Crossley Condor 1931 bus, converted into a Recovery Vehicle

This is a very unique Crossley Condor 48-seat double deck bus, that was delivered to Portsmouth Corporation in 1931. It was bodied by Short Brothers and was on trial for a number of months, before the design was accepted (but with English Electric Bodies).

After the war, the chief engineer was reluctant to part with her and when the rest of the fleet were scrapped (around 1948), she was converted into a breakdown tender around 1948.

I found her in a Council Yard in very poor condition and agreed a five year loan plan with the Corporation to restore the vehicle. This was undertaken at National Rescue Group's Brooklands workshop during 1992 and 1993, mostly by Tony Amos. I managed to find a crane of the same style as the original (which had been destroyed) and this was fitted.

The Video shows it coming out of the workshop for the first time on the 2 April 1993 and then some time later returning to Portsmouth to appear in a parade. The unit is now back at the City of Portsmouth Preserved Transport Depot (CPPTD)
.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Crossley
• Condor
• 1931
• converted
• Recovery
• Vehicle
• City
• of
• Portsmouth
• Preserved
• Transport
• Brooklands
• NRG
• Tony
• Amos
• lorry

[islandtraction]

I was familiar with postwar Crossleys from the municipal Manchester area fleets, and this Condor possesses the same character and sounds.

The postwar Portsmouth buses were re-engined early in their lives, with diesel units from prewar Leylands.

Whilst Gracie and George were spurring on the war effort, my forebears were daily travelling to work on tram replacement Crossley Condors and Mancunians. A real piece of history!

[andysvideo]

As you say a real peice of history and a wonderful sound as it pulls away.

By the way I love the Music on your Cornwall 1970-72 video clip.

Regards Andy

[NickRatnieks]

Did you find it behind the Central Transport Depot on the Eastern Road? That's where a number of the 1949 Crossleys were dumped in 1967. I saw them there walking home from school one day taking a different route. They seemed to keep the odd bus for training- one Titan PD1 1947 a PD2/10- "all Leyland". They didn't keep a Crossley! They also had an ancient Morris Commercial van for bus shelter painting and repairs etc. "Spitting Prohibited" signs in the buses!

[andysvideo]

Not sure about that location, but it was a some sort of councel yard of Eastern road. It would have been around 1992 and I was there collecting a Merry Weather fire engine for Brooklands Museum. I reconised it because I had seen its picture in the same book as a picture of my ex London Transport AEC (Milly Tant) was.

[NickRatnieks]

I can remember this old girl dragging buses around Portsmouth- I seem to remember it lived at the Eastney Depot. It made a grinding sound as it crunched and crashed along.

[andysvideo]

Having driven it empty, I would not want to try and stop it when it had any weight behind it

A lift tow and without the front wheel breaking, does not bear thinking about. I would imagine it would never stop.

Andy

[denisex111]

I worked in the drawing office and the apprenticeship scheme involved work experience in all departments, shop floor, fabrication, foundry and stores departments. I will never forget seeing my first pielstic engine fire up in the test bed shop. What a sight, seeing everyones efforts and labor come together ! Any way going to visit the museum when it opens and thanks for the reply. Bill

[PriestmanCub]

Hi, I worked on a horizontal borer in the machine shop boring out the valve bores for the Pielstick engines. They were shaped like the old Threepnny piece and were haevy as hell.

[denisex111]

@PriestmanCub

I too worked at Crossleys in mid sixties on the pielstik engines. What ever they made it was always well engineered. Those were the days when we made things and 'Made in Britain' ment something................

[PriestmanCub]

Congratulations on a GREAT job WELL DONE. A very wonderful site to see. I lived in Manchester as a small boy and most of the busses there were very old Crossleys. Later as a Teenager ikn the late 60's and early 70's I worked for Crossley Brothers in Openshaw Manchester.

[davybranson]

Wonderful to see and hear this unique vehicle moving under its own power, after so many years of neglect.

Congratulations to all the team involved.

Dave

[NickRatnieks]

AEC Militant- that's 3 axles? When I was a kid in Southsea a neighbour had many biscuit tins of nuts, bolts, washers of all sizes. He had been an apprentice at AEC Southall. I now realise how useful they were- especially all those pre-metric thread types. He left Southsea 30 years ago so I don't suppose (if he's still with us)he has that vast collection anymore! When I was a kid I wanted a Matador with a Park Royal body- I had the Airfix model! Kids today are different!