Jones of Aberbeeg

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone any information on this Welsh company, please ?

 

[6Gman]

Do you mean Jones of Aberbeeg?

Best known for using NBC blue livery. Very nice.

 

[43106]

Weren't they a sort-of subsidary of Red & White? I seem to recall that as well as buying their own vehicles, several buses were 'transferred' in from Red and White, and continued to use their unique fleet numbering system.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Do you mean Jones of Aberbeeg?

Best known for using NBC blue livery. Very nice.

Indeed, Jones of Aberbeeg were one of the few NBC firms that used blue livery (like East Yorkshire for a short while, Midland General, Sunderland District, etc). They were a former independent (don't know when they were bought or by BET or BTC) and were based in Aberbeeg, with operations centred on nearby Abertillery. The depot is still standing, used as a car showroom, or at least it was last time I was in the area.

They were managed as part of Western Welsh/Red and White, and had vehicles cascaded from those fleets and new vehicles. The fleet eventually had new RE/ECWs and then Leyland Nationals. The last were, I think, the WUH-T batch. All vehicles were numbered in the R&W style system, and this lasted into National Welsh days.

The death knell was the Gwent Vales MAP scheme in 1981, and the depot closed as part of that with operations allocated to Brynmawr, Tredegar and Crosskeys depots of NW and the blue vehicles getting standard poppy red.

I'm sure one of our older Welsh correspondents can provide more information on how they became part of the NBC. Hope this helps

 

[martinsh]

My source says Jones sold out to the NBC in April 1969, and the fleet size at that time was 43.

My 1978 National Welsh fleetlist still lists a few ex Jones Leyland Leopards and Tiger Cubs.

 

[Titfield]

I used to work for Shamrock and Rambler in the late 1970s on Saturdays and in the peak summer holidays we would get the odd Jones of Aberbeeg vehicle working down to us as a duplicate on the Bristol to Bournemouth service.

I vividly remember having to deal with a lost property enquiry for a case that had been left on a Jones vehicle by mistake.