Guy Wulfrunian

Last updated

Guy Wulfrunian
Guy Wulfrunian arriving at Wakefield Bus Station.jpg
Preserved West Riding Guy Wulfrunian UCX275 arrives at the old Wakefield Bus Station
Overview
Manufacturer Guy Motors
Body and chassis
Doors1 door
Floor type Low-floor
Powertrain
Engine Gardner 6LW/6LX
Transmission SCG semi-automatic (mounted remotely)/ZF synchromesh
Dimensions
Length30ft
Chronology

The Guy Wulfrunian was a British front-engined double-decker bus chassis produced by Guy Motors from 1959 to 1965.

Contents

History

The Wulfrunian was developed jointly by Guy and the West Riding Automobile Company, and, of 137 vehicles built, 126 went to West Riding. A further four were acquired second hand and put into service, two from County Motors of Lepton and one each from West Wales and Lancashire United. Two demonstrator vehicle were acquired from Guy but were cannibalised for spares. Single vehicles were tried by operators in Lancashire, Wolverhampton and West Wales, but this did not lead to any further orders. [1] After maintenance and reliability issues, West Riding cancelled an order for a further 25 vehicles.

The cost of developing the vehicle, combined with the lack of sales, led to enormous losses for Guy, who first went into receivership in 1961, before finally ceasing production for the UK bus market in 1969.

The vehicle

The Wulfrunian was introduced at the Commercial Motor Show in 1958 as a "concept" vehicle designed for one man bus services (i.e. without a conductor). However, it was unusual, compared to other developments at the time, such as the Leyland Atlantean and the Daimler Fleetline, in that it combined a front entrance and a front engine (other operators were favouring rear-engined vehicles). Later, in 1974, the front-engined, front-entrance Volvo Ailsa B55 came onto the British bus market and was successful.

This was the first bus to have air suspension, disc brakes and independent front suspension. The engine, a 10.45-litre Gardner 6LX, was located beside the driver, with the front axle moved back to create space for the entrance. However, the use of so many untested features led to reliability issues, particularly with the brakes and suspension.

In most of the Wulfrunians built, the staircase was situated on the nearside of the vehicle, immediately behind the entrance. To accommodate this, the four-piece folding entrance doors were of different sizes. The nearside rearward ascending staircase gave the driver full view of the stairwell. In the lower saloon, after the area taken up for the staircase, the first twin-seat faced rearwards and gave a cosy, relaxed feel to the interior.

Two demonstrators were built, 7800DA and 8072DA, both vehicles being painted in Wolverhampton Wanderers' colours of yellow and black. 7800DA had six more seats than 8072DA, and, cleverly, the seating capacity of each vehicle was hidden in the registration number.

The majority of vehicles were fitted with Roe bodies, with the others being bodied by Northern Counties (1) and East Lancashire Coachbuilders (5).

The survivors

Only a small number of Wulfrunians were sold on for further service and one of these, WHL970, passed through several operators before being rescued for preservation. This has been the subject of a thorough restoration (into the original red ex-tramway route livery) at the Dewsbury Bus Museum and joined the only other survivor, UCX275, back on the road in 2022. UCX275 was new to County Motors of Lepton in 1961, staying with them only a year or so before passing to West Riding. Upon withdrawal in 1972, she passed straight into preservation with the West Riding Wulfrunian Preservation Society, which had been formed the previous year specifically to save a Wulfrunian.

Guy Wulfrunian WHL970.jpg

Guy Wulfrunian UCX275.jpg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AEC Routemaster</span> British double-decker bus

The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last one was delivered in 1968. The layout of the vehicle was conventional for the time, with a half-cab, front-mounted engine and open rear platform, although the coach version was fitted with rear platform doors. Forward entrance vehicles with platform doors were also produced as was a unique front-entrance prototype with the engine mounted transversely at the rear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seddon Atkinson</span> Company

Seddon Atkinson Vehicles Limited, a manufacturer of large goods vehicles based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, was formed after the acquisition in 1970 of Atkinson Vehicles Limited of Preston by Seddon Diesel Vehicles Limited of Oldham. In 1974, the firm was acquired by International Harvester, which sold it in March 1984 to the Spanish group Enasa which made it a subsidiary of Pegaso. In 1990, it became part of Iveco which used the brand for various types of specialised vehicles in the United Kingdom. The range of models produced included EuroMover, Pacer and Strato, which are aimed at refuse collection, recycling and construction operators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyland Titan (front-engined double-decker)</span> British double-decker chassis with front-mounted engine

The Leyland Titan was a forward-control chassis with a front-mounted engine designed to carry double-decker bus bodywork. It was built mainly for the United Kingdom market between 1927 and 1942, and between 1945 and 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Motors</span>

Guy Motors was a Wolverhampton-based vehicle manufacturer that produced cars, lorries, buses and trolleybuses. The company was founded by Sydney S. Guy (1885–1971) who was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Guy Motors operated out of its Fallings Park factory from 1914 to 1982, playing an important role in the development of the British motor industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo Ailsa B55</span> Scottish double-decker bus

The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis manufactured in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British subsidiary in which it owned 75%, from 1974 until 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Riding Automobile Company</span>

The West Riding Automobile Company was a bus company that served the Wakefield area of Yorkshire, England from 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles H. Roe</span> British bus manufacturing company

Charles H Roe was a Yorkshire coachbuilding company. It was for most of its life based at Crossgates Carriage Works, in Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyland Lynx</span> Motor vehicle

The Leyland Lynx was a stepped-entrance single-decker bus manufactured by Leyland in Workington, England between 1986 and 1992. After the takeover by Volvo, it was succeeded by the Volvo B10B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler Fleetline</span> British rear-engined double-decker bus chassis

The Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis which was built between 1960 and 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ribble Motor Services</span>

Ribble Motor Services was a large regional bus operator in the North West England based in Preston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler Roadliner</span> Motor vehicle

The Daimler Roadliner was a single-decker bus and coach chassis built by Daimler between 1962 and 1972. Notoriously unreliable, it topped the 1993 poll by readers of Classic Bus as the worst bus type ever, beating the Guy Wulfrunian into second place. It was very technologically advanced, offering step-free access some 20 years before other buses; as a coach, it was felt by industry commentators to be in advance of contemporary UK designs.

The Albion Aberdonian was an underfloor-engined bus designed and manufactured by Albion Motors between 1957 and 1960, it was introduced as a longer derivative of the Albion Nimbus.

The Seddon Pennine RU was a rear-engined single-decker bus built by Seddon Diesel Vehicles/Seddon Atkinson between 1969 and 1974.

H. V. Burlingham was a British coachbuilding business based in Blackpool, Lancashire from 1928 until 1960 when they were taken over by London-based rivals Duple Motor Bodies. Duple initially renamed Burlingham as Duple (Northern) but in 1969 they closed their Hendon factory and concentrated production in Blackpool. Duple coach bodies were built in the former Burlingham premises until Duple itself was liquidated in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Wolverhampton</span>

The Wolverhampton trolleybus system served the city of Wolverhampton, then in Staffordshire, England, for much of the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Walsall</span>

The Walsall trolleybus system once served the town of Walsall, then in Staffordshire, but now in West Midlands, England. Opened on 22 July 1931, it gradually replaced the Walsall Corporation Tramways network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albion Lowlander</span> Scottish-built low-height double-decker bus

The Albion Lowlander was a Scottish-built low-height double-decker bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles</span>

Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles was a commercial vehicle manufacturing offshoot of the Wolverhampton based Sunbeam Motor Car Company when it was a subsidiary of S T D Motors Limited. Sunbeam had always made ambulances on modified Sunbeam car chassis. S T D Motors chose to enter the large commercial vehicle market in the late 1920s, and once established they made petrol and diesel buses and electrically powered trolleybuses and milk floats. Commercial Vehicles became a separate department of Sunbeam in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Arab</span> Bus chassis manufactured by Guy Motors

The Guy Arab was a bus chassis manufactured by Guy Motors. It was introduced in 1933 as a double deck chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewsbury Bus Museum</span> Bus museum in Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire, England

The Dewsbury Bus Museum is a museum in Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire, England. Opened to the public in September 1989, it is owned and operated by the West Riding Omnibus Museum Trust, a registered charity, and is run entirely by volunteer effort.

References

  1. "A list of all Guy Wulfrunian chassis produced". Archived from the original on 28 September 2008.