For those interested in old buses (and coaches)

[JDW]

Sadly I never managed to photograph any of the numerous Australian tour coaches which entertaingly display the destination “Lost”. Neither did I ever capture one of the service buses which connected some of Melbourne’s northern extremities to the tram terminus at Bundoora. Rather than tell people where they were going the destination - on a bus - simply read “Tram”.

 

Closer to home I did once manage to grab a shot in Maidstone back in the days when Corporation / Borough Council hardware displayed no route numbers but the destination “Loose” always amused me.

 

I also had to go back into the records having seen Nidge’s Routemaster on a 73 short to Kensington Palace Gate. Many of us who know London buses will associate the 73 with being Victoria - Stoke Newington (and Tottenham “Swan” on garage workings) and not passing through Kensington at all but the diversion to Victoria was relatively recent. Prior to then the 73 had indeed passed KPG on its way to the weekday terminus at Hammersmith or on Sundays when it ran through to distant Hounslow. As the rear “via” blind concludes with East Sheen Richmond one assumes this was a Sunday as the weekday version would not have shown those, nor indeed Hammersmith Broadway as a via point since the adjacent Butterwick Bus Station was the terminus.

 

Some of Sheffield's trams, despite going all the way, say "Halfway" on the front, which must confuse many people unfamiliar with names of the city's suburbs!

[Gwiwer]

Some of Sheffield's trams, despite going all the way, say "Halfway" on the front, which must confuse many people unfamiliar with names of the city's suburbs!

The same applied to M&D’s buses running out of Sheerness depot. Halfway is half way to the mainland! Whilst in that region I was also amused to learn that adjacent to the rather muddy Swale crossing and the lifting bridge which occasionally delayed (and delays) both buses and trains, and on the bus route, lies the village of Iwade. Not a recommended activity thereabouts; the mud will swallow you!

[leopardml2341]

Some of Sheffield's trams, despite going all the way, say "Halfway" on the front, which must confuse many people unfamiliar with names of the city's suburbs!

There's a pub there called the disappointed lady......

[RANGERS]

There's a pub there called the disappointed lady......

There were a lot more disappointed men when they realised they were only going get halfway...

[runs as required]

Some of Sheffield's trams, despite going all the way, say "Halfway" on the front...

...but  INTAKE  sounded scarily terminal in a Roald Dahl sense.

 

In the North East there are some interesting destinations:

Pity Me,

Quaking Houses (my son's band had a minor hit with the bus going to QH 30 odd years ago)

and some longer range destinations from Newcastle: Washington, Philadelphia, New York (on the outskirts of Whitley Bay) 

 

I used to like the Western National Bristol KGs that announced Westward Ho! in North Devon - are there any other destinations with exclamation marks?

dh

[Gwiwer]

Westward Ho! is the only place with an exclamation mark in its name. This is no longer displayed on bus destinations however though it certainly once was.

 

More than one passenger has asked for Westward Hoi.

[ColinK]

There is a place called Od on the German Austrian border. One of my friends took a picture of me with the sign pointing to Od in the background.

[ColinK]

When I scheduled buses in Greater Manchester..

 

Bury buses went to Jerico.

 

Buses from Princess Road depot ‘ran dead to Southern Cemetery’ (that means go empty to Southern Cemetery).

[Gwiwer]

When I scheduled buses in Greater Manchester..

 

Bury buses went to Jerico.

 

Buses from Princess Road depot ‘ran dead to Southern Cemetery’ (that means go empty to Southern Cemetery).

 

In Southend they ran dead from Hadleigh or Southend depots to Sutton Cemetery  

 

"Dead" and "Light" seem to have been regionally-exclusive terms.  We always used dead in the south-east but light in the south-west.

[pH]

Buses from Princess Road depot ‘ran dead to Southern Cemetery’ (that means go empty to Southern Cemetery).

  

 

"Dead" and "Light" seem to have been regionally-exclusive terms.

Or "running 'Private'", (because that's what it said on the board.)

[leopardml2341]

There's a pub there called the disappointed lady......

aka The Halfway Inn

[RANGERS]

Stamford Bus Stn in err....1965?

[Enterprisingwestern]

Some of Sheffield's trams, despite going all the way, say "Halfway" on the front, which must confuse many people unfamiliar with names of the city's suburbs!

 

"Proper" Sheffield trams never got as far as Halfway, unless they went at one hell of a lick past Intake bowling alley!

 

Mike.

[PhilJ W]

Stamford Bus Stn in err....1965?

AEC Renown with a low bridge (sunken gangway), the lowest roofed double deck bus built and operated in this country.

[coachmann]

AEC Renown with a low bridge (sunken gangway), the lowest roofed double deck bus built and operated in this country.

And with these buses came more engine sound and less gearbox whine that had typified of earlier AEC's (going off rally film I took)....

[RANGERS]

AEC Renown with a low bridge (sunken gangway), the lowest roofed double deck bus built and operated in this country.

Regent V with lowbridge Northern Counties body, low but not really that low. The lowest decker accolade went to 851s stablemate 861, a Dennis Loline with similar NC body but about a foot lower.

 

The pic was taken yesterday by the way.

[runs as required]

 RMweb adapted that Barton Loline bus Last September to run through Stamford station on a Liverpool - Great Yarmouth double-decker Pacer .austerity nightmare journey here

dh

[ColinK]

Some of you may have seen my railway videos on RMweb, well for a change I’ve made a bus video. I share the driving with a colleague on the Morecambe to Malham Dalesbus service 881. The section between Settle and Malham must be one of Britains most scenic bus routes. It’s also a bit challenging in places. There are two versions of the video, a short one covering just the highlights, and a long version which includes a cab ride between Settle and Malham.

 

As the sounds recorded on the bus were clearly no good for including on the film, I needed some music. I mentioned this to one of my friends and within a few days he had composed, played and recorded ‘The 881 Suite’ which you will hear on the video. A huge thanks to Alan Wilson. If you like organ music, I suggest you go on Youtube and find ‘oranges and lemons tocata by Alan Wilson’.

 

Here is the short version (9 minutes)

 

Here is the long version (38 minutes)

[Enterprisingwestern]

Lovely video, shame about the plug ugly bus, you should have hi jacked the one in the background in Morecambe!

 

Mike.

[runs as required]

Lovely video, shame about the plug ugly bus, you should have hi jacked the one in the background in Morecambe!

Agree about the delightful video (and piano sound track)

But I doubt that Lancaster and Morecambe decker could have negotiated those hairpins up from Langcliffe like that nimble Optare bus - even my old Mondeo takes a bit of concentration in ascending (after calling into DCC Concept's Pommie Outpost beside Settle station*).

In fact I don't recall Henside Lane up from Langcliffe being a bus route at all in pre de-reg days - IIRC Settle/Horton in Ribblesdale was 'Pennine' territory.

So going back into the 1950s: what could have ascended that road?

There used to be Municipal Foden saloons, the best known ascending the Great Orme out of Llandudno - and another using a specially constructed SWB Foden with a fully fronted body for tackling a famous ascent in the S Wales valleys climbing steeply from a very tight turn under a railway bridge.

 

*NB

Richard Johnson's DCC Concepts is definitely 'worth a diversion' to borrow the Michelin Guide phrase.

The Yorkshire staff - all enthusiasts - are very helpful and there are some clever explanatory montages of DCC point installations etc.displayed.

(I have absolutely no connection with them - except for sending my elderly Hornby Duchess to Perth WA nearly 10 years ago for for them to install a sound chip including a function with the characteristic Class 8P sound of wheel slip - which still excites listeners).

Edited August 1, 2018 by runs as required

[ColinK]

The day I took some of the photos to go in my video there was a vintage bus rally in Morecambe. Quite by chance one went past while I was photographing my bus. Very lucky.

[mark374]

Visit to truckfest on saturday and like last year there was Leyland PD3 on the volvo stand as a bar  and two Vanhools being used as mobile homes 

 

but this caught my eye on Ritches training stand but as i was pressed for time and huge crowds I was unable to ask about it,  but was nice to see one 

 

Mark

[Gwiwer]

Ex-Western SMT Bristol LD6G

[RANGERS]

Visit to truckfest on saturday and like last year there was Leyland PD3 on the volvo stand as a bar  and two Vanhools being used as mobile homes 

 

but this caught my eye on Ritches training stand but as i was pressed for time and huge crowds I was unable to ask about it,  but was nice to see one 

20180804_131605.jpg

 

Mark

 

One of the last batch of LD chassis built in late 1960. As these were built well after the replacement FS had started production, and as all went to SBG companies, its pretty fair to assume there was a significant price difference in favour of the LD. Of the SBG operations, only Highland failed to secure any of this batch, the last was RWG383 which went to Midland in July 1961.

[great central]

Several buses at the Ilkeston show today mostly from the collection at the GCR at Ruddington.

This one caught my eye, very much an in service look rather than the as new look of many restored vehicles.