Technical details;
Chassis – Guy Arab II, Chassis No. FD27925
Body – Roe L27/26R (re-bodied in 1953)
Power –
Click on the above image to see more photographs of CCX801
The oldest bus in the museum, CCX801 was one of eight Guy Arab IIs delivered between 1943 and 1946. They were County Motors’ first double deckers and arrived in a mostly dark blue livery. Some were repainted into the “more cream” livery around 1950.
They would have been employed on all routes except Dewsbury, which had a particularly low bridge.
When they came up for their first re-certification in 1951, the bodies were found to be in too poor condition to justify the work. Guy motors had produced a plan to modernise them to a similar specification to the Mark IV, then in production. It was arranged for them to visit the works of Messrs. Wheatley and Whitely Ltd. Of Kirkstall Forge, Leeds for the mechanical modifications to be carried out and they were then driven across Leeds to the Charles H Roe factory at Cross Gates for new bodies to be fitted.
Only seven buses returned to County Motors as one was given a highbridge body and re-allocated to Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co, one of the owners of County Motors. One bus quite liked the attention at Roe’s wanted more and she got her way when the driver delivering her decided to take a short cut under the low bridge near Mirfield Railway station. Back at Roe’s, she got a new roof!
Bus 70 re-entered service in 1953 and was re-painted into the simplified livery with only one blue band In around 1961 she was chosen to act as a recovery vehicle (with a crude bracket poking out from the rear panel) and driver trainer, so she survived the rest of the batch by some three years.
To “keep her going” due to the unpredictability of her other duties, she normally operated an un-timetabled run to Flockton in the evening peak, living outside in the far corner of the yard.
During the last year of trolleybus operation in Huddersfield, she came to the attention of two enthusiasts that she was the last of her batch and “quite ancient” so the decided to buy her. Knowing that the trolleybus preservers and another enthusiast who had already acquired a Corporation motorbus would all be looking for accommodation, they had to move fast. Enquiries at County Motors revealed that she was to be sold that summer. Mr Green, the Manager there, was most helpful in ensuring that it went to the right place and so, on the Tuesday before the “trollies” finished, a spotty-faced 19-year old became the owner of a bus, his friend having dropped out fore health reasons.
ABOVE: In 1945, as delivered.
ABOVE: In 1951, after repainting in the new livery.
ABOVE: In 1953, after receiving a new body.
A railway arch in Viaduct Street was leased, becoming the HQ for the various societies that eventually became the East Pennine Transport Group.
She was rallied for a few years, attending the trolleybus system closure in Bournemouth, but a failed MoT in 1972 led to her being laid up for many years.
Some time later, the faulty parts were replaced but the thorough restoration that she needed went on slowly due to other projects getting in the way.
When the EPTG was forced out of business by its landlord, she was taken to the Dewsbury Bus Museum, initially just for storage. Following the interest of another member there, the project was restarted in 2010 but progress has been very slow as a lot of parts had been mislaid over the years. Eventually, most have been either found, replaced or re-made.
With the engagement of a famous bus restorer from Bradford, good progress is now being made although one setback was the discovery of damage to the rear axle casing. Thanks to our friends at Great Harwood, a replacement has been sourced and fitted.
The work continues.
ABOVE: Shiny new body c. 1954
ABOVE: Looking a bit shabby c. 1960
County Motors 70 (CCX 801)
