South Wales Transport • Part 1

South Wales Transport • Part 1

An archive of views taken in the pre-NBC era, including more recently preserved examples restored to historic liveries. This album also includes the vehicles of N & C Luxury Coaches, Thomas Bros. (Port Talbot) Ltd., United Welsh Services Ltd. and Western Welsh which became part of the enlarged SWT fleet between 1969 and 1971.

<DIV ALIGN=left>Bridgemasters were of an integral design; chassisless and with front and rear running units arranged in a similar fashion to the London Routemasters which are still to be seen today.
Air suspension produced some lively rides, especially over poor roads! The second batch of SWT Bridgemasters, built in 1960-61, were of a very square, front entrance design and entered the fleet as 1208-1221. 1214 had been exhibited at the Commercial Motor show and boasted, amongst other detail differences, fluorescent interior lighting – considered to be very advanced on a road vehicle in the early 1960s.
1960 AEC Bridgemaster 1212 (WCY 892) with Park Royal H43/29F is seen here.
Withdrawal came between 1969 and 1971 and thereafter the vehicles appeared with a number of dealers and other operators, notably a sister company to SWT, Yorkshire Woollen. Numbers 1204 and 1213 were later exported to the USA and may even still exist. 1209 and 1211 were exported to Canada, and reports indicate that they were eventually burnt out.</DIV>

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Bridgemasters were of an integral design; chassisless and with front and rear running units arranged in a similar fashion to the London Routemasters which are still to be seen today. Air suspension produced some lively rides, especially over poor roads! The second batch of SWT Bridgemasters, built in 1960-61, were of a very square, front entrance design and entered the fleet as 1208-1221. 1214 had been exhibited at the Commercial Motor show and boasted, amongst other detail differences, fluorescent interior lighting – considered to be very advanced on a road vehicle in the early 1960s. 1960 AEC Bridgemaster 1212 (WCY 892) with Park Royal H43/29F is seen here. Withdrawal came between 1969 and 1971 and thereafter the vehicles appeared with a number of dealers and other operators, notably a sister company to SWT, Yorkshire Woollen. Numbers 1204 and 1213 were later exported to the USA and may even still exist. 1209 and 1211 were exported to Canada, and reports indicate that they were eventually burnt out.