Charabanc

[daveevans2010]

“These Shropshire workers were on a works outing in the 1920s, carried on Midland Red charabancs.
Photo Dilys Martin, who thinks they were probably Shrewsbury railway workers”. Shame we can't see the bonnets to identify the vehicles.

[DD12]

Brilliant photo, - thanks for sharing it Dave !

I don't remember having seen a charabanc with M-I-D-L-A-N-D spaced out on each door !

[TimBrown]

If you zoom in on the photograph it is possible to see the number plate on the front valance just below centre of windscreen of the charabanc. It could possibly be E 1843, if so it is a Tilling Stevens TS3 chassis with unknown bodywork manufacturer which started life in 1916 with North Warwickshire Motor Omnibus & Traction Company and subsequently acquired by Midland Red in 1918 when it was operated by Worcester garage. It passed to Tamworth garage and may have been based at Shrewsbury garage when the picture was taken. I doubt that it was supplied as an open charabanc in 1916 as this would be in the middle of First World War under austerity conditions, so I assume it was re-bodied in the early 1920's and fitted with pneumatic tyres at the same time.

The bus behind has a number plate visible and it could be OA or HA 4xxx but not sure as it becomes more indistinct when the zoom applied!

[TimBrown]

If you zoom in on the photograph it is possible to see the number plate on the front valance just below centre of windscreen of the charabanc. It could possibly be E 1843, if so it is a Tilling Stevens TS3 chassis with unknown bodywork manufacturer which started life in 1916 with North Warwickshire Motor Omnibus & Traction Company and subsequently acquired by Midland Red in 1918 when it was operated by Worcester garage. It passed to Tamworth garage and may have been based at Shrewsbury garage when the picture was taken. I doubt that it was supplied as an open charabanc in 1916 as this would be in the middle of First World War under austerity conditions, so I assume it was re-bodied in the early 1920's and fitted with pneumatic tyres at the same time.

The bus behind has a number plate visible and it could be OA or HA 4xxx but not sure as it becomes more indistinct when the zoom applied!

Have just checked in Midland Red History Part One by Messrs. Gray, Keeley and Seale and it states that E 1843 entered service with unknown bus body in 1916, rebodied in 1919 by Tillotson as CH32 and converted to 'B' type specification in 1925.

[AdamH]

Assuming the number plate is correct, the charabanc bodywork that was fitted in 1919 was body number c.1 made by Tillotson.

Conversion to type B involved modernising the chassis by removing the petrol-electric system and fitted a conventional engine, clutch, and gearbox. And pneumatic tyres as seen in the photograph. This was more efficient than the hybrid system but more difficult to drive. However, after the war, there were lots of men available who had been trained to drive while in the forces.

[JustinTyme]

I wrote a book on North Warwickshire several years ago, so I have checked my notes on Tilling-Stevens E 1843.

It was new to North Warwickshire during 1915, probably around March, and was certainly in use in November that year. Its first body was a double deck one (bodybuilder unknown), probably transferred from one of four Daimler CCs that had been requisitioned by the military soon after the start of the First World War.

[TimBrown]

I wrote a book on North Warwickshire several years ago, so I have checked my notes on Tilling-Stevens E 1843.

It was new to North Warwickshire during 1915, probably around March, and was certainly in use in November that year. Its first body was a double deck one (bodybuilder unknown), probably transferred from one of four Daimler CCs that had been requisitioned by the military soon after the start of the First World War.

Thanks for the additional information, this vehicle has an interesting history. I was surprised that it carried a double deck body when it entered service; it was a major change when it morphed into an open topped charabanc. I have seen a photograph of it (still with solid tyres) in Birmingham about to depart on service for Llandudno and imagine it must have been a very time consuming journey with numerous comfort stops. Not a comfortable run if it was pouring with rain either!