Our bus, a Bedford Duple 25, was collected in Blackpool at the Duple factory on June 7th 1969. It was then driven back to Edinburgh mostly by Jim Moyes who I think was the only person with a PSV licence at that time. KNK 358 G was christened Cuddles by Alastair Smith - he was our official mechanic having been on the course. Ali B volunteered as second mechanic after the first guy quit the expedition through illness. Don C had his PSV test in Cuddles around Sighthill in Edinburgh. Part of the test is the emergency stop. The inspector got up and walked back to look out the rear to make sure there was no-one behind then gave several quick beeps on the pushbutton bell. Don C was watching him and jammed on the anchors real quick! The inspector fell over and landed in the passage. He staggered back to the front seat muttering "F**king good brakes". The bus was brand new of course!

Our bus by Liz Y

Duple had been a prominent name in coach building since the late 1920s. Many of its models were designed in collaboration with Vauxhall Motors, which built the Bedford chassis. Duple coaches became classics of their time, attracting buyers from the Middle East, Africa, America and other parts of the world. Our coach, a Duple Vista 25 model with a Bedford TK chassis, was selected for its high road clearance and other features likely to withstand travel on unpaved roads.

So, this was Cuddles' provenance. It was a shiny, new, smart, little coach descended from a long line of iconic forebears. Now, like us, it faced an arduous journey, in which road and traffic conditions would be very different from those we knew. Ahead lay mile upon mile of uneven, unpaved roads, lofty mountain passes, daunting gradients, precarious hairpin bends and in each city a maze of unfamiliar streets. The type of traffic and culture of the road would vary greatly from west to east, where highways were shared with laden donkeys and carts harnessed to horses or buffaloes. In India, cows would wander at will amongst the traffic.

Cuddles' steering wheel was designed for driving on the left. Pakistan and India drove on the left, but the remaining eight countries on our itinerary drove on the right. In the event our drivers adjusted very well to this.

Unlike today's long distance coaches, Cuddles had no air conditioning, seat belts, arm rests, reclining seats or tinted windows, but these modern coaches travel in a sort of sealed bubble, cut off from the people and landscapes around them. Cuddles was sturdy and practical in design and we weren't to feel set apart from the places we passed.

The seats were upholstered and basically comfortable with reasonable leg room. Towards the front of the bus near the steps, there was a railed-off storage space for food shopping and other readily accessible communal items. Our individual kitbags could be tucked under the seats. Some personal belongings could be stowed on the internal overhead racks. Other space in the boot and at the side of the coach was adequate for equipment and general supplies and was improved with Don C's adaptations.

Cuddles had four drivers and four navigators, to work in two hour shifts. The frequent changeovers were a stipulation of the insurance company. The two Alastairs would be on hand to deal with any unforeseen engine trouble, tyre damage or other mechanical issues. Cuddles also had a VHF radio to enable easy contact with other coaches. With any luck we would never be marooned in some far away spot.

The expedition would be a challenging test of resilience for the twenty Comex coaches, all fresh off the production line. Journeys of hundreds of miles were planned for an almost daily schedule of travel. Driving conditions could mean slow progress and long hours on the road. Come to think of it, Cuddles was the most important member of our contingent. To state the obvious, we would have got nowhere without that little bus.

Notes from Alastair Smith:
The Chassis was a Bedford TK, the engine being the six cylinder diesel. That combination being chosen because it was very popular in all the Asian countries we would be travelling through. As our drivers were considerd to be "inexperienced" the clutch fitted was larger than standard. The fuel tank was larger than would be fitted in Britain.
Now the interesting bit. In the fuel line there was a water trap. In Britain it was a pupose made glass container. But where it was fitted in the chassis it was considered vulnerable when travelling on un-made up roads. So, our water trap was a standard 1lb jam jar!
Our Vista 25 bodywork had greater ground clearance than that made for European roads.