Help with Ribble bus route (Blackpool) early 1960s

[stewartingram]

I'm trying to find the route numbers that Ribble buses displayed, in the early 1960s, in the Blackpool area. Blackpool area,

Blackpool to Lancaster, and Blackpool to Preston, in order to put the correct destination blinds on a model bus.

 

Stewart

[bécasse]

The Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust might be a good starting point if you don't get any answers on here.

[Moxy]

1 hour ago, stewartingram said:

I'm trying to find the route numbers that Ribble buses displayed, in the early 1960s, in the Blackpool area. Blackpool area,

Blackpool to Lancaster, and Blackpool to Preston, in order to put the correct destination blinds on a model bus.

 

Stewart

 

I haven't got 1960's info, but I have got a 1953 staff manual my dad got when he started working for Ribble in Preston.  Whilst some of the routes may have changed, some of the service numbers are still the same today.*  On that basis:

 

Blackpool to Lancaster.  No stage carriage service listed, but there was an express carriage service, the X42 which ran Blackpool to Morecambe, via Lancaster.

 

Blackpool to Preston.  There wasn't a service just between those two points, it was a Blackpool to Bolton service.  The 1953 listing shows three:

 

125  via Preston, Chorley, direct route;

126  via Wrea Green, Preston, Chorley;

127  via Weeton, Preston, Chorley.

 

Having said the services from Blackpool didn't terminate in Lancaster or Preston, I am sure there were occasions when the above numbered services ran a short journey, so could have finished in Lancaster or Preston.

 

* The 125 still runs in 2020, but it only between Bolton & Preston.  How times have changed!

 

Hope this helps

 

Moxy

[Tim Lewis]

I'm not 100% certain, but I seem to remember that a Preston to Blackpool service was the 180?  (This would be mid-60s or thereabouts)

[Enterprisingwestern]

Saved from somewhere!

 

1-99 most of the Lancashire/Merseyside area, Merseyside area without prefix letter was joint service with MPTE
1xx Preston/Fyled/Lancaster
2xx East Lancashire, also Merseyside from 1978
3xx West Lancashire
4xx not sure
5xx Cumbria also some Morecambe/Lancaster
Cx Chorley local services
Fxx Fleetwood/Cleveleys local services
Lxx Liverpool area non joint services
Pxx Preston local services
Sxx Liverpool-Southport
Uxx Morecambe-Lancaster University
From early 80s X series express routes were renumbered into the 7XX branded Timesaver

 

 

Mike.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Enterprisingwestern

[ColinK]

Not sure if it helps, but Blackpool - Lancaster is currently service 42.  

[pinzaboy]

As far as I know, the 60s would include:

 

142/X42 Blackpool to Morecambe via Lancaster

162 Preston to Fleetwood

167 Preston to Blackpool

Also 180 Preston to Blackpool of which EFE did a single deck model 

 

Tim

[stewartingram]

I did indeed contact the RVPT and received this reply back today:

 

"In the 1960s the Blackpool-Morecambe route via Garstang and Lancaster was the X42, although it was barely an express route. It was usually double deck operated; from 1962 this was often a White Lady Atlantean although various PD3s and PDR1/1s were used. In the summer months anything with wheels was used.

 

I’m less familiar with the Blackpool-Preston routes but my 1961 Ribble book shows:-

156: Preston-Blackpool via Wrea Green and Ballam

157: Preston-Blackpool via Kirkham (joint with Scout)

158: Rochdale-Blackpool via Preston and Weeton (joint with Scout)

There were other services to Blackpool from various Lancashire towns so if you need more please contact me again. Of course the coach services to Blackpool were numerous and as for the X60….."

 

Once again, thanks for the replies.

 

Stewart