The Others-2

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ROWE

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The manufacturer that "might have been"; - Rowe.  A little more well known as a truck maker (Rowe Hillmaster), building vehicles to suit the hilly terrain of  Cornwall where they were based. The first bus example was fitted with a Meadows engine,  originally vertical and then changed to  horizontal by Rowe's engineers. Demise came when a nervous bank manager pulled the plug on a very small overdraft, ensuring the business would fail. The two  examples shown here, the upper left is the original prototype, reg. TAF587 with a Whitson body, and right a production model, reg. WRL 16 with a Reading body.

Two of the three Hillmasters operated by Morlais Services. No.21 and 23. Both new in 1957 and withdrawn in 1964. One had another 10 years with anohter operator, so they were well made vehicles. All three units had Metal Sections bodywork. Photographs by Peter Relf and a special "thank-you" for capturing these unique vehicles, and allowing me to show them here!

Beadle came to prominence after the WWII, when there were all kinds of shortages. They carved out a big business in re-bodying older chassis and also replacing war time utility bodies.  This enabled operators to obtain a second life from them when "all new"  vehicles were difficult to come by. They also designed and bodied the first Sentinel buses. Later when new vehicle supply became easier, they had a  line of "integrals"; using various power units. Never very popular in the  UK, even Leyland/MCW (Olympian) and AEC/Park Royal (Monocoach) had a go at this market and didn't fair well.  The above picture was a Comer TS3 powered coach, originally with Timpsons.

I am not one for Bristol, least not those from BTC days, but you can't ignore this wonderful machine. I think it carries Bruce bodywork and ran for many years with Rotherham Corporation.  Picture by John Law.

Harrington were another bodybuilder who tried integrals. However this one was without their usual flair for styling. Again it  was Commer powered and originally ran for Maidstone & District, later passing to Simonds.  Photo by John Law