Harrington Legionnaire
Encyclopedia
The Harrington Legionnaire was an 11 metres (36 ft) passenger coach
body built by Thomas Harrington Ltd
in Hove
, Sussex
between 1963 and 1965. It was built on three-axle Bedford VAL
, two-axle Ford Thames 570E and two specials on Guy Victory trambus chassis.
The design was never a success, and very few were built.
At the rear the illuminated nameboard was inside the rear glass and this was fitted the other way about to the front, meaning the first and last pillars had a pronounced forward rake to them whilst all the others were vertical. The Cantrail was flat above it was a roof section of very shallow curvature.
The Mark 2 which followed in 1964 for the final two seasons omitted this flat cantrail and had a roof of compound curvature, which reduced the tall square effect of the original but reduced space in the overhead luggage racks.
, 'ALR 453B', new in April 1964 to Batten of London.
For use in the film, it was modified to reinforce the bulkhead behind the driver's seat, to allow for the Mini Cooper S getaway cars to be driven into the bus safely. Even though, there was still enough force to in the event push the driver into the steering wheel
.
True to the film story, the destination displays on the coach showed London-Turin, and then the opposite during the film, and also displays 'Charlie Croker's Coach Tours' logos on the rear and both flanks, a reference to one of the film's characters.
After the film, this coach went back to coaching, mostly in Scotland
, before being scrapped in the 1990s.
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
body built by Thomas Harrington Ltd
Thomas Harrington Ltd
Thomas Harrington & Sons Ltd was a coachbuilder in the county of Sussex from 1897 until 1966, initially at Brighton but from 1930 until the end in a purpose built Art Deco factory at Old Shoreham Road, Hove.-Overview:The company began with the construction of horse-drawn carriages...
in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
between 1963 and 1965. It was built on three-axle Bedford VAL
Bedford VAL
The Bedford VAL was a type of coach chassis built by Bedford Vehicles in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. It was unusual at the time for its multi-axle design, in a "chinese six" wheelplan, i.e. with two front steering axles....
, two-axle Ford Thames 570E and two specials on Guy Victory trambus chassis.
The design was never a success, and very few were built.
Design
The Harrington Legionnaire was a square-rigged body with straight waistrail and five deep windows per side. It also differed from the Harrington Cavalier and Harrington Grenadier by having plated window surrounds, there was a large brightwork grille and twin headlights, a Harrington Grenadier-style front windscreen was used with a similar sized one at the rear. Above the windscreen was a destination box of illuminated nameboard and above that a prominent peak.At the rear the illuminated nameboard was inside the rear glass and this was fitted the other way about to the front, meaning the first and last pillars had a pronounced forward rake to them whilst all the others were vertical. The Cantrail was flat above it was a roof section of very shallow curvature.
The Mark 2 which followed in 1964 for the final two seasons omitted this flat cantrail and had a roof of compound curvature, which reduced the tall square effect of the original but reduced space in the overhead luggage racks.
Italian Job
The Harrington was famously featured in the 1969 film, The Italian JobThe Italian Job
The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
, 'ALR 453B', new in April 1964 to Batten of London.
For use in the film, it was modified to reinforce the bulkhead behind the driver's seat, to allow for the Mini Cooper S getaway cars to be driven into the bus safely. Even though, there was still enough force to in the event push the driver into the steering wheel
Steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
.
True to the film story, the destination displays on the coach showed London-Turin, and then the opposite during the film, and also displays 'Charlie Croker's Coach Tours' logos on the rear and both flanks, a reference to one of the film's characters.
After the film, this coach went back to coaching, mostly in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, before being scrapped in the 1990s.