Vintage Thing No. 156 - Harmes' Bedford YRQ (Podgy's successor)

Here is our old school bus after it had been sold on. Don't those mirrors look small? I found this mage on the net years ago but can't find it anywhere anymore so can't give credit for the source. (Photo: TBC)

Once I was old enough to go to secondary school in Newquay, I had to walk ¾ mile out of the valley up to Penhallow on the A3075. Here I caught a white and orange bus operated and driven by Bussy.

His real name was Peter Harmes and he had a hotel in Newquay. While kids in Perranporth came to Newquay on green Western National double deckers, usually Bristol Lodekkas, the smaller villages inland were served by Bussy and his Bedford YRQ with Willowbrook Expressway coachwork.

This coach was more of a bus really and nowhere near as glamorous as the delightful Podgy, a Duple Yeoman-bodied Thames Trader operated by Mitchell's of Perranporth, hich took us to primary school in Gonhavern. It wasn't even sign written.  FAF987L seated 45 and was and supplied new to Harmes of Newquay in 1972. From 1974 until left the sixth form in 1981, this was my school bus.

The Bedford Y series was introduced in 1970 as a replacement for the Bedford VAM. Longer versions later replaced the six-wheeled twin steer Bedford VAL and the Y series remained in production until 1986 when Bedford ceased as a marque. Coachwork was often by Duple or Plaxton. Willowbrook Expressway's were much less common and rather plain by comparison.

The YRQ was a typical ten metre length bus or coach chassis, powered by a mid-mounted underfloor six cylinder diesel engine. This was the 466 CID or 7634cc normally aspirated engine that put out 146 bhp and was Bedford's own design - previously they bought in big diesel engines from Leyland.  As standard there was no power steering or servo on the clutch but there was a five speed box with overdrive top.

Bussy drove south from Newquay on the A3075 and turned off at St Newlyn East to begin picking up children from Fiddler’s Green. He joined the A30 in Zelah and continued towards Redruth until Chybucca where he turned right and then rejoined the A3075 to head back towards Newquay via Goonhavern. From Goonhavern he had a straight run all the way to Newquay Tretherras School.

I remember one occasion going down the Big Dipper at Rejerrah when a floor panel in the gangway came adrift and floated down the aisle. Another time there was a loud bang as we overtook a truck at the same spot when our mirrors clashed.

One of my friends was hit by a Dormobile alighting from the school bus at Perranwell but although knocked unconscious she was not seriously injured.

A more serious incident occurred just up the hill towards Perranzabuloe. This hill was known to us as The Devil’s Elbow because towards the bottom there was a sweeping left hander followed at the very bottom by a tight right hander. Many cars ended up in the field on the outside of this lower bend but our crash happened at the top as we headed south on the way home. A red Mk3 Cortina came round the bend on our side of the road and there was a head on impact. Poor Bussy had nowhere to go. To his left was a wooded escarpment and to his right the other carriageway with no pathway.

The driver of the car went through his windscreen and the front of the coach was badly damaged. Bussy was unhurt but very shaken up. The enormous front windscreen somehow escaped damage although I believe this type of coach had a name for losing screens under sharp braking.

I seem to recall that within a few days Bussy and his bus were back in service although the new GRP front end was replaced or repaired gradually.

We never took to FAF987L like we did to Podgy. It seems to have been very reliable but had no personality.

It never received a name, either. Perhaps this was because we were growing up but I reckon that it was just unremarkable.

So here's a blog post about an unremarkable bus.