Thames Valley Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services to and from
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
,
Bracknell
Bracknell () is a large town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Built-up Area, Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the Bracknell Forest, Borough of Bracknell Forest. It l ...
,
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...
,
Newbury,
High Wycombe
High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...
and
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and surrounding areas for 52 years in the 20th century. For many years it ran the "Reading A" and "Reading B" limited-stop services between
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's
Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station is the largest coach station in London, located in the central district of Victoria in the City of Westminster. It serves as a terminus for many medium- and long-distance coach services in the United Kingdom, and is also ...
and Reading via two differing sets of intermediate stops.
British Automotive Traction
In 1905
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rento ...
(BET) founded a subsidiary, British Automotive Developments (BAD), to develop and operate motor buses. In 1912 BAD was renamed British Automobile Traction (BAT). In March 1915 BAT established a Reading Branch to operate buses in the area. By January 1920 it had been renamed the Thames Valley Branch, and in July 1920 it was constituted as a subsidiary company, Thames Valley Traction, with BAT holding 86% of the shares. The remaining 14% was initially held by Britain's other large bus operating group,
Thomas Tilling
The Tilling Group was one of two conglomerates that controlled almost all of the major bus operators in the United Kingdom between World Wars I and II and until nationalisation in 1948.
Tilling, together with the other conglomerate, British El ...
, as in the 1920s there was close co-operation between the two groups.
In 1928 BAT was reconstituted as Tilling & British Automobile Traction Ltd. Thames Valley expanded significantly in the 1920s and 1930s by buying a number of smaller firms and their routes. Tillings sold out to the
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission (BTC) was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain (Northern Ireland had the se ...
in 1948, thus becoming a nationalised company. Thames Valley's expansion continued in the early 1950s, with other parts of the newly nationalised bus network (
South Midland
The Oxford to London coach route is an express coach route between Oxford and London along the M40 motorway. Operated by Stagecoach West under the brand name ''Oxford Tube'', there are up to five coaches an hour via Lewknor, Hillingdon, and S ...
and Newbury and District from
Red & White, and part of
United Counties
The Province of Ontario has 51 first-level administrative divisions, which collectively cover the whole province. With two exceptions, their areas match the 49 census divisions Statistics Canada has for Ontario.
The Province has four types of ...
) being placed under Thames Valley management.
In 1968 Tillings' major competitor, BET, sold its bus interests to the
Transport Holding Company
The Transport Holding Company (THC) was a British Government-owned company created by the Transport Act 1962 to administer a range of state-owned transport, travel and engineering companies that were previously managed by the British Transport C ...
(successor to the BTC) and the
Transport Act 1968
The Transport Act 1968 (1968 c.73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The main provisions made changes to the structure of nationally owned bus companies, created passenger transport authorities and executives to take over pub ...
formed the
National Bus Company, which came into existence on 1 January 1969,
amalgamating the interests of The Tilling Group with the recently acquired BET Group.
Premises
BAT Reading Branch's first premises were at 113–117 Caversham Road, Reading, which had been the premises of a local taxi operator. BAT used 115 and 117 as offices and demolished 113 to create bus access to the yard and garage at the rear.
In January 1916 the Reading Branch acquired a second set of premises when BAT bought a large house called The Cedars at 44 Bridge Street, Maidenhead. BAT had most of the house demolished, except for the east wing which was converted into offices. A bus garage was built in the house's grounds.
Vehicles
In 1915 BAT intended that its Reading branch should have a fleet of 20 new buses built on
Thornycroft
Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.
History
In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its firs ...
40 HP J-type chassis. But during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* D ...
had commandeered all Thornycroft chassis production to make three-ton military trucks. Therefore the Reading Branch's fleet started with nearly-new
Leyland S8 buses transferred from BAT's
Barnsley and District subsidiary. Each had a 27-seat body built by
Brush
A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...
in Rugby. The S8's had been built in 1913 and reached Reading in June and July 1915. Their bodies were painted in BAT livery of "Saxon" green with the name "BRITISH" in large gold letters on each side.
Between September 1915 and July 1916 BAT expanded its Reading branch fleet with a dozen 26-seat buses on new
Belsize three-ton chassis. Although the chassis were new the first eight were equipped with second-hand Tilling bodies. The final four Belsizes were fitted with Brush bodies. The arrival of the new Belsizes allowed the Reading Branch firstly to expand its route network and then to dispose of the Leylands, all of which returned to Barnsley and District between April and November 1916.
The Belsize buses were not entirely reliable. But after the
Armistice of 11 November 1918
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
the War Department stopped buying new lorries for the armed forces, which allowed Thornycroft at last to meet BAT's order for J-type chassis for the Reading Branch. The original order of 20 was delivered new between January and May 1919, mostly with 26-seat bodies. The first batch of eight received Tilling bodies, followed by four with Brush bodies. Next came a batch of six with bodies built by
Birch Brothers
Birch Brothers was a bus and coach operator in south east England.
History
William Birch started running horse-drawn cabs in London in 1837. After his death in 1846 his widow, Elizabeth, took over the business and in 1847 extended it to inclu ...
of
Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town. Less than four miles north of central London, Kentish Town has good transport connections and is situated close to the ope ...
, London. Two Thornycroft chassis delivered in May 1919 were equipped with second-hand
charabanc
A charabanc or "char-à-banc" (often pronounced "sharra-bang" in colloquial British English) is a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. It has "ben ...
bodies, one built by Bayley of
Newington Causeway
__NOTOC__
Newington Causeway is a road in Southwark, London, between the Elephant and Castle and Borough High Street. Elephant & Castle Underground station is at the southern end. It follows the route of the old Roman road Stane Street.
In 19 ...
in London and the other built by
Thomas Harrington Ltd
Thomas Harrington & Sons was a coachbuilder in the county of Sussex from 1897 until 1966, initially at Brighton but from 1930 until the end in a purpose built Art Deco factory (an image of which was used on the builder's transfers) in Old Shor ...
of
Hove
Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...
, East Sussex. The two charabancs arrived just in time to offer excursions for the 1919 season. The delivery of Thornycroft J-types allowed the Reading Branch to dispose of all of its Belsize buses in January and February 1919.
After the first order of 20 J-type chassis were delivered, BAT bought a further three new chassis from Thornycroft for the Reading Branch. These had military-specification bonnets and may have come from a cancelled WD order. The first two arrived with "lorrybus" bodies — truck bodies adapted with steps at the rear, bench seats and a canvas hood. This austerity specification allowed the pair to be completed quickly and enter service in July and August 1919.
By January 1920 BAT's Reading Branch had been renamed the Thames Valley Branch. The third chassis was delivered that month with a Tilling body. In the same month the Thames Valley Branch received a pair of second-hand Tilling J-types from the
East Kent Road Car Company
The East Kent Road Car Company Ltd was a bus company formed in 1916 and based in Canterbury, Kent. The company operated bus and coach services in Kent. In 1993 it was one of the first companies to be acquired by the Stagecoach Group, which e ...
. They had been built in 1919 for an independent Kent bus operator and fitted with second-hand
London General Omnibus Company
The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.
Overview
The London General Omnibus Company was fou ...
34-seat double-deck bodies dating from 1913. East Kent had taken over the independent operator in September 1919 and disposed of the two Thornycrofts as non-standard to its fleet.
After the Armistice the WD started to sell large numbers of used military vehicles. Many were stored at a depot in
Slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...
, where in April 1920 BAT bought eight Thornycroft J-types for the Thames Valley Branch. BAT bought many other ex-military vehicles for its other branches, and the Thames Valley Branch collected many of them from Slough to distribute to BAT's other operations. They included
AEC and
Daimler vehicles for BAT's
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...
Branch and
Northern General subsidiary.
When the Thames Valley Branch became Thames Valley Traction its fleet consisted of 33 Thornycroft J-types: 30 bodied as buses, two as charabancs and one as a lorry. For ancillary purposes it had also a
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
van, a
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
car and a
BSA motorcycle and
sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''.
...
outfit.
In the 1920s Thames Valley's fleet policy changed, and by 1927 it was buying
Tilling-Stevens
Tilling-Stevens was a British manufacturer of buses and other commercial vehicles, based in Maidstone, Kent. Originally established in 1897, it became a specialist in petrol-electric vehicles. It continued as an independent manufacturer until ...
petrol-electric buses. In 1939 its first
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
vehicles were delivered and, in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a number of
Guy utility buses were acquired. After the war Thames Valley standardised on Bristols, except for a few
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
vehicles. Livery was red and cream, although the shade of red varied over time.
Alder Valley
The company continued to trade as Thames Valley under nationalised ownership until it was merged with another former BET company,
Aldershot and District Traction
Aldershot & District Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services in East Hampshire, West Surrey and parts of adjoining counties for sixty years during the 20th century, from 1912 until 1972 when it became part of Alde ...
Company Limited on 1 January 1972 to form the Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company, which traded under the fleet name of
Alder Valley
Alder Valley was a bus operator in South East England.
National Bus Company era
Alder Valley was formed when National Bus Company (NBC) subsidiaries Aldershot & District Traction (A&D) and Thames Valley Traction (TV) merged on 1 January ...
, with Thames Valley's Reading head office becoming that of the new company.
References
Sources and further reading
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External links
*
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{{Defunct British Bus Companies
1920 establishments in England
1972 disestablishments in England
Former bus operators in Berkshire
Former bus operators in Buckinghamshire
Former bus operators in Oxfordshire