Bristol SU


The Bristol SU was a single-decker bus and single-decker coach chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles between 1960 and 1966. The bodies for these vehicles were built by Eastern Coach Works. Some of them were built as medium length chassis whereas most of them were built as full length chassis.

Design

The Bristol SU chassis featured the same Albion EN250 engine and BMC rear axle as the Albion Nimbus NS3AN with a David Brown overdrive-top five-speed constant-mesh gearbox and a front axle by Kirkstall. The major difference from the Nimbus was that the radiator was mounted at the extreme front of the chassis. EWT 386C was later rebuilt with a Perkins H6.354 5.8-litre engine to test its design for use in the Bristol LH, which superseded the SU as Bristol's lightweight chassis.
The single-decker ECW body was just wide and used some similar styling elements to those built for the heavier Bristol MW. The bus bodies were high but the coaches were a little taller at ; the length varied depending on the chassis and whether it was to bus or coach style. A forward entrance was provided opposite the driver's position. Seats were forward-facing in pairs, but where wheel arches protruded above the floor of the bus body, the seats were turned sideways to give sufficient leg room.
ModelWheelbaseBodySeatsLengthProductionTotal built
SULBus361960–1966118
SUSBus301960–196425
SULCoach331960–196238

Operators

The SUs were concentrated in the south-west of England, with 73% of them being built for the shared fleet of Southern National and Western National. The remainder were sold to six other companies that were owned by the Transport Holding Company.
OperatorFleet numbersRegistrationsModelBodyTotal
Western National400–403334 EDV–337 EDVSULcoach4
Southern National404–407314 EDV–317 EDVSULcoach4
Western National408922 GUOSULcoach1
Southern National409–411923 GUO–925 GUOSULcoach3
Western National412–416917 GUO–921 GUOSULcoach5
Western National417–431267 KTA–281 KTASULcoach15
Western National432–435284 KTA–287 KTASULcoach4
Western National600–608672 COD–680 CODSUSbus9
Southern National609–610681 COD–682 CODSUSbus2
Southern National611–615667 COD–671 CODSUSbus5
Southern National616–623318 EDV–325 EDVSULbus8
Western National624–644338 EDV–358 EDVSULbus21
Western National645–653414 HDV–422 HDVSULbus9
Southern National654–662423 HDV–431 HDVSULbus9
Southern National663–667BDV 24C–BDV 248CSULbus5
Western National668–674BDV 249C–BDV 255CSULbus8
Western National675–686EDV 530D–EDV 541DSULbus12
Southern National687–696EDV 542D–EDV 559DSULbus10
Bristol Omnibus300–302861 RAE–863 RAESUSbus3
Bristol Omnibus303–306843 THY–846 THYSUSbus4
Bristol Omnibus307–308AHW 226B–AHW 227BSUSbus2
Southern Vectis845–852458 ADL–465 ADLSULbus8
United AutomobileS1–S2AHN 901B–AHN 902BSULbus2
United AutomobileS3–S5CHN 3C–CHN 5CSULbus3
United Counties300–303HRP 300D–HRP 303DSULbus4
United Counties304–305JNV 304D–JNV 305DSULbus2
United Welsh10–11752 BWN–753 BWNSULcoach2
West YorkshireSMA01SMA1–SMA6807 BWR–812 BWRSULbus6
York-West YorkshireSMA07YSMA7–YSMA12859 DYG–864 DYGSULbus6
West YorkshireSMA13–SMA18EWT 382C–EWT 387CSULbus6

The original operators generally kept their SUs running until the 1970s, afterwards selling many of them to independent operators such as Guernsey Motors. The last one in regular service was 280 KTA which was operated by the Tillingbourne Bus Company until May 2000.

Preservation

16 Bristol SUs are known to be in preservation: 3 SUS, 6 SUL buses and 7 SUL coaches, although some of the later had their bodies modified in service to make them suitable for operating bus services. The SUL buses include EWT 386C, the Perkins-engined example. 416 HDV was driven from the United Kingdom to India. It then returned to the UK and was then taken to USA and Canada before being sold to a preservationist in Mexico.
Chassis numberRegistrationModelBodyOriginal identityCurrent identity
157.004672 CODSUSbusWestern National 600Western National 600
157.007675 CODSUSbusWestern National 603Western National 603
157.109336 EDVSULcoachWestern National 402Western National 1202
157.025338 EDVSULbusWestern National 624Western National 624
190.012416 HDVSULbusWestern National 647Western National 647
190.033270 KTASULcoachWestern National 420Western National 420
190.036271 KTASULcoachWestern National 421Ashtree Coaches 10
190.037286 KTASULcoachWestern National 434Delta Tours 154
190.041274 KTASULcoachWestern National 424Western National 1224
190.042275 KTASULcoachWestern National 425Western National 425
190.047280 KTASULcoachWestern National 430Western National 1230
190.050862 RAESUSbusBristol Omnibus 301Bristol Omnibus 301
190.056811 BWRSULbusWest Yorkshire SMA05West Yorkshire SMA5West Yorkshire SMA5
226.012EWT 386CSULbusWest Yorkshire SMA17Thornes 71
226.022BDV 252CSULbusWestern National 671Western National 671
234.018EDV 555DSULbusSouthern National 692Western National 692

At least five other Southern and Western National SULs survive, most of which have been converted to motor homes: buses 341 EDV, 351 EDV and EDV 531D; coaches 925 GUO and 276 KTA.