I strongly recommend doing the 49 again when it's light. Devizes is a lovely town which might even exceed Marlborough in its prettiness, the way the bus goes through the stone circle at Avebury is surely unique, and towards the eastern end of the route there are some lovely views down into Swindon. You could even combine the 49 with the aforementioned A4 services - the roughly two hourly 42 from Calne to Marlborough serves Avebury.
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Trips by Bus and Coach: Your reports
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SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
I do see your point. Whilst it's true that there have been some unbearable heat days, thankfully these things, are for now, rare. And, most of the UK's new buses do have some form of air conditioning, such as the Enviro400 MMC with vents upstairs at the very front seats, and on some buses, to the right side too!
So that is why 69509 has air con fitted. I actually would have thought it was because of the D1 being a really long route, so that you really would want to make sure you could spec your bus in the most comfortable way possible.
Salisbury is a lovely place visit, alongside Bath. So much better than Swindon, which is just boring with nothing to see.
As @NorthOxonian has pointed out, I definetly would like to do the 42 at somepoint. X76, I believe, also does the aforementioned section you said, apart from it not going to Chippenham but instead to Melksham (and then continuing to Bath).
I would definetly love to do the 49 again in daylight. In addition to the 42, I also want to do the X76, and some Faresaver local routes around Chippenham-Melksham-Trowbridge areas.
Some great reports here! Yorkshire in the snow. I feel like a Wilshire Day Ranger coming up again.
Yesterday I went out again, not as far this week.
Took the Cross Country from Southampton to Reading as a positioner. Useful service this though going further north can be pricey.
X40 Reading to Oxford Thames Travel E400.
Pleasant run up to Oxford on the river rapids route. The A4074 is a red non primary A road but would people drive this way rather than the M4/A34 between Reading and Oxford?
I noted the X38 runs from Wallingford to Henley on Thames. Perhaps I will do that route in the future. Looks like this route used to run from Oxford.
X2 Oxford to Didcot E400
Another E400 to Didcot via Abingdon. Quick run on the A34 then down to Didcot. Didcot was not too exciting but picked up some supplies. Didcot power station was noted from a few routes I travelled on today, an important landmark. As were the Chilterns and I believe the North Hampshire Downs.
90 Didcot to Tesco E400.
Decided as I had time to sample the 90 route, which is a shuttle that runs every 20 mins to the Tesco. It is noted that the 90 is interworked with the X2 from Oxford. This meant its prone to delays.
The app tracker and google maps weren't tying up. Gioogle maps were showing the same times as the bus stop timetables. The tracker I thought would be accurate but the times kept jumping to and fro. In this situation I just had to wait and hope. How we coped before live tracking?
Picked up some supplies in Tesco and waited for the next 90. With neither timetable trustworthy, just got to wait.
90 Tesco to Didcot Streetdeck ( Ex Go Northeast I think)
Just me on the return journey to Didcot Town centre, didn't see anyone use the 90, you would think Saturday would attract the shoppers.
X32 Didcot to Wantage 57 plate Citaro
Another wait at the bus stop and hope for the best. One did appear. I had a poor seat on this bus and the windows were caked in dirt. I didnt really see anything. Passed through a very quiet Harwell Campus.
Took a small break in Wantage which had a pleasant square.
X1 Wantage to Abingdon 06 plate Gemini Ex London perhaps.
The X32 interworks with the X1. Pleasant enough run up to Abingdon and noted the Williams F1 factory at Grove. Decided to get off in Abingdon to take the 35 up to Oxford.
4 Abingdon to Oxford 64 plate E400MMC
Waited for a 35 but never showed up. I think traffic coming out of Oxford scuppered this service. I didn't bother with any of the X services and waited a bit longer. A 4 showed up and goes via Cumnor back to Oxford.
Short break in Oxford and took the X39 back to Reading to get my moneys worth out of the day ticket.
X39 Oxford to Reading E400
The X39 variation omits Woodcote village, was dark by the time I got to Reading. A nice if nothing special sort of day out on the buses. Perhaps I will try some of the longer Stagecoach runs from Oxford, perhaps to the North and West.
Yesterday I went out again, not as far this week.
Took the Cross Country from Southampton to Reading as a positioner. Useful service this though going further north can be pricey.
X40 Reading to Oxford Thames Travel E400.
Pleasant run up to Oxford on the river rapids route. The A4074 is a red non primary A road but would people drive this way rather than the M4/A34 between Reading and Oxford?
I noted the X38 runs from Wallingford to Henley on Thames. Perhaps I will do that route in the future. Looks like this route used to run from Oxford.
X2 Oxford to Didcot E400
Another E400 to Didcot via Abingdon. Quick run on the A34 then down to Didcot. Didcot was not too exciting but picked up some supplies. Didcot power station was noted from a few routes I travelled on today, an important landmark. As were the Chilterns and I believe the North Hampshire Downs.
90 Didcot to Tesco E400.
Decided as I had time to sample the 90 route, which is a shuttle that runs every 20 mins to the Tesco. It is noted that the 90 is interworked with the X2 from Oxford. This meant its prone to delays.
The app tracker and google maps weren't tying up. Gioogle maps were showing the same times as the bus stop timetables. The tracker I thought would be accurate but the times kept jumping to and fro. In this situation I just had to wait and hope. How we coped before live tracking?
Picked up some supplies in Tesco and waited for the next 90. With neither timetable trustworthy, just got to wait.
90 Tesco to Didcot Streetdeck ( Ex Go Northeast I think)
Just me on the return journey to Didcot Town centre, didn't see anyone use the 90, you would think Saturday would attract the shoppers.
X32 Didcot to Wantage 57 plate Citaro
Another wait at the bus stop and hope for the best. One did appear. I had a poor seat on this bus and the windows were caked in dirt. I didnt really see anything. Passed through a very quiet Harwell Campus.
Took a small break in Wantage which had a pleasant square.
X1 Wantage to Abingdon 06 plate Gemini Ex London perhaps.
The X32 interworks with the X1. Pleasant enough run up to Abingdon and noted the Williams F1 factory at Grove. Decided to get off in Abingdon to take the 35 up to Oxford.
4 Abingdon to Oxford 64 plate E400MMC
Waited for a 35 but never showed up. I think traffic coming out of Oxford scuppered this service. I didn't bother with any of the X services and waited a bit longer. A 4 showed up and goes via Cumnor back to Oxford.
Short break in Oxford and took the X39 back to Reading to get my moneys worth out of the day ticket.
X39 Oxford to Reading E400
The X39 variation omits Woodcote village, was dark by the time I got to Reading. A nice if nothing special sort of day out on the buses. Perhaps I will try some of the longer Stagecoach runs from Oxford, perhaps to the North and West.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Yes @carlberry, I have been in a darkened room but not for reasons of unsolicited tumescence but grieving for my lost youth!
Thanks to @TheSel for those reminiscences; very much my home area with those United vehicles in North Yorkshire. That was a Thursday morning that you were enjoying (hence some Ripon market day routes). As @carlberry might be suggesting, it is rather dear to my heart and, in fact, I've travelled on all of those routes and three of the five vehicles. More pertinently, one of those vehicles has an evident bit of accident repair following it being blown off the road whilst my late father was driving it. One of the drivers pictured was also someone who I knew who worked on the buses but then inherited and sold the family farm and retired to Spain in his mid 50s. So lots of memories inspired by those photos.
Incidentally, you were out on 29th Jan 1987.... I have a trip jotted down on 31st Jan 1987, but I was in Teesside! Might share in a while
SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
The NK20 reg Streetdecks are not ex Go North East. They are new to Oxford Bus Company (901-903) and Thames Travel (904-909). The reason why they are in Go North East spec is because they were originally an order for GNE, but as they were surplus to their requirements, they went to Oxfordshire instead.
CBlue
Member
Are "days gone by" type reports allowed on here? I have a number from about 10-15 years ago (gulp!) that may be of interest, including photos when I had the chance to take them.
That explains it. I thought, that was a quick repaint!
SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
One thing I forgot to say, you did a great job in getting the 4 instead of the 35. The 4 has better scenic views, particularly around the Cumnor area. 35 is alright but not exciting. And you get a BrookesBus E400 MMC - that is rare!
Noticed you also did some Thames Travel Connectors. Well, I plan on riding these next Friday (X2, ST1, X32) so I wonder what they're like!
I noticed you had a B7TL on the X1 - interesting!
If you want good Stagecoach routes in Oxfordshire, then S3, S4, S6 and 853 are good routes to do. Particularly the S3, lovely towns and villages!
iantherev
Member
853 is recommended. I used it quite a bit in Swanbrook days getting between Oxford and South Wales. You can use it as part of an Oxford- Cheltenham - Swindon - Oxford triangle.
SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
Lovely route isn't it?
The B7TL was in Thames Travel livery. Come to think of it, when I got off at Abingdon a few bus photographers were taking photos. I'm not sure what fuss was.
Yes, I noticed that 853 on a timetable. A strange number, to me that implies a school route or depot working carrying passengers, like First Glasgow.
Only done the S6 out of them.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Yes, would need to work something out. As getting to Cheltenham from the South Coast is not cheap, though the first train of the day is direct.
iantherev
Member
Would Oxford or Swindon be any easier? Or London and the Oxford Tube?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I'd second this. To be honest, the 49 is really worth a trip when the days are longer and brighter so you get the full views of the Downs, the White Horse at Hackpen Hill, the stone circle at Avebury, and even the dive down into Bishops Cannings. I'd not bother with the bit from Devizes to Trowbridge.
As well as the 42, there's also the Pewsey to Devizes service that is now more frequent than 30 years ago.
The Discover network gained those ex Airport B7RLEs as well as 5 older non aircon Eclipses and Solars when the network was relaunched. Also, whilst the D1 is a long route, virtually no-one travels from Bath to Salisbury except enthusiasts and masochists. The longest journeys are probably about an hour from Westbury or Warminster to Salisbury (and there ain't many of those nowadays)
The 69 from Corsham to Melksham to Bradford on Avon is a really nice route. The X34 is fine from Chippers to Melksham but quite dull to Trowbridge.
However, if you do fancy a trip over the border to Frome, I can also recommend the 53 Frome to Warminster and/or 47 Frome to Westbury as quite fast runs in a Solo!
Didcot described as "not too exciting" is really overselling the place. It's deadly dull.
If you're going to head north of Oxford on Stagecoach, to Chipping Norton then Banbury, Brackley, and then Bicester is the most obvious trip. CN is very pleasant (and expensive) whilst Banbury is not that nice to be honest. Brackley is a lovely little town and the 500 is a decent enough run. Bicester is just a bonkers small market town on steroids.
I am certainly in favour, I love the reports we have seen recently.
TheSel's trips in the snow in the Peak District are fantastic and I love the wonderful selection of REs shown in the pictures.
I haven't got that many old photos and I need to reach retirement to find the time to sort through them properly, but I did find a handful mostly of vague relevance to recent discussions...
These are all from between 1978 and 1981. Apologies but the quality has deteriorated quite significantly over 40 years.
The first is a rare Daimler Freeline of Edwards Coaches, taken in Cinderford, probably 1978. Red and White Bristols in the background.
Second relates to the wonderful REs of Wooliscroft from the mid-1980s, this is a Hulley Leyland Panther, ex Merseyside, from about 1980, taken on the 170, which still exists, in Baslow. Hulley ran a number of Panthers before Wooliscroft ran REs.
This relates to my recent trip and is a South Yorkshire Atlantean from the early 1980s on the 57 to Stocksbridge.
This is in Ripon and relates to TheSel's other trip, a Marshall bodied Bristol LH and a flat-fronted RE/ECW from about the same time.
Finally I came across this selection of buses parked up in Yeovil Bus Station. A Western National Bristol LH, also a Brutonian AEC Swift/ECW ex Lowestoft, plus a Shaftesbury and District AEC and an unknown Bedford, I am sure someone will know whose and what this is.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I'd second your response to @CBlue - a bit of vintage stuff in the new trips is to be welcomed. Might also show the newer posters (hope this isn't patronising - it ain't meant to be) that things weren't better in the past necessarily although there were some delightful trips now consigned to history.
ps nice shot of Yeovil (which is somewhere I now visit regularly) and as for Ripon.... yeah, been on that RE too!! I suspect it was either 1980 or 1981.
GusB
Established Member
Just to clarify - a trip report is a trip report regardless of when it happened, so there are no objections to historic reports being posted (technically they're all historic anyway!)
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Darn - I was gonna post that imagined trip from the year 2045 in my autonomous multi-client pod. I'll just have to resort to boring historic stuff involving Bristol VRs and the like
Comfy Lux (Pearce Darch and Wilcox) of Martock.
The first photo does capture the feel of the early privatisation era pretty well, with the minibus and the independent-looking colour scheme, though it does say Arriva below the photo so presumably it would be repainted imminently.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Darn - I was gonna post that imagined trip from the year 2045 in my autonomous multi-client pod. I'll just have to resort to boring historic stuff involving Bristol VRs and the like
Have to admit most of my interesting ones were historical. There were a couple in 1993 and 1996 which followed the same sort of route, from east Hampshire to Salisbury, but I'm not sure if I have all the details right now.
First of all, 31 August 1993, a trip from Petersfield. First journey was from Petersfield-Alton (Stagecoach), I can't remember whether it was the 72 or the 202 at this stage. Probably the 72. It was a VR, IIRC; one thing about this fairly lightly loaded route is that it was predominantly double-deckers due to the Alton College work at peak times.
Then Alton-Winchester 215 (Stagecoach), almost certainly a VR once again.
Then Winchester-Andover (Stagecoach), think it was the 30 or the 31, possibly the 60 or 61. Unusually, a coach. Went via Barton Stacey. Think this route is now long gone, but at that time it was fairly regular.
Andover-Amesbury (Beacon Hill) - view stop - Wilts and Dorset 8 or 9. Modern-for-the-time double decker, not a VR, possibly an Optare? Whatever type it was, it was used a lot on W+D's more premium routes in this era (such as the Xn routes); VRs were used on some other routes such as Salisbury city services.
Amesbury-Salisbury: Wilts and Dorset 8 or 9 again, same type of vehicle.
Hung around Salisbury bus station for a while observing operations. One thing about W+D is how the fleet consisted of double deckers and minibuses, but relatively few single-deckers. Also some quite complex and interesting diagramming with vehicles readily transferring between routes, something that was commonplace IMX in the late NBC and early privatisation era.
Salisbury-Southampton, X7. Can't remember whether it was a minibus or double decker, both were used on this route.
Southampton-Fareham, Provincial, probably the 78 or 80. Went via Warsash and Locks Heath, I think. National.
Fareham - ran out of time to get back via the bus so caught train back to Petersfield via Havant (the journey from Fareham was a 4CIG, FWIW). (Actually I could have done a pure bus trip by catching the 52 via the Meon Valley from Southampton to Petersfield, but I think I wanted to explore some of the off-A27 parts of the area between Southampton and Fareham, so opted for Provincial).
The 1996 route (August 6 1996) was the same sort of idea however I distinctly remember travelling to Aldershot from Petersfield first (on the 38, 90s hourly route from Havant to Aldershot incorporating the old 226; a National, I think). During this era, the Petersfield-Bordon-Aldershot route had its best ever service in modern times, hourly compared to the two-hourly 226 in the 1980s. Try getting from Petersfield to Whitehill by bus now, let alone Aldershot!
Later I remember going via Basingstoke and Andover to Salisbury on direct routes, not via Amesbury (the route numbers nowadays escape me, as it was probably the only occasion I ever used either route) followed by the X7 again but cannot recall for the life of me how I got from Aldershot to Basingstoke. Maybe at that time there was a regular direct link; I know in the 80s you had the 207 Farnham-Basingstoke but I can't remember what I used on that occasion.
Also I was heading for Southampton that night so didn't have to return to Petersfield, consequently I stopped at Pepperbox Hill (outside Salisbury) for a time.
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A short day out for me today leaving Plymouth on a Castle set 43162/43088 and alighting at Bodmin Parkway. A short wait for TFC 158 on the 11A to take me to Bodmin Business Park. The bus dropped me off on the main road but there was no visable stop for my next journey on route 89. A few enquires revealed that the bus starts from the nearby depot and 5003 pulled up to the gate. I had been hoping for a double decker but the journey does not always supply.
After trumbling around Bodmin for 25 minutes ( I never realised Bodmin was that big) we set off for Truro. I say we but I was the sole passenger for the whole 86 minute journey.
After lunch a short journey on 33308 on the extension of service27 to Truro School. A hours spotting then took place before returning to the station on 33302 on the U1X. I note that both these buses have screens for next stop information but only supply the time & date and buy your ticket on the app.
Return to Plymouth was on another Castle set 43005/43194.
Weather stayed dry but cold and not many people about except around the College.
After trumbling around Bodmin for 25 minutes ( I never realised Bodmin was that big) we set off for Truro. I say we but I was the sole passenger for the whole 86 minute journey.
After lunch a short journey on 33308 on the extension of service27 to Truro School. A hours spotting then took place before returning to the station on 33302 on the U1X. I note that both these buses have screens for next stop information but only supply the time & date and buy your ticket on the app.
Return to Plymouth was on another Castle set 43005/43194.
Weather stayed dry but cold and not many people about except around the College.
GusB
Established Member
Don't complicate matters by suggesting future trips!Darn - I was gonna post that imagined trip from the year 2045 in my autonomous multi-client pod. I'll just have to resort to boring historic stuff involving Bristol VRs and the like
We might have to dig out the DMC-80. Does anyone know how to fix a broken flux capacitor?
DeLorean DMC-80
A couple of years ago my dad handed me a book entitled "Buses of the World" by Derek Moses. It's an Ian Allan title, published in 1982 and it lists various vehicles by country. On page 133 of said book there is a listing for the DeLorean DMC-80 which appears in the "USA" section of the book...
www.railforums.co.uk
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Ok, here's my historic offering from 31st January 1987.... Just a few days after @TheSel visited North Yorkshire. Sadly, I don't have a photographic record but will add some images taken by the late Mark Harrington (https://www.flickr.com/photos/markh737 on Flickr), possibly the foremost snapper of the fleet and a founder of the United Enthusiasts Club that illustrate some vehicles from that era.
I began the day from Catterick with my Explorer in hand; this was not long after dereg and they were still valid on most other NBC/former NBC firms but this was a United only day. Also, you couldn't buy them on the bus; you had to buy the day before from a travel office or Post Office and they were a scratch off version. My first machine was a very modern machine being Olympian 255 which would take me on the main route via Richmond to Darlington. This vehicle was the only new double decker ever allocated to that depot and reflected the rather quaint approach to allocations before deregulation where most depots seem to occasionally get a new bus even if loadings rarely justified it! That said, the 27/28 were well paying services (but not in the same league as Northumberland or Durham City).
Darlington bus station was a horrendous place to wait for a bus, being an undercover combined depot and bus station. The place was dingy and fume filled but at least you could see plenty of the fleet. Darlington depot had a relatively small allocation historically but the first Darlington bus war was gaining momentum so there were plenty of newish Merc minibuses that were employed on town routes, as well as older VRs used to enhance the Newton Aycliffe routes, used in competition with Darlington Transport Co. An innovation was the creation of a fast service to Middlesbrough as DTC had threatened to introduce one (and actually did so with a service limited to just peak journeys) so I caught the X14 to Middlesbrough worked by a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard of Darlington depot, 6242 NDC242W, taking a mere 25 mins to the modern and still fantastic bus station in Middlesbrough. I think this was an extra in the timetable as the route was generally run by Bishop Auckland with 12m ex NX Leopards.
I had a bit of time in Middlesbrough so I suspect I might have had a mooch, nipped into get some timetables to plan my trip further, and a tea in the cafe, before heading out for another post de-reg innovation - the fast service to Guisborough and Loftus and then to Whitby. This was the X56, operated by Loftus depot. As such, it was part of a very complex bit of interworking at the Middlesbrough end (with the 256 and 262 at least) so it had no dedicated vehicles so you could and did get anything; timekeeping wasn't bad despite only THREE mins layover in Whitby! I was only heading to Loftus and with the random bus generator, I got Bristol LH 1588. It was one of the oldest vehicles still going in the United fleet and definitely the oldest LH; the photo is from 1985 but it had been sent to Loftus at dereg from Bishop Auckland so still wore that livery.
It was doubtless a spirited trip through North Ormesby, up Ormesby Bank and then the thrash on the A171 to Guisborough before we began the climb up through Skelton and Brotton before I disembarked at the United depot in Loftus. You can, of course, still enjoy that route on Arriva's 5 routes though the depot went c.2007/8, and it's an interesting trip through places on the edge of the moors which have a real feel of backwater! I then had a short hop on the Loftus town service back into the town centre from the peripheral depot on another LH (1634) before my next vehicle then came. Loftus had a sole Plaxton bodied Leopard in 6214, allocated from new and slightly older than 6242 and a Plaxton Supreme III, and it was this that gave me a luxurious trip back down into Redcar. Interestingly, this vehicle seemingly had not been painted since new which was very rare in those days.
Redcar in January is best described as bracing (!) so I clearly didn't linger long and then caught the 281 back via Guisborough to Stokesley. Operated by Stokesley depot, this was nearly always decker operated and it was one of United's first Olympians in 206 SPY206X. Sadly, this journey is no more as Arriva closed the sweet little depot in Stokesley, selling it for housing, and more recently, cut back the route from Redcar to Guisborough. It was certainly a scenic run along the bottom of the Cleveland Hills and in the shadow of Roseberry Topping, a local hilly landmark, and through the picturesque village of Great Ayton to Stokesley, a sweet Yorkshire market town. You can still get the 81 to Guisborough but the service to Stokesley is now 4 times a day with a local independent.
I didn't linger as I caught the main route to Middlesbrough. This has been another Arriva casualty with a pronounced decline from what was three buses per hour to merely hourly in 2021; from having enough services to sustain a small depot in 2003, Stokesley now has just one Arriva bus per hour. Having had 1588 earlier, I had the next oldest LH in 1589 and a boisterous run through the countryside, Middlesbrough's suburbs and what would be called inner "city" to the bus station. I was clearly just clocking up buses next as I then fitted in a standard National 3085 of Redcar depot on a unnecessary 269 to Stockton before catching the X1 to Durham (which still runs today). At this time, there were usually deckers from United (Olympians) and Northern (Metrobuses) but instead, this was a United Tiger 6265, demoted from NX work. It was one of six examples United bought that were really spartan inside - all formica and uniquely, had sliding window vents, that were clearly to local express spec but were bleak even for that!
This beast was a good shifter and we went across the open lands to Sedgefield via Thorpe Thewles (great name). From there, we passed what was still the mental hospital at Winterton, and the coking works at Fishburn; all this has now been largely swept away as the area has been redeveloped. We arrived at Durham bus station - a terribly cramped and awful place to wait. So I didn't and instead got the X40 to Peterlee; almost invariably a National or LH, it had one of Peterlee's two VRs with 713 which was a beautifully well-kept vehicle despite being 10 years old. Quite a nice, tightly timed trip (27 mins) to Peterlee where I got off. This was pre the bus station so it was a disparate bunch of bus stops on Burnhope Way. The light would've been fading so I headed home and caught the 213 to Darlington in the shape of Sunderland depot's (yes, United had a depot of 10 vehicles in Sunderland) National 3071 that had been there since new.
It was an absolutely nail and 1h 45 of being sat on brown vinyl as we careered across Co Durham is not recommended. Again, this route survives as the 21 with Arriva and follows much the same route via the Trimdons and cutting back across my earlier path via Sedgefield and then to Newton Aycliffe. We arrived back into Darlington not long after 5, and it was a reunion with Olympian 255 back to Richmond. Anxious to fit in one last vehicle type (and get closer to home), I finished with one of the three Mercedes 608 van converted minis that Richmond depot had, 2459, which lasted long enough to gain Arriva livery some 12 years later.
Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this recollection of 35 years ago and thanks to the much missed Mark Harrington for some photos that capture those days. Next trip will be in the North East too and more contemporary....hopefully!
I began the day from Catterick with my Explorer in hand; this was not long after dereg and they were still valid on most other NBC/former NBC firms but this was a United only day. Also, you couldn't buy them on the bus; you had to buy the day before from a travel office or Post Office and they were a scratch off version. My first machine was a very modern machine being Olympian 255 which would take me on the main route via Richmond to Darlington. This vehicle was the only new double decker ever allocated to that depot and reflected the rather quaint approach to allocations before deregulation where most depots seem to occasionally get a new bus even if loadings rarely justified it! That said, the 27/28 were well paying services (but not in the same league as Northumberland or Durham City).
Darlington bus station was a horrendous place to wait for a bus, being an undercover combined depot and bus station. The place was dingy and fume filled but at least you could see plenty of the fleet. Darlington depot had a relatively small allocation historically but the first Darlington bus war was gaining momentum so there were plenty of newish Merc minibuses that were employed on town routes, as well as older VRs used to enhance the Newton Aycliffe routes, used in competition with Darlington Transport Co. An innovation was the creation of a fast service to Middlesbrough as DTC had threatened to introduce one (and actually did so with a service limited to just peak journeys) so I caught the X14 to Middlesbrough worked by a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard of Darlington depot, 6242 NDC242W, taking a mere 25 mins to the modern and still fantastic bus station in Middlesbrough. I think this was an extra in the timetable as the route was generally run by Bishop Auckland with 12m ex NX Leopards.
I had a bit of time in Middlesbrough so I suspect I might have had a mooch, nipped into get some timetables to plan my trip further, and a tea in the cafe, before heading out for another post de-reg innovation - the fast service to Guisborough and Loftus and then to Whitby. This was the X56, operated by Loftus depot. As such, it was part of a very complex bit of interworking at the Middlesbrough end (with the 256 and 262 at least) so it had no dedicated vehicles so you could and did get anything; timekeeping wasn't bad despite only THREE mins layover in Whitby! I was only heading to Loftus and with the random bus generator, I got Bristol LH 1588. It was one of the oldest vehicles still going in the United fleet and definitely the oldest LH; the photo is from 1985 but it had been sent to Loftus at dereg from Bishop Auckland so still wore that livery.
It was doubtless a spirited trip through North Ormesby, up Ormesby Bank and then the thrash on the A171 to Guisborough before we began the climb up through Skelton and Brotton before I disembarked at the United depot in Loftus. You can, of course, still enjoy that route on Arriva's 5 routes though the depot went c.2007/8, and it's an interesting trip through places on the edge of the moors which have a real feel of backwater! I then had a short hop on the Loftus town service back into the town centre from the peripheral depot on another LH (1634) before my next vehicle then came. Loftus had a sole Plaxton bodied Leopard in 6214, allocated from new and slightly older than 6242 and a Plaxton Supreme III, and it was this that gave me a luxurious trip back down into Redcar. Interestingly, this vehicle seemingly had not been painted since new which was very rare in those days.
Redcar in January is best described as bracing (!) so I clearly didn't linger long and then caught the 281 back via Guisborough to Stokesley. Operated by Stokesley depot, this was nearly always decker operated and it was one of United's first Olympians in 206 SPY206X. Sadly, this journey is no more as Arriva closed the sweet little depot in Stokesley, selling it for housing, and more recently, cut back the route from Redcar to Guisborough. It was certainly a scenic run along the bottom of the Cleveland Hills and in the shadow of Roseberry Topping, a local hilly landmark, and through the picturesque village of Great Ayton to Stokesley, a sweet Yorkshire market town. You can still get the 81 to Guisborough but the service to Stokesley is now 4 times a day with a local independent.
I didn't linger as I caught the main route to Middlesbrough. This has been another Arriva casualty with a pronounced decline from what was three buses per hour to merely hourly in 2021; from having enough services to sustain a small depot in 2003, Stokesley now has just one Arriva bus per hour. Having had 1588 earlier, I had the next oldest LH in 1589 and a boisterous run through the countryside, Middlesbrough's suburbs and what would be called inner "city" to the bus station. I was clearly just clocking up buses next as I then fitted in a standard National 3085 of Redcar depot on a unnecessary 269 to Stockton before catching the X1 to Durham (which still runs today). At this time, there were usually deckers from United (Olympians) and Northern (Metrobuses) but instead, this was a United Tiger 6265, demoted from NX work. It was one of six examples United bought that were really spartan inside - all formica and uniquely, had sliding window vents, that were clearly to local express spec but were bleak even for that!
This beast was a good shifter and we went across the open lands to Sedgefield via Thorpe Thewles (great name). From there, we passed what was still the mental hospital at Winterton, and the coking works at Fishburn; all this has now been largely swept away as the area has been redeveloped. We arrived at Durham bus station - a terribly cramped and awful place to wait. So I didn't and instead got the X40 to Peterlee; almost invariably a National or LH, it had one of Peterlee's two VRs with 713 which was a beautifully well-kept vehicle despite being 10 years old. Quite a nice, tightly timed trip (27 mins) to Peterlee where I got off. This was pre the bus station so it was a disparate bunch of bus stops on Burnhope Way. The light would've been fading so I headed home and caught the 213 to Darlington in the shape of Sunderland depot's (yes, United had a depot of 10 vehicles in Sunderland) National 3071 that had been there since new.
It was an absolutely nail and 1h 45 of being sat on brown vinyl as we careered across Co Durham is not recommended. Again, this route survives as the 21 with Arriva and follows much the same route via the Trimdons and cutting back across my earlier path via Sedgefield and then to Newton Aycliffe. We arrived back into Darlington not long after 5, and it was a reunion with Olympian 255 back to Richmond. Anxious to fit in one last vehicle type (and get closer to home), I finished with one of the three Mercedes 608 van converted minis that Richmond depot had, 2459, which lasted long enough to gain Arriva livery some 12 years later.
Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this recollection of 35 years ago and thanks to the much missed Mark Harrington for some photos that capture those days. Next trip will be in the North East too and more contemporary....hopefully!
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TheSel
Member
Brilliant, @TheGrandWazoo - splendid recollections of a great period. On the very same day (Saturday 31 January 1987), I was just a few miles further north, up on Tyneside, and boy, was it cold.
Staying in Whitley Bay, I'd started out on the Metro to Four Lane Ends, where I photo'd and boarded a fairly modern piece of machinery,
Busways Travel 608 – C608LFT – Alexander bodied Olympian (photo below).
I then boarded pacer 143002, riding as far as Blaydon, where I alighted and waited to photograph the unit coming the other way, which turned out to be first generation, class 101 Met-Cam E51433. You can see how frosty the morning was in the picture bellow!
Go-Ahead Northern Metrobus 3752 (C752OCN) took me back into Newcastle on route 632, from where I crossed the river (again, on the metro) to Gateshead, from where a similar Metrobus 3777 (C777OCN) took me to the Metrocentre on service 183 (photo below)
From the Metrocentre, I headed off to Heworth on Go-Ahead Northern's Met-Cam bodied Atlantean 3688 – VFT188T, one of a large batch new to Tyne & Wear PTE. (Photo'd below at Heworth)
Next, a trip to Sunderland on another class 101 DMU, and then a scenic run up the coast via Whitburn Bay (breaking the journey here, but I can't find a photo, sadly) to South Shields.
E2 Sunderland – Whitburn Bay Busways Travel 234 – JVK234P – Alexander bodied Leyland Atlantean
E1 Whitburn Bay – South Shields Busways Travel (Economic) 649 – C649LFT – Alexander bodied Olympian (photo'd below on arrival at South Shields)
... by which time the light was fading, and I returned to Whitley Bay via Newcastle.
More from @TheSel's archives in a few days.
Keep up the reports, Guys & Gals - historic or contemporary, they're all good to read.
I do regret not being able to travel more in the NBC/early-privatisation days when you had large regional companies like United offering an integrated service and a wide range of route numbers from 1 up to the 500s or greater. That era I do miss and, while I experienced it in my local area, never really experienced it fully across the country.
In my local area, W+D as an independent company kept that spirit alive much longer than most.
In my local area, W+D as an independent company kept that spirit alive much longer than most.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Again. some very familiar locations. Love the DMU photo and what was the Stella North Power Station. Wonderfully bleak.
Oddly, whilst I did travel on some of the OCN Metrobuses, I never enjoyed the standard ones, just the mental turbocharged coach seated examples. One thing that is how quick Go Ahead Northern was in repainting their fleet whilst Busways were a bit more relaxed as they looked ok in yellow anyway. Before dereg, you couldn't do any journeys within T&W on an Explorer but even after that point, there were so many places to visit, I didn't always do that much in that area, usually passing through to do Northumberland!
Later on, I did travel on Busways Atlanteans and Olympians in the period when Busways was bought out.
It's easy to get misty-eyed about the past and I do miss many of the lost links. In North Yorkshire, it's been a toxic combination of Arriva pulling back allied to a devastating loss of tendered services. In Co Durham, Arriva also culled many routes but at least there is some semblance of the old network in supported services. However, I hear younger enthusiasts complaining about Wright Streetlites and I wonder what they'd have made of a Bristol LH or Leyland National instead
I can't recall what the highest number United Auto reached - they had schools services in the 8** and possibly works services in the 9** but otherwise, it may have been the 724 before it became the X20.
I did do that once, though it was the X4 in my day. I was travelling from Bath to Winchester by bus, not the quickest way to make the journey but just fancied doing it! Was a coach IIRC, but some journeys were Badgerline Nationals albeit with more comfortable seating. A hot Saturday in July 1994 so the buses were decidedly sticky. There was then a direct bus to Winchester via some pretty rural territory (Kings Somborne, Broughton etc) - the 68 I think, doesn't that still run today?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Your memory does not fail you. The 68 does still run but is almost skeletal in its provision; it did become W&D 68 after being Stagecoach Hampshire Bus 32.
In the early 90s, I did the X4 a few times. Wilts and Dorset would have Leyland Tigers with Duple Laser bodies, whilst Badgerline did indeed have National 2s that had been retrofitted with high-backed seats, though you could easily have a bus seated example too. W&D would later have some Plaxton bodied Dafs and then moved to buses with some Citaros, whilst Badgerline/First moved to have buses from the mid-1990s with Plaxton Verdes (with the odd the quite old B10M PS) and then a mix of Scanias, later Volvo Eclipses, and even Darts.
TheSel
Member
As promised / threatened [delete as appropriate], here's more from @TheSel's memory box, and we'll look back to this date (3 February) in 1979. It was a Saturday.
To set the scene, the top three records in the chart were:
1 Heart of Glass - Blondie
2 Chiquitita - Abba
3 Woman in Love - The Three Degrees
The presence of Three Degrees seems appropriate – I think that was also the maximum temperature that day!
Living, as I did at the time in the former mining village of Llay, a few miles outside Wrexham, it was a short walk for the first ride of the day.
0801 D33 Llay – Wrexham Crosville SNL348 – CFM348S – Leyland National
... arriving in Wrexham Town Centre in plenty time for
0830 D2 Wrexham – Oswestry Crosville DFG196 – GFM196C – ECW bodied Bristol FS6G (my photo below, not actually taken on this day, but in Wrexham Bus Station, and very much of the period).
Some time, then, to mooch around Oswestry, and have a look round the (very dark) Crosville depot, before departing on:
1015 D71 Oswestry – Welshpool Crosville ERG60 – UFM60F – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G (photo'd below at Four Crosses)
1130 D75 Welshpool – Shrewsbury Crosville EPG704 – KFM704J – Pennine bodied Seddon RU (photo'd below at Welshpool)
1245 D74 Shrewsbury – Four Crosses Crosville EPG736 – OFM736K – Pennine bodied Seddon RU - which I don't appear to have photographed.
1345 D71 Four Crosses – Morda Crosville ERG54 – UFM54F – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G (photo'd below, just pulling into the stop at Four Crosses)
I alighted at Morda - a couple of miles short of Oswestry - in order to intercept:
1406 D76 Morda – Cefn Blodwell Crosville SLP144 – CFM144G – ECW bodied Bristol LH6P (photo'd below at Cefn Blodwell terminus)
1425 D76 Cefn Blodwell – Morda Crosville SLP154 – DFM154H – ECW bodied Bristol LH6P
Again making use of the 'Morda connection', I crossed the road just in time to catch:
1446 D79 Morda – Llanrhaeadr Crosville SRG89 – XFM89G – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6G (photo'd below on arrival at Llanrhaeadr)
before returning homewards on
1520 D79 Llanrhaeadr – Oswestry Crosville SRG89 – XFM89G – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6G
1600 D60 Oswestry – Black Park Crosville SRG12 – OFM12E – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G
1635 D60 Black Park – Oswestry Crosville SRG12 – OFM12E – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G
1718 D2 Oswestry – Chester Crosville DFG155 – 4225FM – ECW bodied Bristol FS6G
This took me to Chester for soon after 7pm, where I met up with friends (yes, bus spotters do have friends!), one of whom must have run me home.
More from my archives in a few days.
To set the scene, the top three records in the chart were:
1 Heart of Glass - Blondie
2 Chiquitita - Abba
3 Woman in Love - The Three Degrees
The presence of Three Degrees seems appropriate – I think that was also the maximum temperature that day!
Living, as I did at the time in the former mining village of Llay, a few miles outside Wrexham, it was a short walk for the first ride of the day.
0801 D33 Llay – Wrexham Crosville SNL348 – CFM348S – Leyland National
... arriving in Wrexham Town Centre in plenty time for
0830 D2 Wrexham – Oswestry Crosville DFG196 – GFM196C – ECW bodied Bristol FS6G (my photo below, not actually taken on this day, but in Wrexham Bus Station, and very much of the period).
Some time, then, to mooch around Oswestry, and have a look round the (very dark) Crosville depot, before departing on:
1015 D71 Oswestry – Welshpool Crosville ERG60 – UFM60F – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G (photo'd below at Four Crosses)
1130 D75 Welshpool – Shrewsbury Crosville EPG704 – KFM704J – Pennine bodied Seddon RU (photo'd below at Welshpool)
1245 D74 Shrewsbury – Four Crosses Crosville EPG736 – OFM736K – Pennine bodied Seddon RU - which I don't appear to have photographed.
1345 D71 Four Crosses – Morda Crosville ERG54 – UFM54F – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G (photo'd below, just pulling into the stop at Four Crosses)
I alighted at Morda - a couple of miles short of Oswestry - in order to intercept:
1406 D76 Morda – Cefn Blodwell Crosville SLP144 – CFM144G – ECW bodied Bristol LH6P (photo'd below at Cefn Blodwell terminus)
1425 D76 Cefn Blodwell – Morda Crosville SLP154 – DFM154H – ECW bodied Bristol LH6P
Again making use of the 'Morda connection', I crossed the road just in time to catch:
1446 D79 Morda – Llanrhaeadr Crosville SRG89 – XFM89G – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6G (photo'd below on arrival at Llanrhaeadr)
before returning homewards on
1520 D79 Llanrhaeadr – Oswestry Crosville SRG89 – XFM89G – ECW bodied Bristol RESL6G
1600 D60 Oswestry – Black Park Crosville SRG12 – OFM12E – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G
1635 D60 Black Park – Oswestry Crosville SRG12 – OFM12E – ECW bodied Bristol RELL6G
1718 D2 Oswestry – Chester Crosville DFG155 – 4225FM – ECW bodied Bristol FS6G
This took me to Chester for soon after 7pm, where I met up with friends (yes, bus spotters do have friends!), one of whom must have run me home.
More from my archives in a few days.
Many thanks for sharing this. My first visit to Wrexham wasnt until 1981, especially for the FSs that were still running. Getting multiple Seddons and Perkins LHs, neither of which were Crosville's finest vehicles, on the same day must be some kind of torture!