Dennis Falcon returns to Hampshire
[photos: Jon Jolliffe]
To many children Dennis is the name of a fire engine. Indeed Dennis Bros of Guildford have been building fire engines for many decades. Somewhat less well known, the firm also built buses for a similar length of time. Success in the bus market was intermittent until deregulation in the 1990's led to their lightweight Dart model succeeding the Leyland National as Britain's de facto standard single decker.
A rare 1950's single deck bus, a Dennis P5 Falcon, has just returned to service, taking part in the 2010 rallies at Farnham and Alton where a select group of passengers was able to sample rides. POR 428 was the last of a batch of eight small vehicles ordered by Aldershot & District Traction from their local chassis builder. Delivered in 1956 as fleet number 282, the bus is powered by a forward-mounted Gardner 4LK 3.8 litre diesel and 5-speed gearbox. She carries 26-seat Strachans aluminium bodywork designed for one person operation on quiet rural routes: a notable feature is the vacuum-powered sliding door. The Falcons pottered around the lanes of East Hampshire for nine years before being sold into further service on the Isle of Man until finally withdrawn in 1976.
It was not until 1997 that a small group of enthusiasts arranged her return to the mainland. Another 13 years passed as she was dismantled and refurbished to near-mint condition. (Road Traffic legislation inevitably means some compromises to be road-legal now). Cherished by the enthusiasts of the Medstead Vintage Omnibus Depot she is thought to be the only example of a Dennis Falcon to survive.
Read the full story of her restoration here.