Created 8-Jan-22
Modified 8-Mar-24
These twelve vehicles were originally ordered as Weymann-bodied AECs in September 1946. However, AEC had entered into a partnership with Leyland for the production of trolleybuses under the 'British United Traction' name and Weymann asked to be relieved of their obligations and the bodywork was therefore built by Roe. 740-751 were registered EKU 740-751 and had Roe H31/25R bodies. In the mid-fifties the seating was increased to 58 (H33/25R).
By the time they were actually built the legal maximum width had been increased to 8'-0" and a very roomy vehicle ensued. They were intended for the Bradford Moor route so although delivered from December 1948 to February 1949, with the exception of 740 they didn't enter service until that route commenced in December 1949, in part to avoid any conflict between the wider vehicles and trams, which by then were confined to the Odsal service which avoided the problem. 740 was kept to the 34 (Bolton-Bankfoot) route and used for driver familiarisation.
The entire batch was withdrawn by 1964 as the system shrunk and the East Lancs-bodied vehicles became sufficient to operate the whole network, even if some were on chassis considerably older than these BUTs. They therefore ended up in store but surprisingly no less than four (743, 745, 746 and 749) were brought back into use, in the case of 749 after no less than four years in store. 745, 746 and 743 became training vehicles 060, 062 and 063 respectively with 745 returning to service after its period as a driver training trolleybus. 746 was the final withdrawal at the end of July 1971.
Both 743 and 746 were bought for preservation. 746 has been restored but 743 is not currently active in preservation.
© David Beilby
