For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[Joseph_Pestell]

Had an excellent day at the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust's Morecambe running event on Sunday. From many vehicles that were there on the Prom, these were a few of the many which were running a free service between Heysham/Morecambe/ Carnforth. There was also a short circular run out from Morecambe via Bare.

This was on the latter service

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A 1938 Leyland TD5, rebodied postwar with a lowbridge body.

Next up from Morecambe to Heysham then all the way through to Carnforth was this 1967 Blackpool Leyland PD3 with a Met-Cam body.

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On Carnforth Station is this excellent little boozer called the Snug. Highly recommended for a nice range of ales and convivial atmosphere. On Sundays, some of the locals bring in freshly cooked snacks for all to nibble on!

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Taking us back as far as Morecambe in fine style was this 1958 Barrow Corporation PD2 which has recently gained a refurbished engine.

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Another run out on the Bare circular was taken on this Blackburn Guy Arab with a Crossley body.

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The only open topper at the event was this ex Ribble Bristol VR Mk1 which after being transferred to Eastern Counties was given a chop top! As the sun was out it would have been rude not to so off to Carnforth and back again.

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Final run of the day was taken on the star of the show (for me anyway!) a Ribble Leyland PD3/5 "tank" . Very loud and snorty with a melodious pneumocyclic gearbox, it did a passable impersonation of a first generation DMU and made all the right PD3 sounds.

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Great end to an excellent day. The program was £3 and all our loose change made it into various collection tins.

Hope fully my own bus will be attending next year if I can get my @rse in gear and finish it!

JF

That does look a terrific event.

[bingley hall]

An Alexander bodied AEC Swift SMA5 on Green Line route 726 leaving West Croydon bus station sometime in mid-1977.

 

At the beginning of 1977 there were only around 25 RF single-deckers left in use with London Country. RF221 would go on to be the second last in service, final succumbing in September 1978. Early in 1977 I grabbed a shot of it in Carshalton Road, Sutton, deputising for one of the more regular Swift Alexanders that were captive on routes 725/6.

Edited May 29, 2017 by bingley hall

[gismorail]

Evening all. I made a very quick visit to the Bala Lake Model Railway show yesterday which I exhibited at last year with my layout ' Chester Northgate Shed 6D '  This is the second year that the narrow gauge railway have put on a show so I wanted to support it as a paying punter this year as my new layout Chumley End is not yet ready for public showing as yet. On the whole even though it was only a very small exhibition this year due to the venue going through a major revamp there were so good layouts to see. As per last year the railway had laid on a free vintage bus service from the station to the school where the show was being staged and I was delighted when this absolute  beauty turned up in the car park .........I hope others enjoy the photograph.

 

 

                                                                 

[Gwiwer]

One of those Green Line SMA-class Swifts was based at Crawley nominally for route 479 to Broadfields which, when it began, was a single-vehicle standalone duty.

 

That left the 725 allocation short of a maintenance spare which in turn often required the use of an RF or the cancellation of one of the peak-hour Dartford - Croydon extras.

 

The 725 was the original southern orbital route which did not serve the obvious destination of Heathrow Airport. When London Country woke up (perhaps too late) to the possibility of routing the service this way every other journey on the half-hourly service became a 726 via the airport instead of via Staines.

 

The western half of the route is one of very few recognisable vestiges of the Green Line network today. LCBS withdrew the Gravesend - Croydon section, all journeys via Staines and the Heathrow - Windsor leg. West Croydon - Heathrow continues today as TfL (red bus) route X26. It still runs every half hour and has just gained double-deckers for the first time. The fare is TfL's standard £1.50 anywhere which is somewhat cheaper than would have been the case when Green Line finished.

[phil_sutters]

A selection of buses from Amberley Museum in West Sussex, taken on a number of visits with our grandchildren. It is a very popular day out, especially if the weather is good. As well as buses there is a good collection of industrial narrow gauge railway stock, some of which runs on the line up and down the valley, in which the museum is set.

[bingley hall]

Some images taken at the third Bus of Yesteryear Rally held at the Somers Town goods yard, St Pancras on 21 May 1972, organised by the London Bus Preservation Group. 

 

Maidstone & District Leyland Titan PD2 NKT896 - in 2016 it was still doing the rally circuit as far as I could make out.

 

East Kent EFN1982 was a 1950 built Guy Arab with Park Royal bodywork that from what I can gather last saw active service in 1966 - from limited information on the internet and lack of recent images I would suggest it is stored somewhere awaiting restoration?

 

RLH23 has spent well over three more times longer in preservation than it did in active service. 

 

[Jon Fitness]

A big shunt out at Freckleton (home of the RVPT) enabled a rare chance for me to actually see a full view of my bus I'm restoring. Usually there's something parked 3 ft to it's left at all times so as soon as I saw the buses moving out I grabbed my camera. Within 10 minutes it was buried again! The smoke wasn't mine I hasten to add!

 

The bonnet is missing as I was repairing the main hinge and one of the catches!!

 

 

JF

[Prometheus]

Some images from a Swansea Bus Museum event last year. Unfortunately the way in which they were grouped made photographing them a little difficult. An interesting collection though.

 

Not a crumpled dome in site ! Which is more than can be said when i was driving...

 

Tony

Edited May 31, 2017 by Prometheus

[leopardml2341]

Some images from a Swansea Bus Museum event last year. Unfortunately the way in which they were grouped made photographing them a little difficult. An interesting collection though.

 

Not a crumpled dome in site ! Which is more than can be said when i was driving...

 

Tony

Would I be correct in my thinking that the Caerphilly PD was once resident in Dumfries?

[Prometheus]

Would I be correct in my thinking that the Caerphilly PD was once resident in Dumfries?

 

From the web Andy:

 

'...LNY 536D 1965 Leyland PD2/Massey

 

Caerphilly 36 was the last lowbridge bodied bus purchased by Caerphilly UDC ending a long tradition, the next double deckers were of high bridge type in 1968. 36 passed to Rhymney Valley DC and into preservation on withdrawl. After several years in Scotland it returned to Wales in 2006,  it has been resident at the Depot since 2014 and it now part of the active fleet following a major mechanical overhaul. Owned by Alan Roberts...'.

 

So it may well have spent time in Dumfries, but in preservation rather than service.

 

Tony

[leopardml2341]

From the web Andy:

 

'...LNY 536D 1965 Leyland PD2/Massey

 

Caerphilly 36 was the last lowbridge bodied bus purchased by Caerphilly UDC ending a long tradition, the next double deckers were of high bridge type in 1968. 36 passed to Rhymney Valley DC and into preservation on withdrawl. After several years in Scotland it returned to Wales in 2006,  it has been resident at the Depot since 2014 and it now part of the active fleet following a major mechanical overhaul. Owned by Alan Roberts...'.

 

So it may well have spent time in Dumfries, but in preservation rather than service.

 

Tony

Yes, should've mentioned 'in preservation'.

 

It is extremely likely that it was the one I recall seeing at Dumfries (ex Western SMT) Stagecoach depot.

[bingley hall]

RT2608, allocated to Harrow Weald garage, had only three months left in service when seen in Station Road, Hayes on 26 February 1977. It was placed into store in May and disposed of to Wombwell Diesels in June. Route 140 continued with RT operation until July the following year - observant viewers might twig why I was at Hayes and Harlington on this day?

 

Kingston bus station/garage on 7 May 1977. The RFs survived on the 218/219 until March 1979.

[robert17649]

I dont know alot about buses but this one was running a shuttle to Bodmin General for us to play on Tornado .

 

Coincidentally when my son got married several years ago this was the bus that carried guests to the reception after the service.

 

King Harry Coaches

 

taking you for a ride!

[robert17649]

oops no pic sorry need help herre

[robert17649]

 

 

try again

[Co-tr-Paul]

This is one of a fleet of classics owned by King Harry Coaches of Falmouth. Bedford SB with Duple Vega body. see  their own website for private hire.

[robert17649]

This is one of a fleet of classics owned by King Harry Coaches of Falmouth. Bedford SB with Duple Vega body. see  their own website for private hire.

Thanks I thought it might be a Duple but thts about where I stop!

[tetsudofan]

Couple of months ago a friend of mine who owns a couple of East Kent vehicles invited me to join them on a trip to Kent County Fairground at Detling. The journey up was on the Sealink livery Regent:

 

 

and the journey home was on his Duple coach:

 

 

Also present at the show was Stagecoach East Kent bus in special livery celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the creation of the East Kent Road Car  Company:

 

 

Later I'll dig out some more pics taken at Detling

 

Keith

[Gwiwer]

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RT2608, allocated to Harrow Weald garage, had only three months left in service when seen in Station Road, Hayes on 26 February 1977. It was placed into store in May and disposed of to Wombwell Diesels in June. Route 140 continued with RT operation until July the following year - observant viewers might twig why I was at Hayes and Harlington on this day?

 

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Kingston bus station/garage on 7 May 1977. The RFs survived on the 218/219 until March 1979.

I'm guessing the location at Hayes & Harlington might have something connection with the Western class 52 which finished about then.

 

The RF buses continued on the 218 and 219 as you say but also made rare and unofficial forays onto the 216 right up until the final day. That was done to cover defective BL type Bristol LHs. I managed a trip out to Staines on the 218 and back on the very last RF-worked 216 on their final afternoon and was surprised to find no other enthusiasts had spotted that substitution. Most were too busy wandering around Kingston bus station or were out photographing on the pretty bits around Weybridge. I eventually did manage to board the very last RF working which in traditional style performed several laps of the roundabouts and was late back due to unscheduled photo stops. It was also triplicated by two other well loaded RFs which ran the service more normally.

[bingley hall]

Couple of months ago a friend of mine who owns a couple of East Kent vehicles invited me to join them on a trip to Kent County Fairground at Detling. The journey up was on the Sealink livery Regent:

 

Buses-01.jpg

 

and the journey home was on his Duple coach:

 

Buses-02.jpg

 

Also present at the show was Stagecoach East Kent bus in special livery celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the creation of the East Kent Road Car  Company:

 

Buses-04.jpg

 

Later I'll dig out some more pics taken at Detling

 

Keith

 

 

I was fortunate to ride the single decker back in August 2015 as part of the Herne Bay event - here its is posed for a quick photo stop at Reculver

 

And here is the upper deck interior of GJG739D on the same day  - the upholstery had just recently been refurbished

 

[Horsetan]

That upholstery is quite, um, vivid.

[Jon Fitness]

That upholstery is quite, um, vivid.

..and expensive too I would imagine. My own bus is a 74 seater and it's looking like I'll have re-do them all

JF

[Horsetan]

..and expensive too I would imagine.....

 

I wonder if Laura Ashley sells something similar....?

[Jon Fitness]

I was fortunate to ride the single decker back in August 2015 as part of the Herne Bay event - here its is posed for a quick photo stop at Reculver

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And here is the upper deck interior of GJG739D on the same day  - the upholstery had just recently been refurbished

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For a short while in the mid 1970's our school bus we had at Deane Grammar in Bolton was an ex East Kent Beadle bodied AEC coach. MJG 50 I think. A very fast comfortable and attractive vehicle until the physics teacher blew the head gasket on it. Back to Geoff Lister's scrapyard it went! To my eternal shame I never took a picture of it.

JF

[Jon Fitness]

I wonder if Laura Ashley sells something similar....?

That would be nice. "Just nipping to Laura Ashley's for a roll of East Kent moquette love."

"Ooh, can you pick me up a roll of Bolton Transport while you're at it?"

JF