A Coronation Special Mystery? ( UPDATE-s: 1929 Crossley Six)

The bus is a 1929 Crossley Arrow with a Crossley single deck body supplied to Manchester Corporation.

Looking up the details in The Manchester Bus by Eyre and Heaps it was withdrawn from service in 1937 but remained in use as an illuminated display vehicle. It was put back in service in 1941 before becoming a mobile canteen in 1943. It was finally sold and became a caravan in 1949.

Malcolm

Hello, not sure if my earlier comment got through to you.

The bus is a 1929 Crossley Six single deck rear entrance 32 seater with Crossley bodywork. It was rebuilt after the corontion celebrations as a bus and was finally withdrawn in 1943.

Info fom Local Transport History site compiled by Peter Gould.

It's a good thing there are bus anoraks out there! A little googling on the number plate reveals that the chassis is a Crossley Six, originally Manchester Corporation's bus number 149, built in 1929. The compiler of this web page seemingly isn't aware of its role as a Coronation bus, but it was apparently then used as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) training bus until 1941 when it was returned to service:

http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/manchester4.htm

There's also apparently a picture of it in original form in the Crossley Archives at the Museum of Science and Technology in Manchester.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=422-mspapers0170&cid=-1#-1

Copies of that and other pictures have also turned up for sale.

I've found contemporary mentions in The Times of both an illuminated bus and an illuminated tram in Birmingham, but not Manchester.

There was a civic procession in Manchester on May 9th - perhaps the bus took part? Someone who has access to the on-line archives of The Guardian, which was published from Manchester, might have more luck.

Regards

Richard

Manchester Corporation 1929 single deck bus as follows: -
Reg No VR2627
Make Crossley Six
Chassis No 90203
Maker Crossley
Type B32R (Bus 32 seat rear entrance)