The following photo turned up quite out of the blue at Llandudno Transport Festival in 2007. It has been identified by an ex-Park Royal Vehicles painter as being taken outside the paint shop, which occupied the long building running down to the Grand Union Canal from the old assembly shops. Quite why it was taken, and by whom is open to speculation. It is possible that she was the first vehicle to be completed, as they did not arrive at the end of the production line in order of chassis number. Either way, it is a gem of a photo and shows the original condition, literally ex-works. Keen-eyed readers will notice the naked chassis of a sibling poking her nose into the photo.

SM106 sees daylight for the first time at the Park Royal factory, 1970. © Colour Classics

The initial 48 country Swifts were delivered in May and June 1970 to London Transport at Aldenham, as requested when they were ordered. After preparation, they were dispersed to their operating garage at Leatherhead, Guildford, Addlestone and Crawley. SM106 entered service on 17th June 1970 on route 418 from Leatherhead garage where the Swifts replaced RT type vehicles. This was the first major one-man conversion implemented by London Country, but from 1st August the Addlestone and Guildford vehicles not only converted routes to OMO, but rendered extinct the fleet of low-height double-deckers that were used to cope with low bridges on those routes (visit the TIMEBUS website for all the information you could wish for on RLH vehicles). Initially, drivers refused to allow the use of the centre exit as there was insufficient visibility of passengers alighting, depite an extra internal mirror by the centre doors. It would be great to say that the new buses were a success, but that was not how it turned out. Unreliabilty resulted in regular substitution by a hotch-potch of owned or hired vehicles, including the RT's which they should have replaced!

SM106 rests with friends old and young at LH, Sept 1973. Photo by Gary Baker

SM106 was repainted into National Bus Company green livery in May 1973 and received a complete overhaul at the Tinsley Green Works in 1976. Records obtained from the DVLA show that SM106 was de-licensed during September and October of that year. Only 38 country Swifts ever received a full overhaul, since the class was earmarked for early withdrawal and from mid-1977 only the minimum work required for recertification was undertaken. SM106 spent her entire working life at Leatherhead, whose principal SM route was the 418 to Kingston which required a weekday run-out of a dozen buses. It should have been the case that RF routes were taken over as well, but vehicle shortages meant that mixed working was the norm. The other regular route was the 406 on a Sunday, which was operated by one-man buses following a pattern started long previously by London Transport. It is surprising that Leatherhead should have had any allocation to the 406, as the garage was so far off route, but two out of every three buses required for this route's operation were LH based.

Some strange anomalies occurred where green and red routes mixed, as the country area had a divergent fares structure, and from 1974 onwards there were no child fares in the peak period. Other towns, such as Luton, had special arrangements where routes shared roads with other operators. For example, the 321 was not allowed to pick up or set down passengers for journeys within the town boundaries. In the picture above, SM106 has a slip board with the following, rather obscure message: MINIMUM FARE Route 418 TOWARDS EPSOM from all points between KINGSTON STATION and SURBITON Assembly Rooms 5P. Perhaps someone can explain to me why journeys towards KINGSTON were not similarly charged, or was the sign reversible? At first sight the policy was to dissuade passengers from making short journeys within the GLC boundary, but the boundary was at Tolworth. Similar notices appear in the photos below, but are illegible.

Freshly repainted on a Sunday 406 in Epsom, and near the Mole bridge in Leatherhead. Photos by Peter Graves

I was alerted to the next photograph by Neil Fraser of the AEC Society. I purchased a copy from FOTOPIC, but the site is such a chaotic mass of un-titled and un-tagged images that finding the right picture is like a trip up the Amazon! The album containing this photo comprises almost 2500 LCBS images, so pack sandwiches and a flask if you do set off on an expedition. The condition of the vehicle, all one shade of green, and apparently un-dented suggests that it dates from soon after its first painting into NBC livery. On the side between the doors is advertising for Wisley Gardens, and that advert might be carried in the photos above as the nearside is not visible. The final photo shows a step further with the coloured logo on the front dash. The location is easily recognised as the East end of Epsom High Street, and is essentially unchanged today. Once again it is a Sunday 406 duty. The photographer was standing with his back to the shops on the Town Hall side of the road, so this is a midday or early-afternoon shot. SM106 is about to turn left into Ashley Road. This section of the High Street was not travesed by the 418, which turned into Waterloo Road under the railway bridge and along the Hook Road to West Ewell as it pursued its labyrinthine course to Kingston. The 406, in contrast, went straight up the main Epsom Road to Ewell and then the Kingston Road to Tolworth.

SM106 in Epsom High Street on a Sunday. Photo by Paul Redmond

The next photograph turned up at Manchester Transport Museum's 2007 London Bus Day, which I attended with Dave Thrower (enjoying a truly REGAL journey up from Warrington on RF508). This is harder to date as the livery has faded, but notice the two-coloured NBC logo on the roof and front dash, which appeared from 1975 onwards, and the King & Flack destination blind with upper case via information on two lines. OUTBACK fares are advertised on the side at 40P, so there is a clue for someone who knows when that would be current. I am guessing that this might be after overhaul in 1976, but since the trees are in full leaf it would be summer 1977. If that is the case, then it is near to the end of the LCBS road for her. No photographer is credited, so if it is one of yours PLEASE get in touch as I would like to hear from you (if only to apologise). It is amusing that two recent books have illustrated SM110 during a crew-change at Leatherhead Garage, with different photos of the same scene. Intriguingly, the action appears to involve two uniformed drivers being introduced to the minutae of a Setright ticket machine by a lady from the cash office. Again, please get in touch Barry or Colin, if you can explain what is going on.

The first colour shot which came to light. Location and Photographer unknown

SM106 was off the road again from December 1977 until March 1978. The arrival of sufficient Leyland Nationals to cover SM duties at Leatherhead in October 1978 meant the end of active service for London Country and, along with a large number of other SM vehicles, SM106 was sent to Romford garage for storage and disposal. The vehicles which had been overhauled recently were more attractive to customers, and SM106 was soon purchased by Ensign at Grays, change of ownership being registered on 15th January 1979.