The Southern Vectis Unofficial Bus Enthusiasts' Website
Vehicle Type Codes
 
Body Type
eg. B45F or H33/27R		 Destination Screen
eg. two-aperture type "T"		 Bristol Chassis
eg. FLF6G
 
Body Type Codes
You will find a code-word under Type on the vehicle pages which may cause some confusion to those not familiar with buses or coaches which describe the Body Type, Seating Capacity & Door Position. This is what the code means:
 

The first part (or prefix) is either one, or two, letters which donates the BODY TYPE:
(examples: B45F, H33/27R)
A Articulated
B Single-deck Bus
C Coach
CO Convertible open-top
DP Dual purpose, usually coach seats in a bus shell
F Full Fronted, where this type is normally Half Cab/exposed radiator.
H Double-decker with highbridge layout, regardless of overall height (ie. with centre gangway on the upper deck).
L Lowbridge double-decker (ie. with side sunken gangway upstairs. All other types, with conventional gangways are H (highbridge) regardless of overall height)
O Open-top
 

The next part consists of either one, or two, sets of numbers which denotes the SEATING CAPACITY:
(examples: B45F, H33/27R)
For double-deckers this is shown with the upper-deck capacity first, eg. 33/27, indicating 33 over 27 (or 33 seats upstairs and 27 seats downstairs).
 

The last part (or suffix) of the code-word denotes the DOOR POSITION:
(examples: B45F, H33/27R)
C Centre
D Dual Doors (normally Front and Centre)
F Front
R Rear
A second letter may also be shown after the door position:
a NUMBER after the door indicates the body-width in feet (where this differs from the normal width).
D after the door indicates that platform doors are fitted (ie. doors that are not power assisted) where these would not normally feature, usually on rear entrance buses.
L after the door indicates that a wheelchair lift is fitted.
O after the door indicates an open staircase to the upper deck (ie. staircase outside the bus).
t after the door indicates the provision of a toilet.
 
Destination Screen Codes
Some of the vehicle pages contain a reference to the type of Destination Screens fitted (otherwise known as Destination Blinds or Route Indicators). The code indicates the type of layout of these screens and are best described by means of photographic illustration:
Single-aperture type A
on vehicles built 1928 to date

 Two-aperture Type AN
on Bristol L built 1938 to 1940
(rear only)

A thinner version of type B
(same width, thinner height)		 Two-aperture type B
on vehicles built 1935 to 1940
Three-aperture type C
on vehicles built 1936 and 1946

 Two-aperture type D
on vehicles built 1947 to 1950

 Two-aperture type D2
on vehicles acquired from
Brighton, Hove & District
Three-aperture type E
on vehicles on loan from
Wilts & Dorset during 1950-1951
 Three-aperture type F
on vehicles built 1950 to 1954

 Two-aperture type T
on vehicles built 1955 to 1967
Two-aperture type G
on vehicles built 1963 to 1968

 Two-aperture type H
on vehicles built 1969 to 1975

 Two-aperture type J
on vehicles built 1947 to 1958
(some coaches)
 

Bristol Chassis & Engine Codes (March 1931 - 1982)
Bristol bus & coach chassis were given type codes (rather than names) which comprise three parts to describe the Chassis Type, Number of Engine Cylinders & Engine Make.

The first part (or prefix) are letters which donates the CHASSIS TYPE:
(examples: K5B, FLF6G)
Code Abbreviation For Length Width Standard
Seating		 Production
Years		 Replacement
for		 Replaced
by
B45 Leyland Olympian            
FL Flat floor
Long length		 30' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 H70R 1960-1962 Bristol LDL Bristol FLF
FLF Flat floor
Long length
Forward entrance		 30' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 H38/32R 1960-1968 n/a Bristol VRT/SL
Also 179 type H42/36F 31' 1" models were built with extended rear overhangs Bristol VRT/LL
FS Flat floor
Short length		 27' 4" 8' 0"
2.4m		 H33/27R 1960-1966 Bristol LD n/a
FSF Flat floor
Short length
Forward entrance		 27' 6" 8' 0"
2.4m		 H33/27R 1960-1962 n/a n/a
G G type Buse Double Decker     H30/26R 1932-1937 n/a Bristol K
H H type Single Decker     Single 1932-1937 n/a  
HA Heavy
Arctic		 Heavy Goods Vehicle Tractor unit built 1952-1964
for British Road Services Ltd. and its constituents
HG Heavy
Goods		 Heavy Goods Vehicle rigid 8-wheeler unit built 1952-1964
for British Road Services Ltd. and its constituents
J J type Single Decker     B35R 1932-1937 n/a Bristol L
K K type Bus Double Decker 26' 0" 7' 6" pre-war
H30/26R
post-war
H27/28R		 1937- Bristol G Bristol KS
KS K type Decker
Short length		 27' 0" 7' 6" L27/28R 1950- Bristol K Bristol KSW
Although designated Short there was never a Long version of the KS & KSW types
KSW K type Decker
Short length
Wide width		 27' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 L27/28R 1951-1957 Bristol KS Bristol LD
L L type Single Decker   7' 6" B35R 1937-1954 Bristol J Bristol SC
LL L type
Long length		 30' 0" 7' 6" B39R -1954 n/a Bristol LS
LWL L type
Wide width
Long length		   8' 0"
2.4m		 C37F -1954 n/a Bristol LS
LD LoDekka or
Lowheight
Double Decker		 27' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 H33/27R or
H33/25R		 1954-1959
(to 1961 in
Scotland)		 Bristol KSW Bristol FS
LDL LoDekka
Long length		 30' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 Only six produced during 1957 and
one flat-floor prototype during 1958,
both types H70R		 Bristol FL
LDS LoDekka
Short length		 27' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 One flat-floor prototype built during
1958, type H33/27R		 Bristol FS
LDX LoDekka
EXperimental		 26' 0" 7' 6" Two prototypes built 1949
&1950 type H27/28R		 Bristol LD
LH Lightweight
Horizontal engine		 30' 1" 7' 6" or
8' 0"		 B45F or
C39F		 1968-1980 Bristol MW Leyland
Swift
LHS Lightweight
Horizontal engine
Short length		 26' 6" 7' 6" or
8' 0"		 B35F 1968-1982 Bristol SUL Leyland
Swift
24' 0" 7' 6" B26F 1968-1980 Bristol SUS  
LS Lightweight
Saloon		     B45F or
C39F		 1952-1958 Bristol LL Bristol MW
MD M type
Double Decker		   8' 0"
2.4m		 Prototype Double-Deck bus built in 1948,
production cancelled in favour of Lodekka
MS M type
Single Decker		   8' 0"
2.4m		 Prototype Single-Deck bus built in 1948
MW Medium
Weight saloon		 30' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 B45F 1958-1967 Bristol LS Bristol LH /
Bristol RESL
RELH Rear
Engine
Long length
High floor (Coach)		 36' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 C49F 1962-1975 n/a  
RELL Rear
Engine
Long length
Low floor (Bus)		 36' 0" 8' 0"
2.4m		 B53F 1962-1975 n/a Leyland
National
REMH Rear
Engine
Motorway
High floor (Coach)		 11.9m 8' 0"
2.4m		   1967-1975 n/a  
RESH Rear
Engine
Short length
High floor (Coach)		 32' 6" 8' 0"
2.4m		 C39F 1966-1975 Bristol MW  
RESL Rear
Engine
Short length
Low floor (Bus)		 32' 6" 8' 0"
2.4m		 B45F 1966-1975 Bristol MW Leyland
National
SC Small
Capacity		     B35F 1954-1960 Bristol L Bristol SU
SUS Small
Underfloor
Short length		 24' 3" 7' 6" B30F 1960-1966 Bedford OB Bristol LHS
SUL Small
Underfloor
Long length		 28' 2"
27' 10"		 7' 6" B36F
C33F		 1960-1966 Bristol SC Bristol LHS
VR Vertical
Rear engine		   8' 0"
2.4m		   VRT prototype built with
horizontal engine in 1966
VRT/LL Vertical
Rear &
Transverse engine
Long length
Low floor		     H43/35F   Bristol FLF
(H42/36F
31' 1"
type)		  
VRT/SL Vertical
Rear &
Transverse engine
Short length
Low floor		   8' 0"
2.4m		 H39/31F 1968-1981 Bristol FLF Leyland
Olympian
The next part consists of a number which denotes the NUMBER OF ENGINE CYLINDERS:
(examples: K5B, FLF6G which denote 5 and 6 cylinder engines respectively)
The last part (or suffix) of the code-word denotes the ENGINE MAKE/MANUFACTURER:
(examples: K5B, FLF6G)
Code Abbreviation For
A AEC (K & L type only) or Albion (SU type only)
B Bristol AVW or BVW
G Gardner
L Leyland
P Perkins
Note: The vehicle production part of Bristol became Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd. in 1955