Altonian NWK3P and NFP111W

When my first bus pass for college arrived, it was purple and bore the name Altonian Coaches. Not only was this the first time I'd had to travel to school or college by bus, but Altonian weren't the most local of fleets - their home town of Alton was some 15 miles away, and they appeared to have just won the contract from more local incumbent Farnham Coaches. I had no idea what Altonian ran, apart from that they'd owned a couple of ex-LT AEC Merlins a few years previously and were best known for operating superannuated Tilling Stevens coaches for years and years. This could be interesting.

 

So it was with some expectation that I turned up at the appointed collection point on day one. When the vehicle appeared round the corner, slightly late, I was extremely disappointed to be presented with a bog-standard Duple Dominant II-bodied Bedford YMT. Registered MTP784R and new to Sussex operator Weller of Bepton, it had a particularly poverty-spec body. We waited for the door to open, only to be gestured to give it a tug as it wasn't powered. Great. Maybe tomorrow would provide something more interesting.

 

Day two, MTP again. And day three. And so on. When something else did appear, it was (yawn) another Bedford, ex-Harry Shaw, Coventry Supreme NWK3P. Not much better really.

 

I have no shot of MTP (does anyone have one they could send me?) but here's NWK, a couple of years later at Altonian's base on the premises of lorry repairers Hampshire Commercials in Alton. Supreme IV NFP111W was a slightly later addition which I never travelled on - it retained the livery of a previous owner (I have it as coming from Thomas, West Ewell but I didn't think their livery was blue), and was later written off in an accident.

 

Can't stand Bedfords. Awful things.

Done