THE SCOTTISH VINTAGE BUS MUSEUM - BRS 37

BACKGROUND HISTORY

In 1942 Daimler were commissioned by the Ministry of Supply to build double-deck chassis for the home market to strict laid-down wartime specifications, and the resultant production owed much to the pre-war Daimler COG series which had proved popular with many municipalities. The pre-selective transmission was retained and the first 100 of these had Gardner 5LW engines being type-designated CWG5. Thereafter the AEC 7.7 litre engine was standard and the designation thus became CWA6. Daimler commenced production of its own engine in 1945, as an alternative to the AEC engine, and chassis thus fitted were designated CWD6. Some 185 CWD6s were built before the wartime specification gave way, after the cessation of hostilities, to the CV ‘Victory" range.

HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE

Aberdeen Corporation had been a Daimler user since 1936 so the wartime allocation of Daimlers by the Ministry of Supply posed few engineering problems. In all, a total of twenty CW series Daimlers with utility bodies were placed in service between 1943 and 1945. The last four (including 155 which was the last in all) were CWD6s. The Corporation rebuilt all but the first two between 1957 and 1960, and all had been withdrawn from service by the end of 1965. 155, withdrawn in 1964, became a driver-training vehicle and was sold to an Aberdeen dealer in 1968, being immediately purchased for preservation.

RESTORATION DETAILS

After acquisition for preservation the vehicle was restored to the livery used by Aberdeen Corporation in the late 1940s and was rallied in this form for several years. Subsequently repainted in a livery with lighter ‘Lincoln’ green, the vehicle has been in storage for many years but was displayed in the Alford Transport Museum from 1985 to 1986. The vehicle has now being rebuilt to its original ‘utility’ style. Following repainting in its original livery, at King Street paint shop, Aberdeen, it returned to Lathalmond in November 2002 for final preparation. BRS 37 in King Street paint shop on 6th July 2001. Mike Mitchell