The Bedford VAL
This page was last updated on 28/03/2008
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Photo (c) Ken Lansdowne |
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The twin-steer concept was not a new one in the 1960's - during the late 1930's & early 1940's, Leyland built small numbers of single deck twin steer Gnu & Panda models. However, neither design was a success, & following a few twin steer versions of the Tiger, & a change in Ministry of Transport regulations, allowing 30ft (9.15m) PSV chassis on just two axles, the idea was dropped.The VAL is launched
At the 1962 Commercial Motor Show, the twin steer concept emerged again whe1:} Vauxhall Motors launched its first 36ft (11m) PSV chassis. Known as the Bedford VAL, it could be described as the first Bedford chassis designed specifically for bus & coach operation, (hitherto Bedford had produced modified versions of its truck chassis for this purpose), & with set back front axles, allowing the entrance door to be positioned ahead of them.
The first production VAL was designated V AL14, powered by a 6.17 litre Leyland 0.400 diesel engine mounted vertically at the front, & driving via a Clark (licence built by Turner) five speed synchromesh gearbox. The wheels were relatively small - 16 in diameter - the same size as used on the Bedford J2 & VAS. The VAL had power steering & a tight turning circle. An exhaust brake was optional to assist the air over hydraulic brakes which, working on small diameter drums, had a tendency to overheat & fade. One feature that made the VAL suitable for the then, new motorway network, was that in the event of a tyre blow-out, the coach would continue to drive normally, & could be brought to a controlled stop.
At £1775 the VAL was around £1000 cheaper than either a Leyland or AEC 36ft chassis. It was also more than a ton lighter, yielding as a consequence an average fuel consumption of around 15 mpg.Immediate Success
All this no doubt contributed to the VAL's immediate success, not only with some big name coach operators like Wallace Arnold & the Ewer Group, but with numerous medium & small independent companies, offering a reasonably priced, high capacity vehicle. Small numbers of VAL14's were bodied by Harrington, Marshall, Strachens, Willowbrook & Yeates, but 52 seat bodywork by either Duple or Plaxton was, as one would expect, far more popular.
But why did Bedford go for the twin steer arrangement? One key factor was those small 16in diameter wheels. 20in had been virtually universal on both buses & coaches for many years, but there had been, for 15 years or more, a trend in the field of private cars towards the use of relatively smaller wheels. Such refinement led to reduced weight - not only in the wheel itself, but in its associated suspension & steering gear - & to more available space. On a bus or coach chassis the use of two front axles make smaller wheels practical, & allows the floor height to be lowered eliminating wheel arch intrusion. The arrangement brought with it improved ride quality, & moreover, Bedford was able to use existing parts from their TK truck range, obviating the need to develop a new front axle.
One memorable feature of the V AL14 was its distinctive sound. Beneath the floor its Leyland Tiger Cub, 0.400 engine, growled convincingly, but turned the right way up & sat beside the driver, the engine's growl turned into a positive roar, giving rise to the practice of piling blankets, usually tartan, on top of the engine cover in a futile attempt to stifle the beast!
Dews Coaches of Somersham Bedford VAL70, UFX 360L is photographed on a rather dull Brighton sea front in April 2000. During that year's Coach rally in which Dews managing director, Simon Dew won the Coach driver of the year for the second time. On this occasion driving the Bedford VAL. (Photo Tony Barfield)
The VAL70
In December 1967 an updated version, the VAL70, powered by Bedford's own 7.6 litre (466 cu in) diesel engine was introduced, quickly replacing the V ALI4. By then the number of available body designs had reduced somewhat. For the 1968 season, Duple introduced its successor to the Vega Major, the Viceroy, & Plaxton, having supplied a few Panorama bodies on the VAL 70, replaced its whole rage with the Elite. Both new bodies now seated 53, as did the products of two relative newcomers. Portuguese coachbuilder Caetano, through its UK agent Moseley of Loughborough, offered a version of the Estoril - just 20 were built, one of which survives into preservation. - Van Hool with its stylish Vista Dome design bodied only one UK VAL, (RAR 690J), although a second was supplied as an Exhibition Unit for the George Kent Group (KNT 1). Total cost of a VAL70 at this time was around £7500, of which £1910 was for the chassis.
Film Stars
Fairly early in the models career, two VAL's became film stars, Plaxton bodied URO 913E featured in the Beatles film 'Magical Mystery Tour', & Harrington bodied ALR 453B attained fame in the 'Italian Job' as a car transporter, a fore taste of a fate to befall many VAL's once their passenger carrying days were ended, the relatively low, flat floor made them ideal for such purposes. In fact these merits also contributed to 35 VAL chassis being bodied for commercial applications, including outside broadcast units, horse boxes, exhibition units, pantecnicons & even pigeon transporters!
Production of the VAL ceased in 1973 by which time a creditable 2000 or more had been built. No other manufacturer has since produced a twin-steer PSV design, although twin rear axle designs are now common. (Photograph supplied and copyright Steve Edmonds)The VAL in Preservation
In preservation, the VAL has attracted a loyal band of devotees. Paul Emery of Chase Terrace owns, & operates some commercially under 'VAL's Classic Coaches' fleet name. The last remaining Caetano bodied example, YYB 239H, is owned by Bon Chaunce coaches of Preston, who plan to restore it and put it back on the road.
Russell Price of Bishops Castle, Shropshire owns three, early Duple Vega Major bodied VAL14 9979DP; VAL70, Plaxton Elite bodied HLG 812; & the only surviving Willowbrook bus bodied VAL70, FYG 663.
Other not strictly preserved vehicles include two Plaxton bodied examples, VAL14
DJH 731F; & VAL 70s, OOR 320G & SCK 56K painted to represent the original 'Magical Mystery Tour' coach, URO 913E which is now preserved in the USA with The Hard rock Cafe concern. URO 913E was fully restored to running order some years ago & was the prize in an Iinternet 'sweepstake'. Apparently the winner chose a cash alternative, & URO 913E remains with Hard rock Cafe as Beatles memorabilia. One other uniquie VAL14 is the only remaining Yeates bodied example, 966 RVO. New to Barton, it is now owned by Andrew Fowler of Holbeach Drove although now painted in Fowlers livery
Small & medium sized coach operators have always had an eye for their own heritage. Many life expired vehicles end up in a corner of the yard, maybe as spares, or even with a view to restoring them to their former glory one day.
These practices have resulted in a number of VAL's still being with their original or last operating owners. Harry Grindle of Grindle Coaches Cinderford, still has CDD 235K which he takes out occasionally to a few rallies including the Bedford Gathering in 2002, when this event celebrated 40 Years of the VAL.
One rare VAL14, one of the Harrington Legionnaire bodied examples made immortal in the Italian Job, is CNW 155C, new to Heaps Tours Leeds, before passing to John Hood of Wold Newton in 1972. It remained at John Hood's premises until May 2002, when it was acquired, in a derelict state, by Cyril Kenzie of Shepreth Cambridgeshire & is now fully restored to its original condition. Cyril also has another VAL14, ex Carr's of New Silksworth GUP 743C.Having remained untouched in Carr's livery for many years this was re painted in 2003 into Kenzie's livery of the 1960's.
Dews Coaches of Somersham still operate their VAL 70 (UFX 360L), new to Seaview of Poole in 1973, it went back there in December 2002 to celebrate the retirement of its first driver Brian Munday.
As mentioned within the text, Dews Bedford VAL UFX 360L made a return visit to it's first owner in December 2002 and during that weekend it was put to work on National Express relief duties and worked a service from the south coast into London Victoria Coach Station. John Wakefield was on hand to record the vehicle in the loading area of VCS prior to retuning to the south coast.
Who's who on the VAL scene
Paul Emery & Russell Price are both members of the Telford Bus Group. This groups passion for the VAL is well known. Apart from those already mentioned, other VAL's owned by group members are BHO 670J owned by Malcolm Red gate , FAR 724K in pseudo Greater Manchester PTE livery is owned by K Ellis while WWY 115G, is the collective property of the group, and a frequent rally attendee .
Another group with a passion for the VAL is the Legionnaire group. As the name suggests, this group is firmly focussed on the Harrington Legionnaire body, the majority of which were fitted to the VAL, 42 in fact. The group own CDK 409C on which restoration is yet to start, whilst members Stuart Graham & Andrew Thomas are in the process of restoring 72 MMJ to an Italian Job look alike. 72 MMJ was new to Taylor of Meppershall & after withdrawal from passenger carrying duties was converted to a caravan.
Along with Cyril Kenzie's CNW 155C alreadyy mentioned, two other Legionnaire's are thought to exist, LMG 952C with Niki Dickson of Perth, which was advertised for sale in the May 2004 edition of Bus & Coach Preservation, & an ex Barton vehicle, 993 VRR, believed to exist as an ex caravan or car transporter on a farm near Cleo Bury Mortimer. (Any information on this would be welcome)
Another man with a passion for the VAL, is Geoff Cochrane from Christchurch Cambridgeshire. Geoff owns two VALI4's, one of possibly three survivors of ten Strachens domed roof buses built for the North Western Road Car Co. for a low bridge route to Dunham Woodhouse, AJA 133B is awaiting restoration & was seen in public at the BG 2002. (A second NWRC VAL AJA 139B is nearing complete restoration with Hughes of Warrington). Geoff's other VAL has an interesting history as being the only VAL owned, by London Transport. KBD 435Y new as RUW 990E with Plaxton body was acquired from Homerton Coaches by LT for evaluation, but never used in revenue earning service. It became a caravan in 1981 & was rescued by Geoff in 1999 it currently awaits restoration. Geoff does have one more VAL as a source of spares 246 KOT spent all it life with Budden of Romsey.
The ones that never were
Very few of the non PSV VAL's exist today, but a few that do are worth a mention.
Paul Marshall of Newark, a Marconi electronics engineer, owns a fully working Outside Broadcast Unit (OOW 999G) that was new to Southern TV. Another OB Unit is GNF 951E, originally with Granada TV, it is now a mobile home owned by Mr Burford on the Isle of Wight. The sole survivor of three horsebox VAL's is GNR 844L. Bodied by Smith, this horsebox was new to the Gilbert-Smith family at Cookham in 1973, & is still with them today in use at equestrian events up & down the country. Finally one VAL (VMO 770H) was given a fourth axle by York Trailers for use as an exhibition unit by Catnic. Although in poor condition it still survives (just) with Thompson of Leeds.
VAL's abroad
A large number of chassis were exported to Australia & New Zealand to be bodied locally, many still survive, particularly in New Zealand, but most have been converted to caravans.
VAL's for sale
Fully restored VAL's with either a class 5 or 6 MoT rarely come up for sale. The shortage of good condition VAL coaches is probably due to large numbers being converted to car transporters & caravans The cost to put them back into a coach configuration is normally prohibitive on cost grounds, although FoKAB (Friends of King Alfred Buses), did just that with their CCG 704C which had been cut down as a car transporter. With most of its original Plaxton body missing CCG 704C was re bodied with that of LAL 547E.
What to pay! Around £4000 for a good Plaxton or Duple example fully restored & with class 5 or 6 MoT. Between £1000 & £2500 for one that is roadworthy but needing ongoing restoration. Under £500 for a spares donor.
Further reading. New August 2007
Useful Contacts
The Telford Bus Group/V ALs Classic Coaches (Paul Emery) 01543 278008
The Legionnaire Group (Bob Wingrove) 01634 716870
The Bedford Owners Club (Mike Lloyd)
Bedford Genuine Parts 01580 89288
Bodywork restoration ,Kenzie's Coaches, Shepreth, Cambs 01763 260288
Cobus UK (Nick Wilkinson) Bridlington (01262 603829)Reading matter
Twin Steer by David Kaye & Alan Witton a definitive history of the VAL, now out of print, try second-hand transport bookshops or the internet. Expect to pay £5 to £10
Bedford Buses of the 1950's & 60's Nostalgia Road Publications, Unit 6 Chancel Place, Shap Road Industrial Estate, Kendal LA9 6NZ telephone 01539 738832. Price £7.95
Covers from Bedford VAL sale brochures NEW
(c) John Wakefield 24/04/2004
Telephone John Wakefield on 01223 843802
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