Mansfield & District services
Still in business today, Balfour Beatty has been a major player in the UK construction and civil engineering markets. Founded in 1909, its initial operations focused on tramways, with a notable presence in the East Midlands. That activity led Balfour Beatty to diversify into power generation and general contracting, playing a key role in the development of Britain’s National Grid. During the same 1930s period, Balfour Beatty replaced the trams with buses at its subsidiary companies.
Just three bus companies remained on Balfour Beatty’s books when it decided to exit the market at the end of the 1940s. Thus, Midland General, Notts & Derby and Mansfield District were sold to the state-controlled British Transport Commission. Previously major buyers of AEC and Leyland buses, the ex-Balfour Beatty bus fleets then took a steady influx of standard Bristol/Eastern Coachworks vehicles. However, the old liveries were retained, together with other details (eg destination layouts) that differentiated the fleets from the general BTC run of the mill.
This view at Newark Bus Station proved to be the sole occasion I photographed buses of the former Balfour Beatty bus fleets: all three companies lost their identities soon afterwards under National Bus Company management. On the left is Mansfield & District 545 (24MNN), a Bristol FLF6G Lodekka new in 1963. Its companion is 104 ( JNU993D), a 1966 dual-purpose Bristol MW6G that was registered by Midland General Omnibus but seen here in service with Mansfield District.
June 1972
Zorki 4 camera
Agfa CT18 film.
Mansfield & District services
Still in business today, Balfour Beatty has been a major player in the UK construction and civil engineering markets. Founded in 1909, its initial operations focused on tramways, with a notable presence in the East Midlands. That activity led Balfour Beatty to diversify into power generation and general contracting, playing a key role in the development of Britain’s National Grid. During the same 1930s period, Balfour Beatty replaced the trams with buses at its subsidiary companies.
Just three bus companies remained on Balfour Beatty’s books when it decided to exit the market at the end of the 1940s. Thus, Midland General, Notts & Derby and Mansfield District were sold to the state-controlled British Transport Commission. Previously major buyers of AEC and Leyland buses, the ex-Balfour Beatty bus fleets then took a steady influx of standard Bristol/Eastern Coachworks vehicles. However, the old liveries were retained, together with other details (eg destination layouts) that differentiated the fleets from the general BTC run of the mill.
This view at Newark Bus Station proved to be the sole occasion I photographed buses of the former Balfour Beatty bus fleets: all three companies lost their identities soon afterwards under National Bus Company management. On the left is Mansfield & District 545 (24MNN), a Bristol FLF6G Lodekka new in 1963. Its companion is 104 ( JNU993D), a 1966 dual-purpose Bristol MW6G that was registered by Midland General Omnibus but seen here in service with Mansfield District.
June 1972
Zorki 4 camera
Agfa CT18 film.