Subject: Western Welsh 658 (LKG 658)
Chassis: AEC Regent V D3RV
Body: Park Royal L31/28RD
Location: Porth depot
Date: c.1971

Six of these Regent Vs, including 658, were withdrawn in early 1971 but re-instated shortly afterwards for use primarily for driver training, although they were still maintained to full PSV standards.

658 was unique in the group as it moved to Porth depot and gained Rhondda fleet names, rather bizarrely since Western Welsh had taken over Rhondda at the beginning of 1971 and were busy applying their fleet names to Rhondda buses! It probably saw very little use in service from Porth, the last native rear entrance buses had just left the fleet and in addition the platform doors and lowbridge layout would not have endeared it to operating staff.

The less said about the product being advertised on the side of 658, the better. Its only merit was a colour match with the bus!

Photograph by courtesy of Phil Sposito