regentlad
SMT coaches
As long ago as the 1920's SMT Co. of Edinburgh had led the way in coach hire and tours. During the 'peak years' of the 1950's as many as 130 coaches were out on hire or excursions on summer weekends. This became a lucrative earner for the company. They deployed the most modern of coaches and tour drivers tended to be of 'senior' status and fully trained.
But that experience and expertise ebbed away in the de-regulation years. The company by then known as Eastern Scottish went through a period of contraction and suffering most was the coach hire department with many staff retiring or leaving to join private operators.
Following the split of Eastern Scottish the main part was re-named SMT Lothians. A take-over of local coach operator Ian Glass and King's of Dunblane, brought about a mini-revival in the fortunes of coach hire. However, gone forever were the long distance tours with hires restricted to local work as seen here at Dalkeith with Leyland Tiger 49 seater L338W uplifting a private party for transfer to Waverley Station Edinburgh.
SMT coaches
As long ago as the 1920's SMT Co. of Edinburgh had led the way in coach hire and tours. During the 'peak years' of the 1950's as many as 130 coaches were out on hire or excursions on summer weekends. This became a lucrative earner for the company. They deployed the most modern of coaches and tour drivers tended to be of 'senior' status and fully trained.
But that experience and expertise ebbed away in the de-regulation years. The company by then known as Eastern Scottish went through a period of contraction and suffering most was the coach hire department with many staff retiring or leaving to join private operators.
Following the split of Eastern Scottish the main part was re-named SMT Lothians. A take-over of local coach operator Ian Glass and King's of Dunblane, brought about a mini-revival in the fortunes of coach hire. However, gone forever were the long distance tours with hires restricted to local work as seen here at Dalkeith with Leyland Tiger 49 seater L338W uplifting a private party for transfer to Waverley Station Edinburgh.