Scottish Bus Group reorganisation

[LBObserver]

Apologies if there is another thread on this, happy for it to be moved.

I was a teenager when new SBG companies were created along with the "Best Bus..." variations. Living in Edinburgh the one I noticed was Lowland with new yellow replacing cream in the Eastern Scottish livery. Depots in the Borders along with Dunbar and North Berwick were transferred. Linlithgow was transferred to Midland along with their Seddon Pennines. Kelvin, Clydeside and Strathtay were the other new companies I recall.

In addition I remember SBG Engineering as a separate company with Marine Workshop in Edinburgh (one in Kirkcaldy too?). They had a small fleet of Alexander T type Seddons which later ended up with other SBG companies.

This was all done in advance of bus service deregulation in 1986.

Any other memories, or corrections to mine?

 

[DunsBus]

Apologies if there is another thread on this, happy for it to be moved.

I was a teenager when new SBG companies were created along with the "Best Bus..." variations. Living in Edinburgh the one I noticed was Lowland with new yellow replacing cream in the Eastern Scottish livery. Depots in the Borders along with Dunbar and North Berwick were transferred. Linlithgow was transferred to Midland along with their Seddon Pennines. Kelvin, Clydeside and Strathtay were the other new companies I recall.

In addition I remember SBG Engineering as a separate company with Marine Workshop in Edinburgh (one in Kirkcaldy too?). They had a small fleet of Alexander T type Seddons which later ended up with other SBG companies.

This was all done in advance of bus service deregulation in 1986.

Any other memories, or corrections to mine?

Eastern, I recall, was butchered. Berwick, the Borders and eastern East Lothian to Lowland; Linlithgow to Midland; Airdrie to Central; and the east Glasgow operations to Kelvin, via Midland, Baillieston depot having closed a few months ahead of the reorganisation.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Eastern, I recall, was butchered. Berwick, the Borders and eastern East Lothian to Lowland; Linlithgow to Midland; Airdrie to Central; and the east Glasgow operations to Kelvin, via Midland, Baillieston depot having closed a few months ahead of the reorganisation.

Eastern was indeed sliced and diced. Midland was also rearranged quite comprehensively... they lost Perth/Crieff to Strathtay, and the Glasgow area (Cumbernauld, Milngavie, Stepps, Kirkintilloch) to Kelvin having only just got the Baillieston ops from Eastern. They did gain Linlithgow from Eastern and, I think, Oban from Highland (reversing an earlier transfer)?

TBH, there was a fairly sensible redrawing of some historic boundaries. Central had the Old Kilpatrick depot that was isolated from the rest of its ops, and Eastern's Baillieston and Clarkston depots were also the results of historic quirks.

It was quite odd to stand in Berwick bus station and see an Eastern Scottish bus working the town service and knowing that they had a depot in Glasgow, working in tandem with a United Auto vehicle in a business that had a depot in Scarborough! The days of the monolithic bus companies!

 

[DunsBus]

It was quite odd to stand in Berwick bus station and see an Eastern Scottish bus working the town service and knowing that they had a depot in Glasgow, working in tandem with a United Auto vehicle in a business that had a depot in Scarborough! The days of the monolithic bus companies!

And, until a few years earlier, the joint Eastern Scottish/United Edinburgh-Newcastle services meant you had Eastern Scottish running into Newcastle and United likewise into Edinburgh - deep in each others' respective territories.

 

[GCH100]

Apologies if there is another thread on this, happy for it to be moved.

I was a teenager when new SBG companies were created along with the "Best Bus..." variations. Living in Edinburgh the one I noticed was Lowland with new yellow replacing cream in the Eastern Scottish livery. Depots in the Borders along with Dunbar and North Berwick were transferred. Linlithgow was transferred to Midland along with their Seddon Pennines. Kelvin, Clydeside and Strathtay were the other new companies I recall.

In addition I remember SBG Engineering as a separate company with Marine Workshop in Edinburgh (one in Kirkcaldy too?). They had a small fleet of Alexander T type Seddons which later ended up with other SBG companies.

This was all done in advance of bus service deregulation in 1986.

Any other memories, or corrections to mine?

Yes it was all done in advance of Deregulation in 1985/6, my father worked for a Construction Company who were re-doing the runway at Glasgow Airport at the time, and I would spend school holidays with him. I remember going into Paisley and seeing buses with Clydeside Scottish logos and Best Bus Around logos. I believe buses in Fife carried Best Bus in the Kingdom logos. Glasgow was interesting as the first Routemasters ex LT, had entered service with Clydeside and Kelvin and were competing head on with Strathcylde Buses, as competition there started before Deregulation.

If I remember correctly these were the changes that were made:-

• Highland Scottish - Oban operations transferred to Midland Scottish
• Northern Scottish - Tayside operations transferred to Strathtay Scottish (New Company)
• Strathtay Scottish - New operator created out of Dundee and Angus operations of Northern Scottish and Perth and Crieff area operations of Midland Scottish
• Fife Scottish - No change - The only operator with no change to territory.
• Midland Scottish - Tayside operations transfered to Strathstay Scottish, Glasgow area operations transfered to Kelvin Scottish, gained Linlithgow depot from Eastern Scottish?, gained Oban area operations and depot from Highland Scottish
• Eastern Scottish - Lost Linlithgow operations to Midland Scottish, lost Glasgow area operations (Baillieston depot closed ops to Cumbernauld Depot of Kelvin Scottish), lost Lowland area operations to Lowland Scottish (Depots at Galashiels, Dunbar, Berwick-on-Tweed, Hawick and Peebles). Also lost Airdrie depot to Central Scottish.
• Lowland Scottish - New operator in Scottish Borders created out of Eastern Scottish operations along with depots at Galashields, Dunbar, Berwick-on-Tweed, Hawick and Pebbles.
• Kelvin Scottish - New operator created out of Glasgow area operations of Midland Scottish, Baillieston depot operations of Eastern Scottish but not the depot itself, and the Central Scottish operations at Old Kilpatrick Depot along with the depot.
• Central Scottish - Lost Old Kilpatrick operations and Depot to Kelvin Scottish, Gained Airdrie depot from Eastern Scottish.
• Clydeside Scottish - New operator formed out of the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock area operations of Western Scottish
• Western Scottish - Lost all operations in the Clyde area to Clydeside Scottish.

If I have got any of this wrong, then please correct me?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes it was all done in advance of Deregulation in 1985/6, my father worked for a Construction Company who were re-doing the runway at Glasgow Airport at the time, and I would spend school holidays with him. I remember going into Paisley and seeing buses with Clydeside Scottish logo's and Best Bus Around logo's, I believe buses in Fife, carried Best Bus in the Kingdom logo's. Glasgow was intresting as the first Routemasters ex LT, had entered service with Clydeside and Kelvin and were competing head on with Strathcylde Buses, as competition there started before Deregulation.

If I remember correctly these were the changes that were made:-

Highland Scottish - Oban operations transfered to Midland Scottish
Northern Scottish - Tayside operatiosn transfered to Strathstay Scottish (New Company)
Strathtay Scottish - New operator created out of Dundee and Angus operations of Northern Scottish and Perth and Crief area operations of Midland Scottish
Fife Scottish - No change - The only operator with no change to territory.
Midland Scottish - Tayside operations transfered to Strathstay Scottish, Glasgow area operations transfered to Kelvin Scottish, gained Linlithgow depot from Eastern Scottish?, gained Oban area operations and depot from Highland Scottish
Eastern Scottish - Lost Linlithgow operations to Midland Scottish, lost Glasgow area operations (Baileston depot closed ops to Cumbernauld Depot of Kelvin Scottish), lost Lowland area operations to Lowland Scottish (Depots at Galashields, Dunbar, Berwick-on-Tweed, Harwick and Pebbles).
Lowland Scottish - New operator in Scottish Borders created out of Eastern Scottish operations along with depots at Galashields, Dunbar, Berwick-on-Tweed, Harwick and Pebbles.
Kelvin Scottish - New operator created out of Glasgow area operations of Midland Scottish, Baileston depot operations of Eastern Scottish but not the depot itself, and the Central Scottish operations at Old Kilpatrick Depot along with the depot.
Central Scottish - Lost Old Kilkatrick operations and Depot to Kelvin Scottish.
Clydeside Scottish - New operator formed out of the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock area operations of Western Scottish
Western Scottish - Lost all operations in the Clyde area to Clydeside Scottish.

If I have got any of this wrong, then please correct me?

Largely correct but a few to mention...

• Eastern's Baillieston operations transferred to Midland at Stepps in Feb 1985 before that depot then went to Kelvin
• Central lost OK but gained the Clarkston depot at Airdrie
• Lowland also gained Jedburgh, Kelso and North Berwick (I think?)

Not only was Fife not messed around with, it is still largely intact still using the depots at Dunfermline, Glenrothes, St Andrews and (sort of) Cowdenbeath. Only Kirkcaldy depot has disappeared whilst the small shed at Newburgh was vacated though they did use the yard for many years as an outstation (but I think that's ceased now, and they've gained the Strathtay business too as Scotland East)

 

[Stan Drews]

The reorganisation took place on 17th June 1985. The same day that my career in the bus industry began, …with one of the newly created companies.

One part of the jigsaw I haven’t seen mentioned is that Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd became a company in its own right, rather than just a trading name/brand, as had been the case for a couple of years prior to that date.

 

[Man of Kent]

Midland also gained the Western operations at Ardrishaig and on Islay.

 

[DunsBus]

Largely correct but a few to mention...

• Eastern's Baillieston operations transferred to Midland at Stepps in Feb 1985 before that depot then went to Kelvin
• Central lost OK but gained the Clarkston depot at Airdrie
• Lowland also gained Jedburgh, Kelso and North Berwick (I think?)

Yes - Lowland gained Berwick, Dunbar, Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh, Kelso, North Berwick and Peebles from Eastern. Jedburgh and North Berwick were outstations, their allocations coming under Hawick and Dunbar respectively. It wasn't until the early First era that they gained depot status.

 

[GusB]

When the reorganisation happened in 1985 I was 10 years old and that summer I spent a few weeks living with my grandparents in Coatbridge. I had been given a couple of early 80s fleet books, either for birthday or Christmas, and I recall being very confused because the fleet numbers I was seeing in the books didn't match what I was seeing on the road. I remember being aware that there were changes in the area - I'm fairly certain that I remember seeing some publicity material advising that the buses would be taken over by Central. I was completely oblivious to the reorganisation at that point.

I vaguely recall a trip to see my "other grannie" in Glasgow (the one ye can shove aff the bus!) and being completely bewildered because I was seeing green buses with Kelvin Scottish fleetnames, blue buses with Kelvin Scottish fleetnames and red buses with Kelvin Scottish fleetnames! A visit my auntie in Crieff revealed blue buses with Strathtay Scottish fleetnames too.

Up here in the frozen wastelands of Northern territory, there were no obvious changes initially, although eventually there was a vehicle swap between Strathtay and Northern and we had a couple of Leyland Nationals running around in Strathtay colours for a while.