Just a 'heads up' as they say... thought it might be worth a mention:

Don't know if it's been posted anywhere else but I got this book Merseyside Transport Recalled <Click> for Chrimbo. Published Oct 2014, the first half is generally Liverpool transport, the second is Wirral (mainly Birkenhead and Wallasey environs). Well worth a look as it's mainly full colour, and good quality photos from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

A bit expensive (most books are nowadays), but if you've got a Birthday coming up...

You'll find it a bit cheaper on Amazon: new, from £11.37 + £2.80 delivery.

Thanks for that Billy. It looks interesting.

There's a bookshop in the St Johns Centre in Liverpool that has a great selection of local books at good prices.

Its right up your street Pinz - 502s, 503s and Guy Arabs galore...

Great stuff! Are there any photos of corpy Daimler CVG6's perchance ? If so, that's the clincher and the Piggy Bank is about to get bludgeoned to bits. Here piggy piggy piggy....

I'm convinced I was born in Aberdeen Chris, not Birkenhead. I've just found it for 1p cheaper !!!! £14.16p inc. delivery. Aye laddie, a bonnie price that !

RIP Piggy Bank.

Spend the penny saving on an 'n'

It was the excitement of saving the 1p Bert. All of a tremor I was. I've just slid in whilst the "edit" window was still open!

Used to love the Guy Arabs, especially churning up Argyle Street South hill with a 3 beller on going to Lairds. Used to crunch through that gear box no probs, double declutching as it went. Dont' know they're living todays drivers.

Spot on Bandy ! You'll know better than I, but get the revs right and it's a hot knife through butter job. Get it wrong and... well, it's not my gearbox anyway!

Daimler pre-selectors with fluid flywheels sounded fun. Like an air raid siren on steriods. Happy days long gone! Ding-ding.

I learned to drive on a crash gearbox: a 1 ton R.A.F. gharry. You could get some extraordinary noises out of it if you mis-timed the change.

But that's how we ended up as skilled drivers eh fellahs?
The Atlantas were something new and strange at first. The old Leylands were great if you happened to get a "Flyer", they were mustard. Good crowd of lads and lasses to work with as well.

Here you go then Bandy - an old Guy, just for you

From the 1953 timetables. For some reason, the actual timetable isn't included, but the fares are.

Here are a couple of Daimlers for you, Pinz...

In the picture, both of the buses are Daimler CVG6's with Massey bodies at Woodside. The ACM registered one in front is from a batch of 15 that entered service in 1949. The ABG behind it is also from a batch of 15, from 1950. The 1950 batch were the first to use Gill Sans lettering in the waistband, which had previously been a heavy blocked and shaded type.

All 30 were withdrawn by the middle of 1965, having given about 16 years of service, which was normal. This ties in nicely with arrival of the next batch of Daimlers - the Fleetline.

Fifteen of the 1944 batch of Guy Arab 5LW's had their utility bodies replaced by Massey in 1953 and given 6LW engines. As the new engine was longer, the radiator was moved forward and a distinctive cowel fitted between it and the rest of the bodywork. Most of these gave 25 years of service by the end of 1969. 242 (BG8557) was purchased for preservation and is now in the Birkenhead Transport Museum. It is displayed and takes part in running days.

Both Daimlers and Guys had a Gardner engine, which produced an acrid smell of exhaust fumes, especially when the weather was cold, more so than the Leylands did. Inside, the smell was a mix of cigarettes and matches, leather upolstery and a hint of oil.

Was it these buses that had a distinctive 'wheeze' between gear changes, before going back to the tunes from the gearbox?

Yes Norton, it was these buses that made the wheeze/whine noises whilst the operating (LH) pedal was depressed. No clutch of course. This engaged the next gear, which you'd selected in advance on the quadrant.

I think it was just the peculiarity of the epicyclic gearboxes. Around that time I had an Armstrong-Siddeley with a Wilson pre-selector box that made the same noise. Just the sheer mass of sun wheels, planet wheels and brake bands thrashing around doing their thing.

The inside of an ENV or Wilson pre-selec. box would make any modern day mechanic run home crying for mummy! They don't make 'em like that any more. Maybe a good thing ?

Bandy might chime in on this and tell you what happened to that operating pedal if you got stuck between gears !

Maybe I should get out more ??

The book arrived today. Thanks again Billy - it's brilliant!

With any luck I'll soon be getting an Amazon voucher for £120 for switching telecoms provider. When I do, this will be on my list.

I am going to get a copy, when I find a seller which ships to the fine land of Australia