29e Single Deck Bus (1948-52)

Not exactly the same, but a good look-alike! Modelling the slightly protruding roof extension over the half bonnet must have been a technical/economical obstacle for Meccano. I guess the coach company would have changed its name nowadays ... I found the photo in my picture files and don't know its origin, sorry. Kind regards, Jan

Jan, the coach in your photo is a 1949 Leyland PS1 (or very early PS2) with a body by Harrington, the same coachbuilder responsible for the 581/981/979 Horsebox. I still have not managed to find a definite prototype for the Dinky 29E.

Thanks Kevin. Roger Bailey's book about the Dinky buses is published now, at last, and a copy is on it's way to me now. I wonder what his opinion regarding the Dinky half cab, or perhaps even firm identification, will turn out to be! Kind regards, Jan

That's an interesting photograph. The registration number CCF was a Welsh issue but that may be where the bus was first used. I did a little digging on the internet and it appears that there was a company called Corona Coaches at Ixworth in Suffolk. The destination blind on the roof appears to say Lavenham, which is about 15 miles from Ixworth. I wondered whether that could be correct until I noticed a detail in the lower image. Above the windows are individual wind deflector panels upon which are painted various destinations. If you look through the coach to the opposite side you can see them reversed. The only completely visible one is Sudbury. Guess where Sudbury is? Six miles south of Lavenham! None of this tells us a thing about the Dinky but I like finding out about things.