A Mercedes-Benz O305 double decker bus in HK with Walter Alexander R body.

An SBS Transit Service 143 Volvo Olympian, built under the R type.

Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder based in Falkirk.

[edit] History

In 1922, the founder of the company, Walter Alexander, decided that it would be beneficial to make buses for his own bus company (Alexander's Motor Service), so he, with the help of his son, launched W. Alexander & Sons Limited.

In 1928, several of the major British railway companies bought into the Scottish Motor Traction Company Limited (SMT). Walter Alexander decided to sell his bodybuilding business to the SMT group in 1929, and through this action, received access to a vast supply of resources and services.

One of their early bodies, the "Alexander Bluebird", was launched in 1934. It set new standards for buses style and comfort.

In 1948, W. Alexander & Sons Limited was renamed Walter Alexander & Co (Coachbuilders) Limited.

In 1969, the company bought out Potters, a bodybuilder in Northern Ireland, and set up a subsidiary Walter Alexander & Co (Belfast) Limited.

The ownership of the company had been changed several times during 1990s, finally the company was bought by Mayflower Corporation PLC in 1995.

In 2001, it was incorporated into Transbus International. It is now part of Alexander Dennis.

[edit] Products

Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian, new to Dublin Bus in 1990, as owned by Nu-Venture in a centenary Maidstone Corporation Transport ochre livery

A Royale-bodied Volvo owned by Ensignbus.

Alexander Strider bodied Volvo B10B training bus of First Manchester

[edit] Railcars

• British Rail Class 143 - on underframes by Andrew Barclay
• British Rail Class 144 - on underframes by BREL

[edit] Double-deck buses

• A type and J type - double-deck body (for Atlantean/Fleetline) to 1972
• D type, K type and AD type (A for alloy) - lowheight double-deck body (mainly on Fleetline chassis)
• L type and AL type - double-deck body (for Atlantean/Fleetline/VR) from 1972
• AV type - double-deck body for Volvo Ailsa B55
• R type - including RH, RL, RV, RLC, RVC, RHS and Royale - post 1981 double deck body
• ALX series - including ALX400 & ALX500 - low-floor bodies
• CB type - for China Motor Bus
• KB type - for Kowloon Motor Bus
• LB type - for New Lantao Bus
• MB type - for Manila Bus
• SB type - for Singapore Bus Service

[edit] Single-deck buses and coaches

• Y type - including AY and AYS types (A for alloy)
• W type
• M type - Motorway coach for Scottish Bus Group Anglo-Scottish services
• T type - including AT, TS, TC, TE (A for alloy, S for stage, C for coach, E for express)
• P type
• PS type - development of P type, popular with Stagecoach and SBS Transit
• X type - built by Alexander (Belfast)
• N type - built by Alexander (Belfast)
• Q type - built by Alexander (Belfast)
• AF type (Strider) - for full-size rear-engined chassis
• AM type
  • Sprint - minibus body
  • Dash - midibus body (for Dennis Dart/Volvo B6)
• Ultra - Alexander (Belfast) version of Swedish Säffle body for the Volvo B10L
• ALX series
  • ALX100 - minibus
  • ALX200 - small low-floor single-deck
  • ALX300 - full-size low-floor single-deck

[edit] References

• Article from "The Falkirk Wheel"

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Walter Alexander Coachbuilders

• Alexander Dennis's official website