How David spent Guy Fawkes Day.

One day I’m going to be too old and feeble to hoist myself into the cab of a double decker, and remember in each make where the pilot switch is, and where reverse gear is, and the engine stop control, so a couple of years ago I had a brainwave, in the shower as is my wont. The Albion Video was the result, so I now have a record of a Sydney Albion double decker doing a run from Wynyard to Newport Beach and back, on what was its old stamping ground, until 1970. I can watch it at my leisure… sitting down. My other secret desire was to make a Dennis Loline Video, so when I knew we were coming to the UK for six months I almost immediately put my plan into action.

Many years ago, after arriving on the liner “Southern Cross” at Southampton Docks I made my way to my friend Peter Waugh’s home in Guildford, Surrey, where I was met at the door by Aunty Nellie who was kind enough to lend me £20… which amazes me now as she had never met me, I was out of money until I managed to get to London and the Bank of New South Wales in Sackville Street, and somehow this kind Aunt of Peters coughed up the dosh for this eager Aussie.

Being very excited about arriving in England for the first time I took my first walk down Farnham Road where to my amazement I saw an ad. on the side of a dark green double decker bus, “Drivers and Conductors Wanted”---- it said. What luck! These people would give me a proper English double decker and pay me to drive it! I signed up the next day, underwent training by the Aldershot and District Traction Company (the ‘Tracco’, the men called it), and passed not only my PSV (Public Service Vehicle) licence but also my British driving licence in one go… in the bus! The company instructor must have had a word with the Ministry examiner, because some people have been known to fail their driving test up to 74 times, maybe they were desperate for drivers.

The buses in question were Dennis Lolines--- a truly remarkable vehicle I now realise—only 13’6” high (others are about 14’4”) yet having full-height centre aisles in both decks achieved by a very complex chassis, drive line and rear axle arrangement. They were the most economical double deckers ever built—up to 17 mpg in country service, able to carry 68 passengers in leather and velvet seats, and 9 standing. The economy came from a Gardner diesel engine and a very unusual five-speed constant-mesh gearbox. (To get really boring, all speeds were indirect ratios, 5th being an overdrive, and having to be driven like a “crash” gearbox, but due to the fact that all gears are in constant mesh, engaged by dog clutches, the gear change was very forgiving of slight errors in timing or engine revs. on the driver’s part).


David on the job in 1968 wearing the jumper Pennie knitted him.
The routes were through English countryside of overwhelming beauty, thatched cottages, tile hung cottages, half-timbered (real Tudor) houses and pubs with names like The Grantley Arms, The Withies, The Mucky Duck and The Red Lion, with others being local runs to Guildford suburbs. My all-time favourite was rte 24 to Petersfield, 24 miles out through villages, towns, wooded country, and rolling downs, past the Devil’s Punch Bowl and ending up in Hampshire not far from Portsmouth.

Not surprisingly there is a lot to get nostalgic about. With the aid of the internet I had about a year ago got to know of ADBIG—the Aldershot and District Bus Interest Group, and joined it as their only foreign member. Within the group were owners of Dennis Lolines: some preserved, others restored and running. By a series of coincidences I met Bill Tutty, owner of Dennis Loline III (ie. the third variant on the theme) fleet number 503, which had been based at the company’s Guildford garage, and therefore one which I would certainly have driven 38 years ago. I sent Bill a copy of The Albion Video, hoping desperately that he might agree it was worthwhile making a similar video about the Loline. He agreed.

As the bus is stored at Cranleigh, it made sense to do a run over the former route 23, Ewhurst Bulls Head to Guildford Bus Station, via Cranleigh, Shamley Green, Wonersh, Bramley and Shalford. (Yes, good pubs in all the above serving Real British Bitter Ales).

Last Saturday, November 5th, was the big day. The TV forecast promised high winds and driving rain all day—hell! But the following day Bill was off to Madeira for two weeks holidays and after that the chances are even worse of any fine weather, so it pretty much had to be the 5th. I always leave weather to Pennie: if she says it will be fine it will be. The day dawned clear and sunny and stayed that way all day, as the video will show.

If we carried no more than eight passengers, Bill’s insurance would permit a foreigner with NSW licence and NSW Bus Driver’s Approval to operate the bus, so friends and enthusiasts were able to come as “extras” to give authenticity, Bill drove out of Cranleigh to Ewhurst where we changed Drivers and I then sat in the cab of a Loline for the first time since 1969.

Despite the height limitations the designers at Dennis Brothers Guildford (the fire engine people) did a superb job—the driving position is high with clear vision up, down, over the engine bonnet left and cab windows right. (On the Bristol Lodekka, a basically identical vehicle, the driver has to crouch to see under the headframe of the windscreen). The gearshift lever, flasher switch and the valve for the air-operated front sliding door fall naturally to hand, and the foot controls are not tangled up with steering column, handbrake lever and front mudguard. There is no power steering but the wheel is raked back quite dramatically at 45 deg. making it easy to push-pull around. The old “Tracco” drivers loved their Lolines, I read years later. One of their most endearing traits is a delicious high-pitched whine from the gearbox when you engage overdrive 5th gear, at 30 mph or above. (They will do 65 mph I believe but I have never tested this).

I set off from The Bulls Head, nervous as a cat with an audience of enthusiasts listening to every gearchange and a presumably anxious owner, hoping I would not leave the gearbox on the road. Getting back into the swing of keeping an 8ft. bus on the right (left) side of a narrow country lane came back very quickly, gear changes went smoothly and confidence returned until I took a wrong turn just out of Cranleigh and knew I’d done it instantly. One seven point turn later we were back on track. In a spirit of mischief, but also because stopping and starting off again lets you hear the lovely sounds of Gardner engine and Dennis gearbox more often, I took to stopping to let cars pass and see if David (The Connie) knew where we were, to call out “Shamley Green, The Red Lion” on cue. He got it every time.

Bill took over at Shalford Station, to take us through the intricacies of the Guildford one-way system, now changed time and again. At Shalford, as arranged, my old mate Peter Waugh had got away from his car hire business, armed with his real Aldershot and District bus stop sign, which he’d mounted on a handy post. He hailed us down, and Bill stopped! To my surprise he later stopped to pick up other passengers, a grandmother with her two-year-old granddaughter, a lady going shopping, and an elderly lady, saying if I didn’t tell Arriva (now the local operator) he wouldn’t. Granddaughter later pressed the conductors bell and celebrated her first ride on a Tracco bus. It was certainly deja vue for granny, but she was almost jumping for joy. The authenticity of the film was greatly enhanced! Later, on the return to Cranleigh yard, we picked up five teenagers who wanted to go into Cranleigh from Ewhurst: they were suitably cool about it and heard to say on their way upstairs… “We will have more money to spend now”, we couldn’t pick up fare paying passengers, but I wonder if they felt all that comfortable when told the driver was an Australian tourist!

Pennie on camera succeeded in shooting 2 1/4 hours of raw footage of excellent quality leaving scope to distil it into a one hour DVD, to be edited professionally for sale.

Bill’s regular conductor David, whose father had been a Tracco Connie, was superb. He came dressed in full 1950’s uniform of trousers, jacket, tie, cap, badge, cash bag, the lot, plus the real Setright ticket machine, and at every stop he would call out in a rich baritone (say) “Bramley and Wonersh Station”, and ring the conductor’s bell for takeoff, calling “Oldverytightnowplease” which translated from a strong West Surrey accent says “Hold very tight now Please”. It’s all on tape and once you know what he’s saying you hear it perfectly.

Thankyou Bill, David and Pennie, and to John Hutchinson of Amersham and District Motorbus Society for (unwittingly) ensuring that I met Bill Tutty. I was in seventh heaven.And when we got home after lunch and a pint in the Bricklayers Arms at Shamley Green, Wood Green sounded as if the London Blitz was on again--- you can still buy fireworks anywhere here, for months before Guy Fawkes Night. I wonder all of our neighbours still have all their limbs.