Xerces Fobe2 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 It is worth remember that in areas like Falmouth there were Bristol K's that kept their Southern National names on the side of the bus but displayed on the front and rear roller blinds no destination just comany name and service number as shown below Western National Service No XXX XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted January 30, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30, 2015 The xHT registered ones were transferred from Bristol OC I believe. They (along with the EN WNO vehicles) were full length exposed radiator models. They were used at Newquay and Falmouth at least. WN open top operations have varied over the years and still change under First Group most summers. The Newquay - Padstow road was the 56 then 556 and for one year had open top VRT operation of two round trips out of three. The Newquay town versions seem never to have been successful. There was for some years a half hourly Pentire - St Columb Minor route open topper and in other years a Newquay town tour has run. Most recently Western Greyhound abandoned its 500 open top tour but runs hourly to Padstow with minibuses rather than open toppers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
janner Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 There were a handful of prewar highbridge layout Bristol K's transferred to SN/WN as open toppers. Some I think were at Weymouth plus those at Newquay and Falmouth. FHT and GHT registrations IIRC. As the Newquay one/s operated the 55 from Pentire to St Columb Minor, I'm guessing it was Southern National ownership. Now wouldn't a trip up the lovely coastline to Padstow have been a treat if they ever got that far? Keith The 55 was a Western National service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandtraction Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The 55 was a Western National service. I get confused with Newquay services being operated by both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted February 1, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2015 I agree it can be confusing. While Southern National ran bus services which complimented its former Southern Railway masters and Western National likewise with the GWR (later BR SR / WR respectively) there was overlap and there were large tracts of "no man's land" where neither railway company claimed territorial rights. There were remarkably few cases of joint operation. My summer 1965 timetable shows no joint operation between WN / SN and lists the Newquay - Padstow route as SN 171 / 172. The 55 was the WN route between Pentire and St. Columb Minor. By summer 1967 there was a note in the timetable that the 132 / 135 was a joint service but in reality WN ran the 132 Plymouth - Bideford and SN the 135 Launceston - Bude which connected with the former in Launceston but otherwise had no common ground despite being shown on the same table. Route numbers were only a guide to operator. SN in north Cornwall operated routes in the 400 series but also some in the 100 series also used by WN though the latter was the sole operator of routes numbered below 100 in Cornwall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46240 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 A very interesting thread concerning an operator that I'm very interested in. I am currently trying to build a comprehensive picture of Helston WN depot that still stands in Clodgey Lane Helston in use as a tyre depot and wonder if anybody has good pictures of the depot during WN ownership that show the principle features of the depot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 30, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2015 Helston seems to be a remarkably photo-shy depot. I have nothing in my own files and the only one showing any of the structure I can find via Search is this http://www.flickr.com/photos/22455491@N02/5562026519/ When the depot building closed buses were moved along the road to park in the open at Flambards Theme Park where a portable building provided driver's accommodation. For some years the parking area was also shared by Truronian buses until they also became a part of the Badgerline / First empire. Contraction and what is politely called "consolidation" saw that outstation, for most of its time managed from Penzance but latterly from Camborne, closed though I believe it has since reopened on a smaller scale now that First once again hold the contracts for the tendered Helston area routes. The trunk Penzance - Helston - Falmouth service 2 is run from Penzance (Long Rock) and Falmouth (Tregoniggie) and no longer has any input from Helston though was once the mainstay of their workload. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46240 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thanks for that Gwiwer, I had already seen the picture of the Bristol SU - it's helpful in that it shows a corner of the depot as it was. However looking at Streetview it appears although the original depot is still standing and in use by ATS tyres there have been some inevitable cosmetic changes to the building exterior. I will be in the Helston area at the end of April and am going to get as many shots of the building (which would appear from Streetview to be remarkably complete) as I can. In the meantime however many thanks for your help. Yes, the outstation at Flambards was still open when I was down there last April and I'll check again this time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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