1950s WOLVERHAMPTON CORPORATION DOUBLE-DECKER

Reg No: SUK 3 - new 1957
Chassis: Guy Arab IV
Engine: Meadows 6DC.630 10.35 litre
Gearbox: Preselective
Body: Metro-Cammell 60 seats

Guy Motors built most of the limited number of buses during the Second World War. The ‘Arab’ demonstrated great reliability and, postwar, many operators continued to buy them. They were built at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, and it was not surprising the local Corporation favoured them.

Most ‘Arab’s had Gardner engines but, to compete with the big units available in the AEC Regent and Leyland Titan PD2, for a time the Meadows engine was offered. Meadows’ factory was next door to Guy. 12 Guy ‘Arab’s purchased by Wolverhampton Corporation in 1957 had preselective gearboxes as normally specified by this operator but also Meadows engines, producing a rare combination.

The Corporation restarted its fleet numbers at 1 in 1957; this bus was no. 3, entering service in March. Its Metro-Cammell body was more orthodox, apart from its straight staircase which was similar to Birmingham buses. Wolverhampton buses passed to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive in 1969. No. 3 retired in 1972 but, despite its rare engine, became a playbus, for which role it lost its seats. In anticipation, a set of seats was obtained in 1979 from later Wolverhampton buses and, as hoped, no. 3 was at last saved in September 1981. Shortage of undercover space has meant years of open storage but winter 2002-3 saw no. 3 receive some attention to allow display in the public area.

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