This picture of a Stockton Corporation Leyland PD2 takes me back to the late 1960s when I was working as an electrician for Teesside Municipal Transport. Conductors and conductresses were being phased out at that time as the ‘Back Loader’ buses were being replaced with Leyland Atlanteans for ‘One Man Operation’.
The electric shop had five staff members, a foreman, a chargehand, an electrician, an apprentice and a labourer. I was the electrician and one of the jobs I dreaded was trudging around the ice encrusted depot yard on Portrack Lane, dragging a trolley loaded with batteries and jump starting these grand old buses in time for the works and school runs.
Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I was an apprentice electrician and started in 1968, Charlie Betts was the engineer then. He was the former Chargehand Electrician and responsible for the design of the Christmas Bus,electric gadgetry. Jimmy Hudson was the Chargehand fitter and then later Brian Dargie.
I can also remember with dread all those frosty mornings getting busses started with the heavy battery trolley, Mr Cotterill would be there to help us meet the morning demand out in the freezing cold. Bryan Archer
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Hello Bryan
I don’t think you will remember me but you are the apprentice I mentioned in my original posting, I worked at the garage for about 10 months from 1969 to 1970, I couldn’t live with the bad feeling between Bill Bangs and Maurice, they sat at opposite ends of the big bench and barely spoke to each other, you were a breath of fresh air with your daft jokes about toothless budgies and Fairy Liquid, besides Northern Dairies were paying ten bob more a week and in those halcyon days you could change your job at the drop of a hat.
I stayed in the auto trade for another 15 years then went back to being a maintenance electrician in a factory until I retired.
Bruce Coleman
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Good to see photos of the old Pd2’s. I am Eddie Todd (edtodd) and I served my App as a Fitter from 1962 to 1966 when Roy Cotteral was Engineer and Tug Wilson was the Manager. I think the name of the Clippie on the right is Susan Read. (Her father was Chief Inspector). Sometimes I remember nick names such as ‘Dargie”, ‘Beat, Dead’ who smacked me on the face accidentally with a 6 foot iron bar and I needed 6 stitches. Big Chey or Shi -( he looked like Clint Walker), Mick and Uggy the labourers, Jimmy Hudson, Eddie Rose (Big Ed – I was known as Little Ed).
I went on to become Engineering Director at Yellow Buses in Bournemouth and in 1987 migrated to Australia for the sun and great lifestyle. Now enjoying retirement of course. Its great to wander down memory lane so thanks for posting the photo. I would love to hear from my old acquaintances and you can get me on hotmail.com if you try Eddie Todd
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I worked there 63-77 in the panel shop under Jack Burton (kipper Jack).
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Peter Beaston was a fitter there.
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Anyone remember my father, Jack Parvin?. He was a driver at that time too.
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Yes I remember Jack he was a driver when I was driving, lovely man.
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Thanks for the comment about my father, Robbie
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Hiya all ex Stockton Corp. Transport employees! Thanks to Eddie Todd for his memories of happy days, he was known by me as “our lad”, and I believe he served part of his apprenticeship under me. For his information Brian Dargie is well and living in Scarborough. Big Cheyenne was a fitter named Harry Alexander, who worked with Bob Johnson in the brake corner of number 1 garage. Roy Cotterril has recently passed away, leaving us with many amusing memories, indeed many of the old boys have gone to that big bus depot in the sky. Beat- ( real name Brian Dunn) is still knocking about, and David (.Benny) Jordan has I believe recently retired from the Fire Service. I myself have long since retired, no more changing back springs in a cold dark pit, but I am very fit and active. My old stand-by partner Jimmy Hudson retired to Whitby many years ago and I am sure has also passed on. Any of the old boys wanting to get in touch, please do so. It would be a pleasure to correspond with you all.
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Hi Eddie, shall we move forward to those heady post-deregulation days after 26th October, 1986 (was it really 30 years ago) that really is a subject containing many characters and you were a major part of the Delta story!
Gordon Robson.
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Does anyone know the name which was painted on the bus which was in white? I believe it was the name of who was the chief engineer.
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Yes I believe the name written on the side of the Bus was that of the Transport Engineer at the time who I think in that era was a Mr W.C. Wilson.
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