Created 19-May-19
Modified 8-Mar-24
The new Regent V model introduced by AEC came in two versions, the standard version with the 9.6 litre engine and the lightweight (termed Medium-weight by AEC) version with a new '7.7' litre engine, the AV470 which was actually 7.685 litres and first introduced on the Mercury truck. The gearbox was also derived from the one used in that model but only had four speeds as was normal for bus use at the time. There were, in addition, changes to the suspension but externally the differences were barely noticeable, at least with these vehicles for Rhondda which retained the exposed-radiator as found on the Regent III.
1956 saw no less than twenty-seven identical buses join the Rhondda fleet. After the first two the numbers stepped up into the 400-series as the 300 series of numbers was allocated to single-deckers. These buses came in three registration groups - 298, 299, 400-405 were STG 869-876, 406-420 were TTX 984-998 and 421-424 were UNY 4-7. All these vehicles were AEC Regent V MD3RV models with Weymann Orion bodywork. Their arrival allowed the withdrawal of the last pre-war stock, apart from the 1940 Regents, and also quite a few of the wartime additions.
Delivered in red with black mouldings and wings, the livery was soon simplified to plain red with black wings and in latter days even the wings were red. These buses were solid, reliable and economical, albeit a bit spartan. Saloon heaters were not part of the specification.
They were withdrawn from service from 1967, some being prematurely redundant due to service reductions. 411 and 418-421 went on loan to City of Oxford in 1969 and were disposed of without ever returning to Porth. Three of the batch just survived into 1971 and Western Welsh ownership but were sold in February that year. Only one or two were sold for further service.
© David Beilby
