First to close Southampton depot

[Beemax]

Bluestar missed a trick in not using 14 for their takeover of the 7, as the number (still in use in the 90s) can be traced right back to 1972 if not before!
[/QUOTE]

The 14 goes back further than that, In the early 60s it went Portswood/Bitterne Park triangle /Mousehole Lane and then terminating by going part way up Witts hill and reversing back into Vale Drive (aided by the conducter) . It was extended to Townhill Park in 1965 when the estate was ready for it.

 

[nw1]

The 14 goes back further than that, In the early 60s it went Portswood/Bitterne Park triangle /Mousehole Lane and then terminating by going part way up Witts hill and reversing back into Vale Drive (aided by the conducter) . It was extended to Townhill Park in 1965 when the estate was ready for it.

Interesting, so it would have been possible, for a short while, to see a 14 to Townhill Park crossing the railway between St Denys and Portswood while a steam express passed underneath!

The mid-60s would be an interesting time to be transported back to, a strange mix of the old and the modern. (Actually I'd say that about the whole of the decade 1965-75, basically the ten years before my earliest memories).

 

[PTR 444]

The 14 goes back further than that, In the early 60s it went Portswood/Bitterne Park triangle /Mousehole Lane and then terminating by going part way up Witts hill and reversing back into Vale Drive (aided by the conducter) . It was extended to Townhill Park in 1965 when the estate was ready for it.

More recently (around 2009 or so), the 14 was used for a route running between City Centre and Bitterne the long way round via Portswood, Highfield, Glen Eyre and Mansbridge, supplemented with a 14A between Southampton Airport and Bitterne. I wonder if this was a direct evolution of the original 14 route or whether that was withdrawn and the later 14 route introduced some time afterwards.

For more nostalgia, here is an interesting blog post showing how parts of Southampton’s bus network looked in the early 1950s before the Millbrook, Lordshill, Townhill, Thornhill and Weston estates were built. Notice for example how the city boundary only reached as far as Maybush Corner and Aldermoor Road, with no City bus routes straying beyond:

Southampton : Last Of First

How It Used To Be Southampton Corporation Transport was always a proud operator of trams and then buses as above. A notable location was the...

publictransportexperience.blogspot.com

 

[nw1]

More recently (around 2009 or so), the 14 was used for a route running between City Centre and Bitterne the long way round via Portswood, Highfield, Glen Eyre and Mansbridge, supplemented with a 14A between Southampton Airport and Bitterne. I wonder if this was a direct evolution of the original 14 route or whether that was withdrawn and the later 14 route introduced some time afterwards.

I think it was completely unrelated, and 14 was used because it was spare.

For much of the 90s the Townhill Park service was provided by the 3A (via Oaktree Road) and 14 (via Mousehole Lane) on an alternating basis. At some point, and certainly by 2001, it was just the 3 with all via Oaktree Road. I have the feeling there was an intermediate stage with a 3 and 3A, with the 3 being the 14, renumbered, but I am not totally sure about this.

The Mansbridge area has seen a real decline over the years and they went through a phase of trying to provide a service, and never quite succeeding. Same with Highfield. There was for many years a circular 20 (City-Winn Road-Portswood-Highfield-University-Swaythling-Mansbridge-Chartwell Green-Bitterne-City), twice an hour in both directions. Eventually the 20 didn't do the eastern section when the 8A (Moorgreen via Chartwell Green) was introduced, and turned back at the Chartwell Green roundabout, still on a half-hour frequency and (IIRC) interworked in the city centre with the 16 to Hamble. Eventually even this disappeared, IIRC when Uni-Link was introduced (as the western 20 became the 101 to the airport*) leaving the Swaythling-Chartwell Green section without a city service at all (and later, it appears, without an SBL service as well) and leading to various short-lived services which struggled. At one point I believe there was a 23, a minibus shuttle from Portswood to Mansbridge and back.

(*actually that might not be right. Possibly the 20 and 101 co-existed for a while, and the 20 disappeared when Uni-Link was taken over by that short-lived operator which ran white buses, can't remember the name - but after First and before Go-Ahead. I seem to remember the 20 finally went in October 2001).

For more nostalgia, here is an interesting blog post showing how parts of Southampton’s bus network looked in the early 1950s before the Millbrook, Lordshill, Townhill, Thornhill and Weston estates were built. Notice for example how the city boundary only reached as far as Maybush Corner and Aldermoor Road, with no City bus routes straying beyond:

Southampton : Last Of First

How It Used To Be Southampton Corporation Transport was always a proud operator of trams and then buses as above. A notable location was the...

publictransportexperience.blogspot.com

Thanks for that, will take a look.

 

[Man of Kent]

when Uni-Link was taken over by that short-lived operator which ran white buses, can't remember the name - but after First and before Go-Ahead.

Minerva Accord or Accord Southern, can't remember which order.

 

[nw1]

Minerva Accord or Accord Southern, can't remember which order.

Minerva Accord rings a bell from somewhere.

 

[cnjb8]

It seems the following have left Southampton after it closed this weekend:

StreetDecks 35204/06/12 to Solent

StreetLites 47609-12 and 47686/87 to Wessex

StreetLites 47667/69 and 47688-95 to Berkshire

Source is Bustimes so may be inaccurate

 

[Simon75]

It seems the following have left Southampton after it closed this weekend:

StreetDecks 35204/06/12 to Solent

StreetLites 47609-12 and 47686/87 to Wessex

StreetLites 47667/69 and 47688-95 to Berkshire

Source is Bustimes so may be inaccurate

At least one Streetlite 47667 is at Slough (source First Bus Enthusiasts Facebook page)

 

[brownandrew15]

At least one Streetlite 47667 is at Slough (source First Bus Enthusiasts Facebook page)

Can confirm that 47667 has moved to Slough, it was out on the 8 Slough to Heathrow Terminal 5 service today. This is it at Egham.

 

[ChrisPJ]

Pressed straight into service still with Southampton plastered across the back window and probably elsewhere too. How very First.

 

[nw1]

Pressed straight into service still with Southampton plastered across the back window and probably elsewhere too. How very First.

Indeed, the City Red logo is still there. Did Slough have a chronic vehicle shortage, so there was no time to change the operator name?

I presume First (Slough) is a descendant of The Bee Line, ex Alder Valley? ISTR that passed to First.

Bluestar's imports for the new services are still in previous livery (double deckers red/blue and single deckers green/blue), but they do have "Bluestar" on them, not the names of the previous operators.

 

[brownandrew15]

Pressed straight into service still with Southampton plastered across the back window and probably elsewhere too. How very First.

It’s also still carrying an advert for the Mayflower Southampton pantomime, that finished 31 Dec 2022, would have thought that an advert would be relatively easy to remove before transferring

 

[fgwrich]

To be fair to First (seeing as they are often everyone's favourite bashing co), We've had Stagecoach vehicles move around and enter service round here (heck my local bus stop had migrated up from Portsmouth and at first carried First & Stagecoach branding!) with branding and bits of branding for other routes.

Bluestar has had a lot more time to rebrand it's vehicles with many being out of service before transferring south.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It’s also still carrying an advert for the Mayflower Southampton pantomime, that finished 31 Dec 2022, would have thought that an advert would be relatively easy to remove before transferring

Commercial advertising is done via third parties e.g. Global

 

[Towers]

Commercial advertising is done via third parties e.g. Global

However it creates a poor image for the operator whose vehicles the ads are attached to when they're two months out of date, so some level of interest might be expected. Presumably the ad contract for Soton was ended and it's unlikely anyone was going to turn up simply to remove them all.

 

[Beemax]

It’s also still carrying an advert for the Mayflower Southampton pantomime, that finished 31 Dec 2022, would have thought that an advert would be relatively easy to remove before transferring

That particular bus had been out of service in Southampton since Jan 22 so nobody outside of the depot would have seen that advert during its period of validity

 

[Towers]

That particular bus had been out of service in Southampton since Jan 22 so nobody outside of the depot would have seen that advert during its period of validity

Plenty of time to prep it for transfer elsewhere, then!

Any ideas why it spent last year off the road?! Seems odd to put the ad on it in that case?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Plenty of time to prep it for transfer elsewhere, then!

Any ideas why it spent last year off the road?! Seems odd to put the ad on it in that case?

I guess that some bloke from Global came along and didn't know any better that it was VOR. To be honest, vehicles carrying out of area advertisements isn't a new phenomenon - I remember the annual sending of deckers to my local firms seaside ops for the high summer and their return, usually advertising some "end of the pier" shows with comedians and variety acts. More culpable (and common) are internal adverts not being dealt with.

As for prepping for service elsewhere, perhaps First were busy doing all the other stuff preparing for exiting their operations.

 

[Towers]

I guess that some bloke from Global came along and didn't know any better that it was VOR. To be honest, vehicles carrying out of area advertisements isn't a new phenomenon - I remember the annual sending of deckers to my local firms seaside ops for the high summer and their return, usually advertising some "end of the pier" shows with comedians and variety acts. More culpable (and common) are internal adverts not being dealt with.

As for prepping for service elsewhere, perhaps First were busy doing all the other stuff preparing for exiting their operations.

Both fair points!

 

[baza585]

I guess that some bloke from Global came along and didn't know any better that it was VOR. To be honest, vehicles carrying out of area advertisements isn't a new phenomenon - I remember the annual sending of deckers to my local firms seaside ops for the high summer and their return, usually advertising some "end of the pier" shows with comedians and variety acts. More culpable (and common) are internal adverts not being dealt with.

As for prepping for service elsewhere, perhaps First were busy doing all the other stuff preparing for exiting their operations.

Well done for interrupting a First bashing spree with an element of realism!

I think the closure has been very well handled by both First and Go Ahead. There were very few cancellations by First, and relatively few by Go Ahead, although there has been significant late running on certain routes. Hopefully teething troubles but in my experience the first controllers were much more proactive than their Go Ahead counterparts, despite the ongoing shambles that is Bluestar 18.

Awaits incoming....

 

[Non Multi]

Indeed, the City Red logo is still there. Did Slough have a chronic vehicle shortage, so there was no time to change the operator name?

I presume First (Slough) is a descendant of The Bee Line, ex Alder Valley? ISTR that passed to First.

I don't think they've got a bus shortage. Slough will, like a lot of places, send out anything as long as it runs. The bus in the picture finally received a replacement engine after a lengthy spell off the road.

In addition to the 10 Streetlites, there's a rumour elsewhere that 12 e400mmcs are coming from Glasgow to replace single decker 7900 Volvo hybrids.

First Beeline (Slough) is a combination of NBC Alder Valley North (after deregulation it was rebranded to 'The Bee Line') and London Country North West. The Alder Valley local depots were in Maidenhead, High Wycombe and Bracknell. Bee Line's then owner, Len Wright/Q Drive acquired the Slough depot and routes of London Country North West in the early 1990's and merged it into 'The Bee Line'.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Rumours that apparently a large amount of Southampton's Streetites are heading to Chelmsford, to clear out the last Pointer Darts, Euro 3 B7RLEs and even some early E200s.

 

[Towers]

Rumours that apparently a large amount of Southampton's Streetites are heading to Chelmsford, to clear out the last Pointer Darts, Euro 3 B7RLEs and even some early E200s.

All appearing soon on an Ensignbus forecourt near you!

 

[JD2168]

13 Streetlites on SK63 plates are moving this weekend to First South Yorkshire.

 

[Pit_buzzer]

13 Streetlites on SK63 plates are moving this weekend to First South Yorkshire.

All in debranded City red livery, they should fit right in at Doncaster even if they don't do any livery details

 

[JD2168]

The City Red Streetlites at First South Yorkshire have started to enter service at Olive Grove in Sheffield replacing native 13/63 plate examples. Only 3 of these are expected to move to Doncaster.

 

[dpsilverba]

Noticed today that the legal lettering on the vehicle operating my Eclipse service has changed to Hoeford Depot, Fareham Road, Gosport from the previous Empress Road Southanpton one

Den

 

[Simon75]

Noticed today that the legal lettering on the vehicle operating my Eclipse service has changed to Hoeford Depot, Fareham Road, Gosport from the previous Empress Road Southanpton one

Den

Interesting as previously I read (no source, can't remember where I read it sorty) that Empress Road, was still being used as offices

 

[dgl]

AFAIK Empress Road is closing completely by the sounds of it with offices moving to the (Edit: New depot at Hilsea duh!) depot at Hoeford, pretty sure the legal lettering has changed on our buses in Wessex land to Hoeford.

 

[Towers]

There's a new depot coming at Hoeford?!