April 6th 2020: From the archives... 41 years ago

6/4/2020

Was it really 41 years ago that the last half-cab buses were retired from service with the West Midlands PTE.
Yes, i was August 28th 1979 when the last half-cab buses, Daimler CVGs with Metro Cammell bodies, operated for the last time with the PTE. The location was Coventry and buses 327Y and 333Y ran morning peak services before running into Harnall Lane garage for the last time. Conductor operation in Coventry carried on for a few more weeks coming to an end on September 14th, whilst the final conductor operation within the WMPTE, in the North Division, finished on December 13th of that year.
In a fitting tribute 333Y was pulled into Harnall Lane, through the garage exit, by drivers, conductors and engineers after finishing service on August 28th.

A few days earlier on Sunday August 19th, whilst working for the PTE, with a small number of colleagues I was able to borrow 333Y for a afternoon's jaunt around Coventry, Bedworth and the obligatory visit to Nuneaton. We even did own own 'pulling the bus' into the garage after spending some time searching the garage for a suitable rope!