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Taylor Brothers, North Shields (by Shane Conway)

Last updated on 22 August 2024

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Another look at some delightful vehicles from the past, this time the coach fleet of Taylor Brothers in North Shields. The company was taken over by Hall, South Shields in 1952 and run as a subsidiary from then until 1967, when Halls themselves were taken over by Barton of Nottingham, and run as a subsidiary business for a few years, until being absorbed into the main fleet. The Taylor contribution to the takeover comprised four Bedford SBs, one Bedford VAL and two Ford R192s, the newest vehicles in the fleet. The last of these was sold by Bartons in February 1974.

This page was compiled by Shane Conway, with the assistance of Matthew Smith of the Barton Archive. The coaches below are listed by registration number in order of date of purchase, as fleet numbers were never used by the company. Any additional data would be welcome.

FLEET LIST

1930s (total 3)

1940s (total 21)

1950s (total 8)

FT 6909 was one of four Burlingham bodied Daimler CVD6s bought new in 1950. Just four other coaches were bought in the same decade, these being Bedford SBs in 1958/59. (Photo copyright Stilltime Collection, via the Barton archive.)

AFT 752 was one of three Plaxton bodied Bedford SB3s bought in 1958 and is pictured near Newcastle on Tyne on 8th June that year, with sister vehicle AFT 753 behind it. (Photo copyright J. S. Cockshott, via the Barton archive.)

CFT 794 was a solitary Duple bodied Bedford SB1 bought in 1959 and sold at the end of 1961. Here it is seen with an interesting mix of contemporary vehicles including an Atlantean coach from the Ribble group.(Photo copyright the Barton archive.)

1960s (total 18)

DCU 17 was a solitary Duple bodied Bedford SB1 bought in 1960 and sold to Andersons of Westerhope in 1964. This and DCU 16 were registered as part of of a mixed batch of ten coaches (DCU 14 - 23), the rest being with Halls of South Shields.(Photo copyright Brian Botley, via the Barton archive.)

GFT 963 was one of two Duple bodied Bedford SB8s bought in 1963 and were the oldest ex Taylor coaches to pass to Bartons in 1967, where they remained until the early 1970s. (Photo copyright the Barton archive.)

JFT 258 was one of two Plaxton bodied Bedford SB5s bought in 1964, both of which passed to Barton and were sold off in the early 1970s. Seen here in Huntingdon Street, Nottingham on August 20th 1965. (Photo copyright J. S. Cockshott, via the Barton archive.)

JFT 259 was the only Bedford VAL bought by Taylors (in 1964), and is seen undergoing maintenance in Chilwell depot on 7th April 1968.(Photo copyright Peter Blanchard, via the Barton archive.)

The last new coaches for Taylors were two 1966 Ford R192s, which passed to Barton the following year. They also remained unique in the Nottingham fleet, and CFT 203D lasted until 1984 with Partridge of Hadleigh. (Photo copyright the Barton archive.)

Total fleet = 50 with no survivors.

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