Subject: Southend C.T. 152 (JN 822)
Chassis: AEC Regal
Body: English Electric B30D
Location: Preston, Watery Lane
Date: 1931

The view of a Regal from the nearside showing the dual door arrangement. The seven Regals were renumbered 200-206 in 1938 and about the same time the front door was removed and an additional seat added making them B32R. They were also fitted with Gardner 5LW engines.

Most vehicles in the batch were withdrawn in 1939 but 203 and 204 (JN 823/824) were retained and in the fifties were rebuilt to B35F using seats from London Transport. Whilst 204 was sold in 1960, 203 was converted to one-man operation in 1959 (when already 28 years old) and ran until 1961/62. Even this wasn't the end of the road as it became a driver training vehicle until 1965. It was then sold to the Highways and Works Department but they did not use it and it went for scrap in January 1968.

Photograph from the GEC archive