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There is a morebus/bluestar network ticket which suffices I think, though your only option to connect is via the X1/6 routes at Lymington or via Salisbury.
A train option added to solent go would useful.
Need to get back to South Wales, pretty much new territory for me. I've not been past Cardiff. Is there any express buses between Cardiff and Newport?
Indeed - when it was Wilts and Dorset, it was always the case that the link between the two halves of the company were quite limited, and the same between More and Bluestar.
The X30 does indeed provide a fast link out of Cardiff to Newport. Last did it about 18 months ago and no idea what it's like now but in those days of August 2020, it had a decent loading on the journey I enjoyed with a slightly scabby Omnicity. I don't know if I could cope with a modern Newport Bus fleet....
Fairly quiet with about 10 people on board. Once I managed to sort out the condensation problem on the glasses, a pleasant run down although the bright sunshine and less than clean windows made looking out of them rather challenging which was a pity as the scenery was beautiful. Overtook Scania 28727 on the X4 at the retail park outside town which was handy....
The T4 has 15 minutes recovery time at Merthyr so being able to catch the 12:45 X4 was useful with limited time to spend. A little busier, and 28727 was in good form so time was made up. Traffic quiet coming into Cardiff but I still can't understand the reluctance of Merthyr drivers to use the bus lanes on the A470. As they now account for 60% of the scheduled services on this corridor it must be frustrating for car drivers and passengers alike.
On arrival at Cardiff, a spot of lunch, then some photography around Dumfries Place. The last time I was in Cardiff, the Stagecoach 132 left from St Mary Street so I decided to catch a Yutong to there. One problem - none of the westbound bus stops in Dumfries Place we're in use. So it was a brief walk along Newport Road to the City Road Junction (as the intervening bus stop had no indication that the 44/5/9/50 stopped there.
This one was quite busy unsurprisingly as it was the first bus from the Rumney direction I'd seen for a while. I've travelled on several Newport Yutongs and this was very similar in experience. Coming along Greyfriars Road, I noticed two Stagecoach Gold 132 vehicles parked up so obviously the terminus had changed. So a quick change of plan.
Even allowing for the fact that Cardiff are running a Saturday service, Cardiff was eerily quiet with substantial gaps between buses. In the ten minutes opposite the Hilton three vehicles passed me - a white Cardiff MMC, a Yutong and an Edwards National Express coach - and this used to be a busy thoroughfare.
I don't often use the 132 these days but it's a familiar path through the North Cardiff suburbs due to the parallel 26 route which was our main route from Caerphilly to Cardiff. One thing has changed - it's much busier within the city now and Stagecoach now seem to have a substantial share of the local trade. The bus got busier at Nantgarw due to college chucking out time but it wasn't too much of a problem as my final stop was at the other end of Treforest Estate.
So ends the first run of 2022. I suspect the next trip out will be early February to view the latest incarnation of Clayton Jones's bus operation.
Thanks @iantherev for that. I can't fathom why they don't use the bus lanes either! I'd agree with you on the T4 over the top from Storey Arms. It's a glorious fantastic run though I think the view from Storey towards Brecon is the best view. It's a cracking run.
Thanks @iantherev for that. I can't fathom why they don't use the bus lanes either! I'd agree with you on the T4 over the top from Storey Arms. It's a glorious fantastic run though I think the view from Storey towards Brecon is the best view. It's a cracking run.
On arrival at Cardiff, a spot of lunch, then some photography around Dumfries Place. The last time I was in Cardiff, the Stagecoach 132 left from St Mary Street so I decided to catch a Yutong to there. One problem - none of the westbound bus stops in Dumfries Place we're in use. So it was a brief walk along Newport Road to the City Road Junction (as the intervening bus stop had no indication that the 44/5/9/50 stopped there.
This one was quite busy unsurprisingly as it was the first bus from the Rumney direction I'd seen for a while. I've travelled on several Newport Yutongs and this was very similar in experience. Coming along Greyfriars Road, I noticed two Stagecoach Gold 132 vehicles parked up so obviously the terminus had changed. So a quick change of plan.
It's good to see that Cardiff City council are still trying to make it as hard as possible to use bus services after their master stroke of closing the bus station and dispersing the bus stops around the city!
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At last I have accessed my pictures of the walk from Stalisfield Green to Charing - from 2009 (sorry in reverse order, don't know why, Stalisfield Green at the bottom and Charing at the top). Don't complain about StreetLites!
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At last I have accessed my pictures of the walk from Stalisfield Green to Charing - from 2009 (sorry in reverse order, don't know why, Stalisfield Green at the bottom and Charing at the top). Don't complain about StreetLites!
Some lovely photos - very green and verdant compared to the grey winter weather at the moment.
The view that @carlberry provided is exactly the one I was thinking of. Good discipline to stop in that layby and not in the snack van one where he'd have to jostle with various motorcyclists to get a woeful bacon sandwich and coffee
I might add that Carl's RE is a superbly turned out machine, and is a credit to his efforts (and bank balance).
Not every RE was up to that standard "back in the day". That said, one of my local United REs (and indeed, featured in an Explorer trip in 1987) is also very nicely preserved. It was one of the better ones TBF!!
I shook off the dreaded Omicron at the beginning of the week and finally got out for my first trip of the year on Thursday. Rising very early I headed off in the car to Rotherham in South Yorkshire for a trip in an area I hadn’t visited for some time. Passing up the M1 near Nottingham around 7am the southbound carriageway was closed after a major accident some hours previously with many lorries still queuing while there was a convoy being led by a police car heading north up the southbound carriageway presumably to somehow get off at the previous junction, where they would have joined the enormous queues on the diversionary route and for miles back up the M1.
I parked in a central car park in Rotherham and after some sustenance I explored the town centre in the early light of sunrise. Rotherham isn’t one of our great English towns but the minster in the two centre is very impressive and there are some quite attractive shopping streets. They haven’t made much of the river yet but this is a ‘levelling up’ town with work going on. Buses from First and Stagecoach but nothing out of the ordinary.
My first journey was on the First 136, on which I bought a South Yorkshire Connect ticket for £7 which I was able to use on all operators throughout the day. This was a Volvo B7RLE. As a journey out of town around 9am I expected this to be fairly empty but there were actually quite a few aboard. Some left on the edges of town but surprisingly many continued further. After touring the delights of Thorpe Hesley we reached the village of Wentworth, where the National Trust property Wentworth Woodhouse is situated. At this point everyone but me alighted. The others were mainly younger adults, I guess working at Wentworth Woodhouse. One stop later, in the attractive village of Wentworth, we started adding new passengers, more traditional shoppers.
I alighted at Elsecar Heritage Centre. This is a really attractive ‘conservation village’ with workshops, craft displays and shops with a history of iron and coal and also a heritage rail line. Nothing was really open yet as it was too early in the day but it was all accessible with very few people around which enhanced the atmosphere. Well worth a visit. From there I headed to Barnsley on Stagecoach Yorkshire ‘route 66’. This route is difficult to follow on Bustimes as the route runs as a circular and the drivers obviously don’t reset the ticket machine between trips, so it looks like each bus follows the route for hours on end showing as the same journey. It runs every 20 minutes now (I think it was originally launched as every 10 minutes), mainly with E400 MMCs with a 72 minute running time but it looks like, at least sometimes, the buses have 28 minutes at Barnsley between each run rather than the more obvious 8 minutes. The Bustimes map works OK though and you can see where the buses are so I went out to catch one about 10.00, which was an E400 MMC. Surprisingly this caught and overtook the previous one just before we got back to Barnsley Bus Station, which shouldn’t really happen on a 20-minute service outside peak traffic times, although there were a few delaying temporary traffic lights.
I have been to Barnsley before but new there is a Covid memorial statue worth seeing in Glassworks Square, a town centre development close to the bus station. This is good but, at least in winter, in a part of the square which doesn’t get any sun. Barnsley also has a very impressive town hall. From Barnsley I headed to Penistone on the 20. The 20, 21 and 22 are interworked with a selection of MANs and E200s. Definitely no deckers as there is a low bridge near Penistone. I had a MAN of 08 vintage which was perfectly adequate. More temporary traffic lights delayed us heading out of Barnsley and then we had a brief section on proper Pennine countryside, plus a fine view of the rail viaduct, before arriving at Penistone.
I had not stopped off in Penistone before, merely passing through en route from Sheffield to Holmfirth (the 29 – a really scenic route). This is an attractive small town and quite middle class. Next to the town square was a ‘high class butcher’ with a queue of at least 5 people outside all the time I was there. Also a market in a modern looking hall and a pleasant area around the town square and church. From Penistone I ventured on the South Pennine Community Transport hourly route 26 to Stocksbridge. We left the two centre stop with 3 passengers and headed to Tesco where we gained three more and had a driver change. Seems the normal driver has a one hour break at 11.17 with another driver coming by spare minibus from goodness knows where to relieve him. This was a standard modern small minibus with a manual sliding door and I’m afraid I don’t even know who makes these, but I think similar to one I took from Glossop to Holmfirth last spring. There was another of their minibuses circling round the town every hour on route 25 and they both seemed to be popular, although how they can be economic, or even break even, I really don’t know.
All our passengers were for Stocksbridge and we headed off through more open country for the short journey there. The darkened windows meant that photos didn’t look right but it was more green countryside. There we were dropped at the Fox Valley Retail Park which is a modern shopping centre built on former steelworks land although Liberty Steel still has a substantial presence next door. Not much else in Stocksbridge and the backdrop of the hills north of the valley quite dominates the town. From Stocksbridge I took an SL1, a standard Stagecoach E200, with all the windows open this was jolly cold. The SL1 and SL1A used to be every 10 minutes in alternate directions around the Stocksbridge area and connected with the tram at the same frequency at Middlewood. Then the tram became every 12 minutes and the SL1/SL1A followed suit with 3 SL1s and 2 SL1As each hour. Now the bus has been reduced to three per hour with a combined frequency of 24/24/12 so the ones that do run still connect with the tram, now 2 SL1s (at 24/36 apart) and 1 SL1A. My SL1 ran straight along the valley floor but had I got an SL1A I would have had a substantial tour of the estates up the hill on the south side of the valley. A few passengers on board but I chose to alight at the Oughtibridge and spend a few minutes there. Oughtibridge is a small attractive village on the upper reaches of the River Don and was a pleasant place to eat my lunch.
From Oughtibridge I proceeded on the 57, another Stagecoach E200. This had come from Stocksbridge but via a couple of different estates from the SL1 and it then turns off the valley at Oughtibridge to take the hilly route through Worrall and Wadsley. This gave some good views over the valley, some green and verdant but also further east to the beginnings of industrial Sheffield. We passed Hillsborough Interchange and went in along the tram route for much of the way after that and I alighted in central Sheffield, not staying on to the terminus where the 57 interworks with the 2 to Barnsley. Here I wandered briefly up to the cathedral but the trip was not about Sheffield, I have been here several times before. From Sheffield I took the First X78 back to Rotherham on an E400 in Doncaster red colours. This route now runs every 20 minutes and seemed to be running punctually with a decent number of passengers and regular boarding and alighting all the way. I spent some time in Sheffield in the early 1980s and the run through the steel works area to Meadowhall was a substantial contrast to the industrial area it had been then.
At Rotherham there was still some daylight left and I could see the M1 south was still closed so there was no point in heading home yet just to hit terrible traffic congestion. So, after a short wander around the town centre again, I decided to head into the Dearne Valley on the Stagecoach 22X. To my surprise there were only two passengers when we left Rotherham bus station but we picked up quite a few more on the way out of town and more still in the bleak logistics and warehouse filled area of the Dearne Valley near Manvers – which used to be one of the larger collieries in the region. I alighted at Wath on Dearne, had a brief look at the town centre and then headed back. I had considered venturing further north, to Goldthorpe or Thurscoe, but it would have been dark by the time I got there and the times of the trains back to Rotherham would have meant a long wait – and it was jolly cold. Had I prepared properly I could have returned to Rotherham on the First 22a, which I saw from afar as a double decker in the old Mainline colours, but I hadn’t spotted this option and returned the same way. Again we picked up several passengers at the main road stops in Manvers and more at Dearne Valley college, with quite a good load heading into Rotherham. My 22X heading north was another MAN, also 08 reg, while the return was a long (26xxx) E200, with a driver change at Rawmarsh depot. It was dark by the time I got back to Rotherham so I headed home. I saw that, luckily, two lanes of the M1 were now open around Nottingham so did not to take any of the horrendous alternative routes previously suggested by my phone and was back home in the evening after a food stop on the way.
All in all an enjoyable sunny but very cold day. Yes a variation from the great scenery or coastal towns that I often enjoy but a pleasant change and good to be out!
A good trip to Yorkshire there. Not done any routes in South Yorkshire. I have toyed with driving to get to a start point.
Another Saturday trip for me.
First West England Day ticket.
Southampton to Bath Spa GWR 166.
Usual Class 166 on this route. No other option to get to Bath/Bristol. I heard National Express may of run this route from Southampton but certainly gone.
Bath bus station - Bristol Bus Station X39.
Bath bus station is really handy when using the railway station. Decided to take the X39 to Bristol which was a very rattly E400MMC.
This journey took around an hour. The ticket counter was open at the bus station but no timetables on display. I did pick up a Bristol bus map.
Bristol Bus Station - Weston Super Mare X1
Decided to head to the seaside and a new place for me. E4OO of which an older one. Routed on the A370. These older E400s are quite slow up the hills.
Weston Super Mare is a bit of mess bus stop wise, as they are still upgrading the public realm. Took a look around the town and the beach. Pit stop in Tesco and walked to the Railway Station.
Could of went back on another X route to Bristol or South to Burnham.
Weston Super Mare to Wells 126
The 126 starts from the Railway Station, reaching the railway station is not easy from the Tesco as there is no pedestrian crossings on a busy road.#
The 126 is a pleasant ride through villages and even ran close to the Cheddar Gorge.
At Wells I had a look around and had a nice burger from the farmers market.
I had a few options at Wells, 174 to Bath, 376 to Bristol.
Wells to Street 376
I decided to take the 376 to Street. Another short but pleasant run to Street via Glastonbury.
At Street I had half hour before the next 376. I didn't realise there was a outlet shopping area here!
The next 376 was the same bus as before an E400. I took this all the way to Bristol. I will come to this area and do the routes to Yeovil and Taunton etc.
Made it back to Bristol in ample time for my train back to Sutty. I was surprised to see a three car 158, a rarity on the route. I much prefer these.
I shook off the dreaded Omicron at the beginning of the week and finally got out for my first trip of the year on Thursday. Rising very early I headed off in the car to Rotherham in South Yorkshire for a trip in an area I hadn’t visited for some time. Passing up the M1 near Nottingham around 7am the southbound carriageway was closed after a major accident some hours previously with many lorries still queuing while there was a convoy being led by a police car heading north up the southbound carriageway presumably to somehow get off at the previous junction, where they would have joined the enormous queues on the diversionary route and for miles back up the M1.
I parked in a central car park in Rotherham and after some sustenance I explored the town centre in the early light of sunrise. Rotherham isn’t one of our great English towns but the minster in the two centre is very impressive and there are some quite attractive shopping streets. They haven’t made much of the river yet but this is a ‘levelling up’ town with work going on. Buses from First and Stagecoach but nothing out of the ordinary.
My first journey was on the First 136, on which I bought a South Yorkshire Connect ticket for £7 which I was able to use on all operators throughout the day. This was a Volvo B7RLE. As a journey out of town around 9am I expected this to be fairly empty but there were actually quite a few aboard. Some left on the edges of town but surprisingly many continued further. After touring the delights of Thorpe Hesley we reached the village of Wentworth, where the National Trust property Wentworth Woodhouse is situated. At this point everyone but me alighted. The others were mainly younger adults, I guess working at Wentworth Woodhouse. One stop later, in the attractive village of Wentworth, we started adding new passengers, more traditional shoppers.
I alighted at Elsecar Heritage Centre. This is a really attractive ‘conservation village’ with workshops, craft displays and shops with a history of iron and coal and also a heritage rail line. Nothing was really open yet as it was too early in the day but it was all accessible with very few people around which enhanced the atmosphere. Well worth a visit. From there I headed to Barnsley on Stagecoach Yorkshire ‘route 66’. This route is difficult to follow on Bustimes as the route runs as a circular and the drivers obviously don’t reset the ticket machine between trips, so it looks like each bus follows the route for hours on end showing as the same journey. It runs every 20 minutes now (I think it was originally launched as every 10 minutes), mainly with E400 MMCs with a 72 minute running time but it looks like, at least sometimes, the buses have 28 minutes at Barnsley between each run rather than the more obvious 8 minutes. The Bustimes map works OK though and you can see where the buses are so I went out to catch one about 10.00, which was an E400 MMC. Surprisingly this caught and overtook the previous one just before we got back to Barnsley Bus Station, which shouldn’t really happen on a 20-minute service outside peak traffic times, although there were a few delaying temporary traffic lights.
I have been to Barnsley before but new there is a Covid memorial statue worth seeing in Glassworks Square, a town centre development close to the bus station. This is good but, at least in winter, in a part of the square which doesn’t get any sun. Barnsley also has a very impressive town hall. From Barnsley I headed to Penistone on the 20. The 20, 21 and 22 are interworked with a selection of MANs and E200s. Definitely no deckers as there is a low bridge near Penistone. I had a MAN of 08 vintage which was perfectly adequate. More temporary traffic lights delayed us heading out of Barnsley and then we had a brief section on proper Pennine countryside, plus a fine view of the rail viaduct, before arriving at Penistone.
I had not stopped off in Penistone before, merely passing through en route from Sheffield to Holmfirth (the 29 – a really scenic route). This is an attractive small town and quite middle class. Next to the town square was a ‘high class butcher’ with a queue of at least 5 people outside all the time I was there. Also a market in a modern looking hall and a pleasant area around the town square and church. From Penistone I ventured on the South Pennine Community Transport hourly route 26 to Stocksbridge. We left the two centre stop with 3 passengers and headed to Tesco where we gained three more and had a driver change. Seems the normal driver has a one hour break at 11.17 with another driver coming by spare minibus from goodness knows where to relieve him. This was a standard modern small minibus with a manual sliding door and I’m afraid I don’t even know who makes these, but I think similar to one I took from Glossop to Holmfirth last spring. There was another of their minibuses circling round the town every hour on route 25 and they both seemed to be popular, although how they can be economic, or even break even, I really don’t know.
All our passengers were for Stocksbridge and we headed off through more open country for the short journey there. The darkened windows meant that photos didn’t look right but it was more green countryside. There we were dropped at the Fox Valley Retail Park which is a modern shopping centre built on former steelworks land although Liberty Steel still has a substantial presence next door. Not much else in Stocksbridge and the backdrop of the hills north of the valley quite dominates the town. From Stocksbridge I took an SL1, a standard Stagecoach E200, with all the windows open this was jolly cold. The SL1 and SL1A used to be every 10 minutes in alternate directions around the Stocksbridge area and connected with the tram at the same frequency at Middlewood. Then the tram became every 12 minutes and the SL1/SL1A followed suit with 3 SL1s and 2 SL1As each hour. Now the bus has been reduced to three per hour with a combined frequency of 24/24/12 so the ones that do run still connect with the tram, now 2 SL1s (at 24/36 apart) and 1 SL1A. My SL1 ran straight along the valley floor but had I got an SL1A I would have had a substantial tour of the estates up the hill on the south side of the valley. A few passengers on board but I chose to alight at the Oughtibridge and spend a few minutes there. Oughtibridge is a small attractive village on the upper reaches of the River Don and was a pleasant place to eat my lunch.
From Oughtibridge I proceeded on the 57, another Stagecoach E200. This had come from Stocksbridge but via a couple of different estates from the SL1 and it then turns off the valley at Oughtibridge to take the hilly route through Worrall and Wadsley. This gave some good views over the valley, some green and verdant but also further east to the beginnings of industrial Sheffield. We passed Hillsborough Interchange and went in along the tram route for much of the way after that and I alighted in central Sheffield, not staying on to the terminus where the 57 interworks with the 2 to Barnsley. Here I wandered briefly up to the cathedral but the trip was not about Sheffield, I have been here several times before. From Sheffield I took the First X78 back to Rotherham on an E400 in Doncaster red colours. This route now runs every 20 minutes and seemed to be running punctually with a decent number of passengers and regular boarding and alighting all the way. I spent some time in Sheffield in the early 1980s and the run through the steel works area to Meadowhall was a substantial contrast to the industrial area it had been then.
At Rotherham there was still some daylight left and I could see the M1 south was still closed so there was no point in heading home yet just to hit terrible traffic congestion. So, after a short wander around the town centre again, I decided to head into the Dearne Valley on the Stagecoach 22X. To my surprise there were only two passengers when we left Rotherham bus station but we picked up quite a few more on the way out of town and more still in the bleak logistics and warehouse filled area of the Dearne Valley near Manvers – which used to be one of the larger collieries in the region. I alighted at Wath on Dearne, had a brief look at the town centre and then headed back. I had considered venturing further north, to Goldthorpe or Thurscoe, but it would have been dark by the time I got there and the times of the trains back to Rotherham would have meant a long wait – and it was jolly cold. Had I prepared properly I could have returned to Rotherham on the First 22a, which I saw from afar as a double decker in the old Mainline colours, but I hadn’t spotted this option and returned the same way. Again we picked up several passengers at the main road stops in Manvers and more at Dearne Valley college, with quite a good load heading into Rotherham. My 22X heading north was another MAN, also 08 reg, while the return was a long (26xxx) E200, with a driver change at Rawmarsh depot. It was dark by the time I got back to Rotherham so I headed home. I saw that, luckily, two lanes of the M1 were now open around Nottingham so did not to take any of the horrendous alternative routes previously suggested by my phone and was back home in the evening after a food stop on the way.
All in all an enjoyable sunny but very cold day. Yes a variation from the great scenery or coastal towns that I often enjoy but a pleasant change and good to be out!
Apologies for the delay in replying - weekend was a bit manic and didn't involve a single public transport journey!
It's been about three years since I did a spin around South Yorkshire and I kept to the East and South more. I have had a hankering of heading up in Penistone and Stocksbridge for a while and your photos and report certainly make it seem like an area to investigate. It's fair to say that once you escape the main towns, there are some lovely little backwaters and hidden treasures. You did Rotherham to Elsecar; I did some obscure Dinnington to Rotherham service and it's amazing how quickly you can leave the main SY conurbation behind.
As for the major towns, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Barnsley - it's got a more of a community feel to it and a bit more civic pride than, for instance, Rotherham which feels a bit depressing if I'm honest. Don't know what the situation is like now but when I was last there, the difference between First and Stagecoach was very noticeable. Stagecoach was a very boring fleet but boringly competent and well turned out. Meanwhile, First was a mix of some elderly fleet (numerous B7TL/B7Ls) among newer types but the Streetlites and Streetdecks seemed like dropping clean fish in a dirty pond and they weren't fairing well.
Thanks for the photos and the report - really interesting!
A good trip to Yorkshire there. Not done any routes in South Yorkshire. I have toyed with driving to get to a start point.
Another Saturday trip for me.
First West England Day ticket.
Southampton to Bath Spa GWR 166.
Usual Class 166 on this route. No other option to get to Bath/Bristol. I heard National Express may of run this route from Southampton but certainly gone.
Bath bus station - Bristol Bus Station X39.
Bath bus station is really handy when using the railway station. Decided to take the X39 to Bristol which was a very rattly E400MMC.
This journey took around an hour. The ticket counter was open at the bus station but no timetables on display. I did pick up a Bristol bus map.
Bristol Bus Station - Weston Super Mare X1
Decided to head to the seaside and a new place for me. E4OO of which an older one. Routed on the A370. These older E400s are quite slow up the hills.
Weston Super Mare is a bit of mess bus stop wise, as they are still upgrading the public realm. Took a look around the town and the beach. Pit stop in Tesco and walked to the Railway Station.
Could of went back on another X route to Bristol or South to Burnham.
Weston Super Mare to Wells 126
The 126 starts from the Railway Station, reaching the railway station is not easy from the Tesco as there is no pedestrian crossings on a busy road.#
The 126 is a pleasant ride through villages and even ran close to the Cheddar Gorge.
At Wells I had a look around and had a nice burger from the farmers market.
I had a few options at Wells, 174 to Bath, 376 to Bristol.
Wells to Street 376
I decided to take the 376 to Street. Another short but pleasant run to Street via Glastonbury.
At Street I had half hour before the next 376. I didn't realise there was a outlet shopping area here!
The next 376 was the same bus as before an E400. I took this all the way to Bristol. I will come to this area and do the routes to Yeovil and Taunton etc.
Made it back to Bristol in ample time for my train back to Sutty. I was surprised to see a three car 158, a rarity on the route. I much prefer these.
That's a good trip. If you have access to a car and don't mind driving then using it to get to a start point broadens your horizons considerably. I don't mind driving for 3 hours in the dark before starting and 3 hours in the dark after finishing (the latter with a break for food) but I may be unusual in that - and the petrol costs much more than the buses!
Apologies for the delay in replying - weekend was a bit manic and didn't involve a single public transport journey!
It's been about three years since I did a spin around South Yorkshire and I kept to the East and South more. I have had a hankering of heading up in Penistone and Stocksbridge for a while and your photos and report certainly make it seem like an area to investigate. It's fair to say that once you escape the main towns, there are some lovely little backwaters and hidden treasures. You did Rotherham to Elsecar; I did some obscure Dinnington to Rotherham service and it's amazing how quickly you can leave the main SY conurbation behind.
As for the major towns, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Barnsley - it's got a more of a community feel to it and a bit more civic pride than, for instance, Rotherham which feels a bit depressing if I'm honest. Don't know what the situation is like now but when I was last there, the difference between First and Stagecoach was very noticeable. Stagecoach was a very boring fleet but boringly competent and well turned out. Meanwhile, First was a mix of some elderly fleet (numerous B7TL/B7Ls) among newer types but the Streetlites and Streetdecks seemed like dropping clean fish in a dirty pond and they weren't fairing well.
Thanks for the photos and the report - really interesting!
Thanks for responding. Yes the Penistone and Stocksbridge area is good and you can get well off the beaten track. For example the 61 and 62 circulars from Hillsborough go to some gorgeous rural spots like the Bradfields, many years ago I did this in a South Yorkshire decker - Atlantean with screaming Voith transmission - sadly you don't get that now.
Agree that Barnsley definitely has civic pride and the presentation of its town hall shows that, more so than Rotherham. Stagecoach Yorkshire definitely boringly competent although still quite a few MANs and deckers on a few routes out of Barnsley (but none at Rawmarsh). First were more of a mixed bag. The Streetdecks, mainly on X1/X10, seem smart but the Streetlites looked as down-at-heel as everything else. They seem to be making an effort on the X78 as all the buses I saw were smartly turned out in Doncaster red colours but most of the others were quite old. Having closed Rotherham depot the local routes seem to be massively and complexly inter-worked with routes coming in from Sheffield and Doncaster: I didn't notice anything untoward on Thursday but it is probably less resilient to traffic delays on key arteries than with a more traditional set-up. I didn't see any cancellations from either company on Thursday, which was encouraging.
First one on 20/01/2022, and this is my first bus trip in the UK of 2022!
On that day, I was in my usual UK home in Horsham, West Sussex. So, I decided to go to Brighton, and to begin with, my first bus of the day is Stagecoach South 27671 (GX60 PBZ - ADL Enviro300) on route 17 to Brighton. Lovely, scenic route, particularly between Henfield and Patcham. Very nice sounding bus too!
Then the Coastliner 700 to Worthing & back (firstly 10951 SN18 KNR then 10958 SN18 KNZ back to Brighton, both are ADL E400MMCs). Not the most exciting of buses, but 700 gets good views around Worthing.
After that, here I am in Portslade. Not the best part of Brighton but ah well. So let's continue the day with The Big Lemon Optare Solo YK55 ENN, route 16 to Hangleton. A residential route but with some nice views in parts, and the Solo wasn't too bad either! I had a friendly driver too!
And then, the 47, once again also The Big Lemon (and I had an Optare Solo SR EV YJ19 HXV) to Saltdean. 47 is an amazing route with scenic views, and these electric Solos definetly are good buses. Oh and The Big Lemon's buses (at least on the Solo SR EV) now also has next stop announcements, using the exact same voice as the one on Stagecoach North East' SN69 ADL E400 MMCs 11281-11300/11501-11503. I only went as far as near Whitehawk Bus Garage, having already done the "practically the same" 57 back in August in that section.
After that, a ride on a nice Brighton & Hove ADL E400ER MMC 347 (YX70 OJS), route 1 to Mile Oak. Also love the fact that the bus is dual door, something I wish that other UK cities, at least on their busiest city routes, would do. Well done Brighton! (yes, we've done the dual door discussion to death I know and yes there are types of routes where I find dual doors of no use, but I'll stop here, because this is about my recent bus trips.)
And then, a lovely Mercedes O530G Citaro G (Brighton & Hove 112 BD57WDR) on route 25X to Universities (just went on it for two stops just to go on a Citaro G), finally finishing the day with Stagecoach South 27671 GX60PBZ on the 17 back to Horsham.
Today 24/01/2022.
Well, it's my first day back at university in Oxford so I decided to ride on some buses around the city (but this time, locally).
So today starts with Oxford Bus Company ADL Enviro400 MMC 607 (SB64 OXF) on route BrookesBus U5 to City Centre. Nothing special, both the route and the bus.
After that, I try out the new 5A bus route (the partial Stagecoach 16/16A replacement, yes!) onboard Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2 364 (V14 OXF). The 5A, is again, nothing exciting apart from a little nice scenic spot at The Original Swan bus stop in Cowley (which you can only see if facing towards the city). I like the sound of these B5LHs, but I hate the slow acceleration of these semi-manual gearboxed buses, especially on a city route.
And then, Thames Travel Connector ST2 to Wytham Field Station, onboard ADL Enviro200 MMC 512 (YX69 NVF). The route is lovely - a beautiful mix between rural and urban, and also love the narrow country lanes that can be seen on the last 2 stops (or first 2 stops if going in the opposite direction, aka John Radcliffe Hospital). Also, around the narrow country lanes, no wonder why 8.9m buses are used on this route. The curves are incredibly tight! Also, I love the sound of these Voith 4-cylinder ADL Enviro200 MMCs.
A lovely walk in the countryside takes me to the beautiful little village of Wolvercote, where I then ride Oxford Bus Company route 6 back to the city centre, onboard Wright Streetdeck 669 (SK66 HUJ). A nice city route (much more exciting than the Cowley city routes!), and this Streetdeck was alright too!
After that, onboard the GWR Class 800/802 Hitachi AT300 IET liveried Oxford Bus Company Scania N230UD / ADL Enviro400 221 (KF10 OXF) on the very quiet route 4C to Dean Court. A nice route, and a nice bus, but no wonder why it's so quiet - because the 4C is an almost 100% complete duplicate of the Stagecoach S1, making it very pointless! In fact, the only part of the 4C (outside of the City Centre obviously) that isn't shared with the S1 is the short 200m (about 120 yards? - I don't do imperial sorry) on Pinnocks Way, where the Dean Court terminus is located. I think the 4C should be completely withdrawn and replaced by a mini diversion of the S1. It won't make journeys too long, just maybe a minute longer - that's all.
A walk to Botley, Westminster Way and there I get the 4A back to City Centre onboard this awesome Oxford Bus Company ADL Enviro400H 303 (HC11 OXF). I love the beautiful, scenic views of the 4A, and also how effortlessly the hybrids can climb the hills of Botley.
Then, onboard the almighty Mercedes Citaro (Thames Travel 849 LF56 OXF) on the X32 to JR Hospital, where I try to ride the eastern section of the ST2, only to completely miss it when I arrived at JR Hospital. Ah well.
13 back to City Centre onboard Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2 353 (R3 OXF). Not too bad, but not the best.
And after that, back home in two journeys. Firstly on Stagecoach ADL Enviro400 MMC 10434 (SK15 HCU) on route 1 to Blackbird Leys, getting off at Cowley Templars Square (just needed to quickly pop in to Wilko), and then ADL Enviro400H 12013 (OU10 GHB) on route 10 to John Radcliffe Hospital, where I am now back at my accommodation!
Having not had TOO much of a b*ll*cking for my post #95 with an historical report, here's another one from the archives - this time on this date 36 years ago - Saturday 25 January 1986.
Starting out from home, I'd walked to Birkdale Station, to catch the train to Liverpool;
0703 BIRKDALE - LIVERPOOL CENTRAL 507020.
Next, a trip by National Express:
0800 825 Liverpool – Hanley Green Line TPL59 – A159EPA – Plaxton bodied Leyland Tiger - photographed (below) leaving Hanley Bus Station.
Here, I bought a PMT day out ticket and enjoyed a day of Bristol / ECW 'heaven' which encompassed:
1403 232 Tean – Cheadle Potteries 217 – PVT217L – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6L photographed (below) on arrival in Cheadle, where it was exchanged for the VR, in order that the RE could cover the X42 to Uttoxeter
1452 232 Cheadle – Tean Potteries 224 – PVT224L – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6L photographed (below) on arrival at Tean
A good trip to Yorkshire there. Not done any routes in South Yorkshire. I have toyed with driving to get to a start point.
Another Saturday trip for me.
First West England Day ticket.
Southampton to Bath Spa GWR 166.
Usual Class 166 on this route. No other option to get to Bath/Bristol. I heard National Express may of run this route from Southampton but certainly gone.
Bath bus station - Bristol Bus Station X39.
Bath bus station is really handy when using the railway station. Decided to take the X39 to Bristol which was a very rattly E400MMC.
This journey took around an hour. The ticket counter was open at the bus station but no timetables on display. I did pick up a Bristol bus map.
Bristol Bus Station - Weston Super Mare X1
Decided to head to the seaside and a new place for me. E4OO of which an older one. Routed on the A370. These older E400s are quite slow up the hills.
Weston Super Mare is a bit of mess bus stop wise, as they are still upgrading the public realm. Took a look around the town and the beach. Pit stop in Tesco and walked to the Railway Station.
Could of went back on another X route to Bristol or South to Burnham.
Weston Super Mare to Wells 126
The 126 starts from the Railway Station, reaching the railway station is not easy from the Tesco as there is no pedestrian crossings on a busy road.#
The 126 is a pleasant ride through villages and even ran close to the Cheddar Gorge.
At Wells I had a look around and had a nice burger from the farmers market.
I had a few options at Wells, 174 to Bath, 376 to Bristol.
Wells to Street 376
I decided to take the 376 to Street. Another short but pleasant run to Street via Glastonbury.
At Street I had half hour before the next 376. I didn't realise there was a outlet shopping area here!
The next 376 was the same bus as before an E400. I took this all the way to Bristol. I will come to this area and do the routes to Yeovil and Taunton etc.
Made it back to Bristol in ample time for my train back to Sutty. I was surprised to see a three car 158, a rarity on the route. I much prefer these.
Sorry for delay in getting back on this, especially as you're very much in my part of the world.
Agree with your comments about the X39 and the mmcs on there, though I'm a little surprised that you didn't mention that they are dual door. Rare enough in the UK and especially for an inter-urban service. For vehicles that are only 4 years old, they rattle and squeak like no-ones business and don't know if that's because of dual doors as they've been like it since new. Whereas Bath and Bristol are fantastic cities, the X39 route is rather non-descript though it does stop at Arnos Vale Cemetery which is, I kid you not, a really interesting place to walk round. And no, I'm not a goth! Bristol bus station is a really good hub and the fact they still have an office is a plus point (take note Arriva and Stagecoach) - I hope the lack of timetables is reflective of the pace of change and not that they have ceased production on the quiet.
The e400s on the Excel services to Weston and North Somerset represent a number of batches of different specs and ages from ex London examples, a few ex Manc and some native ones that were new to the routes. They are beginning to really show their age, are quite basic inside and indeed, they are due to be replaced shortly with new Streetdecks. Again, the X1 is a decent enough route for scenery but nothing overly special.
The 126 is, however, a much nicer trip and especially that it is now double decked rather than singles (though don't think it needs that capacity really) as it passes the Helicopter Museum, the beautiful small town of Axbridge, and then to Cheddar. You can't really see the Gorge but it is not much more than a 10-15 min walk from the Tweentown stop. What is best about the 126 is the stretch to Wells and as you head through the villages like Rodney Stoke and Westbury sub Mendip, with views across the northern part of the Somerset Levels over towards Wedmore and Glastonbury.
Then you chose to go back to Bristol but I'd have suggested heading back via the 173/4 to Bath as that's a bit more interesting. In fact, had you done the route Bath - Wells - Bristol - Bath, the 173/4 would give you some superb views of Wells and the view over to Glastonbury as well as exploring the former Somerset coalfield around Midsomer Norton (diving down into the hollows at Dunkerton) and some lovely villages like Binegar or Dinder, depending on the route. Yes, the 376 does give you a similar view from Mendip transmitter but it's a bit of a thrash down the A37/A39 otherwise.
Still, glad you enjoyed it and shared your experience with us. Always nice to hear a tourist's perspective of your local area.
Sorry for delay in getting back on this, especially as you're very much in my part of the world.
Agree with your comments about the X39 and the mmcs on there, though I'm a little surprised that you didn't mention that they are dual door. Rare enough in the UK and especially for an inter-urban service. For vehicles that are only 4 years old, they rattle and squeak like no-ones business and don't know if that's because of dual doors as they've been like it since new. Whereas Bath and Bristol are fantastic cities, the X39 route is rather non-descript though it does stop at Arnos Vale Cemetery which is, I kid you not, a really interesting place to walk round. And no, I'm not a goth! Bristol bus station is a really good hub and the fact they still have an office is a plus point (take note Arriva and Stagecoach) - I hope the lack of timetables is reflective of the pace of change and not that they have ceased production on the quiet.
The e400s on the Excel services to Weston and North Somerset represent a number of batches of different specs and ages from ex London examples, a few ex Manc and some native ones that were new to the routes. They are beginning to really show their age, are quite basic inside and indeed, they are due to be replaced shortly with new Streetdecks. Again, the X1 is a decent enough route for scenery but nothing overly special.
The 126 is, however, a much nicer trip and especially that it is now double decked rather than singles (though don't think it needs that capacity really) as it passes the Helicopter Museum, the beautiful small town of Axbridge, and then to Cheddar. You can't really see the Gorge but it is not much more than a 10-15 min walk from the Tweentown stop. What is best about the 126 is the stretch to Wells and as you head through the villages like Rodney Stoke and Westbury sub Mendip, with views across the northern part of the Somerset Levels over towards Wedmore and Glastonbury.
Then you chose to go back to Bristol but I'd have suggested heading back via the 173/4 to Bath as that's a bit more interesting. In fact, had you done the route Bath - Wells - Bristol - Bath, the 173/4 would give you some superb views of Wells and the view over to Glastonbury as well as exploring the former Somerset coalfield around Midsomer Norton (diving down into the hollows at Dunkerton) and some lovely villages like Binegar or Dinder, depending on the route. Yes, the 376 does give you a similar view from Mendip transmitter but it's a bit of a thrash down the A37/A39 otherwise.
Still, glad you enjoyed it and shared your experience with us. Always nice to hear a tourist's perspective of your local area.
I did notice the the dual door on the E400MMC, though I'm used to it on some of Bluestar decker's.
Yes, I did think of doing the 173/174 to Bath but have marked that down to do on the next trip. I am thinking of doing the route to Burnham on Sea and Bridgwater, that requires the West of England plus ticket. The X10 from Yeovil to Blandford I have my eye on but for some reason does not run on Saturdays.
I will be back to Somerset, still loads more to explore.
I did notice the the dual door on the E400MMC, though I'm used to it on some of Bluestar decker's.
Yes, I did think of doing the 173/174 to Bath but have marked that down to do on the next trip. I am thinking of doing the route to Burnham on Sea and Bridgwater, that requires the West of England plus ticket. The X10 from Yeovil to Blandford I have my eye on but for some reason does not run on Saturdays.
I will be back to Somerset, still loads more to explore.
You do get dual doors but not often on an interurban route.
The X10 is a tendered service and Dorset CC are notoriously parsimonious in that a number of services have either no Saturday service or a very much reduced one.
I'd recommend a route that goes 173 to Wells, 75 to Bridgwater, 21 to Burnham, 20 to Weston, 126 to Wells, 174 to back to Bath if you have time.
Well, it's my first day back at university in Oxford so I decided to ride on some buses around the city (but this time, locally).
So today starts with Oxford Bus Company ADL Enviro400 MMC 607 (SB64 OXF) on route BrookesBus U5 to City Centre. Nothing special, both the route and the bus.
After that, I try out the new 5A bus route (the partial Stagecoach 16/16A replacement, yes!) onboard Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2 364 (V14 OXF). The 5A, is again, nothing exciting apart from a little nice scenic spot at The Original Swan bus stop in Cowley (which you can only see if facing towards the city). I like the sound of these B5LHs, but I hate the slow acceleration of these semi-manual gearboxed buses, especially on a city route.
And then, Thames Travel Connector ST2 to Wytham Field Station, onboard ADL Enviro200 MMC 512 (YX69 NVF). The route is lovely - a beautiful mix between rural and urban, and also love the narrow country lanes that can be seen on the last 2 stops (or first 2 stops if going in the opposite direction, aka John Radcliffe Hospital). Also, around the narrow country lanes, no wonder why 8.9m buses are used on this route. The curves are incredibly tight! Also, I love the sound of these Voith 4-cylinder ADL Enviro200 MMCs.
A lovely walk in the countryside takes me to the beautiful little village of Wolvercote, where I then ride Oxford Bus Company route 6 back to the city centre, onboard Wright Streetdeck 669 (SK66 HUJ). A nice city route (much more exciting than the Cowley city routes!), and this Streetdeck was alright too!
After that, onboard the GWR Class 800/802 Hitachi AT300 IET liveried Oxford Bus Company Scania N230UD / ADL Enviro400 221 (KF10 OXF) on the very quiet route 4C to Dean Court. A nice route, and a nice bus, but no wonder why it's so quiet - because the 4C is an almost 100% complete duplicate of the Stagecoach S1, making it very pointless! In fact, the only part of the 4C (outside of the City Centre obviously) that isn't shared with the S1 is the short 200m (about 120 yards? - I don't do imperial sorry) on Pinnocks Way, where the Dean Court terminus is located. I think the 4C should be completely withdrawn and replaced by a mini diversion of the S1. It won't make journeys too long, just maybe a minute longer - that's all.
A walk to Botley, Westminster Way and there I get the 4A back to City Centre onboard this awesome Oxford Bus Company ADL Enviro400H 303 (HC11 OXF). I love the beautiful, scenic views of the 4A, and also how effortlessly the hybrids can climb the hills of Botley.
Then, onboard the almighty Mercedes Citaro (Thames Travel 849 LF56 OXF) on the X32 to JR Hospital, where I try to ride the eastern section of the ST2, only to completely miss it when I arrived at JR Hospital. Ah well.
13 back to City Centre onboard Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2 353 (R3 OXF). Not too bad, but not the best.
And after that, back home in two journeys. Firstly on Stagecoach ADL Enviro400 MMC 10434 (SK15 HCU) on route 1 to Blackbird Leys, getting off at Cowley Templars Square (just needed to quickly pop in to Wilko), and then ADL Enviro400H 12013 (OU10 GHB) on route 10 to John Radcliffe Hospital, where I am now back at my accommodation!
Your report from Oxford takes me back as I did many trips from there in the late 1970s. It's a great location with services out in many directions and lots of opportunities to head out in one direction then take another bus to the end of another spoke of the wheel centred on Oxford. For example Chipping Norton and Banbury, Chipping Norton and Witney, Witney and Abingdon, Didcot and Wallingford, Bicester (or Buckingham) and Aylesbury, Aylesbury and High Wycombe, Wantage and Farringdon, even Swindon and Cheltenham. Worth exploring and building up with some of these and then you can head yet further afield. I have to say in my day there was an X50 from Birmingham Bull Ring Bus Station (an awful place) at 21.20 on which I ended many a trip, almost always a Bristol VR, often stopped to refuel at Chipping Norton on the way down. And there were buses to Coventry, Northampton and Newbury which are missing now. Look forward to hearing of more trips. I have not yet made it to Wytham, there was no bus in my day, so you are one up on me there.
I was in my usual UK home in Horsham, West Sussex. So, I decided to go to Brighton, and to begin with, my first bus of the day is Stagecoach South 27671 (GX60 PBZ - ADL Enviro300) on route 17 to Brighton. Lovely, scenic route, particularly between Henfield and Patcham. Very nice sounding bus too!
Then the Coastliner 700 to Worthing & back (firstly 10951 SN18 KNR then 10958 SN18 KNZ back to Brighton, both are ADL E400MMCs). Not the most exciting of buses, but 700 gets good views around Worthing.
After that, here I am in Portslade. Not the best part of Brighton but ah well. So let's continue the day with The Big Lemon Optare Solo YK55 ENN, route 16 to Hangleton. A residential route but with some nice views in parts, and the Solo wasn't too bad either! I had a friendly driver too!
And then, the 47, once again also The Big Lemon (and I had an Optare Solo SR EV YJ19 HXV) to Saltdean. 47 is an amazing route with scenic views, and these electric Solos definetly are good buses. Oh and The Big Lemon's buses (at least on the Solo SR EV) now also has next stop announcements, using the exact same voice as the one on Stagecoach North East' SN69 ADL E400 MMCs 11281-11300/11501-11503. I only went as far as near Whitehawk Bus Garage, having already done the "practically the same" 57 back in August in that section.
After that, a ride on a nice Brighton & Hove ADL E400ER MMC 347 (YX70 OJS), route 1 to Mile Oak. Also love the fact that the bus is dual door, something I wish that other UK cities, at least on their busiest city routes, would do. Well done Brighton! (yes, we've done the dual door discussion to death I know and yes there are types of routes where I find dual doors of no use, but I'll stop here, because this is about my recent bus trips.)
And then, a lovely Mercedes O530G Citaro G (Brighton & Hove 112 BD57WDR) on route 25X to Universities (just went on it for two stops just to go on a Citaro G), finally finishing the day with Stagecoach South 27671 GX60PBZ on the 17 back to Horsham.
Unlike @RELL6L, it was your Sussex trip that caught my eye. The full run to/from Horsham is one that's eluded me but checking back, I did some of it in January 1997!!! Yep, almost 25 years to the day. It was the 107 in those days and I had a Stagecoach B10M from Brighton to Henfield, before coming back on a Mk2 National and interchanging at Pyecombe! That part of the world, tucked behind Brighton is really quite lovely.
Note your mention of dual doors and we don't want to go into that rabbit hole. However, it's also notable that Brighton and Hove Council are one of the best local authorities in terms of bus priority, with a programme since 2003 that has been matched by Go Ahead in terms of vehicle investment. The Brighton position shows how local authorities and bus operators can work together and get people on buses.
Unlike @RELL6L, it was your Sussex trip that caught my eye. The full run to/from Horsham is one that's eluded me but checking back, I did some of it in January 1997!!! Yep, almost 25 years to the day. It was the 107 in those days and I had a Stagecoach B10M from Brighton to Henfield, before coming back on a Mk2 National and interchanging at Pyecombe! That part of the world, tucked behind Brighton is really quite lovely.
Note your mention of dual doors and we don't want to go into that rabbit hole. However, it's also notable that Brighton and Hove Council are one of the best local authorities in terms of bus priority, with a programme since 2003 that has been matched by Go Ahead in terms of vehicle investment. The Brighton position shows how local authorities and bus operators can work together and get people on buses.
The Sussex Downs are stunning to say the least. Actually, I might remember the B10Ms back in 2008 and 2009, but I was 7-8 in those days lol.
Wow, how awesome you did the 17 (107) too!
And as for Brighton and Hove Council, I agree. Not just for dual doors, but also because there are so many bus lanes in Brighton, and a lot of bus gates too.
Having not had TOO much of a b*ll*cking for my post #95 with an historical report, here's another one from the archives - this time on this date 36 years ago - Saturday 25 January 1986.
No bad words from this corner. Really enjoying your tales of yesteryear. Nice photos as well - you were clearly keeping away from anything National shaped. A couple of interesting observations - don't think I'd noticed that PMT didn't paint their DP waistrails red. Also, note the VR had the shortlived Potteries fleetname rather than PMT; didn't look particularly pristine either!
I'd forgotten that London Country did some long distance Nat Ex services too.
You might inspire me to share some "Explorer Gold" at some point but with so many other reports, I guess it can wait.
The Sussex Downs are stunning to say the least. Actually, I might remember the B10Ms back in 2008 and 2009, but I was 7-8 in those days lol.
Wow, how awesome you did the 17 (107) too!
And as for Brighton and Hove Council, I agree. Not just for dual doors, but also because there are so many bus lanes in Brighton, and a lot of bus gates too.
That same day, I travelled on Stagecoach 770 (Brighton to Haywards Heath) which is now Metrobus 270, and was treated to a Mk1 National - it would've been about 18 years old
That same day, I travelled on Stagecoach 770 (Brighton to Haywards Heath) which is now Metrobus 270, and was treated to a Mk1 National - it would've been about 18 years old
You're a harsh man, Mr Berry. These were veterans by then, especially with the big groups, so it was a treat to have one last slide on the brown vinyl (not a euphemism) and listen to the 510 rattling away.
You're a harsh man, Mr Berry. These were veterans by then, especially with the big groups, so it was a treat to have one last slide on the brown vinyl (not a euphemism) and listen to the 510 rattling away.
It is, as you infer, a bit of an unfair comment and clearly from somebody with a bias as well! Whilst I still regard bus seated Nationals as an aquired taste I've often sought out the dual purpose ones in preservation because of the number of miles I clocked up on National Welsh examples back in the day. One of the downsides of preservation and running days is that people see a very sanitised version of vehicles so nobody experiances the dark smokey cavern of the top deck of a double decker, but people also wont experiance the feeling of peril on a Leyland National seat as a driver tried some rally driving on a roundabout or waiting for the fog to clear if you were following a badly maintained nasher!
Living in BOCL land LHs were fairly rare for a long time, then the company bought about 100 in a very short time, then withdrew all the routes they worked a couple of years later! Consequently my travels on them were few and far between and mostly as a result of 'last chance' rides to places like Great Malvern that were losing their services.
The Sussex Downs are stunning to say the least. Actually, I might remember the B10Ms back in 2008 and 2009, but I was 7-8 in those days lol.
Wow, how awesome you did the 17 (107) too!
And as for Brighton and Hove Council, I agree. Not just for dual doors, but also because there are so many bus lanes in Brighton, and a lot of bus gates too.
Apologies I was not ignoring your Sussex trip, it was good. I too have done the whole of the 17 between Horsham and Brighton.
In the depths of winter at the end of 2014 I did a variation, Horsham - Henfield - Steyning - Shoreham - Hove - Brighton - Lewes - Haywards Heath - Cuckfield - Horsham.
Steyning is an attractive place to visit and at Shoreham I went over to Shoreham Beach - by walking across the bridge rather than taking the bus as the timing was wrong - lovely views back to the town.
Lewes is a fabulous place if you can find some time to explore it, especially down the lanes to the south of the town centre.
TheSel - please keep the historical reports coming, especially in these cold winter months when we aren't able to get out so much. Love the PMT REs!
I'll keep off the conversation on Mk1 Leyland Nationals, to me they were just replacing good old buses with these horrible noisy, smoky uncomfortable monstrosities! Little did we know that breadvans would follow...
It is, as you infer, a bit of an unfair comment and clearly from somebody with a bias as well! Whilst I still regard bus seated Nationals as an aquired taste I've often sought out the dual purpose ones in preservation because of the number of miles I clocked up on National Welsh examples back in the day. One of the downsides of preservation and running days is that people see a very sanitised version of vehicles so nobody experiances the dark smokey cavern of the top deck of a double decker, but people also wont experiance the feeling of peril on a Leyland National seat as a driver tried some rally driving on a roundabout or waiting for the fog to clear if you were following a badly maintained nasher!
Living in BOCL land LHs were fairly rare for a long time, then the company bought about 100 in a very short time, then withdrew all the routes they worked a couple of years later! Consequently my travels on them were few and far between and mostly as a result of 'last chance' rides to places like Great Malvern that were losing their services.
Can't agree with you more. Running days do show the vehicles at their best.
I wish I could convey in more than just flowery prose, the days of the mid-1980s. Times when I travelled on Nationals of dubious quality, VRs with water coming through the rear wheelarches, Bristol REs with the pane of glass behind the driver rattling away like a gatling gun, and Bristol LHs.
TheSel - please keep the historical reports coming, especially in these cold winter months when we aren't able to get out so much. Love the PMT REs!
I'll keep off the conversation on Mk1 Leyland Nationals, to me they were just replacing good old buses with these horrible noisy, smoky uncomfortable monstrosities! Little did we know that breadvans would follow...
My outing yesterday was not as interesting as those recently described but worth recording, I think, as a 'last chance' one.Cardiff Bus is withdrawing its Scania "bendies" after the end of service on Saturday 29th.
I was unlucky on my positioning journey from Newport to Cardiff as I got the only Citaro (138) on the 30 yesterday, the others all being deckers.
Making my way across a fairly quiet Cardiff city centre (absence of office workers working from home?) I found the temporary stop for the 17/18 in Westgate Street adjacent to the Principality Stadium and Cardiff Arms Park. No 619 on the 18 soon arrived and I boarded along with three or four others. The vehicle was showing its age, but seemed clean and well maintained.
After a few minutes we departed, soon crossing the River Taff and heading along Cowbridge Road East through multi-cultural Canton. The road is fairly narrow with parked cars and the driver found it difficult to pull into at the stops making the PBI (Pavement Bus Interface) quite difficult. Less agile passengers tended to leave by the front door rather than making the leap from the centre doors onto the road.
Soon we crossed the River Ely into the suburb of the same name and onto Cowbridge Road West, more modern and wider than its Eastern sibling. Turning right, we entered the Ely estate with its hundreds of identical semi-detached Council houses. A very wide grassed central reservation might have been intended to carry tram tracks when the estate was built as 'homes fit for heroes' after the First World War.
Crossing back over Cowbridge Road West we entered Caerau, a similar suburb to Ely, perhaps built a little later. Regaining the main road, we retrace our steps to the city centre and squeeze through the narrow streets between the BBC building (on the site of the former bus station) and the stadium and finish our journey in Westgate Street where we started about an hour earlier.
A £4 Day to Go ticket would have covered my journey (and indeed the whole of the city) though I used my concessionary pass.
Well, Thank You both, @TheGrandWazoo and @RELL6L for your kind comments and encouragement.
Just a short piece of nostalgia for today.
Recently, I came across a notebook that I'd long-since lost. Instead of being filed away with my spotting logs, it was in a crate of old black and white photos. I must therefore apologise for the quality of the photographs that illustrate this adventure, but in my defence, we're going back 49 years to Sunday, 28 January 1973, and I was only fourteen!
It was the last day in service – well, no, actually the vehicle had been withdrawn from service the previous September, and was specially relicensed for the event, but let's not split hairs – of the former Wallasey Corporation 54 – by this time officially Merseyside PTE 254 – AHF850, and the last vehicle left in the Wallasey 'Sea Green' livery. A Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland Titan PD2, built in 1951, it was therefore twenty two years old at the time. It was also a member of the last batch of vehicles for Wallasey Corporation Transport that was built to the earlier 7'6” maximum width. Amazingly, it is still extant!
Here's a map of the route followed that day:
... and a few of the photos I managed to take with my Dad's 127 format camera.
Bromborough Cross
Seacombe Ferry
Outside the Saughall Massie Hotel.
Warren Drive - with a four month old Metro-Scania single decker (4008 - CKD408L) in the background.
The story even made the Liverpool Echo the following day. Scan of press cutting below.
More tomorrow, with recollections of a couple of 29 January days out, either side of Deregulation.
Well, Thank You both, @TheGrandWazoo and @RELL6L for your kind comments and encouragement.
Just a short piece of nostalgia for today.
Recently, I came across a notebook that I'd long-since lost. Instead of being filed away with my spotting logs, it was in a crate of old black and white photos. I must therefore apologise for the quality of the photographs that illustrate this adventure, but in my defence, we're going back 49 years to Sunday, 28 January 1973, and I was only fourteen!
It was the last day in service – well, no, actually the vehicle had been withdrawn from service the previous September, and was specially relicensed for the event, but let's not split hairs – of the former Wallasey Corporation 54 – by this time officially Merseyside PTE 254 – AHF850, and the last vehicle left in the Wallasey 'Sea Green' livery. A Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland Titan PD2, built in 1951, it was therefore twenty two years old at the time. It was also a member of the last batch of vehicles for Wallasey Corporation Transport that was built to the earlier 7'6” maximum width. Amazingly, it is still extant!
My outing yesterday was not as interesting as those recently described but worth recording, I think, as a 'last chance' one.Cardiff Bus is withdrawing its Scania "bendies" after the end of service on Saturday 29th.
I had hoped to visit Cardiff for a last ride on the bendybuses but it has not proved possible. I have managed a few rides on them over the years, both to the Bay and to Canton when visiting my children in those parts of Cardiff. However, I have not ventured as far as the Ely estate, though, in my misspent youth, I did once go there on a trolleybus.
As promised, a couple more historic recollections of days out by bus & coach (and a train or two thrown in) - each on this date, 29 January. It looks like I'll have to post the two days seperately, as there's a limit of ten photos per post.
First Report.
Thursday, 29 January 1987, I enjoyed a day in the Ripon area covering some rural 'United Auto' routes in North Yorkshire.
1600 57 Harrogate – Boroughbridge West Yorkshire Road Car 1515 – SWX534W – Leyland National 2
... before continuing on my way again by car, as I was at the start of a three day tour of the North East.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
And, as promised, another '29 January' report - this time from Wednesday 29 January 1986. I drove to Wigan, and purchased a Peak Wayfarer ticket, hoping to get some wintry pictures as the weatherman had predicted snow. I was not to be disappointed.
0750 WIGAN WALLGATE – MANCHESTER VICTORIA M54261 (Class 108, Derby)
---- 4 Victoria Station – Piccadilly Station GM Buses 1756 – C756YBA – Northern Counties bodied Dennis Domino
0848 MANCHESTER PICCADILLY – STOCKPORT M51934 (Class 108, Derby)
Buxton - in the attractive but short lived 'TransPeak' livery.
Thinking that perhaps some of the more rural roads I was planning to travel might no longer be passable, I figured that at least this Leopard would get me to Matlock. Which, of course, it did.
My next run left the main roads far behind, but that turned out not to be an obstacle to Silver Service drivers, even though the snow was falling again by now.
Silver Service 84 – LRN324J – Marshall bodied Bristol RESL6L
Middleton-by-Youlgreave terminus
Weaddow Lane
1405 170 Bakewell – Elton Crossroads (bus continued to Matlock)
Silver Service 83 – LRN307J – Marshall bodied Bristol RESL6L
Elton Cross Roads
... where I alighted in order to return to Bakewell on the opposite working:
1436 170 Elton Crossroads (service had started at Matlock) – Baslow Silver Service 64 – JEH184K – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6L
The two aforementioned REs passing at Elton Cross Roads.
By the time I got to Baslow, it had become too dark for photography, so no more pictures, just a return journey using:
1600 X67 Baslow – New Mills (Newtown) East Midland 39 – A39XHE - Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger
1657 E24 New Mills (Newtown) – New Mills Bus Station Crosville SNG400 – KMA400T – Leyland National (Gardner engine)
1726 NEW MILLS CENTRAL – MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 31437
---- 4 Piccadilly Station – Victoria Station GM Buses 1764 – C764YBA – Northern Counties bodied Dennis Domino
1818 MANCHESTER VICTORIA – WIGAN WALLGATE M51939 (Class 108, Derby)
All in all, a very enjoyable day, with 4 REs (with three different body builders!), several first generation DMUs, and a class 31 – topped off with some snowy photos. I must record my grateful thanks to all the drivers - particularly those with Silver Service - for their patience, and for the photo stops.
As Mary Hopkin sang: Those were the days!
(All photos taken by me, and described in the text)
My planned D1 & D1X trip has been done as of yesterday, 28/01/2022.
So the day starts with Stagecoach in Oxfordshire ADL Enviro400H 12010 (OU10 GGY) on my local route 10 to Oxford City Centre. Not the most exciting route but an amazing, quick accelerating bus, for sure.
After that, onboard the lovely S6 to Swindon on a comfortable but bog standard Stagecoach West Gold ADL Enviro400 MMC 10990 (SN18 KUX). My favourite part is between Oxford and Kingston Bagpuize on the A420 dual carriegeway - lovely views of Botley. Best town on the route is Faringdon.
After that, another lovely (particularly around Marlborough!) but very long Salisbury Reds X5 to Salisbury onboard ADL Enviro400 1545 (HJ63 JKO). A good performing bus too! Marlborough, best town on the route.
After a tasty sandwich in Salisbury, time to ride this stunning, but really long (2 hours and 30 minutes!) First West of England D1 to Salisbury, onboard Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2 69509 (BJ11 XHZ). Lovely bus, comfortable seats, and rather unusual for a British bus, air con too (I've always thought of air con as something of not necessary in the UK considering that there are no extremes, and more as something of a nice-to-have). My favourite section was between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath - the views are just incredible to say the least. Though Salisbury to Warminster can also be great too! Bradford-on-Avon was my favourite of the D1 towns - lovely buildings and scenic views. Though with that said, Warminster was also quite nice, but Trowbridge and Westbury, were, in my opinion, nothing exciting.
I explore a bit of Bath within my 40 minute connection time (going to yes, the famous Crescent!) and after that, I get on the First West of England D1X to Trowbridge onboard Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 36229 (BD12 TBX). The bus was comfortable and quite nice, and the views, just like normal D1, are also incredible to say the least. Shame that the D1X is being withdrawn too, so I was so glad to be able to ride it on its last day (and the normal D1, as its being shortened to Warminster from tomorrow!)
Meeting a friend of mine, I have some orange juice in a Weatherspoons in Trowbridge as I have an hour to kill, until my next bus of the day, which is the Stagecoach West 49 to Swindon onboard Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400 15971 (YP14 GZA). Sadly, it was dark so I couldn't comment on the scenery or something like that, but the bus was definetly comfortable and was lovely sounding, with amazing performance!
And finally, to conclude the day, S6 back to Oxford onboard a 55 off route, aka Scania N250UD ADL Enviro400 MMC 15344 (YP67 XBT). Nice bus but upstairs was really rattly making the journey unpleasant at times.
I get a taxi back home as, after the S6, I went out with my uni friends around pubs and nightclubs, and I came back really late (at about 02:30 in the morning, and my last local nightbus, Oxford Bus Company NU5, departs City Centre at 01:55. Quite ridicolous for a unibus night route really, should run at least until 03:00).
As promised, a couple more historic recollections of days out by bus & coach (and a train or two thrown in) - each on this date, 29 January. It looks like I'll have to post the two days seperately, as there's a limit of ten photos per post.
First Report.
Thursday, 29 January 1987, I enjoyed a day in the Ripon area covering some rural 'United Auto' routes in North Yorkshire.
1600 57 Harrogate – Boroughbridge West Yorkshire Road Car 1515 – SWX534W – Leyland National 2
... before continuing on my way again by car, as I was at the start of a three day tour of the North East.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
And, as promised, another '29 January' report - this time from Wednesday 29 January 1986. I drove to Wigan, and purchased a Peak Wayfarer ticket, hoping to get some wintry pictures as the weatherman had predicted snow. I was not to be disappointed.
0750 WIGAN WALLGATE – MANCHESTER VICTORIA M54261 (Class 108, Derby)
---- 4 Victoria Station – Piccadilly Station GM Buses 1756 – C756YBA – Northern Counties bodied Dennis Domino
0848 MANCHESTER PICCADILLY – STOCKPORT M51934 (Class 108, Derby)
Buxton - in the attractive but short lived 'TransPeak' livery.
Thinking that perhaps some of the more rural roads I was planning to travel might no longer be passable, I figured that at least this Leopard would get me to Matlock. Which, of course, it did.
My next run left the main roads far behind, but that turned out not to be an obstacle to Silver Service drivers, even though the snow was falling again by now.
Silver Service 84 – LRN324J – Marshall bodied Bristol RESL6L
Middleton-by-Youlgreave terminus
Weaddow Lane
1405 170 Bakewell – Elton Crossroads (bus continued to Matlock)
Silver Service 83 – LRN307J – Marshall bodied Bristol RESL6L
Elton Cross Roads
... where I alighted in order to return to Bakewell on the opposite working:
1436 170 Elton Crossroads (service had started at Matlock) – Baslow Silver Service 64 – JEH184K – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6L
The two aforementioned REs passing at Elton Cross Roads.
By the time I got to Baslow, it had become too dark for photography, so no more pictures, just a return journey using:
1600 X67 Baslow – New Mills (Newtown) East Midland 39 – A39XHE - Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger
1657 E24 New Mills (Newtown) – New Mills Bus Station Crosville SNG400 – KMA400T – Leyland National (Gardner engine)
1726 NEW MILLS CENTRAL – MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 31437
---- 4 Piccadilly Station – Victoria Station GM Buses 1764 – C764YBA – Northern Counties bodied Dennis Domino
1818 MANCHESTER VICTORIA – WIGAN WALLGATE M51939 (Class 108, Derby)
All in all, a very enjoyable day, with 4 REs (with three different body builders!), several first generation DMUs, and a class 31 – topped off with some snowy photos. I must record my grateful thanks to all the drivers - particularly those with Silver Service - for their patience, and for the photo stops.
As Mary Hopkin sang: Those were the days!
(All photos taken by me, and described in the text)
Many thanks for your reports. I'm sure that @TheGrandWazoo is still sitting in a darkened room remembering the days of United LHs from your photos, and the times before the arrival of no win no fee lawyers which put a stop to such ideas as running buses in the snow!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
My planned D1 & D1X trip has been done as of yesterday, 28/01/2022.
So the day starts with Stagecoach in Oxfordshire ADL Enviro400H 12010 (OU10 GGY) on my local route 10 to Oxford City Centre. Not the most exciting route but an amazing, quick accelerating bus, for sure.
After that, onboard the lovely S6 to Swindon on a comfortable but bog standard Stagecoach West Gold ADL Enviro400 MMC 10990 (SN18 KUX). My favourite part is between Oxford and Kingston Bagpuize on the A420 dual carriegeway - lovely views of Botley. Best town on the route is Faringdon.
After that, another lovely (particularly around Marlborough!) but very long Salisbury Reds X5 to Salisbury onboard ADL Enviro400 1545 (HJ63 JKO). A good performing bus too! Marlborough, best town on the route.
After a tasty sandwich in Salisbury, time to ride this stunning, but really long (2 hours and 30 minutes!) First West of England D1 to Salisbury, onboard Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2 69509 (BJ11 XHZ). Lovely bus, comfortable seats, and rather unusual for a British bus, air con too (I've always thought of air con as something of not necessary in the UK considering that there are no extremes, and more as something of a nice-to-have). My favourite section was between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath - the views are just incredible to say the least. Though Salisbury to Warminster can also be great too! Bradford-on-Avon was my favourite of the D1 towns - lovely buildings and scenic views. Though with that said, Warminster was also quite nice, but Trowbridge and Westbury, were, in my opinion, nothing exciting.
I explore a bit of Bath within my 40 minute connection time (going to yes, the famous Crescent!) and after that, I get on the First West of England D1X to Trowbridge onboard Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 36229 (BD12 TBX). The bus was comfortable and quite nice, and the views, just like normal D1, are also incredible to say the least. Shame that the D1X is being withdrawn too, so I was so glad to be able to ride it on its last day (and the normal D1, as its being shortened to Warminster from tomorrow!)
Meeting a friend of mine, I have some orange juice in a Weatherspoons in Trowbridge as I have an hour to kill, until my next bus of the day, which is the Stagecoach West 49 to Swindon onboard Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400 15971 (YP14 GZA). Sadly, it was dark so I couldn't comment on the scenery or something like that, but the bus was definetly comfortable and was lovely sounding, with amazing performance!
And finally, to conclude the day, S6 back to Oxford onboard a 55 off route, aka Scania N250UD ADL Enviro400 MMC 15344 (YP67 XBT). Nice bus but upstairs was really rattly making the journey unpleasant at times.
I get a taxi back home as, after the S6, I went out with my uni friends around pubs and nightclubs, and I came back really late (at about 02:30 in the morning, and my last local nightbus, Oxford Bus Company NU5, departs City Centre at 01:55. Quite ridicolous for a unibus night route really, should run at least until 03:00).
The aircon on 69509 is a remnant from it's days on the Bristol airport run (passengers going to an airport are a different species from normal bus passengers). The problem is that, with all cars having air con now, buses are seen as an outlier and our climate does now produce lots of days of uncomfortable heat (partly because of the energy use in air conditioning units of course), plus it would keep the windows clearer in winter (on those vehicles that the operator hasn't covered the windows in Contravision to stop the passengers looking out).
Whilst more difficult to cover (because of the sparse services) the A4 between Marlborough to Chippenham is a superb run. Salisbury is always well worth a visit. Getting to the Crescent and back in Bath in 40 minutes wont have left you with much spare time!
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It looks so quaint next to the Metro Scania
