Edinburgh's Transport - Gas-powered buses during World War 2

Alex Dow

Thank you to Alex Dow, Fife, Scotland, who wrote:

Eastern side of Central Garage

facing onto

Annandale Street

"My main memory of gas-powered buses in Edinburgh is of the trailers - several, probably twenty to thirty, parked outside the Central Garage in Annandale Street, at the southern, wider end of the concourse or outside parking lot in front of some of the offices. (This may have been post-war in an attempted revival due to fuel shortages.)

Central Garage - 2004

At that time, looking on that frontage, the gas trailers would be to the left in front of some offices, then the large doorway used as the Bus Exit for going out on route, the middle block of offices with the normal door in the middle where the Conductors checked in their way-bills, cash and ticket machines. The other large door which was rarely opened, came next followed by some offices and work rooms. That is at the Green Street end."

At the narrow, Green Street, end of that concourse, there were generally parked old buses with their engines removed and painted all-over madder or maroon. These were used as mobile workmen's huts when road and tram-line repairs were carried out. At that time, some of these still had the old front entrance arrangements, with the rear platform permanently enclosed for tool storage etc."

Northern side of Central Garage

facing onto

Green Street

Along Green Street were several intermediate-sized double-doors, often being opened for ventilation. Between those doors were railed-off "garden areas", remnants of when the garage had been built as the Industrial Exhibition Hall, hence the fancy cupola towards the front end.

The first Green Street door area was where the brake shoes were repaired by "Big Tam", the linings being ripped off, old rivets removed, shoes cleaned then new linings riveted on, followed by filing around the edges to chamfer the linings.

The second door was where more general repairs were carried out, with pits and lifting tackle available. To the right inside was the Foremen's Offices, big circular time punch clocks etc.

The other one or two of those doors were very rarely opened; and if memory serves me correctly, there were no pits.

At the far or school end of Green street, there was another large Entrance Door for buses coming off-route. Those buses would travel along Green Street from Annandale Street on the "wrong-side" so that they could turn into that door more easily. Inside above it, was the Fuel Control Room, with a tight, metal turnpike stairway up at the school end of the big door and a Fireman's Pole at the other side for fast escapes in the event of fire."

Inside the Garage

"About two to three bus lengths inside from there were the fuel-delivery hoses. Four were diesel for most of the fleet; but the left-hand one looking down from the room was petrol for mainly the Bedford Duple Tour buses/coaches.

Each bus had its Fleet Number painted in large characters on its roof:

Axx = Single Decker Diesels
Gxx = Double Decker Diesels
Xxx = Single Decker Petrol, mainly Bedford Chassis with Duple bodywork on tours, post-war from Waverley Bridge.

Tours from Waverley Bridge

The Duty Fueller sat in the room overlooking the buses as they pulled up at the respective available hose, noting the fleet number, gallons to fill and time on large sheets.

The bulk fuel was delivered to underground tanks at the Bowser Island in the middle of the concourse at the Annandale Street end, so it was pumped initially underground then overhead to the far end of the garage to the hoses."

Alex Dow, Fife, Scotland, December 5+6, 2006