasionally find the time to indulge the relatively new aspect of the hobby, that of colourising old B&W shots. Some of those worked on have, like the above, come from my own archive of things taken in my very first years of bus photography. Whilst none were very good, doing this sort of gives them a bit of a new lease of life imho.
Before I began my working life in buses here, I and my good friend Tim Machin befrended the folks at Stoniers of Goldenhill. On this occasion workshop foreman Amby Smith reversed AEC Reliance DXD 42C out of its withdrawn position at the rear of the garage so that I could photograph it prior to its departure for scrap (well, technically as a trade-in).
DXD 42 C was a bit of a rare machine, being one of a handful of steel framed Plaxton Derwent bodies built before the timber/composite ones we're more familiar with came on the scene. The AH 590 engined bus had been new to Hillside of Luton in 1965, a business whose work involved the need for high capacity moving people around and about Luton airport. To that end it seated 61 in 3 x 2 layout.
After leaving there, it went to Green Bus of Rugely before finishing its working days at Stoniers. It has to be said that whilst it was mechanically competent, it wasn't a popular bus, particularly with conductors and passengers.
The dying days of DXD 42C.
In and amongst the scanning of Clem Smith's vast archive, I occasionally find the time to indulge the relatively new aspect of the hobby, that of colourising old B&W shots. Some of those worked on have, like the above, come from my own archive of things taken in my very first years of bus photography. Whilst none were very good, doing this sort of gives them a bit of a new lease of life imho.
Before I began my working life in buses here, I and my good friend Tim Machin befrended the folks at Stoniers of Goldenhill. On this occasion workshop foreman Amby Smith reversed AEC Reliance DXD 42C out of its withdrawn position at the rear of the garage so that I could photograph it prior to its departure for scrap (well, technically as a trade-in).
DXD 42 C was a bit of a rare machine, being one of a handful of steel framed Plaxton Derwent bodies built before the timber/composite ones we're more familiar with came on the scene. The AH 590 engined bus had been new to Hillside of Luton in 1965, a business whose work involved the need for high capacity moving people around and about Luton airport. To that end it seated 61 in 3 x 2 layout.
After leaving there, it went to Green Bus of Rugely before finishing its working days at Stoniers. It has to be said that whilst it was mechanically competent, it wasn't a popular bus, particularly with conductors and passengers.