BR road vehicle query

[BVW]

I was unsure where to post this so I crave the site admins' indulgence if this is in the wrong forum. In March 1959 British Railways received a 'mobile lab' based on a Bedford RLH lorry fitted out by Eastern Coach Works at Lowestoft which was registered 215 HRO with BR stock number 1033S. Would anybody out there have further details of it, or even better any photos please? I've tried searching online but being a self-confessed bus man over rail (I know, heresy) it's fair to say that I might not know the right places to look.

 

[Beebman]

I've just taken a look at my copy of 'ECW Buses and Coaches' by Alan Witton (published in 1989 by Capital Transport) and while there's no photo of the vehicle it does get mentioned as being registered 215 HRO with BR number 1033S as stated - however the chassis manufacturer is given as ERF and not Bedford. (Hope that might help a little?)

 

[GusB]

215HRO is listed on buslistsontheweb.co.uk and has the chassis as a Bedford RH (Chassis no 28597).

The site doesn't show links to results pages, unfortunately, but it's easy enough to find using the search facility.

 

[Beebman]

I've found an entry for the vehicle in the London Transport Service Vehicles site which also includes BR service vehicles and it confirms that it was a Bedford RLH (I've no idea why the Alan Witton ECW book claims it to be an ERF). This link should hopefully go straight to the entry:

https://www.ltsv.com/rrv/vehicle_detail.php?id=7907

 

[Western Lord]

There is a photograph of this vehicle on page 104 of "Eastern Coach Works 1946-1965" by Maurice Doggett and Alan Townsin (Venture Publications, 1993). The caption says it was numbered 1035S, but the photo clearly shows it was 1033S, and it was definitely a Bedford RLH, 215 HRO.

 

[BVW]

Thank you all for your assistance. It was while looking up the ECW-bodied Bedford VAMs on Bus Lists On The Web where 215 HRO piqued my curiosity, as it spent the first eight years of its life as the only Bedford/ECW in existence. I then double checked the relevant PSV Circle body list to ascertain the details. The book references were especially useful. On seeing the photo in the ECW 1946-1965 book the appearance is akin to a horsebox attached to the somewhat bulbous looking Bedford RLH chassis/cab.