Buses, coaches, & lorries

[ray_smyth]

Hi G D, Thank you for your reply. Regarding the bus fares, for example, between Wigan and Orrell Post.
Back in the 1960s, the Wigan Corporation fare for this journey was 6d ( six old pence ), whereas the Ribble
bus fare was 1 Shilling ( twelve old pence ). This was to protect the income of Wigan Corporation buses.
However, if a passenger was in a hurry, and wasnt short of a few bob, he could say, board the 352 in Wigan
and get off at e.g. Pemberton shops. The first official drop off point was Linden Avenue/Moor Road, and
nobody was picked up after that stop on the return journey. I still live in the area at Norley Hall.

Cheers, Ray.

[leyland600]

Hi Green Devil, 1799 had a Metro-Cammell Weyman body the 1500 series of PD3 had Burlingham bodies many of both types I drove from Carlisle depot (including 1793 shown earlier in this thread) in 1963 & 64. There were 31 1500s and 15 1700s based at Carlisle at that time I am surprised They were good buses and pleasant to drive both the manual 1500s and the pneumocyclic 1700s with centrifugal clutches.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

[240_gardner]

Green Devil:

old 67:
Hi.
Have you seen this one ?

Regards John.

Hello John - thank-you very much for finding that for me; much appreciated.

That bus has stuck in my mind for years for no better reason than my dad, with me in the passenger seat ran into the back of it with his Ford Thames 400e pickup in 1971 in Wallgate, Wigan! One of the metal brake pipes burst and he couldn’t stop. Nobody was hurt, but the pickup ended up in Calderbanks scrap yard whilst the bus ran around Wigan with the imprint of the flat front of the Thames embedded in the back panels for weeks afterwards.

Thanks again

You’ll have you squint at it, but here’s 1799 in Southport. If you follow the link, there’s a higher resolution version posted there too:

Southport Lord Street by Kevin Lane, on Flickr

[240_gardner]

ParkRoyal2100:
A bit more on the NZ Bristol RE I mentioned earlier.

AFAICT all REs exported to NZ by BCV had the 0.510 (when the Kiwis - ChCh especially - really wanted the 0.680 or Gardner 6LXB).

As I recall, the last three of a batch of Marshall-bodied RESL6Ls were fitted with the 510 engine in lieu of the 680 (LRN 328-30J), and I’m sure I’ve read that they were a testbed for the National, and for later 510-engined REs, such as those shipped to NZ

4J_LRN328J_D656_002 by Paul Redmond, on Flickr

[green_devil]

Leyland600:
Hi Green Devil, 1799 had a Metro-Cammell Weyman body the 1500 series of PD3 had Burlingham bodies many of both types I drove from Carlisle depot (including 1793 shown earlier in this thread) in 1963 & 64. There were 31 1500s and 15 1700s based at Carlisle at that time I am surprised They were good buses and pleasant to drive both the manual 1500s and the pneumocyclic 1700s with centrifugal clutches.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

Hi Leyland 600

Many thanks for the information, You have furthered my education because I thought all those buses were Burlinghams; I also thought they were all semi automatics. Every day’s a school day, as they say

Best wishes

Dave

[green_devil]

You’ll have you squint at it, but here’s 1799 in Southport. If you follow the link, there’s a higher resolution version posted there too:

.
Hi 240 Gardner

Many thanks for taking the time to reply

Yes, that is definitely 1799. The old Southport bus station brings back fond memories as well. As I remember, it was set in what used to be a railway station. I think they filled in the gaps between the platforms to make the hard standing - all gone now I suppose. I can well remember the old platform board; there was a wonderful simplicity about those days that today’s technology can’t match

Best wishes

Dave

[240_gardner]

Green Devil:
Hi 240 Gardner

Many thanks for taking the time to reply

Yes, that is definitely 1799. The old Southport bus station brings back fond memories as well. As I remember, it was set in what used to be a railway station. I think they filled in the gaps between the platforms to make the hard standing - all gone now I suppose. I can well remember the old platform board; there was a wonderful simplicity about those days that today’s technology can’t match

Best wishes

Dave

You’re welcome, Dave. Yes, it was the old Cheshire Lines’ Committee station - I suspect it’s all gone now.

Absolutely agree about the simplicity!

[cav551]

Burnley & Pendle was one of several bus companies which operated ex London Routemasters after deregulation of the bus industry.

youtube.com/watch?v=dxnF0ibUUPU

[dennis_javelin]

cav551:
Burnley & Pendle was one of several bus companies which operated ex London Routemasters after deregulation of the bus industry.

youtube.com/watch?v=dxnF0ibUUPU

That’s what can happen when you build a bus that’s made to last. I’ll wager that none of the Borismasters ever see service when their life in London is over. £350k per bus and it only has an expected life of 14 years ago. He should have been hauled over the coals for that montrosity. Very few of them ever use all the doors and most of the time they are running on full diesel power as the hybrid system is ■■■■■■■

[blue_estate]

cav551:
Burnley & Pendle was one of several bus companies which operated ex London Routemasters after deregulation of the bus industry.

youtube.com/watch?v=dxnF0ibUUPU

What was also a sight to see was how many BL cars were about in Burnley , I bet they’re all baked bean cans now

[cav551]

Dennis Javelin:

cav551:
Burnley & Pendle was one of several bus companies which operated ex London Routemasters after deregulation of the bus industry.

youtube.com/watch?v=dxnF0ibUUPU

That’s what can happen when you build a bus that’s made to last. I’ll wager that none of the Borismasters ever see service when their life in London is over. £350k per bus and it only has an expected life of 14 years ago. He should have been hauled over the coals for that montrosity. Very few of them ever use all the doors and most of the time they are running on full diesel power as the hybrid system is [zb].

Funny that, almost as much hatred and vilification is now directed at the Borisbus as was initially by Grey Thompson and Tatchell at the proper Routemaster. You could I suppose add in Hendy and Daniels, with their now somewhat hypocritical volte-face. Although the NBFL was a vanity project from Johnson, I think that aesthetically it is a LOT better than everything else on the road, and he was correct in taking the view that the Capital needs a distinctive looking vehicle. The decision by khan to halt production was a typically vindictive and predictable measure from such a little man. I rather like the vehicle and am convinced that we shall see a significant turn out when the last one is finally withdrawn from service.

[dennis_javelin]

cav551:

Dennis Javelin:

cav551:
Burnley & Pendle was one of several bus companies which operated ex London Routemasters after deregulation of the bus industry.

youtube.com/watch?v=dxnF0ibUUPU

That’s what can happen when you build a bus that’s made to last. I’ll wager that none of the Borismasters ever see service when their life in London is over. £350k per bus and it only has an expected life of 14 years ago. He should have been hauled over the coals for that montrosity. Very few of them ever use all the doors and most of the time they are running on full diesel power as the hybrid system is [zb].

Funny that, almost as much hatred and vilification is now directed at the Borisbus as was initially by Grey Thompson and Tatchell at the proper Routemaster. You could I suppose add in Hendy and Daniels, with their now somewhat hypocritical volte-face. Although the NBFL was a vanity project from Johnson, I think that aesthetically it is a LOT better than everything else on the road, and he was correct in taking the view that the Capital needs a distinctive looking vehicle. The decision by khan to halt production was a typically vindictive and predictable measure from such a little man. I rather like the vehicle and am convinced that we shall see a significant turn out when the last one is finally withdrawn from service.

The decision to halt production was down to the fact that bus was overpriced - twice the price of a conventional decker - for what you were getting, was continually unavailable for service and had little to no resale value. Ironically the Iatest designs of conventional deckers from Alexander Dennis closely resemble the Borismaster so the look will stay the same but the product had been vastly improved and at a huge price difference. I don’t doubt that Khan took delight in cancelling it but whatever hue the Mayor was the decision would have been the same. Boris took the greatest delight in telling Londoners that he was replacing the feared (but actually quite useful in terms of moving people) bendi-bus. What he failed to mention was that the replacement would be a financial disaster. Wrightbus should never have been given the contract and, in my opinion, they wouldn’t have if their location was anywhere other the Northern Ireland. The had next to no experience of designing a vehicle from the ground up and it eventually led to their demise.

[franglais]

I don’t know if this is of interest to you? This bus has arrived in Ouistreham port recently.
I guess it was an unaccompanied move and is awaiting collection, but not certain on that.

[ray_smyth]

Hi Franglais, Thank you for the picture above. I had a bit of a nosy around and found that Confidencebus
are from Leicester. They specialise in school journeys, special outings to places of interest, and weddings.
I have discovered that this bus has been sold and is seen in your picture en route to Andorra where it will
be converted to a Mobile Restaurant bus. With regard to Ouistreham, I passed through there many times
having crossed from Portsmouth on Brittany Ferries and Truckline. I know the area fairly well. There are
some pictures of the port at Ouistreham on the " Roll-On-Roll-Off " thread in this " Old Time Lorries " section.

Cheers, Stay safe, Ray Smyth.

[leyland600]

The Truckline Ferry Ro-Ro ship used to run from Poole to Cherbourg in the late 1970sand early 80s. Brittany Ferries “Barfleur” the current regular ship on that run has been moored at Ouisterham almost for a year now due to the Covid pandemic.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

[froggy55]

Bernard was better known for their trucks, but did also produced a few coaches, like this one which is waiting for its passengers in Nevers in the late '30s.

[ray_smyth]

Leyland600:
The Truckline Ferry Ro-Ro ship used to run from Poole to Cherbourg in the late 1970sand early 80s. Brittany Ferries “Barfleur” the current regular ship on that run has been moored at Ouisterham almost for a year now due to the Covid pandemic.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

Hi Gerald, Thank you for the info regarding Brittany Ferries " Barfleur " being laid up at Ouistreham for the last year.
I sailed on Barfleur several times when the occasional job for Normandy and Brittany needed doing. The first 2 pictures
are at Poole in 1998, Mine was the last lorry to drive aboard the night sailing. The 3rd & 4th pictures at Cherbourg in 2002
waiting to board the evening sailing back to Poole. I was a bit cheeky doing some of these jobs because my O Licence was
UK only, It didnt include International journeys. However, some of the jobs to France would fit in my Mercedes Benz 307D
which I had for many " One-off " jobs. These pictures have already appeared on the " Roll-On,Roll-Off " thread.
Click on pictures for full image. Meanwhile, Take care & keep safe, Ray.

[ray_smyth]

This location is Standishgate, part of the A49 in Wigan town centre, looking South.
The Wigan Corporation Leyland PD3 is held at the traffic lights at the top of the hill.
To the left of the bus at the time was a F.W.Woolworth shop, later to become Menzies,
and then became W.H.Smith. Trucknet member John West will recognise this picture.
The W.Roby Atkinson artic is held at the same spot.
Pictures from Wigan Album Forum.

[green_devil]

Ray Smyth:
This location is Standishgate, part of the A49 in Wigan town centre, looking South.
The Wigan Corporation Leyland PD3 is held at the traffic lights at the top of the hill.
To the left of the bus at the time was a F.W.Woolworth shop, late to become Menzies,
and then became W.H.Smith. Trucknet member John West will recognise this picture.
The W.Roby Atkinson artic is held at the same spot.
Pictures from Wigan Album Forum.

Hello Ray

I reckon the top picture was probably taken on a Sunday because Standishgate was rarely that quiet. I think it must be late 60’s or very early 70’s because the shop on the left at the bottom of the hill still has Pendlebury’s signs on it; Debenhams took them over in the early 70’s

I reckon the bottom picture is round about the same time and I think it shows the carnival floats coming up Standishgate. The traffic lights were a fairly new addition at that time; the traffic was previously controlled by a policeman on point duty wearing a long white coat. I think the driver of the Roby’s Atkinson might have been the late Ernie Barton who, I think, was on for Roby’s after he drove Wigan Corporation buses

[ray_smyth]

Hello Green Devil, Thank you for your interesting comments on the above picture.
You mentioned Ernie Barton RIP, I first met Ernie toward the end of 1966 when I
moved to Wigan and needed a job, but not being aware of any Wigan based transport
firms, I started at Wigan Corporation, and within a week I had passed the PSV driving
test. Normally new intending bus drivers spent several weeks learning to drive and pass
the PSV test. At that time, I already had a couple of years experience of lorry driving
for a living, but also 5 years with the Territorial Army driving many types of Army lorries.
I didnt spend much time driving Corporation buses, this job was not for me, but whilst I
was there, I met Ernie Barton, and his regular bus conductor, Vic Pritchard. I went back
driving lorries for a while, then early in 1968, Ribble Motor Services were advertising for
PSV drivers, so I went to Ribble for the next 2 years. I enjoyed my 2 years with Ribble,
going to Blackburn, Preston, Liverpool, Morecambe, Blackpool, etc, but toward the end
of 1969, there was employment unrest, so I joined Robert Baillie of Portsmouth, based
at their Wigan Depot, at the old Fyffes Banana building at the rear of King Street.

Early in 1974 I started at England Tubes, a TI ( Tube Investment ) company, driving a 32ton
artic, delivering steel tubes throughout the UK. One year later I was moved into the Sales
Office to learn more about steel tubes etc, at which time the North Sea Oil industry was
rapidly expanding. England Tubes merged with Markland Scowcroft of Bolton, and both
companies became TI Markland + England. Around the start of 1976, I was promoted to
Traffic Manager at the Wigan site at Makerfield Way, Higher Ince. During my 2 years of
running the fleet of approx 20 lorries, Ernie Barton joined the firm as a Class 1 HGV Driver.
At that time, we were struggling to find outside carriers to deliver to Ireland because
the sectarian " Troubles " were ongoing in Northern Ireland. I suggested sending our own
drivers to Ireland, but the response was negative, apart from Ernie Barton who jumped in
and said, " Yes, I will do the Irish traffic, both North and South of the Irish Border "
From then on, Ernie Barton did most of the runs to Ireland, sailing on the Midnight boat
from Liverpool to Dublin. Sadly, Ernie passed away last year. Rest In Peace Ernie.

Ray Smyth.