SOS QUEEN PROGRESS
For some months, work has been quietly proceeding on our 1927 SOS ‘Queen’, which served Northern General Transport for over twenty years.
Dave Parry is in charge of the project and, indeed, spends a good deal of time ensuring that progress is maintained. Much of this effort is, however, devoted to research.
When the work restarted, the first job was to undertake a thorough clean of the interior, followed by the removal of parts such as the cappings, mouldings and inner side panels. All were subsequently stained and/or varnished, exactly the same procedure taking place inside CN 2870, to the roof, framework and bulkhead A number of areas were originally finished in brown paint – a shade very similar to that still being used by Midland Red in the 1950s – and these were so treated by Dave and Kevin Hill. There are about fifty small brackets, fixed at strategic points to the inside framework, and all were removed, cleaned and repainted. Again in brown, it was a fiddly, time-consuming job. The fixed side windows are mounted in white rubber, while the railway-style drop windows benefit from aluminium channel and bright red felt strip. After sourcing the materials, a start was made on fitting the glass, the nearside almost complete at the present time. More glass will soon be ordered, for the offside at least, and then there remains the task of creating and fitting the rubber bump-stops for each opening window.
Chassis work has not been neglected. An early job was to have the radiator core professionally cleaned and the top tank, with ‘Northern’ legend, blasted and polished. To complete the radiator, prior to fitting, we need to get new aluminium castings made for the sides. Mr. Shire, in his wisdom, chose to successively change the design and, thus, the ‘Standard’ and ‘QL’ models, for which we have patterns, are different to each other, and different again to those fitted to the ‘Q’. The new castings will not be too expensive but preparing the patterns (each side is different) will be. Later, detailed drawings for the radiator mounting brackets will be prepared to enable castings to be made. Meanwhile, Tom Couling has played an invaluable role getting, amongst other things, new nuts machined. Whilst there are too many to list, most impressive is the big, main flywheel nut and the two dozen prepared to enable the manufacture of twelve new clutch release mechanisms. These were done by a company in the Black Country, the nuts being ‘welded’ to wire rope of exactly the required diameter and length. Only four of them are needed for the ‘Q’ but it was economically sensible to have sufficient for our other early SOSs too.
On-going at the time of writing, is the manufacture of the exhaust system and the fuel tank; and on order is cable, some armoured, for the interior wiring.
If the foregoing suggests that it is all “plain-sailing”, it is, of course, far from it. A number of items on the first “wants” list are proving difficult to resolve. Whilst interior photographs are invaluable, they do not reveal in detail the myriad of small or obscured fitments. Items such as the bell cord brackets and handrail brackets, for which originals are sought to use as patterns for new castings. Then there is the inside rear door emergency exit mechanism – a complete mystery as we do not have a facing rear interior reference. We can get new glass shades for the roof lights blown and finished – providing an original can be located, again to serve as a pattern. At the entrance/exit area there are two handrails. That for the right hand, on boarding, exists but the left hand rail, of much more involved design, does not. Enlargement of photographs has given us the overall shape but not detail of the ends and fixing brackets. Last for the moment are the brackets that secure the seats to the waist-rail. Barely visible on photographs, we think that they are of cast aluminium construction. Although it might seem premature to be considering these fitments, we feel it is prudent to do so. It may take a long time to find what we need and then we have to get the new parts made.
If any readers can help, perhaps by identifying locations or making suggestions of where such parts might exist, it would be very much appreciated. Indeed, help of any sort would be welcomed. Fortunately, a number of others, well-known in the world of bus restoration, are doing their best to assist, at the moment including Robert Atkinson, Bob Kell, Chris Newman and Mike Sutcliffe.
Bob Kell is also advising us on NGT-specific interior notices and fittings, and about livery. His letters on the subject have included a surprise or two too. When he had the chance to examine the NGT records, details for only nineteen of the twenty-five Q-types (CN 2856-2880) received by the Company in 1927 survived. Of these, seventeen, including CN 2870, are shown as seating 40 persons, the remaining pair of regular 37-seat configuration. Furthermore, it seems that the higher capacity buses were built in this form and not modified after delivery. The records also indicate that all of NGTs ‘QL’ buses, and even one ‘IM4’ were 40-seaters too. Fortunately, a photograph showing the three extra seats – in the smoking compartment and on the emergency door – survives. For how long the higher capacity was maintained is not known but opinion and the few photo references that we have suggest that when the bodywork of the ‘Qs’ was modernized, they were outshopped as 37-seaters. The work involved adding to the existing body frame to create a new, curved side profile, prior to cladding with steel panels. As this must have significantly increased the unladen weight of the buses, it was perhaps considered wise to reduce the seating capacity by three. Any views and confirmation (or otherwise) of the foregoing, would be welcomed, as would details of other significant modifications to SOS vehicles by NGT or other operators. A particular query about livery concerned the lining out at the rear end. Bob subsequently referred to one photograph, of sufficient clarity to meet our needs, and then “mentioned” that it was a particularly rare view, showing the rear of two Q-types, both sporting “Jarrow & District” fleetnames, and the only Jarrow buses known to have been recorded on film!
Please remember – any useful ideas, suggestions or information that will assist us in the restoration of the “Queen” will be very much appreciated.
Chris Newman is responsible for our final teaser – “Was the leather bell cord originally fitted to the bus of square or round section?” Brush bodies of the period were fitted with either of the types. Answers on a postcard,
Paul Gray
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
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