NBC United Counties through Charwelton

[herbie2478]

Hi,

Looking for some assistance from some more knowledgeable than I. Am currently part of a team of modellers updating a layout based on Charwelton, in Northamptonshire, imagining that the GC main line had not been lifted. That update is covered elsewhere on the forum...

 

My question is to do with bus services which may have passed through the village during the early to mid eighties. I believe that NBC United Counties was the bus company but does anyone have information on the route numbers, destinations shown and the more common bus types from that era. As far as I can see, in common with most NBC companies of the time it is likely to be Leyland National Mk1/2 and/or the Bristol VR series.

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

As you have re-imagined the railway service, then I would say you can quite safely do the same with the bus service, would nothing have changed road wise?

What services might have existed if the station existed in the state you propose, would workmans buses have existed to get people to the ballast yard and possibilities like that?

 

Mike.

[Butler Henderson]

Could try the Parish Council to see if anyone remembers http://www.northantscalc.com/local-council-contacts/charwelton-parish-meeting

[unknown]

You could also research into Geoff Amos who were based in Eydon. Sadly no longer around.

[Joseph_Pestell]

You could also research into Geoff Amos who were based in Eydon. Sadly no longer around.

 

If that's the firm I am thinking of, they had some RTs.

 

Might be worth putting this question of the old buses & coaches thread. A lot of very knowledgeable folk there.

[quicksilvercoaches]

Can't help with route numbers but vehicle-wise, as has been suggested NBC standard REs, Nationals and VRs, plus Bristol Lodekkas in front and rear entrance forms were the mainstays of the fleet. There were some oddities too as UCOC were beset with vehicle shortages in the seventies and ended up with a lot of Willowbrook-bodied Bedfords plus a batch of Ford R1014s with Duple Dominant bus bodies, none of which lasted very long. Geoff Amos never had any RTs and I can't think offhand of a Northants independent who did. In the eighties they were mostly running Caetano-bodied Bedford coaches, of which no models exist.

[stewartingram]

As one who lived on the eastern edge of UCOC territory, my personal observations were that the company was not your normal Tilling company.In the 50s a high degree of (Bristol/ECW) standardisation did take place with new vehicles. However, as time wore on, the normal updating of stock that we saw on our other local Tilling company, ECOC, did not take place. UCOC seemed strapped for cash. Firstly, instead of new vehicles, secondhand Bristols were acquired as replacements. Secondly, cheaper replacements were found, such as Bedfords (usually regarded as 'lightweight' vehicles), and even these replacements could be secondhand. I didn't know the fleet over the whole area of course; prime areas such as its base in Northampton may have had the better vehicles, but Huntingdon and Cambridge areas (the latter at the end of a couple of cross-country routes) saw much degredation. Indeed, right at the end, after the Stagecoach buyout, it had worsened. Stagecoach sent their oldest VR d/d to the Huntingdon garage, as they were being forced to sell off the services in the area due to a monopoly. The new operator immediately had to dispose of them as they were worn out.

So my feeling is that during the 50s they were the normal Tilling group with Bristols, which lingered much longer than normal, with cheap and s/h miscellaneous marques from the late 60s onward.

 

Stewart

Edited June 28, 2018 by stewartingram

[George Woodcock]

Hello

 

I doubt United Counties had any services west of Daventry. As mentioned earlier Geoff Amos would have been one provider though there were probably others. Most of these routes would not have been daily but mainly connected with Market days at Banbury or Northampton. Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

George

[Butler Henderson]

1987 photo of a Geoff Amos bus on route from Woodford Halse to Banbury to Woodford Halse (!) - presumably a circular working

https://victoryguy.smugmug.com/Hants-and-Sussex-Buses-and/i-bszvc47