Buses on Screen: World News (1950, British Pathe)

Part of this report concerns the launch of two Foden 'Lincolnshire Luxury Pullman' coaches. Sir Edward Boyle is seen throwing a glass of champagne over the radiator of one of these coaches and uncovering a plate showing the name 'City of Birmingham'. The interior footage shows these vehicles have two floors but only one gangway! The coaches are also seen out on the road. Peter Tulloch explains: "In June 1950 Allenways of Birmingham licensed two Foden PVFE6 (two stroke engine) coaches with Lincs Trailer 'half decker' bodies, which confused the traffic commissioners to begin with.
Were they single deckers - and therefore subject to single deck rules and regulations - or double deckers and therefore subject to a different set of rules? They eventually decided - typical British compromise - to call them 'half deckers', though I am not sure with which set of rules they had to comply!

Details are: KOC662 & KOC663, chassis nos. 29642 & 29644, both Foden PVFE6/Lincolnshire Trailer HDC43F, Allenways of Birmingham fleet nos. 23 & 24, new June 1950. Neither lasted particularly long, one becoming a van for Kellogg's (of Corn Flakes fame) by 1958; the other had been scrapped by its third or fourth operator by 1962. You can always tell a Foden front engined bus/coach with a two stroke engine from that with a Gardner engine (5LW or 6LW). Just look at the radiator and in particular the starting handle hole; with a Gardner it is dead centre, with a two stroke it is offset to the offside!"

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