A Fleet History of 

West Yorkshire Road Car Company Ltd.

Part 1 (1906 - 1953)

From humble beginnings in 1906 operating a single steam bus in Harrogate, this operator became one of the largest regional operators in the north of England, with a fleet of over 500 vehicles at its peak. The fleet expanded considerably with the creation of joint operations in both Keighley and York, which absorbed the former municipally run vehicles and services.

In pre-war days the fleet contained vehicles from a myriad of manufacturers, most of which entered the fleet through acquisition of a variety of small operators as the company expanded. These were progressively replaced by vehicles of Bristol/ECW manufacture.

This fleet history is the first of two covering the period from 1906 to 1953, and is to be followed by Part 2 dealing with the period from 1954 through to the division of the company in the post-NBC era.