Autobus (jusqu'à 1945) - Grande Bretagne : livres - histoire

This illustrated history charts the development of the open-top bus, from the early 1900s when buses were built with no roofs to the bustling sightseeing operations so popular around the world today. Following the trends around the UK, from London and the south coast to the north and Scotland, enthusiast and author Philip Miles has collated many unusual photographs showing these buses at work. Detailing the bus and the operator concerned in each photograph, this affectionately compiled collection of classic buses recalls many operators now relegated to the realms of memory.

Following the 1920s, bus transport experienced several decades of strong growth with an explosion of new operators and bus types. Charabanc trips were popular and many people chose the bus as their way of exploring the country and visiting the seaside.
Competition from the railways during the post-war period meant that bus operators often struggled under increased pressures, but the bus remained the favoured mode of transport for many.

Here, Royston Morris shares some of his photographs capturing surviving examples of buses built before 1950.

The British bus industry was ill-prepared for the Second World War. Among the immediate consequences were the loss of significant numbers of staff to the armed forces, a drastic reduction in the amount of fuel available and the introduction of the blackout. As the war progressed, it became increasingly difficult to meet the demand for new services to Royal Ordnance Factories and other government establishments despite the prior planning which had been done.
Meanwhile, resources were in short supply, the armed forces had requisitioned many of the best vehicles while new ones were almost non-existent, the industry had to rely on female labour, causing problems of recruitment and retention, and government exercised undue control over many operational aspects.

In this book, John Howie uses government archives and the trade press as well as contemporary photographs and advertising material, to look at how these problems affected the bus industry and how they were overcome, from cutbacks in service and the introduction of vehicles fueled by producer gas to articulated buses.

AEC, Bristol, Crossley, Daimler, Dennis, Leyland and others were all manufacturers of passenger vehicle chassis which could be seen throughout the country in the years following the end of World War Two. They produced a wide range of double deck and single deck buses and coaches, bodied by a considerable number of body builders.
With the exception of Dennis, all those chassis makers have now disappeared, along with nearly all the body builders. In addition, most operators of this variety of vehicles are no longer in existence, being primarily absorbed into larger operations.

This book can only give a small indication of the major role Steve and his Quantock Heritage fleet have played in preserving not only part of the engineering history of this country, but its effect also on social history. In practical terms he has displayed this by enabling the general public to see, enjoy, and also use vehicles of a bygone era.

Both authors have been involved with Steve and his Heritage Fleet for many years, helping with restoration, driving the finished products, locating potential restoration projects and researching their history. Over the years they have seen well over 130 vehicles join the Heritage fleet.