Bus services in Southern Wiltshire

[Guest Jack Benson]

This is a long shot but here goes.

 

Anyone know the routes of local bus service in Southern Wiltshire - Downton -  in ‘50-60s? As a precaution, I have a Bristol L5G as the sort of bus trundling around in the early ‘50s unfortunately no images found so far.

 

Thank you

 

 

[Mike Harvey]

Having no real knowledge of Wilts and Dorset buses, I found a gallery which might repay a detailed look at the Black and white images for route details.

 

http://www.busphoto.co.uk/gallery.php?mode=gallery&id=204&page=1

 

 

And a book on their buses:-

 

https://www.amberley-books.com/wilts-dorset-buses.html

[4630]

On 08/01/2022 at 20:20, Jack Benson said:

This is a long shot but here goes.

 

Anyone know the routes of local bus service in Southern Wiltshire - Downton -  in ‘50-60s? As a precaution, I have a Bristol L5G as the sort of bus trundling around in the early ‘50s unfortunately no images found so far.

 

Thank you

 

 

Slightly later than your timeframe, but from memory when I lived around the Hampshire/Dorset border in the late 1960s, the Wilts and Dorset service no. 38 ran between Salisbury and Bournemouth.

 

As for part of its journey it would have used the A338, it would have passed through Downton.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi, I used to travel on the 38 (Bristol Lodekka) it went up the A338 but not into Downton itself which is about a mile away from the Salisbury-Christchurch road.

 The ‘local’ service, meandered through Woodgreen, Hale and Redlynch but was a single deck affair, no doubt a Bristol product.

Hence, I bought an L5G for the early ‘50s……it seems appropriate.

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Whilst looking through the Quality Street tin, I found this remarkble image.

 

 

Wilts&Dorset routes 38, 40 and 42 ran through the Avon Valley, the 38 was the Bournemouth-Salisbury limited stop and used the A338 whilst the others meandered through the villages. Route 42 stopped at Downton railway station near Lode Hill. I just need to add some details to the Corgi Bristol and change the destination blind box.

 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

Bus destination blinds, apart from ready-made Fox Transfers, does anyone offer a service for bespoke destination blinds?

 

Thanks

[Butler Henderson]

Try info@dorsetmodelbuses.co.uk they claim to have a large and growing range but no listings on their web site, might have what you need.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,
 

I think that it can be achieved with Fox transfers, a set of their destinations and numbers are on order.

 

Thanks

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Slightly O/T, but folks might be interested in the Imber Bus

 

Quote

In 2009, a group of bus industry professionals achieved a long standing ambition to run a vintage bus service from Warminster in Wiltshire, to the abandoned village of Imber on the Salisbury Plain. It proved to be so popular that it has now become an annual event, with most journeys continuing across the Plain to parts of Wiltshire rarely seen by ordinary public transport users.

 

https://imberbus.org/

 

Also featured on "All The Stations"