For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Rugd1022]

12 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Whilst rummaging around in the garage I came across a cardboard box of slides, buried since my move.

I thought I'd chuck them on here to gauge popularity, if you want more then shout up.

They are all in random order because I haven't got around to cataloguing them by any means.

The first few are from the Sheffield/Rotherham/Doncaster area, and are from the early 70's as best as I can remember.

If you have any specific queries then ask, I'll be relying on memory though, so don't hold out much hope.

There are plenty more where they came from, and from all over the country, so, watch this space.

 

Mike.

 

 

Great stuff Mike - if you have any general scenes with more cars than buses in them then please do post them in the 'old car' thread, if they're anything like the bus photos above they deserve a wider audience ;-)

[Enterprisingwestern]

11 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Thanks Mike, more o' them there blue uns please, but then I bet you guessed I'd say that.

 

You are as transparent as glass Andy!

 

10 hours ago, durham light infantry said:

Was "Videmat" similar to "Autofare" of blessed memory?

 

Mike

 

As explained by others.

If I can find find my ticket box (sad b*stard!) there are Videmats in there, I'll attempt to post a pic.

 

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

Great stuff Mike - if you have any general scenes with more cars than buses in them then please do post them in the 'old car' thread, if they're anything like the bus photos above they deserve a wider audience ;-)

 

The problem is that they are very bus specific, the cars are an added bonus, so I think this is the right thread.

Maybe a note on the other place to suggest people keep popping in, I've got thousands to go at!

 

One thing that nobody seems to have picked up on is the presence of Edinburgh Corporation buses in Sheffield.

In the early 70's the Yorkshire Road Traffic Commissioners had picked up on the fact that STD was running a number of mid 1950's buses in front line service, and entered apoplexy mode. Hasty arrangements were made to acquire temporary replacements, the pictured vehicles being one of the fixes.

It was a tad disproportional reaction by the YRTC, as outside of London, the Sheffield fleet was the best serviced and maintained one in the country. When due for ticket, a full panel off strip down to the frames was carried out, remedial work was done wherever necessary, then the buses were brush painted by hand, including fleet numbers, City crest and adverts, and then multiple layers of varnish applied. To keep them pristine the drivers last job when taking a bus on depot at the end of shift was to take it through the washer.

 

Mike.

[PhilJ W]

As many of you are probably aware during WW2 most if not all London Transport buses as well as the white painted mudguards and platforms had a white circle painted on the rear panel. Many suggestions have been put forward for this so here is mine. Most military trucks of the period had the differential painted white to aid convoy driving in the blackout. In an emergency, such as a German invasion buses would be commandered by the army and the white circle would help in convoys. This is also why trolleybuses were not so treated.

[alastairq]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

As many of you are probably aware during WW2 most if not all London Transport buses as well as the white painted mudguards and platforms had a white circle painted on the rear panel. Many suggestions have been put forward for this so here is mine. Most military trucks of the period had the differential painted white to aid convoy driving in the blackout. In an emergency, such as a German invasion buses would be commandeered by the army and the white circle would help in convoys. This is also why trolleybuses were not so treated.

This 'white circle' [or white rectangle, if on a trailer] is still in use, by the milly terry.

It is located underneath the rear of a vehicle.....and has a low wattage white light positioned under the rear, to 'shine' onto the white paint. This light was/is known as a 'convoy' light [tactical lighting, in modern techno-speak]....The modern[er]lights had a turnable shroud, to either present a slot, or a small round hole, for the light bulb to shine through. when this lightwas [is] in use, all other lights are isolated, so cannot be illuminated in error.

Nowadays, they might have a small white 'cross' underneath, illuminated by a tame glow worm, which needs to be checked and fed every day...

A milly terry driver can easily become public enemy no.1, if they switch to convoy [tact tickle] lights whilst out on the public highway [currently, in UK/Europe, only used off highway]...as they become like BMW's...not giving any brake or indications to anybody!

 

Anybody remember the ex-United [auto] wrecker that used to live in Scarborough?  Full width cab, as I recall....[similar to EYMS Yellow Perils?]

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

As I find the random boxes of slides I'll just go through them as they come.

These are the last ones from box 1, so for the moment these will be the end of the Sheffield pics.

 

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

The final tranche;

 

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Now we're off to South West Wales.

 

 

 

Davies. Tredegar,

 

 

 

Davies. Pencader.

 

 

Mike.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Enterprisingwestern
Adding operators.

[leopardml2341]

Brilliant photos Mike

[russ p]

2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Now we're off to South West Wales.

 

 

Mike.

 

 

Excellent pictures Mike,  was the MW with the big radiator grille ex United of did other operators also have them?

[KeithMacdonald]

just in case it's not been mentioned already (apologies if it has).

 

Here's a great video by All The Stations of Routemasters on route 23A - from Warminster to Imber Village (and back)

 

Imberbus Ghost Village Bus Service

 

 

 

[Derek 19B]

Great pictures of Sheffield Transport, and the city , also the loan busses in the early 70's

 

Derek 19b

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Mwy o ffotograffau o Gymru;  

 

Morris Brothers. Swansea.

 

 

Gareth Evans of Ammanford.

 

 

 

Rees and Williams of Tycroes.

 

 

 

Pioneer of Laugharne.

 

 

Mike.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Enterprisingwestern
Adding operators.

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

 

Excellent pictures Mike,  was the MW with the big radiator grille ex United of did other operators also have them?

 

If you mean the grey and orange coach, it was ex West Yorkshire, TWT 117.

I must admit I was never a big fan of Bristols (oo er missus), so couldn't really comment on rad sizes.

 

Mike.

[russ p]

10 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

If you mean the grey and orange coach, it was ex West Yorkshire, TWT 117.

I must admit I was never a big fan of Bristols (oo er missus), so couldn't really comment on rad sizes.

 

Mike.

 

That's the one, should have looked at the plate as most United vehicles where HN Darlington 

[Kier Hardy]

55 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Mwy o ffotograffau o Gymru;  

Morris Brothers. Swansea.

Gareth Evans of Ammanford.

Mike.

Lovely stuff Mike... that's made my day!

 

Constructing a trio of Lowfits this afternoon whilst listening to Johnie Walker's Sounds of the 70s, celebrating with a G&T now that all the brake links and undergubbings have been made and secured........ preparing to clear the bench of swarf, pop on here and drool before teatime over the pictures you've posted. Not only some mouth watering WYPTE, but a J4 van to boot!

 

All I need now to make the day complete is a visit to Auntie May's parlour and chat to Uncle Edgar whilst indulging in jam sandwiches with sponge cake to follow!

[leopardml2341]

All those wonderful 'Leyland Cat' badges.........

[John M Upton]

Basil Williams ran for many years two oufits, Hants & Sussex and Southern Motorways.  The former were still running ex London Transport AEC Merlin's and Swifts into the 1990's:

 

The bus is still going, now preserved back in LT spec red.  Virtually everything else in this photo of Chichester has gone.  The Post Office is closed (shoehorned in the back of a shop which has been a disaster) the House of Fraser is closed (variously called Army & Navy or before that Marrants depending on how long you have lived in Chichester) the lovely illuminated TELEPHONES signs on the right is gone and I suspect that Peugeot 306 rusted away to nothing decades ago.

Edited January 20, 2020 by John M Upton

[BernardTPM]

Isn't that a 309? I saw one on Tuesday!

[Rugd1022]

Lord lummy it's a rum do and no mistake down the smoke in 1928...

 

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

On 20/01/2020 at 00:12, John M Upton said:

Basil Williams ran for many years two oufits, Hants & Sussex and Southern Motorways.  The former were still running ex London Transport AEC Merlin's and Swifts into the 1990's:

 

I well remember Basil Williams' operations and that he was quite a colourful character.  Intent on serving the local area which he was determined to do in the belief that Southdown Motor Services were simply not good enough.  A small operator had smaller overheads of course and his vehicles were turned out reflecting that at times.  Seldom new and of types not normally associated with eastern Hampshire.  His Emsworth base adjoined the Southdown garage in that town and I believe he moved into it when they vacated.  

 

Of interest Southern Motorways was one of a select number of operators licensed to operate "public" services through MoD land.  In this case to Thorney Island.  There was no reference in the timetables to this service being restricted to passholders but if one was aboard and failed to present the required pass at the gate you were required to alight there and then.  I only know of one person who managed to "crank" the entire route to the terminus and back without an MoD pass and he was in possession of an NBC officer's pass and - his story went - was researching the route's prospects as part of the regional MAP (Market Analysis Project) scheme.  Of which Southern Motorways, not being an NBC operator, was not a part.  

 

The service ceased fairly recently after years of running at increasingly unsustainable losses.   

[Hujie]

 

Learner in St Albans.

 

 

[Johann Marsbar]

A few taken in Gotham City back in 1984.......

 

 

 

 

[PatB]

On 20/01/2020 at 08:12, John M Upton said:

Basil Williams ran for many years two oufits, Hants & Sussex and Southern Motorways.  The former were still running ex London Transport AEC Merlin's and Swifts into the 1990's:

 

The bus is still going, now preserved back in LT spec red.  Virtually everything else in this photo of Chichester has gone.  The Post Office is closed (shoehorned in the back of a shop which has been a disaster) the House of Fraser is closed (variously called Army & Navy or before that Marrants depending on how long you have lived in Chichester) the lovely illuminated TELEPHONES signs on the right is gone and I suspect that Peugeot 306 rusted away to nothing decades ago.

I like the way the paint job has black surrounds to the glasswork to make it resemble contemporary, sharp cornered styling. I had to look twice to realise the bodywork hadn't been updated. 

[Owd Bob]

A few recent finds of mine which i'm just transferring  from a 3 foot tall pile of of cds' onto my laptop. All taken at the classic shows and rallies over the past 20 years or so. Not proper old 'back in the day' pics' i know, but they maybe of use. 

 

[Owd Bob]

More recent finds from my collection. All taken at the classic shows in the North over the last 20 years, the main locations being Llandudno, Astle Park Cheshire, Heaton Park Manchester, Fleetwood Tram Sunday, Smallwood Cheshire, Trans Lancs' rally, Harrogate, and the commercial museum at Leyland.