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Barton front-engined Bedfords (by Shane Conway)

Last updated 22 August 2024

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Post-war Leyland Tigers Post-war Leyland Titans Front-engined Bedfords

Bedford SB/Burlingham 912 (912 KVO) was one of three bought in summer 1961, seen at Huntingdon Street with Leyland Titan 828 and two busmen in blue jackets, who may be the crew of the South Notts decker in the background.

Another look at some delightful vehicles from the past. Here we pay a visit to that iconic Nottinghamshire operator Barton, and their varied fleet of front-engined post-war Bedford coaches and mini-buses, both new and second-hand examples.

Barton Transport traced its Nottingham area origins back to 1900 and gained a reputation for operating an eclectic and varied fleet, both before the war and afterwards when they used vehicles from AEC, Bedford, Commer, Daimler, Dennis, Ford, Guy, Morris, Leyland and their own creation, the Barton BTS/1, initially reconstructed from 1930s Leyland Lions, but later from the chassis of Leyland Tigers and Titans. This page looks at their collection of post-war purchases of front-engined Bedford coaches and mini-buses, over 140 of them in total. The list of vehicles is shown in fleet number order, new vehicles first, followed by acquired ones from a variety of sources.

This page was compiled by Shane Conway, with many thanks for the assistance provided by Matthew Smith and Phil Stevens via the Barton Transport Facebook Group and the Barton Archive, for the provision of more data and the kind supply and permission to use the photographs on this page. It would not have been possible without them!

FLEET LIST Part 1 - VEHICLES BOUGHT NEW BY BARTON

BEDFORD OB    -     520 - 531 (total 12)

Seen at Huntingdon Street, Nottingham between 1947 and 1950 is Bedford OB 523 (HVO 387), the fourth of a batch of twelve similar coaches.

Built in 1947-48.

Chassis: Bedford OB.

Body: Duple Vista C29F.

BEDFORD OB    -     532 - 534 and 590 - 595 (total 9)

Seen at Huntingdon Street, Nottingham in 1949 is Bedford OB 534 about to set off on a Scottish Road Cruise with Driver Evans and some of his passengers.

Built in 1949-50.

Chassis: Bedford OB.

Body: Duple Vista C24F.

BEDFORD SB1    -     821, 829, 869 - 874 (total 8)

Two of the six Plaxton bodied Bedford SBs new in 1960, 872 and 873, are seen together in Stamford. All six of the batch moved to Ireland in January 1972.

Built in 1959-60.

Chassis: Bedford SB1.

Body: Duple Vega 2 C41F (821); Burlingham Seagull 60 C41F (829); Plaxton Embassy C41F (869 - 874).

BEDFORD SB1    -     879 (total 1)

Built in 1960.

Chassis: Bedford SB1 chassis with extended front overhang.

Body: Yeates Pegasus DP44F.

BEDFORD SB1    -     908 - 913 (total 6)

The first of the six 1961 Bedford SB1s, Duple bodied 908 (662 KNN) is seen at Long Eaton garage. The bodywork order was split 50/50 between Duple and Burlingham.

Built in 1960.

Chassis: Bedford SB1.

Body: Duple Vega 2 C41F (908 - 910); Burlingham Seagull 61 C41F (911 - 913).

BEDFORD VAL14    -     963 - 969 (total 7)

Mount Street bus station in Nottingham is the setting for two rare Barton vehicles. In the background is the unique Dennis Loline, the lowest-ever double deck bus in Britain. Bedford VAL 969 is one of just seven dual- door VALs bodied by Yeates. Only four other VALs were bodied by Yeates. The only other dual-doors built by Yeates were also for Barton, being six AEC Reliances the year before these VALs.

Built in 1963.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Body: Yeates Europa C50D (963 - 966); Yeates Europa DP56D (967 - 969).

BEDFORD VAL14    -     970 - 973 (total 4)

Barton's first Plaxton-bodied VALs comprised four coaches, two of which are seen here in the Clacton area in Essex on the route 55 express run from Derby, being passed by what looks like an Eastern National Bristol Lodekka.

Built in 1963.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Body: Plaxton Val C52F.

BEDFORD VAL14    -     989 - 996 (total 8)

Built in 1964.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Body: Harrington Legionnaire C52F.

BEDFORD SB5    -     997 - 999 (total 3)

Built in 1964.

Chassis: Bedford SB5.

Body: Duple Northern Firefly C41F.

BEDFORD VAL14    -     1000 (total 1)

Seen at Beaulieu in Hampshire in 1965 is ANN 700B (Barton's first bus with a 4-digit fleet number), alongside a replica of Barton's first ever bus. The latter is still owned by the Barton family.

Built in 1964.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Built in 1964.

Body: Duple Vega Major C52F.

BEDFORD SB5    -     1011 - 1025 (total 15)

In 1965 Barton bought a batch of fifteen Harrington-bodied Bedford SB5s, 1011 - 1025. Midway in the series was number 1018 (BVO 18C) seen at Long Eaton Green in the late 1960s.

Built in 1965.

Chassis: Bedford SB5.

Body: Harrington Crusader C41F.

BEDFORD CALZ30    -     1028 - 1029 (total 2)

1028 (DNN 647C) was the first of an eventual fleet of five Bedford CA minibuses owned. Mainly they were used on works contracts for smaller employers, such as Boots Chemists.

Built in 1965.

Chassis: Bedford CALZ30.

Body: Martin Walter 11-seat minibus.

BEDFORD VAS1    -     1030 (total 1)

Built in 1965.

Chassis: Bedford VAS1.

Body: Duple Super Vista 25 C29F.

BEDFORD VAM5    -     1071 - 1080 (total 10)

The large batch purchase in 1966 was of ten Plaxton bodied Bedford VAM5s, 1071 - 1080. Unusually for Plaxton at that time they featured roof mounted destination displays, a feature also specified by Yelloway Motor Services in Rochdale.

Built in 1966.

Chassis: Bedford VAM5.

Body: Plaxton Vam 45-seat coach.

BEDFORD VAS1    -     1081 (total 1)

Built in 1966.

Chassis: Bedford VAS1.

Body: Duple Super Vista C29F.

BEDFORD VAM5    -     1082 (total 1)

Built in 1966.

Chassis: Bedford VAM5.

Body: Duple Bella Vega C45F.

BEDFORD CALZ30    -     1114 (total 1)

Built in 1968.

Chassis: Bedford CALZ30.

Body: Martin Walter 11-seat minibus.

FLEET LIST Part 2 - VEHICLES BOUGHT SECONDHAND BY BARTON

BEDFORD OB    -     607 (total 1)

Built in 1948.

Chassis: Bedford OB.

Body: Mulliner B31F.

The only Mulliner-bodied vehicle in the Barton fleet was this ex Lewis, Nottingham Bedford OB, seen in Nottingham's Market Square in the mid 1950s. Photo by Roy Marshall.

BEDFORD OWB    -     608 (total 1)

The only wartime spec Bedford in the Barton fleet was 608, also ex Lewis of Nottingham in May 1950. It remained in service for eighteen months before being withdrawn and sold.

Built in 1944.

Chassis: Bedford OWB.

Body: Duple UB32F.

BEDFORD SB    -     680 (total 1)

680 was a Bedford SB bodied by Brush in Loughborough using a body frame supplied by Duple. Acquired in August 1953 at two years old, it lasted until October 1955 when it was sold.

Built in 1951.

Chassis: Bedford SB.

Body: Brush C33F (built on Duple Vega 1 frames).

BEDFORD WTB    -     no fleet number allocated (total 1)

Included among the fleet taken over from Cream Bus of Stamford in 1961 was a 1939 Bedford WTB (TL 8588, right) which had received an OB type front end at some stage, seen here with 880 and 885, also ex Cream Bus.

Built in 1939.

Chassis: Bedford WTB.

Body: Willowbrook C26F.

BEDFORD OWB    -     880 - 881 (total 2)

Built in 1943 - 1944.

Chassis: Bedford OWB.

Body: Duple Vista C29F (bodies built in 1952).

BEDFORD OB    -     882, 885 (total 2)

882 was a Duple-bodied OB, ex Cream Bus in 1961. Like most of that fleet's OB types it didn't stay too long with Barton, and appears to have not been repainted.

Built in 1949 - 1950.

Chassis: Bedford OB.

Body: Duple Vista C27F (882), Duple Vista C29F (885).

BEDFORD SB    -     888 - 890, 892 (total 4)

889 (KAB 283) is seen taking part in a shuttle service to Kingston Show on 6th August 1961, along with several other Barton vehicles. Photo copyright Peter Yeomans.

Built in 1951 - 1953.

Chassis: Bedford SB.

Body: Duple Vega 1 C33F (888 - 890), Yeates C35F (built on Duple Vega 1 frames) (892).

BEDFORD SBG    -     893 - 898 (total 6)

The only Plaxton/Bedford acquired from Cream Bus was 894 (CEC 963) new in March 1955 with a Plaxton Venturer body.

Built in 1954 - 1956.

Chassis: Bedford SBG.

Body: Duple Vega C36F (893), Plaxton Venturer C36F (894), Duple Vega 2 C41F (895 - 897), Yeates Riviera C41F (898).

BEDFORD SB3    -     899 (total 1)

Built in 1958.

Chassis: Bedford SB3.

Body: Duple Vega C41F.

BEDFORD C5Z1    -     935 (total 1)

Before the Bedford VAS was introduced in 1962, requirements for vehicles of the 29-seat size were met by the Bedford C5 chassis. One such was Barton 935 (149 FVO) acquired from Robin Hood of Nottingham, whose logo was to later appear on many Barton coaches. The other vehicles from Robin Hood were all AEC Reliances.

Built in 1960.

Chassis: Bedford C5Z1.

Body: Duple Vista 2 C29F.

BEDFORD SB    -     975 - 976 (total 2)

Built in 1952 - 1953.

Chassis: Bedford SB.

Body: Plaxton C33F (975), Duple Vega 1 C37F (976).

BEDFORD SBG    -     977 - 978 (total 2)

Built in 1955.

Chassis: Bedford SBG.

Body: Duple Vega C36F (977), Duple Vega C38F (978).

BEDFORD SB5    -     1026 - 1027 (total 2)

Built in 1962.

Chassis: Bedford SB5 with extended front overhang.

Body: Yeates Pegasus C43F.

BEDFORD SBG    -     1045 (total 1)

Built in 1955.

Chassis: Bedford SBG.

Body: Burlingham C36F.

BEDFORD VAS1    -     1059 (total 1)

When Provincial of Leicester was acquired by Barton in May 1966, the fleet taken over included this four-year-old Duple Vista bodied Bedford VAS1, it remained with Barton until sale in May 1974.

Built in 1962.

Chassis: Bedford VAS1.

Body: Duple Super Vista C29F.

BEDFORD VAL14    -     1060 (total 1)

ARY 693B was a further acquisition from Provincial in May 1966, it being a two-year-old Bedford VAL 52 seater. It was photographed at De Montfort Hall in Leicester in 1971.

Built in 1964.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Body: Plaxton Val C52F.

BEDFORD SBG    -     1101 - 1102 (total 2)

1102 represents the seven coaches acquired from Mason of Leicester in April 1967, seen here with Leyland PD2 955 (ex Ribble) and AEC Reliance 930 (ex Robin Hood, Nottingham).

Built in 1955 - 1957.

Chassis: Bedford SBG.

Body: Plaxton Venturer C36F (1101), Plaxton Consort C41F (1102).

BEDFORD SB3    -     1103 - 1104 (total 2)

Built in 1958 - 1960.

Chassis: Bedford SB3.

Body: Plaxton Consort C41F (1103), Duple Super Vega C41F (1104).

BEDFORD SB5    -     1105 - 1106 (total 2)

Built in 1958 - 1960.

Chassis: Bedford SB5.

Body: Duple Vega 2 C41F (1105), Duple Bella Vega C41F (1106).

In July 1967 Barton Transport took over the fleet and route licences of Hall Brothers of South Shields. The 35 coaches (comprising 13 Bedfords, 3 Fords, 14 Leyland Leopards and 5 AEC Reliances) were initially numbered H1 to H35 as a subsidiary fleet. They were subsequently absorbed into the main fleet in 1969 or 1971, and then renumbered into Barton's own series.

BEDFORD SB8    -     H2 - 3 (total 2)

H2, later Barton 1156, was one of 35 coaches acquired from Halls of South Shields in July 1967. Taylor Brothers of North Shields had been a Halls subsidiary, hence H2 carries their name and that of Barton.

Built in 1963.

Chassis: Bedford SB8.

Body: Duple Bella Vega C41F.

BEDFORD SB5    -     H8 - 9 (total 2)

Built in 1964.

Chassis: Bedford SB5.

Body: Plaxton Embassy C41F.

BEDFORD VAL14    -     H10, 17 - 22, 27, 28 (total 9)

H19, later 1123, was one of four ex Hall Duple-bodied VALs new in 1966, so little more than a year old when it passed to Barton. It was sold to a Welsh operator in 1973.

Built in 1964 - 1966.

Chassis: Bedford VAL14.

Body: Plaxton Val C52F (H10), Duple Vega Major C52F (H17 - 22, 27, 28).

BEDFORD CALZ30    -     1112 - 1113 (total 2)

Built in 1965 - 1966.

Chassis: Bedford CALZ30.

Body: Martin Walter 11-seat minibus.

BEDFORD SB5 and BEDFORD SB3    -     1117 - 1119 (total 3)

1118 (563 DRY) was the second of three Duple bodied SBs acquired from Majestic of Leicester in January 1969, and is seen here in April 1969. All three coaches were disposed of in the early 1970s. (Photo by Peter Blanchard).

Built in 1958 - 1960.

Chassis: Bedford SB5 (1117/19), Bedford SB3 (1118).

Body: Duple Super Vega C41F (1117/18), Duple Bella Vega C41F (1119).

TOTAL 142 VEHICLES (with 1 survivor - 966)

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