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Southend Corporation Transport's farewell run for 1958 Massey bodied Leyland PD3/6 - fleet number 316 (PHJ 955) on 8th April 1978 . . .
Although this vehicle is not in
any way associated with the Eastern Counties Omnibus Compa
ny,
it was the very first vehicle that caught my enthusiastic attention when I moved
from Great Yarmouth to Westcliff-on-Sea in the late 1970s and it came very close
to becoming my first acquisition!
316 was one of a batch of six lowbridge Massey bodied Leyland PD3/6 double deckers delivered to Southend Corporation Transport in 1958. Sister vehicles 311, 312, 313 and 314 (PHJ 950-953) were later converted to open top to operate sea front service 68 from Shoeburyness, East Beach to Leigh-on-Sea, Thames Drive. 315 and 316 (PHJ 954-955) were kept original, their lowbridge design enabling them to pass safely under the pier bridge which separated Southend from Westcliff-on-Sea. In later years, these two vehicles were used for driver training, but they often appeared on the lengthy service 27 (Southend-Canvey Eastern Esplanade) route, deputising for their younger highbridge bodied counterparts, where I was often fortunate enough to get to travel on them.
Upon withdrawal from service at the end of April 1978, I enquired to the Corporation with a view to purchasing 316 for preservation. I was told that I would have to submit a sealed bid by a certain date which I duly did and then waited with eager anticipation for the result! Unfortunately, I was outbid by fifty pounds by Peter Newman of Purfleet, Essex who went on to found EnsignBus in the 1980s, famously acquiring many of the unsuccessful DMS type buses from London Transport, when it was found that they were not well suited to life on the streets of the Capital. I later learnt that he had exported 316 to a buyer in Bielefeld, Germany, who I believe still has the vehicle to this day!
On the 8th April 1978, 316 was taken on a farewell run on Southend Transport's service 7 from Shoeburyness to Rayleigh Station. Essex enthusiast, Richard Delahoy was out and about with his camera on the day and took a series of monochrome photographs at various points along the route, some of which I appear in as a very youthful eighteen year old teenager! These photographs are reproduced here as a fitting tribute to this fine workhorse which served the Corporation for twenty years.
It is pleasing to know that sister vehicle, 315 (PHJ 954) was later acquired by the Castle Point Transport Museum for preservation and restoration work is well underway.
Photograph 1 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 2 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy)
Photograph 3 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 4 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy)
Photograph 5 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 6 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy)
Photograph 7 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 8 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy)
Photograph 9 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 10 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy)
Photograph 11 - Farewell run (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 12 - In service in 1977 (Copyright Patrick Burnside)
Photograph 13 - In service in 1977 (Copyright Richard Delahoy) Photograph 14 - In the depot with the webmaster (Copyright Patrick Burnside)