When Northampton Corporation Transport’s twelve Daimler CWD6s entered service in May 1945 onwards the drivers couldn’t get enough of them. Fitted with Mk1 CD6 engines they were fast and smooth. But by the late 1950s the daily grind of plodding around the streets of Northampton had taken its toll, and anyway there were the bright new red Daimler CVG6 machines eagerly ready to take over. It was quite easy to identify which bus ‘took over’ from another as the adverts were transferred ‘en bloc’. JVV 211 fleet no211 took over from 129 the latter being despatched to Hunt’s scrap yard perhaps by that time limping over under its own steam to seek its retirement in one of the large barns where it slumbered for the next 32 years. No211 apparently lives on too in a German museum after withdrawal from the Northampton fleet in September 1980.

When no129’s engine finally found its way to Andy Russon’s Workshop it proved to be a non-runner, which was initially surprising as engines of vehicles driven into scrap yards normally start.  Examination showed that water ingress into cylinder number three made this impossible and in particular the crankshaft was badly worn, as were the big end and main bearings. Very fortunately the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society had held onto a CD6 engine that came with Colchester No 4 from the Coventry Transport Museum where the Colchester bus spent some time in the 1970s. The origins of this engine are unknown but the block bears the serial number 16685. The engine appeared to have been overhauled but it had run without water resulting in four of the six cylinders becoming seized.

The Daimler engine’s front main bearings are flanged rather than separate so modern bearings will not fit. So it was expected that the cylinder block would need to be bored out and white-metalled bronze bearings fitted. As it turned out very surprisingly The Coventry Boring & Metalling Co Ltd were able to re-white metal the seven existing pairs of main bearings that were then fettled, oil grooves machined, the bearings fitted to the block and adjusted for correct nip. The bearings were then line bored to suit the crankshaft donated by the Colchester spare CD6 engine. The crankshaft was then crack tested, polished and trial fitted. The camshaft was also polished.

The complete engine rebuild has been a series of highs and lows. Andy Russon reflected that most parts can be sourced and work done but often this relies on finding people who are prepared to take the time to pursue every avenue. In summary the most difficult hurdles crossed were getting the main bearings remetalled, sourcing the piston rings and locating the injector nozzles. Most Daimler engine valves tend to touch the pistons and there was evidence of this with both the Northampton and Colchester spare units. So it was necessary to measure the piston height and where appropriate skim the top off the pistons — another example of the rebuild being better than the original. This was the first Daimler engine that Andy had rebuilt and it presented him with many challenges right to the end. The Gardner engine became the standard in many fleets postwar, as they were very fuel efficient and long lasting. Northampton had only 12 CD6 units fleet numbers 128-39; the last bus no130 (VV 8992) heading off to a local breaker at Earls Barton in 1960.

But the engine rebuild is only part of the ongoing story. Back in Lincolnshire work continued with mechanical and body refurbishment taking their turn. No129 is indeed a great wartime survivor, which has defied the cutters torch and is moving some steps closer to getting back on the road.

I have been very fortunate in securing the services of such competent people to help it happen for me. This is just as well because as a non-technical person myself the Daimler Service Manual for Passenger Chassis makes frightening reading. David Howe is one of ‘the team’ that has displayed outstanding expertise in a number of areas notably overhauling the
master servo.