Coventry Buses - past and present

I was an apprentice fitter at Coventry Transport when the white lady (GKV100) entered service. It was a Crossley, it had a Crossley engine and a Brockhurst turbo transmission, not a crashbox, it only had two gears, forward and reverse. The drivers didn't like this as to engage reverse gear you had to stand up in the cab to push down a pedal with your left leg at the same time as pulling back a lever to select reverse gear. After a short time it was only used on the Inner Circle route as this did not require a terminus where reversing was required. Even this meant that it could only be used on the anti clockwise route as it couldn't climb Cash's Lane hill when loaded. After about three years it was sent to AEC to have an AEC engine and AEC crash gearbox fitted. This lasted until the Guy buses were withdrawn in 1961. This left 100 as the only bus with a manual gear box and as the bus was in such good condition it was converted to the same transmission as the Daimlers which where fluid flywheel and pre select gearbox. I had the job of doing this conversion. 100 was finally withdrawn in May 1965 due to a cracked chassis. The Crossley engine was given to the Coventry Technical College for student instruction.

Thank you for that detail. Did you mean the original engine or the AEC engine that it ended up with?

The original Crossley engine was given to the college, thanks for your interest McSporran.

Hi all A change to the 360 circle bus service means that it is strictly no longer a circle route for the vehicle. Walsgrave hospital is now the terminus for each direction & because of so much road congestion causing delays to the service around Whitley, you have to change buses at the hospital as each bus does a U-turn & returns the way it came. The 360 C is still clockwise & the A is still anticlockwise, but the buses change their destination blind at the hospital. If anyone can explain this easier, please do, or ring for the white van to come for me.

Thank you for the information Philip, I think you ve explained it well but if we hear this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj2diB6fcpg We will know the white van is coming for both of us.

I suspect the 360 has been operating like this for quite a while, I've definitely travelled on the A and come back on the C on the same bus, there's no mistaking the distinctive yellow double decker.

Hi & thank you Morgana, My favourite version of this song was sung by Hannah Gordon. I liked her in the sit-com "My wife Next-door" Thank you too, Mcsporran

Doesn't that depend on whether you're viewing the route from above or below?

I always thought that Five Ways and Jeffrey Woods Cross were the same thing. My Dad used to say we got off the bus for the match at Jeffrey Woods Cross.

Hello Bananaman I always understood that the Coventry Five Ways, was Jeffrey Woods Cross. Years ago, I was at a heritage day event, where I saw a Coventry Transport wooden sign board with "Jeffrey Woods Cross" sign written onto it. The boards were mounted onto the front of the buses for use when a destination was not included on the roller blind.

A number of brand-new 'Platinum' branded Alexander/Dennis Enviro 400MMC double-deckers have apparently entered service on NX service 900 today [25/5/15]. These should be going to & fro between Coventry and Birmingham from this day forth.

I rode the Number 11 Outer circular bus in Birmingham on Saturday. The route used to be Britain's longest urban bus route but that crown is now claimed by the 360 route in Coventry which travels for 31 miles around Coventry. I'm thinking of riding the 360 some time this summer, stopping off at some key places of interest and may be even penning an article or blog about the experience. The route goes past plenty of modern icons such as Warwick University, Jaguar at Whitley, the hospital in Walsgrave and the Ricoh arena. I'm keen however to weave a bit of history into it. I am wondering if anyone can spot any places of historical interest from the route plan - preferably ones where there is still something remaining in situ? Route Map So far I have Caludon Castle, the old bridge in Whitley and perhaps the old Singer house now part of Coundon Court school

If you cut up through Coundon Green Rd you have the on the left set right back now an o.a.p home was an old house with stables that's has been discussed on this forum then cutting through Waste Lane the Royal Court a little further up on the left you have Keresley Manor, Keresley Church before the Royal Court then turn right down Sandpits Lane you have old Mrs Sanders house its in an L shape towards the petrol station garage. Bennetts Rd on the hill from the petrol station by the junction of Penny Park Lane that used to be the jetty the old picture of the jetty is in CC Library.