NFN 336 at Ashford (Station Road) c1967

[Derek Jones]

Still showing some of its brightwork as part of a batch of vehicles classified as dual-purpose, serving alternately in a coach role, as here, or as a bus as requirements changed either seasonally or as the vehicle aged, NFN 336 was part of the second batch of Beadle-bodied AEC Reliances dating from 1957, NFN 327-349 having joined MJG 285-300 slightly sooner than expected as they had been ordered for 1958 delivery but arrived early.

I experienced the last few of these vehicles in their final days up to withdrawal, MJG 286 at Canterbury probably being the last one I sampled before its withdrawal in 1974, and have to say I never found them as enjoyable to travel in as their (older) Weymann-bodied and (newer) Park Royal-bodied counterparts - the Beadle examples, though of course with bodies built in Kent (Beadle were at Dartford), always seemed rather mustier in their final days, perhaps it was just the type of upholstery with which they had been fitted.

Derek J