Quite a good little Bedford
Latterly 'lightweight' PSVs, generally of Bedford or Ford manufacture never really lived very auspicious lives within the Berresford group, particularly when used turn-about with the 'heavyweights'. Unless they could be allocated to someone sympathetic, their periods in service between mending could be dramatically short. The fact that to a man, they had manual gearboxes mitigated against their popularity. The Fords were 'weak' in the brake department, the Bedfords suffered perpetual engine failures, neither had long clutch lives. In order to improve the Bedford product, Berresfords retro fitted Leyland 400 series engines with Albion 6 speed boxes ... which improved power unit life, but reduced that of the clutch as drivers dispensed with the lower gears!
One little coach which bucked the trend was Plaxton bodied YRQ WNL 549J which had come into the fold after the acquisition of Brown's 'Direct Coal & Haulage Co. (Mosswood Tours)' of Wetley Rocks. After being a fairly reliable if sluggish little plodder, one day it's engine expired whilst working at Stoniers. Unusually, a replacement Bedford 466 arrived for fitting. Goodness knows what it had come out of, but it was set up to perfection... indeed the best engine of the type I'd ever encountered. On a test run, I recall having to slow down for the bends on the ascent of the 1:12 Kidsgrove Bank in fourth gear. (out of five).
The picture was taken towards the end of it's working life wearing Stonier's livery and at Parsonage Street garage, Tunstall.
Quite a good little Bedford
Latterly 'lightweight' PSVs, generally of Bedford or Ford manufacture never really lived very auspicious lives within the Berresford group, particularly when used turn-about with the 'heavyweights'. Unless they could be allocated to someone sympathetic, their periods in service between mending could be dramatically short. The fact that to a man, they had manual gearboxes mitigated against their popularity. The Fords were 'weak' in the brake department, the Bedfords suffered perpetual engine failures, neither had long clutch lives. In order to improve the Bedford product, Berresfords retro fitted Leyland 400 series engines with Albion 6 speed boxes ... which improved power unit life, but reduced that of the clutch as drivers dispensed with the lower gears!
One little coach which bucked the trend was Plaxton bodied YRQ WNL 549J which had come into the fold after the acquisition of Brown's 'Direct Coal & Haulage Co. (Mosswood Tours)' of Wetley Rocks. After being a fairly reliable if sluggish little plodder, one day it's engine expired whilst working at Stoniers. Unusually, a replacement Bedford 466 arrived for fitting. Goodness knows what it had come out of, but it was set up to perfection... indeed the best engine of the type I'd ever encountered. On a test run, I recall having to slow down for the bends on the ascent of the 1:12 Kidsgrove Bank in fourth gear. (out of five).
The picture was taken towards the end of it's working life wearing Stonier's livery and at Parsonage Street garage, Tunstall.