Difference between SB3 and J4

[system improver]

I'm currently preparing a history of Parlorcars (1931-1967) for the Xmas Special of Australian Bus Panorama

The late John Masterton prepared a fleet list on which he notes two Freighter bodied Bedfords being on the J4 chassis rather than the SB3 chassis from 1964. There were also Freighter bodied Bedford SB3 coaches in the Parlorcars fleet.

The question is whether the J4 classification is correct (there must have been a reason John said J4) ? I have attached a photo of one of the coaches in question, this one initially operated on Sydney day tours and the other operated in Tasmania.

[boronia]

The J4 Bedford was a 4 ton normal control truck chassis.

While some J series chassis were converted for small bus use, it seems strange that an operator would go the trouble of extending a chassis and converting the front end for a bus this size.

Do you have a photo of the J4, that might be more telling?

[mousey]

I'd tend to agree with that, I think the answer is in the wheels, I've never seen a J-series truck fitted with the wheel nut covers, so if it was a J4 those were added from the SB parts bin as well!

Mousey

[Denv12]

What a great photo.Colour too.I havent seen one of those for years.Here's one ex Centralian Tours Bedford.

[system improver]

This would have been one of the former Parlorcars Bedfords, eventually taken over by Centralian (via Panther - which accounts for the livery). Interestingly, it has full slider windows which indicates that it would have been on northern or central Australian work. My only concern about calling these coaches the "SB3", is whether they were altered in some way to give then more "grunt" in outback conditions.

[boronia]

The J4 Bedford was a 4 ton normal control truck chassis.

Just looking through some old Bedford brochures, there was no J4 model listed, they went from J1, J2, J3 then J5 and J6.

There was a D4 in the previous model range.