TRIVIA: Conductor-operated OPO-type buses

[Eyersey468]

EY did have Routemasters on the 56/56A but can’t remember anything else

When my mum used to take me into Beverley in the early to mid 90s it tended to be a VR. Sometimes the conductor would give me some used tickets.

 

[Wirewiper]

I remember a very unusual use of a conductor on a Green Line Leyland National on route 708 in the 1970s. The driver had been having trouble with the doors and was having to get out of his cab to operate the emergency door switch at stops, so when we arrived at Two Waters Garage he went in to report the problem, probably expecting the bus to be subbed. Instead he came back out with a spare conductor, who had been given the duty of operating the doors!

London Country also hired some elderly Royal Blue Bristol MW coaches (in National white livery) during the mid-1970s when vehicle shortages had reached a critical level. These operated on routes from Dunton Green Garage and carried conductors, as the doors could only be operated manually.

 

[Busaholic]

I remember a very unusual use of a conductor on a Green Line Leyland National on route 708 in the 1970s. The driver had been having trouble with the doors and was having to get out of his cab to operate the emergency door switch at stops, so when we arrived at Two Waters Garage he went in to report the problem, probably expecting the bus to be subbed. Instead he came back out with a spare conductor, who had been given the duty of operating the doors!

London Country also hired some elderly Royal Blue Bristol MW coaches (in National white livery) during the mid-1970s when vehicle shortages had reached a critical level. These operated on routes from Dunton Green Garage and carried conductors, as the doors could only be operated manually.

I travelled to school in the 1960s on LT red route 160. During a union overtime ban the route was operated on a Saturday for several weeks by a forgotten (by me) coach firm who used some elderly Bedford's, with manually operated doors. No conductor was carried, so travel was free (!) but, at each stop, the driver had to exit his cab and open the doors. I remember the usual 12 minute headway became 24.

 

[SCH117X]

Did any operator use conductors on a section of a route rather than the entire route; would make sense today IMO on inter-urban journeys competing with the train where the rural bit would be driver only but on the urban sections conductor operated so saving valuable time.

 

[Busaholic]

Did any operator use conductors on a section of a route rather than the entire route; would make sense today IMO on inter-urban journeys competing with the train where the rural bit would be driver only but on the urban sections conductor operated so saving valuable time.

London's so-called New Routemasters on route 38 had 'customer assistants' on board only on the Victoria Station to Newington Green section, with the rear door remaining open. At NG they left the bus and it went into opo mode. What time savings, if any, were made with this arrangement are unknown: I suspect non-existent.

 

[Cambus731]

I remember riding on a Stagecoach Bristol VR with a conductor on a service in Perth. I think it was the 7 in 1990
And I'm sure I remember riding on a Strathtay Olympian and a Fleetline on the 16 between Dundee and Perth in 1992 and 1993

 

[Cambus731]

I'm pretty sure Solent Blue Line were using crew operated VRs on the 18 and 19 in Southampton until at least 1994

 

[GusB]

I remember riding on a Stagecoach Bristol VR with a conductor on a service in Perth. I think it was the 7 in 1990
And I'm sure I remember riding on a Strathtay Olympian and a Fleetline on the 16 between Dundee and Perth in 1992 and 1993

I might be havering here, but I'm sure I recall reading somewhere that there was a Strathtay route (73 perhaps?) that was crew operated. I don't have the book to hand to check, unfortunately. Of course, Strathtay did operate some services with Routemasters at one point, so obviously these would have had conductors.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I might be havering here, but I'm sure I recall reading somewhere that there was a Strathtay route (73 perhaps?) that was crew operated. I don't have the book to hand to check, unfortunately. Of course, Strathtay did operate some services with Routemasters at one point, so obviously these would have had conductors.

See post #6

 

[PeterC]

Did any operator use conductors on a section of a route rather than the entire route; would make sense today IMO on inter-urban journeys competing with the train where the rural bit would be driver only but on the urban sections conductor operated so saving valuable time.

I cannon remember the operator name but once around the very start of the 70s I caught a bus across South Wales, I think from Cardiff to Ammanford where IIRC I paid the driver but somewhere in the valleys a conductor joined the vehicle.

 

[PeterC]

I remember OPO fitted vehicles going intially going onto some conductor operated London Transport routes to replace RTs. The problem was that there was nowhere for the conductor to stand that didn't interfere with boarding and alighting. The open platform models all had an alcove under the stairs where s/he could stand out of the way.

 

[Mikey C]

London's so-called New Routemasters on route 38 had 'customer assistants' on board only on the Victoria Station to Newington Green section, with the rear door remaining open. At NG they left the bus and it went into opo mode. What time savings, if any, were made with this arrangement are unknown: I suspect non-existent.

The open platform was the only benefit really. I certainly found it handy on the 9 and 10, being able to get off in the traffic instead of waiting for the next stop

 

[Mikey C]

I remember OPO fitted vehicles going intially going onto some conductor operated London Transport routes to replace RTs. The problem was that there was nowhere for the conductor to stand that didn't interfere with boarding and alighting. The open platform models all had an alcove under the stairs where s/he could stand out of the way.

If the conductor stood next to the driver, then they got in the way

If they stood elsewhere then everyone tried to pay the driver!

 

[Busaholic]

If the conductor stood next to the driver, then they got in the way

If they stood elsewhere then everyone tried to pay the driver!

The same problem with crew operated RFs - anyone that doesn't know what RFs are should just look to the very top of this page!

 

[Geordie driver]

I did my ticket machine training with a new conductor recruited in early 1985 to work the Ashington to Blyth route, the company only had opo vehicles.