Bedford W series

The WHB and WLB
There has always been some confusion over the very first Bedford bus & coach chassis, the WHB & WLB. Although in many ways these early models were similar to the Chevrolet design that had already been in production in Britain since 1929, they were not as many thought, badge engineered Chevrolets.
Introduced in 1931 the WHB & WLB were the first Bedford PSV chassis to emerge from the Vauxhall Factory at Luton. Based on the 2 ton commercial chassis, the WHB & WLB were identical except for the wheelbase, 131 inches on the WHB & 157 inches on the WLB. The engine was Bedford's own 6 cylinder 3177cc petrol giving 64 bhp at 2800 rpm & rated by the RAC as 27 hp. The transmission was via a 4 speed crash gearbox to a bevel drive at the rear axle. Brakes were rod operated via a Dewandre Vacuum Servo Unit, & Electrics were 12 volt.
The official body builder was Duple of Hendon (an association that carried on for may years to come) although other body builders including Waveney of Oulton Broad, Grose of Northampton, Rainforth of Lincoln & Jennings of Sandbach were also approved body builders. Plaxton are also on record for supplying a 20 seat body for a WLB service bus in 1933. Seating capacity was nominally 14 for the WHB & 20 for the WLB. The WHB did not prove popular, & production ceased in 1933 with only 102 being built. The WLB ran for a further 2 years till April 1935, when a total of 1892 had been built.

The WHB & WLB in Preservation
Very few survive and out of those that do only one WHB & two WLB's are known to be fully restored.
The only known surviving WHB (TM 9347) is currently resident at the Vauxhall Heritage Centre, Luton. It was new to Woodhams of Melchbourne, Beds. in 1931 with a 14 seat Waveney body, in 1964 it was acquired by Bedford dealers, Arlington Motors who later restored the bus. At the time of writing it is undergoing further restoration at the Vauxhall Heritage Centre.
Two WLB's survive fully restored, although one, the oldest known, is actually a WLG (goods chassis) (FW 2378) with Rainforth 20 seat bus body was new to Gosling of Mareham Ie Fen, Lincs in 1931 & is acknowledged to be the oldest Bedford bus. Until recently it was part of John Mould's 'Paradise Collection' at Burghfield Bridge nr Reading, Ito was sold in auction last September 2003 & now resides back in Lincolnshire at the Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby where it is to be used to give rides around the former WW2 airfield, now home to an Avro Lancaster bomber.
The only other known restored WLB is listed with Jenks of Rickmansworth. HB 4060 was an attendee at the Showbus Rally Duxford in 1995, but has not been seen in recent years by the author. It has a Davis 20 seat coach body & was new to Williams of Blania. Of the other seven WLB's listed as preserved, DX 9764 is stored unrestored with Mr Dickerson of Thorrington, NG 2414 is nearing completion of restoration with Rowland & Goodwin (Rambler Coaches), Hastings. & WV 1209 is an exhibit in the Ipswich Transport museum, un-restored.

The WS
Whilst not strictly a PSV chassis, the 30 cwt WS chassis introduced in 1932 was really a goods chassis although a number were bodied for use as rural buses & estate buses. Powered by the same 27 hp petrol engine as fitted to the WLB the WS had only single rear wheels. Very few are known to have survived although two almost identical vehicles with Churchill bodies have. These are AJB 635 now fully restored & operating as a PSV withith Mervyn Annetts of Mervyns Coaches Innersdown, a similar one (AMR 739) is under restoration with Peter Dewarth of Wymondham. Both were originally estate buses, AMR 139 new in 1936 to Sir E Wills, Froxfield, & AJB 635 a year later in 1937 to Major Freyer of Mortimer. AJB 635 was later in the ownership of the Prison Service at Pentonville London before leaving these shores for Jersey where it was fully restored by Francis Mahood who operated it as part of his 'Classic Coach' fleet.
third WS estate bus (GS 6342) was known some years ago to have been with The United Services Garage, Portsmouth. This has surfaced in 2007 with Peter Gaine of Wokingham, it has been converted to a van & used for film work

Although not part of the Bedford W series, we would mention here the ML. Like the WS this was predominantly a 30 cwt goods chassis & a derivative of the WS chassis via the K type. Like the WS it was single rear wheeled but with the later, OB type radiator grille & long bonnet. like the WS the ML was normal control. Most ML's were bodied as 14 to 16 seat buses for local authority educational use. Three MLC's are listed in preservation, the best known being Norman Aish's, FFX 458. New to Dorset CC Education Dept it has been in Norman's ownership for over 25 years.

The WTB/WTL
After the initial success of the WLB, Vauxhall Motors consolidated their place in the market place with the introduction in 1934 of the WT models, based on the WT goods chassis. With the engine moved forward over the front axle the driving position was now semi forward control & had a much shorter bonnet that the earlier WLB model, thus affording a higher seating capacity of up to 26 seats. Early examples were built on the goods (WTL) chassis with Duple again being the 'preferred' body supplier, although like the WLB other body makers such as Plaxton, Thurgood, Burlingham & Wilmot bodied the WTB.
The engine still a 6 cylinder petrol unit was now 3180cc of 27 hp (RAC rating) Transmission retained the four speed crash gearbox, & the brakes were again Dewandre servo assisted. Early WTB models had a chrome plated straight fluted radiator grille, but in 1938 following an update to the WTB chassis the 'bull nose' radiator which was to become a feature of the ubiquitous OB would become standard thus making the WTB
similar in looks to the OB. Many people have been mistaken in identifying a WTB wrongly as an OB. The main distinguishing feature is that there is no external radiator cap on the WTB. At the same time, (1938) the engine was up rated to 3519 cc (28 hp RAC rating), which would go on to power the OB introduced as a replacement for the WTB in 1939. A total of 2320 WTB chassis were produced.

At the time of writing only one WTB is known to be roadworthy, & still licensed as a PSV. This is JT 8077 owned by John Woodhams of Ryde IoW. New to South Dorset Coaches in 1937 this well known Duple C25F coach is maintained in superb condition by John, & is a regular attendee at the London to Brighton HCVS Rally, as well as performing wedding & other specialised private hire duties around the IoW.
Another similar WTB is EYE 599, currently under restoration with insurance broker John Chapman and a group of enthusiasts of Orsett Essex. EYE 599 was new to local coach operator, Underwood of Orsett in 1938 & apart from spending some time during WW2 requisitioned to the RAF, it remained with the Underwood family, stored in a barn until acquired by John Chapman in 1994.
Ten other WTB's are listed as preserved but many including former Holmes of Cowes loW. CDL 920, are derelict, & may never see restoration. A bid to save CDL 920 by the Isle of Wight Bus Museum in 2003 failed after a 'reasonable price could not be agreed with its current owner. Sister CDL 792 new to Shotters of Brighstone is still believed to be in good order with a collector in Rochdale. Again any information on surviving WTB's other than those mentioned here is welcome.

One recent piece of good news (March 2008) is that BXM 568 a 1935 Bedford WTL with Duple C20F body has been acquired by Andrew Lodge of Lodge's Coaches, High Easter, Essex for restoration after 20 years lying semi derelict in Gosport. BXM 568 was new to Mitcham Belle Coaches & later went to the Isle of Man as CMN 986. We eagerly await the return of this rare coach to fully restored condition.

Useful contacts
Spares
Chassis & engine parts Bygone Bedford Bits 01202 745117
John Morter 01953 602581
Upholstery fabric John Holdsworth 01422 433000
Bodywork repairs
Kenzies Coaches 01763 260288
Hatts Coaches 01249 740444

Phoenix Restorations, Banbury, Oxon. Telephone Dave Heritage or Brian Wells on 01295 730272 vehicle restorations in total or part, bodywork and mechanical. Bedford W's a speciality

Clubs
The Bedford Owners Club (Mike Lloyd)
The HCVS lden Grange, Cranbrook Road, Staplehurst, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 OET