Foden Buses

PVRF6

Only 5 Foden buses came to New Zealand. These were imported supplied to Whenuapai Bus Co Ltd between 1953 and 1955. All were equiped with Hawke B42+13F bodies. The buses were purchased for the Kelston service begun when Transport Bus Services collapsed in 1953. When this service was lost in 1958 to ABC the Fodens were sold to City Bus Service in Napier. The fleet remained together throughout their years as public service vehicles passing to Hawkes Bay Motor Co when they purchased City Bus Service.

These were rear-engined buses with Foden 6-cylinder two-stroke diesels and did not do well with Whenuapai Bus Co. After only 10,000 miles each of the Fodens was found to be suffering from severe overheating, which had resulted in considerable damage to valves, bell housings and gearboxes. The cost of spare parts was very high, and the amount of time that the Fodens spent out of traffic placed severe strain on the remaining-vehicles. The problem was referred to the Foden plant in the UK, and after their construction of a 'mock-up' at the factory it was found that a two inch movement of the radiator fan during bodybuilding had reduced the engine cooling by 65 %. Once this was established the buses were overhauled, with the fan being moved to a more efficient position, and the troubles ceased.

Given the problems Whenuapai Bus Co experienced with servicing the much simpler Ford diesel motors fitted to some of the V8s the Foden diesels seem a very complex bus for Whenuapai Bus Co to have chosen.

The buses on this site are actively tracked. The last registration record search was 20 March 2010

#	Chassis Nbr/VIN	Year	Original Reg	Later Owner	#	Later Reg	Date	Comments
19	33806	27/12/1953	P.697	City Bus Service, Napier	19	P.1069	1958
				Hawkes Bay Motor Co Ltd, Napier	C1	EN6948	1962
				Hilary Bruce, Auckland		EN6948	28/11/78	Movan; re-reg OH9526
				?, Raetihi		OH9526	1990	Movan
20	33808	23/12/1953	P.698	City Bus Service, Napier	20	P.1070	1958
				Hawkes Bay Motor Co Ltd, Napier	C2	EN6950	1962
				G Stothers, Napier		EN8872	19/12/74	Movan
				P S Free, Papamoa		SW7534	26/10/94	Movan; VIN 7A86E061094033808
				C P Free, Papamoa		SW7534	24/2/04	Movan
				W A & M L McCormack, Tokoroa		SW7534	27/11/07	Movan
				A M Wilson & G V Tukiwaho, Pukekohe		SW7534	4/7/08	Movan; reg on hold 08
21	33854	22/7/1954	P.699	City Bus Service, Napier	21	P.1071	27/6/58
				Hawkes Bay Motor Co Ltd, Napier	C3	EN6951	1962
				Alan Jones, Napier		EN6951	11/6/80	Movan
				S C McCarthy, Napier		EN6951	23/12/91	Movan
				registration lapsed			29/6/96
22	33866	10/2/1955	P.700	City Bus Service, Napier	22	P.1072	1958
				Hawkes Bay Motor Co Ltd, Napier	C4	EN6949	1962
				?, Tarawera		EN6949	1978	Movan
				Rueben Chapman, Taupo		EN6949	?	Movan. At Taupo Tip
				?, Waiohiki, Hawkes Bay		EN6949	?	photographed 2007
23	33864	4/5/1955	P.755	City Bus Service, Napier	23	P.1073	1958
				Hawkes Bay Motor Co Ltd, Napier	C5	EN6952	1962
				J Morrison		EN6952	?	Movan
				G A Ellis, Napier		RU8855	2/3/93	Movan
				N T & S M Gray, Waiohiki, Napier		RU8855	15/4/94	Movan
				S M Gray, Marewa, Napier		RU8855	5/7/01	Movan; Reg on hold 01

Last updated 20 March 2010