Created 10-May-19
Modified 8-Mar-24
As soon as was possible after the war Rhondda made a start on renewing their single-deck stock. The single-deck fleet was becoming rather elderly with no new vehicles since before the war - most wartime production was double-deck to provide capacity. Rhondda had a definite need for single-deckers with several routes limited to the type due to low bridges.
The numbering of the new single-deckers was rather haphazard with earlier vehicles taking the numbers of vehicles only recently withdrawn but having to move to a higher block as the numbers reached those of vehicles still in service. Later 1948 deliveries started a new number series in the 300s which was reserved for single-deckers.
Four Regals with Burlingham bodies were delivered in 1946. These were 54-57 (FTX 188-189, FTX 364-365) and had front-entrance bodies which was not Rhondda practice. The same year came six with Weymann bodies, these were 58-63 (GNY 66-71). A final 1946 delivery was 92, the first of what became the early postwar standard single-decker for Rhondda featuring a Longwell Green body. The batch was 92-96 (GNY 72-76), the remainder entering service in 1947.
All these vehicles had been based on the early postwar standard Regal chassis, often referred to as a Mark I. From 1948 onwards deliveries were based on the Regal III chassis and in that year came two batches. The first six demonstrated well the confusion with fleet numbers and were numbered 98-100, 64-65 and 97 (GNY 761-766). A second batch was much more logically numbered as 301-308 (GTX 863-870). The last two of these marked a change in chassis designation from O962 to 9621E. The final Regals were 309-314 (HTX 580-585) and like all the 1948 examples had Longwell Green bodies. They differed from the other Regal IIIs in having crash gearboxes.
These postwar single-deckers were withdrawn en masse in 1958 with just two surviving until 1959 and the final four retained for operating works services to the RAF base at St. Athan. Even these only remained in service until 1961.
Several AEC Regal coaches were also delivered after the war. These appear in a separate gallery and are not included here.
© David Beilby
