BUSES, COACHES, & LORRIES.

[Leyland600]

Tyneside, No I was never in there but my mate a livestock haulier from near me went there now and again. The site or part of it is now Marks & Spencers store.
Cheers, Leyland 600

[Ray Smyth]

Church Street in the centre of Liverpool in the 1950s. This location had a Police Officer on pedestrian crossing
duty every day from Monday to Saturday at all times that the shops were open. The Liverpool Corporation AEC
bus on the right is on route 10 to Prescot. The area is now free from traffic. NMP.

[240 Gardner]

Ribble fleet number 570, a Leyland Leopard, and a Western Scottish Bristol RE at Lowther Street
bus station in Carlisle in the 1970s. NMP.
Ray Smyth

Hi Leyland 600 ,
If my memory serves me right , is that Ribble Leopard bus one longer ones that had the front 4 seats removed to bring it down from a 53 seater
to a 44 or 45 seater for the purpose of not needing a Conductor.Conductress ? I travelled on some of those Leopards between Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale in the late 1960`s .

Cheers , cattle wagon man .

That's absolutely right - some of the 36' Leopards were reduced to 45 seats, with large luggage pens on each side at the front of the saloon, due to a union agreement about one-man-operation. This would be around 1970-ish. This was most inconvenient when an 11 year old boy, on the way home from school, wanted to sit at the front and watch the driver! They were later reverted to 53 seat

Even better, route 2 from Blackburn to Preston, deposited me at the end of Edward Street, Walton-le-Dale, where I could walk straight into the offices of Atkinson Vehicles at 4.55 pm to get a lift home with the old chap

[240 Gardner]

That's absolutely right - some of the 36' Leopards were reduced to 45 seats, with large luggage pens on each side at the front of the saloon, due to a union agreement about one-man-operation. This would be around 1970-ish. This was most inconvenient when an 11 year old boy, on the way home from school, wanted to sit at the front and watch the driver! They were later reverted to 53 seat

Close scrutiny of one of Ray's photos shows the absence of the front two rows of seats:

anorak.gif (15.18 KiB) Viewed 3643 times

[Ray Smyth]

That's absolutely right - some of the 36' Leopards were reduced to 45 seats, with large luggage pens on each side at the front of the saloon, due to a union agreement about one-man-operation. This would be around 1970-ish. This was most inconvenient when an 11 year old boy, on the way home from school, wanted to sit at the front and watch the driver! They were later reverted to 53 seat

Close scrutiny of one of Ray's photos shows the absence of the front two rows of seats:

217 Leopard.jpg

anorak.gif

Yes Chris, These 36ft Leopards with 45 seats were very useful when it was " Wakes Weeks ", at which
time many Wigan people went to Blackpool for their " Wigan Holidays ". It was usual to load about 40
passengers, and their luggage was put in the steel frame area over the front wheels, and some cases
were loaded on and in front of the 4 front seats. Cheers, Ray.

[Leyland600]

Ray, There were two Lowlanders based at Penrith depot 1856 & 1857. I never thought they were as good looking as a 1500 Burlingham bodied PD3/4.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

[Ray Smyth]

Ribble fleet number 932, a Leyland Leopard DP Coach parked in the Ribble depot at Wigan, mid 1970s.
The vehicle appears to have been on local route 333 to Wrightington Hospital via Dangerous Corner.
The destination indicator is showing "Blank", because 932 would have been at the time fitted with
a coach destination blind, bearing the names of Scarborough, Cheltenham, Torquay, and many other
far flung places. NMP.

[Ray Smyth]

This is the Wigan depot of Ribble on the A49 after it was rebuilt around 1970.
The building is now occupied by National Tyre Services, mainly for cars & vans. NMP.

[Ray Smyth]

Wigan Corporation fleet number 152 in Lord Street, Liverpool on route 320 from Wigan, Hope Street.
This Leyland Atlantean has bodywork by Northern Counties, Enfield Street, Wigan. NMP.

[Ray Smyth]

Wigan Corporation Leyland PD2 in the Platt Bridge area of Wigan, returning to
the town centre on route 320 from Liverpool. Bodywork by Massey Bros. NMP

[oiltreader]

These with permission from and thanks to Andrew Breedon.
Oily

[oiltreader]

Bielefeld Bridge Rochdale.
Oily

[Ray Smyth]

A Leyland Atlantean, new to Wigan Corporation, and now part of Greater Manchester Transport
passing along Lime Street in Liverpool on route 320. The orange and white colour scheme was
never popular with most people in Wigan, they preferred the original Corporation colours of
Carmine Red and white, known locally as "Cherry & White. NMP.

[Froggy55]

The red car in the foreground must be a Renault 16. My Dad' had two, when we were in London; a '69 and a '72 model. Fine, reliable and comfortable cars!

[oiltreader]

The red car in the foreground must be a Renault 16. My Dad' had two, when we were in London; a '69 and a '72 model. Fine, reliable and comfortable cars!

Spacious, comfortable and the first proper hatchback.
Oily

[Ray Smyth]

Wigan Corporation fleet number 20, DJP 468E, a Leyland Panther Cub, seen here at Melverley Street depot
on delivery from bodybuilders Massey Bros at Enfield Street, Pemberton, just 2 miles away.
The chap sat behind the wheel is Inspector Tom Taylor, who was the PSV driving instructor.
The date is July 1967, and one month later, fleet number 22 arrived, its reg number was EEK 1F,
it was the time when the change of "Year Letter" moved from January 1st to August 1st.
I believe that number 20, above, went to Malta after service at Wigan, and I have heard that
it is now back in the UK and being restored.
Picture is by local photographer, Frank Orrell.

Ray Smyth.

[Ray Smyth]

Liverpool Corporation bus fleet was almost an entirely double deck fleet of over 1000 buses.
In the early 1950s, 6 Leyland Royal Tiger single deck buses arrived, 3 of them with normal
bus bodies, and 3 with special bodywork to carry passengers and luggage to and from the
airport at Speke, and to and from the main railway stations and hotels in the city centre.
As required, these " AIRPORTERS ", as they were known, took passengers to and from the
Princes Dock near the Pier Head to connect with the Atlantic liners of Canadian Pacific,
and Cunard White Star which arrived and departed on a regular basis. This bus XL172 is in
Skelhorne Street at the side of Lime Street railway station. NMP.

[TROOPER2]

Wigan Corporation fleet number 20, DJP 468E, a Leyland Panther Cub, seen here at Melverley Street depot on delivery from bodybuilders Massey Bros at Enfield Street, Pemberton, just 2 miles away. The chap sat behind the wheel is Inspector Tom Taylor, who was the PSV driving instructor. The date is July 1967, and one month later, fleet number 22 arrived, its reg number was EEK 1F, it was the time when the change
of "Year Letter" moved from January 1st to August 1st.
I believe that number 20, above, went to Malta after service at Wigan, and I have heard that it is now back in the UK and being restored.
Picture is by local photographer, Frank Orrell. Ray Smyth.

Wigan Panther Cub 20 (DJP468E) was brought back to the UK from Malta by a group of bus preservationists based in Wigan. Initially, it was housed
at Freckleton where restoration work commenced. The group later acquired their own premises (closer to Wigan) and No20 was re-located there.

No20 on arrival at Freckleton:

No20 being towed out of the shed at Freckleton on its way to its new home:

[TROOPER2]

sorry - double post

[Ray Smyth]

Wigan town centre in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The 3 Wigan Corporation buses are Leyland PD2,
two of them have bodywork by Massey Bros, and 1 with Northern Counties bodywork. The Ribble bus
heading this way is an Albion Lowlander with bodywork by Alexander of Falkirk. NMP.

[Leyland600]

Ray I believe this is Wigan Corporation Leyland Panther No 20 DJP 468E along with former Doncaster Corporation Tiger Cub 434 MDT which I photographed circa 1983 at the Malta Department of Education depot at Pembroke. Some of this information has been confirmed by Maltese Flickr members.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

[Ray Smyth]

This Bristol RE bus of Lancashire United Transport is seen leaving Hope Street bus station in Wigan,
departing on route 557 to Leigh, about 7 miles away. On the left is the Ribble Motor Services office
and travel agency. NMP>

[Ray Smyth]

Arrive double decker bus arriving in Wigan town centre on route 375 from Southport
earlier this month. I think it is a Volvo, but I am not certain. Ray Smyth.

[Ray Smyth]

Ribble fleet number 510, a Leyland Leopard is on route X99 to Barrow.
I am not certain of its location, but I think it could be Lancaster. NMP.

[Ray Smyth]

Ribble fleet number 679, a Leyland Leopard on route 74 to Penrith. NMP

[Dennis Javelin]

Arrive double decker bus arriving in Wigan town centre on route 375 from Southport
earlier this month. I think it is a Volvo, but I am not certain. Ray Smyth.

Alexander Dennis E400

[Leyland600]

Ray, Route 74 was a joint operation with Cumberland Motor Services from Keswick to Penrith. This photo location is Keswick bus station in front of the garage.
Cheers, Leyland 600

[Ray Smyth]

Arrive double decker bus arriving in Wigan town centre on route 375 from Southport
earlier this month. I think it is a Volvo, but I am not certain. Ray Smyth.

Alexander Dennis E400

Dennis, Thank you for the info, a lot of buses are difficult to identify unless you are close by. Cheers, Ray.

[Ray Smyth]

Ray, Route 74 was a joint operation with Cumberland Motor Services from Keswick to Penrith. This photo location is Keswick bus station in front of the garage.
Cheers, Leyland 600

Gerald, Thank you for the route 74 info, what a lovely journey that is, some amazing scenery,
I would have done that journey for free. Cheers, Ray.

[Dennis Javelin]

Arrive double decker bus arriving in Wigan town centre on route 375 from Southport
earlier this month. I think it is a Volvo, but I am not certain. Ray Smyth.

Alexander Dennis E400

Dennis, Thank you for the info, a lot of buses are difficult to identify unless you are close by. Cheers, Ray.

Compounded by the fact that the same chassis could have been bodied by a dozen different bodybuilders. Although the bus in the pic is called an ADL E400 that doesn't necessarily mean that all buses like this have an ADL chassis as this kind of bodywork is also used on Scania and Volvo deckers. Confusingly though the chassis is also described as an E400 by ADL.