Towns where the neighbouring operator was more dominant (SBG/NBC)

[robertclark125]

I was thinking, back when the SBG and NBC existed, there would've been routes run by one firm that went into another operators territory. Usually, the local firm would be the dominant operator, but there may well have been towns where another SBG/NBC operator was more dominant.

As an example, Kincardine on Forth is in Fife, and was really part of Fife Scottish territory. Yet, the vast majority of buses were provided by Midland Scottish, as it was so close to Midland territory (nowadays, most buses are provided by stagecoach Fife).

Or Gauldry, in north Fife, was part of Fife scottish terriroty, yet Northern scottish (and after the 1985 split Strathtay) was actually providing most buses.

Can anyone out there think of other towns where the neighbouring NBC operator was more dominant than the local firm.

 

[KendalKing]

Don't know about NBC/SBG days.

But pre NBC/SBG, there were four operators based in Carlisle, which later became part-off the NBC/SBG. There were Cumberland Motor Services, Ribble Motor Services, United Automible Services, and Western Scottish Motor Traction.

Ribble took-over United operations sometime in the 1930's. In the 1970's Ribble & Western SMT shared the depot at Willowholme.

 

[34D]

Huddersfield, where Yorkshire Traction was (probably) more dominant than the local Yorkshire Woollen District.

 

[DunsBus]

Berwick is another example. The local SBG (Eastern Scottish) and NBC (United) depots were right next door to each other and both operators shared the adjacent bus station along with operation of the Berwick town services). Until the early 1980s, Eastern Scottish and United also jointly operated the 504-511 group of services between Edinburgh and Newcastle which regularly took Eastern Scottish vehicles to Newcastle and United vehicles to Edinburgh.

Tender wins as a result of deregulation saw Northumbria vehicles operating into the Scottish Borders at various times after 1986, and for a spell they even ventured up to Dunbar on weekdays and to Kelso on Saturdays. The Kelso service lasted well into the Arriva era. Conversely, First vehicles could be seen in Beadnell on Sundays (service 411) and later in Newcastle on Saturdays (service 710) at periods between 1998 and 2007.

Edinburgh is worth mentioning too, as after 1985 you had Lothian on the city services, Eastern Scottish providing the local services and Fife, Lowland, Midland and Western all operating regular services from further afield, with the added bonus of Eastern running in the city after deregulation as Lothian ventured into the surrounding towns.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Throughout its entire history, Lowestoft Corporation had much less operations than that of Eastern Counties. For some reason, the corporation were not allowed to expand their services away from the old north-south tram route in the eastern part of town, whereas EC started serving the lucrative estates that popped up around the western edge of town with no bother at all. There was a period of joint operations between EC and Waveney District Council (which was the continuation of the corporation after the 1974 government reorganisation) between 1974 and 1976, before the council closed down their local bus service at the end of 1977.

Perhaps Colchester could be another example, as Eastern National always seemed larger than the corporation.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Don't know about NBC/SBG days.

But pre NBC/SBG, there were four operators based in Carlisle, which later became part-off the NBC/SBG. There were Cumberland Motor Services, Ribble Motor Services, United Automible Services, and Western Scottish Motor Traction.

Ribble took-over United operations sometime in the 1930's. In the 1970's Ribble & Western SMT shared the depot at Willowholme.

Think you're a bit mixed up. Ribble took over United's ops in Carlisle (and Alston) in 1969, as one of the first moves of the newly formed NBC. Also, think Western's depot lasted until the early 1980's - was certainly still there in 1980 as this shows http://www.flickr.com/photos/57425719@N08/6011842843/

 

[robertclark125]

Another Fife town where the local SBG firm (Fife Scottish) was less dominant than a neighbouring SBG operator was Culross. Fife and Midland jointly operated the old route 14 from Dunfermline to Stirling, and most of the workings were provided by Midland, with Fife doing one in four workings. Nowadays, First, the successor to Midland, doesn't reach Culross, as stagecoach Fife does the whole of the replacement 78 itself.

 

[DunsBus]

Think you're a bit mixed up. Ribble took over United's ops in Carlisle (and Alston) in 1969, as one of the first moves of the newly formed NBC. Also, think Western's depot lasted until the early 1980's - was certainly still there in 1980 as this shows http://www.flickr.com/photos/57425719@N08/6011842843/

Western's Carlisle depot closed in late-1981, vehicles thereafter being based at Ribble's Willowholme depot. This continued into the Cumberland Motor Services era, finally ceasing in the early 90s.