Medway lineup no.1

[Derek Jones]

A location that will be familiar to some but completely unknown to others.

Part 1 of this question is, where is it?

Part 2 - the four vehicles seen here are Bristol K towing vehicle GKE 65 alongside three Weymann-bodied Guy Arab IVs.

Apart from being newer, what else makes VKO 998/9 different from the other two vehicles?

Derek J

[adam williams]

My immediate guess would be Luton garage forecourt?

As for what makes them different, were they diverted from another operator, and so their interior is different?

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/adam

[Ian Robertson]

The VKO batch of Arabs was ordered, but never operated, by Chatham & District.

[DerekJ]

Well done Adam, definitely Luton depot forecourt - the 1902 date on the building behind was when the Chatham Tramway system opened.

And the VKO Guys were ordered for Chatham & District but delivered direct to M&D in December 1955, a couple of months after the C&D fleet was taken over, so yes, they were indeed a diverted order, but to what extent their interiors differed I will have to leave to local experts to tell us.

I should also correct my earlier statement about GKE 65, which was a breakdown lorry but not a towing vehicle.

I seem to be needing a holiday!

Derek J

On Monday, 22 December 2025 at 22:13:18 UTC adam williams wrote:

[Ian Robertson]

I can not remember whether their interiors were any different to the earlier batches, but I do recall that the vehicles in one of the batches had a noticeably more audible 'bark' to the rasp of their exhaust and think that was the VKOs.

[Richard Ratcliffe]

"Answers on a postcard"

The RKK/TKM Arabs delivered to C&D had H32/26R bodywork whereas the VKO batch delivered after the takeover had H32/28R bodies.

Re the "Line up" this was the yard at Luton depot.  Nice inclusion of GKE65 which, now in the ownership of the Friends of Chatham Traction, returned to Kent on 26/11/25 from storage in a farm barn near St Neots.  Currently stored in a secure dry farm barn.

Ratty

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From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ian Robertson <ian...@outlook.com>
Sent: 22 December 2025 22:34
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Subject: Re: [Invicta] Medway lineup no.1

 

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[Richard Ratcliffe]

Derek's recognition and focus on the charm of a nice line up of similar vehicles made me think, somewhat improbably of Nu-Venture and a much more recent generation than "Chatham Guys"    When the Club visited NV's Aylesford depot in May 2024 -mainly to look at GKE68 - the company had lined up a very neat row of Alexander Dennis E200's on an adjacent part of the Deacon Industrial Estate.   Funny how the diverse and interesting individual vehicles in the Nu Venture fleet in years past had morphed into standardisation mode!   Nice line up though!

Ratty

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Sent: 23 December 2025 10:11
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[Nicholas King]

It’s never been established satisfactorily why Guy Arabs were ordered for Chatham rather than Leyland Titans, as in the main M&D fleet.

                Some believe the Guys were felt to be better at tackling the Medway hills.  Others say it was because delivery times on Leylands were too long at this stage, with the elderly pre-war Bristols needing urgent replacement.

                (Note that the next double-deck orders for the main M&D fleet were AEC Regent Vs.)

                Comments, anyone?

 

Nicholas King

 

From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Richard Ratcliffe

Sent: 23 December 2025 10:11

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[Richard Ratcliffe]

When I was a young bus enthusiast in the 50's my Dad was a pal of the Chief Engineer Mr J D Awde.  I recall a conversation (and this IS stretching the memory) where he was complaining about long delivery times from Leyland.  So far as the hill climbing abilities of 6 cylinder Guys in concerned it was really a "no contest" as the routes had been covered for all those years since 1939 by 5 cylinder Gardners of the GKE batch and followers.  I'd back the delivery time argument.

RR

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Sent: 08 January 2026 17:03
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Subject: RE: [Invicta] Medway lineup no.1

 

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