New Page 1

The vehicles . . .

Section 4 - Service Vehicles operated by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company

A large number of service vehicles were employed by Eastern Counties over the years. Many were converted from withdrawn omnibuses, others were purpose built and others acquired new. In this section, I have attempted to compile a list of all the service vehicles which were in use from the Company’s inception in 1931 up until its assimilation into the National Bus Company at the close of 1969. A number of the Tilling era omnibus conversions to service vehicles occurred during the National Bus Company era. These are annotated with an asterisk against the fleet number in the following schedule. All service vehicles were classified as X. Please note, there are two vehicles bearing fleet number X65 in this list. The reason for this is GNG 124C was badly damaged in an accident involving a severe rear end shunt with a lorry in 1979 and subsequently written off, the vehicle being replaced with 51 CPW.

X Class vehicles (58)

Fleet No. Reg. No. Chassis Designation Year New Year In Year Out Originally

X1 PW 5494 Dennis 2.5 Ton Lorry - 3 Ton 1925 1931 c1937

X2 PW 9964 Thornycroft A2 Lorry - 1.5 Ton 1927 1931 c1937

X3 CF 6568 Chevrolet Lorry - 1 Ton 1926 1931 c1934

X4 FE 8669 Reo Lorry - 2 Ton 1926 1931 1933

X5 CF 5965 Morris Lorry - 1 Ton 1925 1931 1946

X6 XB 8735 Tilling-Stevens TS3 Lorry - 3 Ton 1920 1931 1933

X7 DX 5268 Morris Lorry - 1 Ton 1925 1931 1940

X8 DX 5269 Morris Lorry - 1 Ton 1925 1931 1943

X9 VG 3012 Chevrolet Van - 1 Ton 1930 1932 c1937

X10 ER 3141 Leyland GH7 Lorry - 5 Ton 1925 1932/3 1948 AA1

X11 ER 3140 Leyland GH7 Lorry - 5 Ton 1925 1932/3 1944 AA5

X12 ER 5305 Leyland GH7 Lorry - 5 Ton 1926 1933 1946 AA47

X13 ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? c1937

X14 ER 7115 Leyland GH7 Lorry - 5 Ton 1927 1934 1944

X15 ER 5306 Leyland GH7 Tree Lopper 1926 1934 1948 AA48

X16 ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? c1937

X17 VG 2964 Morris Van - 1 Ton 1930 1935 c1946

X18 CAH 571 Ford 8 Van - 5 cwt 1937 1937 1948

X19 VG 2282 ADC 416D Tree Lopper 1930 1938 c1946 FD142

X20 DVF 521 Dennis Ace 4LK Lorry - 3 Ton 1940 1942 1956

X21 DVF 522 Dennis Ace 4LK Lorry - 3 Ton 1940 1942 1950

X22 VF 8538 TSM B10A2 Lorry - 5 Ton 1930 1944 1951 P17

X23 VF 9980 TSM B10A2 Lorry - 5 Ton 1930 1944 1950 P18

X24 GNG 272 Ford V8 Lorry/Crane - 5.25 Ton 1946 1946 1972

X25 GNG 273 Ford V8 Lorry/Crane - 5.25 Ton 1946 1946 1971

X26 DX 8355 Leyland TD1 Tree Lopper 1929 1948 1959 A140

X27 FKU 568 Austin Van - 10 cwt 1948 1948 1958

X28 VE 2040 Leyland TD1 Tree Lopper 1929 1948 1960 A29

X29 DX 7654 TSM B10B2 Lorry 1928 1949 c1951 P110

X30 CNG 201 Bristol L4G Lorry 1938 1950 1969 LL1

X31 NG 2728 Leyland TD2 Lorry 1932 1951 1958 A193

X32 NG 2726 Leyland TD2 Tree Lopper 1932 1951 1960 A191

X33 FL 8905 Leyland TD1 Tree Lopper 1930 1953 1962 A42

X34 CNG 226 Bristol L4G Lorry 1938 1956 1970 LL26

X35 BNG 202 Bristol GO5G Tree Lopper 1937 1957 1960 LG20

X36 XNG 964 Austin A55 Pick-Up Truck 1958 1958 1963

X37 ENG 728 Bristol L5G Lorry 1942 1958 1970 LL128

X38 DBK 632 AEC Matador Breakdown Tender 1947 1958/9 1978

X39 ENG 707 Bristol L5G Lorry 1942 1959 1973 LL107

X40 GPW 493 Bristol L6B Tree Lopper 1949 1960 1973 LS493

X41 GPW 494 Bristol L6B Tree Lopper 1949 1960 1973 LS494

X42 GPW 495 Bristol L6B Tree Lopper 1949 1960 1976 LS495

X43 365 CVF Austin A55 Van 1963 1963 1970

X50 CVF 863 Bristol L5G Mobile Office 1939 1957 1960 LL63

X51 HPW 814 Beadle-Bedford Staff Bus 1949 1961 1965 CB829

X52 GPW 679 Bristol L5G Staff Bus 1948 1965 1970 LL679

X54 * 46 CNG Bristol FS5G Towing Wagon 1963 1974 LFS46

X55 * 47 CNG Bristol FS5G Towing Wagon 1963 1975 1986 LFS47

X59 * 49 CNG Bristol FS5G Towing Wagon 1963 1975 LFS49

X63 * FVF 422C Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1965 1976 LFS122

X64 * FVF 423C Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1965 1976 LFS123

X65 * GNG 124C Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1965 1976 1979 LFS124

X65 (Repl) * 51 CPW Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1963 1979 LFS51

X66 * GNG 125C Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1965 1976 LFS125

X67 * 97 TVX Bristol FLF6G Driver Trainer 1960 1978 1986

X68 * 50 CNG Bristol FS5G Driver Trainer 1963 1979 LFS50

X77 * KAH 640D Bristol MW5G Mobile Office 1966 1980 1981 LM640

X79 * 3017 AH Bristol MW5G Mobile Office 1959 1980 1983 LM 455

Additionally, there were two Lacre garage sweepers which were not allocated X prefix fleet numbers.

Reg.No. Chassis Designation Year New Year In Year Out

YL 6093 Lacre Garage sweeper 1925 ???? 1976

NG 2205 Lacre Garage sweeper 1932 1932 1978

It is very pleasing to note that one member of the X class has entered the field of preservation. This being X39 (ENG 707), dating from October of 1942. This vehicle was acquired by two East Anglia based enthusiasts in the summer of 2018, with the intention of restoring it back to its 1959 status when it underwent conversion from a 35 seat Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol L5G saloon to a lorry. Also, YL 6093, the 1925 Lacre Garage Sweeper has been beautifully restored by the Ipswich Transport Museum and is on permanent display there.

Please click this link to return to details of the Standard Vehicles delivered NEW to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company (ie. those of Bristol and Leyland manufacture)

Please click this link for details of the Non-Standard Vehicles delivered NEW to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company (ie. those not of Bristol or Leyland manufacture)

Please click this link for details of the Vehicles acquired 2nd hand by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company

Home