Jamaican Country Bus

I am toying with the idea of making a bus in 1.24. The above picture is the only one I can find of the type of bus that my wife remembers from her childhood. Can anyone help me with any information about it - make, model etc?
 
railwayman198 said:
I am toying with the idea of making a bus in 1.24. The above picture is the only one I can find of the type of bus that my wife remembers from her childhood. Can anyone help me with any information about it - make, model etc?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing it is a Bedford SB, as I believe they were popular in Jamaica - the radator "grille", such that it is, has a hint of Bedford about it. Wouldn't like to take a guess at the bodybuilder though.
Will see if I can come up with anything else...........
 
Is it just me, or does calling a bus company "Confidence" not actually inspire much confidence? ;)

A bit like those Chinese eBay dealers that call themselves things like "We Honest"......

Would certainly look nice in model form, though! :)

Jon.
 
A query on Jamaica buses or Jamaica country buses on Google and then click on images might turn something up.

Alternatively, a search on Malta buses will turn up plenty of old Malta buses which would probably form a good basis.
 
Erma confirms that it was indeed a Bedford. Google images for Bedford SB shows a large range of body styles but none that match. She said that these old buses seemed to be indestructible - never known to break down despite the overloading and the poor state of some of the roads. The kids measured their day by the sound of the bus approaching.
 
That image appears to be the only one that I can find on the internet - though the full picture does show another two bonneted Bedford buses standing next to it.
Confidence are still an operating bus company in Mandeville from references on the net - Perhaps they have some archive photos of their own?

A slightly later (or rebodied) Jamaican Bedford SB bus is, however, shown at the beginning (around 0:18 ) in this Eliza Doolittle pop video and includes some interior shots of the entance door/drivers "cab" area and the passenger saloon.......


Was interested to see the bus when the song first came out !
 
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Zerogee said:
Is it just me, or does calling a bus company "Confidence" not actually inspire much confidence? ;)

A bit like those Chinese eBay dealers that call themselves things like "We Honest"......

Would certainly look nice in model form, though! :)

Jon.
Click to expand...
There is a bus company in Leicestershire by the name of Confidence. They have been around for many years, mainly carrying children to schools, swimming etc. They have a very good reputation..
 
Miamigo259 said:
That image appears to be the only one that I can find on the internet - though the full picture does show another two bonneted Bedford buses standing next to it.
Confidence are still an operating bus company in Mandeville from references on the net - Perhaps they have some archive photos of their own?

A slightly later (or rebodied) Jamaican Bedford SB bus is, however, shown at the beginning (around 0:18 ) in this Eliza Doolittle pop video and includes some interior shots of the entance door/drivers "cab" area and the passenger saloon.......


Was interested to see the bus when the song first came out !
Click to expand...
Great bus, great song, great singer, great video....what's not to like? Thank you.
 
There seems to be very little in the way of information on buses in Jamaica on the internet.

I did, however, find a photo of some of the MCW bodied Leylands supplied to Kingston in the early 1950's - on a site about buses in Barbados!

http://s33.photobucket.com/user/CampyFan/media/Buses/1953MCWApollobodiedRoyalTiger.jpg.html

Not much different in general styling to UK urban buses of the time.

The other option is that it may not be an SB chassis, but a Bedford lorry chassis with locally constructed bodywork. Local bodywork would fit with the general style of the thing - rear entrance and a front exit just behind the nearside front wheel.

New Zealand was a big user of Bedford chassis, all the examples that I have seen there on my two visits having locally built bodywork to quite a distinctive style, so it was quite common in the Empire/Commonwealth.

Warning - If you do a search for Jamaica buses on Google, apart from a few pictures of current vehicles in yellow with the flag on the front, you will end up with several MTA (NY) buses in Jamaica, Long Island, or MBTA buses in Jamaica, Boston!
Found a good site about the Kingston tram system with several photos though.
 
Miamigo259 said:
There seems to be very little in the way of information on buses in Jamaica on the internet.

I did, however, find a photo of some of the MCW bodied Leylands supplied to Kingston in the early 1950's - on a site about buses in Barbados!

http://s33.photobucket.com/user/CampyFan/media/Buses/1953MCWApollobodiedRoyalTiger.jpg.html

Not much different in general styling to UK urban buses of the time.

The other option is that it may not be an SB chassis, but a Bedford lorry chassis with locally constructed bodywork. Local bodywork would fit with the general style of the thing - rear entrance and a front exit just behind the nearside front wheel.

New Zealand was a big user of Bedford chassis, all the examples that I have seen there on my two visits having locally built bodywork to quite a distinctive style, so it was quite common in the Empire/Commonwealth.

Warning - If you do a search for Jamaica buses on Google, apart from a few pictures of current vehicles in yellow with the flag on the front, you will end up with several MTA (NY) buses in Jamaica, Long Island, or MBTA buses in Jamaica, Boston!
Found a good site about the Kingston tram system with several photos though.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the research. I frequently encounter the confusion with Jamaica, Long Island whenever I google 'Jamaica Railways' or the like. I will probably have to 'guestimate' a model from the little info I can find.
 
ROSS said:
I seem to remember those Maltese buses were Italian made. complete with crucifix nailed to the partition behind the driver.
Click to expand...

No they were Bedfords and suchlike. Remember, Malta was a British base for many years after WW2. The crucifixes and icons were added by the driver-owners.
 
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