The History of the Bristol L

Home History Specification Survivors Fleet No Chassis No Operators Contractors Organisations Mobile Homes What's New

The Bristol L was built by Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company Limited and fitted with the following bodies: Allwyn, Beadle, Bristol, Brock, Bruce, Brush, Burlingham, Craven, Duple, Dutfield, East Lancs, ECW, Harrington, Margham, Mckenzies, Mumford, OJG, Park Royal, PKG, Portsmouth Aviation, Roe, Silcox, Simpson, Strachan, Transvaal Motor Body Builders, VIN, Weymann, Willowbrook, Windover, W-O and Yeates

The L was produced between 1938 and 1954.

There were various types of L's developed:

Bus B25R, B32F, B31R, B32D, B32F, B32R, B33D, B33F, B34F, B34R, B35D, B36F, B36R, B38R, B39F, B39R, B40F, B41F & B47F
Coach C24F, C26F, C27R, C28F, C30F, C30R, C31R, C31C, C31F, C31R. C32F. C32R. C33F. C35F. C37F
  Dual Purpose DP31R, DP32R, DP33R, DP35F, DP36R, DP39F, DP41F  

They were powered by:

AEC 6 Cylinder
Bristol 6 Cylinder
  Gardner 4, 5 or 6 Cylinders (HHT 459 & HHT 460 were fitted with Gas Producer Units from new)  

There were 3289 Bristol L's built. The Ls were delivered to the following operators:

    Operator No of Vehicles  
  Aberdare Corporation 1  
  Aberdare UDC 8  
  Albertville 4  
  Amalgamated 1  
  Angel American 1  
  Bantu 10  
  Benoni Municipality 19  
  Black & White 35  
  Bristol Tramways 326  
  Bryn Melyn 1  
  Caledonian 14  
  Consolidated Diamond Mines 1  
  Crosville 293  
  Doncaster Corporation 7  
  Dodds 3  
  East Midland 5  
  Eastern Counties 278  
  Eastern National 136  
  Edinburgh Corporation 16  
  Electric Supply Commission 1  
  Ferndale 1  
  Germiston Municipality 9  
  Graham 2  
  Greyhound Bus Lines 15  
  Hants & Dorset 109  
  Hoover 1  
  Hyderabad State Railway 100  
  Lincolnshire 60  
  Luanshaywa 1  
  Mahilals 1  
  Maidstone & District 34  
  Medwood 1  
  Merthyr Tydfil Corporation 6  
  Mothle 1  
  North Western 268  
  Penguin Bus Service 1  
  Pontypridd 9  
  G Ramporsaad 1  
  Roodepoort 2  
  Rotherham Corporation 60  
  Silcox 11  
  Southern National 89  
  Southern Vectis 46  
  Soveriegn 2  
  Springs 12  
  St Helens 8  
  Stuttafords 1  
  Sydenham 1  
  Thames Valley 113  
  Thatcher, Hobson & Co 8  
  Tilling 10  
  Tuckers 1  
  Unidentified South African vehicles 2  
  United Automobile 574  
  United Counties 104  
  Vaal Transport 21  
  Van Zyl's 3  
  West Yorkshire 241  
  Westcliff-on-Sea 7  
  Western National 157  
  Western Welsh 1  
  Wilts & Dorset 36