What a beautiful photograph! I think the vehicles are as follows (left to right):
Two Foden steam lorries which seem to be registered M 858 and M 836.
The next two look like single-deck omnibuses, probably bought secondhand from London, judging by their registration numbers.
The last two are similar omnibuses, but double-deck. The registration numbers might be "LC" followed by three numbers.
Although they often appear in photos, the LNWR didn't have many double-deckers and they were all allocated to Watford, Brownhills, Mold or Llandudno Junction. North Wales had exclusively CommerCars by 1914, with Milnes-Daimler, Leyland and Daimler at the other depots.
CommerCar really only got going after about 1907 and their radiator was described by one contemporary magazine as being "like a Milnes-Daimler", which makes identification of photographs very difficult, especially as the LNWR bought some very similar double-deck buses from each of them! In 1911 the CommerCar radiator shape was changed from "the angular type to a simple transition curve".
Whilst I am no expert, I believe these to be post-1911 CommerCars, even though the drilled cross-member in front of the radiator is rather Leyland-ish. I also believe that fits with their being bought secondhand from the L.G.O.C.
The photograph cannot be after 1914 as passenger services were suspended in that year and after the War the LNWR Motor Department concentrated on goods and parcels vehicles. If I am correct about them being CommerCars, then the date is 1911-1914. |