This vehicle was built in 1939 for the War
Department as a gun tractor, no information is known about its Army service but
we know that by 1968 it had been demobbed and acquired by Rotherham Corporation
for use as a recovery vehicle.
Although the Harvey frost crane was transferred
from the old recovery vehicle replacement of the body was needed, so it was
heavily rebuilt to provide a workshop and lockers for equipment by Eastwood
based Mellor and Fearn Ltd.
The Matador never carried a fleetnumber under RCT
ownership and as was often the case back then ran on trade plates (195 ET). It
would carry on until SYPTE had taken control of the operation in 1974 and was
numbered R50. It was renumbered again to M50 in 1977 and survived until 1988,
still retaining its RCT livery minus its fleetnames.
It was sold, engineless along with the other 3 SYT
matadors to Isle Coaches of Owston Ferry who eventually sold all on. M50 found
another home in the South of England with an owner that fitted another engine
and got it back on the road.
It appears to have had a couple of preservationist
owners from 1988 until purchase by the current owner in 2005. Since then it has
had a comprehensive restoration and although not yet completely finished, was
put back on the road in 2014.
Mr D.Sentance
