View allAll Photos Tagged ExpressService
Several years ago famous Nottingham Independent, Barton Transport, ran express coach services to various distant parts of the country. One such was that to Llandudno. There being no Motorway services, or even Motorways themselves, refreshment halts were made along the way at pre determined points such as larger public houses. The appropriately named Travellers Rest on the road between Nantwich and Chester was a case in point.
One evening the summer before last, the local North Staffs enthusiasts clubs and I replicated the Potteries to Chester portion of this operation, calling in for refreshment on our return. It is pleasing to recount that the Landlord remembered the Barton coaches calling all those years before. The coach is AEC Reliance, Plaxton Panorama Elite Express bodied MRR 811K.
Towards oblivion in three respects really, one was the much revered operator of Express coach services that was Yelloway Motor Services, two was there long standing purchase and operation of AEC Reliances, and three was the location, Cheltenham Coach Station. Yelloways operations principally linked the mill and mining towns of the English north west, with the holiday resorts of what is popularly referred to as The English Riviera, Torbay. Cheltenham coach station was a 'hub' and refreshment halt from which radiated connections to all points, having been home to equally famous name Black & White Motorways.
For many years, Yelloway's buying policy had been virtually 100% AEC Reliance as represented by Plaxton Supreme III bodied XNE 186S on the right. However with production of the model drawing to a close they were tempted into trying a 'Reliancyfied' version of the rival Leyland Leopard exemplified by MRJ 101W on the left. The 'new' Leopard had improved performance courtesy of an 'In Line' fuel pump, and a similar ZF six speed manual gearbox to the AEC product.
The driver of the Reliance, prepares to help passengers down off the Leopard.
F349 JSU is a Volvo B10M-60 with Van Hool Alizee C53F coachwork new to Bruce, Airdrie in 1989 for their daily Scotland to London service.
It is photographed in Southampton, 23.4.89.
6314 making a very rare appearance on Crusader service 26 to sound shields, this is replacing a broken Down citaro
Hampshire Bus Co. Eastleigh, Hampshire. 3071 ELJ209V
Leyland Leopard PSU3E /4R - Plaxton C53F
Having dropped off its passengers in Samuelsons Garage , 3071 runs round into Victoria Coach Station to pick up a return load of travellers bound for the South-West
C205 HSD was a Duple 425 integral C54Ft new to Western SMT as H105 in January 1986 for Scotland - London services.
The location is self explanatory.
Premier Travel Services of Cambridge will forever be remembered by me and enthusiasts of my era for it's network of express services operated almost exclusively by well turned out AEC Reliances. The final deliveries of the type were in 1978, with WEB 411T their last. The company were very unusual when in the mid '60s they began to make the Alexander 'Y' type Reliance their standard vehicle. The body style was in widespread use in Scotland performing a multitude of functions, but English operators saw it as a 'Dual Purpose' or bus shell. Premier Travel used them as front line coaches, with the last deliveries in 1975 when they switched totally to Plaxton's more 'coachy' Elite and Supreme models. One more fact made the Cambridge firm and the 'Y' Type unusual, that was their specifying of a number of 40ft / 12meter examples like the one in the picture. The additional length is noticeable in this shot of LJE 992G waiting at Cambridge's Drummer Street bus station.
In the mid-1930s, like many other railway companies, the LNER introduced the concept of streamlined locomotives and train sets to form prestige services that appealed to the travelling public in terms of speed and comfort as well as showing the railways as 'modern' and 'up to date'. The Silver Jubilee, using the new A4 steam locomotives and new train sets, first ran between London Kings Cross and Newcastle on 30 September 1935 and set a new standard for speed at that time.
The quality of the advertising and publicity was, to reflect the intended market, very high although it is fair to say that in many ways the LNER's general approach to marketing was equally as high. The booklet was printed at the Baynard Press in London and features the use of blue and silver metallic inks, matching the train's livery. The artwork is by one of the LNER's regular poster artists, Frank Parkinson Newbould (1887 - 1951) and the booklet makes extensive use of the recently adopted 'standard' Gill Sans typeface. This is the version of the booklet issued for the second year of operation in 1936 with slight amendments to certain timings and connections.
Falling into the same category as the last posting, here's another which I can't ever remember seeing before. I can only assume that Messrs Truprint deemed it a print too far from my stretched 36 exposure film.
From memory, this picture was taken on the 'Parks Coach Station' Glasgow, though I'm open to correction. The A1 service AEC Reliance Plaxton Supreme III Express was an Ex London Country RS class, though perhaps in this instance the sight of a Duple Dominant III bodied Volvo B58 from the fledgling Stagecoach operation will be of more interest to some. The picture would have been taken circa 1981 I think.
There can be few 'lost' operators which stir the emotions of enthusiasts as much as Rochdale based Yelloway Motor Services. If there was a Top 10 for such, they'd be close to the top. Even in the '80s their large fleet of AEC Reliances proudly plied our nation's Motorways from the industrial cities of the North, to far away holiday resorts in the South West, and in this case, North Wales. Here, on the same occasion as the Abbot's Harrington shot, CDK 172L is seen passing through Colwyn Bay. The AEC Reliance chassis, and the Plaxton Panorama Elite bodywork were also examples of 'the best of British'
NXWM Enviro 400MMC 6705 is viewed from my favourite bridge stretching across the Coventry Ring Road connecting Hill St to Upper Hill St for pedestrians. Platinum 6705 has been 'debranded' losing its service 900 branding (the two green circles and swooping airplane along with the green halo around the destination display). The name Sureet has gone too. This bus along with all the B'ham Central batch of MMC's (6701-18) will be replaced by newer deliveries (No's 6825-54) imminently, these finding new homes elsewhere.
C106 AFX was a Volvo B10M-61 with Plaxton Paramount Mk II C49Ft coachwork, without the "feature window" specified by its owner, Excelsior Holidays of Bournemouth.
It is seen in Pancras Road, London on arrival from the company's Express Service from the South Coast.
On such a summer Saturday as this in 1988, Clynnog & Trefor obviously considered there to be sufficient traffic on their core Pwllheli - Caernarfon route to warrant the use of a double decker. Ex London Transport DMS class Daimler Fleetline OJD 186R awaits departure time on Pwllheli's bus station. The coach to the rear had been another London refugee, as it formerly was London Country's RS1. This was the yet un-repainted Knotty No 2, PPH 431R which had worked a 'Potter's Holiday' Express service from Stoke on Trent on hire to PMT.
Photographed prior to entering service is one of ten Leyland Olympian ONLXB/1RH with Alexander RL CH47/37F double-deckers fitted with coach seating delivered to Central Scottish in 1986 as LO 1-10.
LO9 is registered C809 KHS and is seen complete with Redline branding as used on the Limited Stop Services.
Others may disagree, but this was for me the end of the golden era of British coaching. The country's commercial vehicle manufacturing industry was beginning to go into meltdown, and the invaders from the continent were to gain what was to become an un-assailable foothold. There were still several Independent coach operators who made a living out of Express service operation, one of which was Primrose of Ryton on Tyne. In 1976, when this coach was delivered, if you wished to buy a British heavy duty chassis, your choice was effectively limited to two models both from under the Leyland umbrella, their own Leopard or AEC's Reliance. Primrose by this time had opted for the latter with 12.5 litre AH 760 engines. PPT 212P seen here is loading at Blackpool's 'Seasiders Coach Park' in readiness for it's return across the country to Tyneside, It's Duple Dominant coach body had also been built at Blackpool.
Midland Red North 1912 on the Rugeley to Birmingham X31 service, Saturday 14th March 1987.
Chaserider B912 NBF rt X3 Sat 14.3.87 06Y87 Cheslyn Hay 0944hrs b
XEL 254 was a Volvo B10M-61 with Van Hool Alizee C49Ft coachwork, new to the Excelsior, Bournemouth fleet in 1988.
It is seen at Heathrow Airport on the London to Bournemouth Express Service.
New in December 2017 (possibly 12/12/17 its first day out) to Birmingham Central garage - 6871 (SN67 WXL) drops off passengers at Pool Meadow Bus station, Coventry. I tried to get a 'full frontal' shot of it, but I was blocked by other vehicles or it was too fast for me!
The 'Micro' hybrid technology hasn't been added yet - but it will head to Alexander Dennis Ltd like others in this new batch (No's 6855-92) for it to be fitted sometime in 2018. So they are Enviro 400 [not Enviro 400H].
Robert Dunnet of Keiss, near Wick in Caithness were supplied with C655 XSK, a Bedford Venturer YNV with 12m Duple 320 C49Ft coachwork for use on their Inverness to Wick & Thurso express service.
it is photographed here at the opposite end of the United Kingdom at the British Coach Rally, Brighton in 1986 before entering service.
A long distance entrant in the 1986 British Coach Rally in Brighton was C510 SSO, a MCW Metroliner HR131/4 integral coach with C48Ft seating layout.
It was operated by Scottish Bus Group company, Northern Scottish based in Aberdeen with fleetnumber NCM10.
An impressive addition to the Berry & Hemming, Taunton fleet in 1984 was A263 TYC, a Setra Imperial S228DT integral double-deck coach with CH54/20Dt seating for use on the company's West Country to London daily express service.
It is seen in London in April 1986.
Photographed in Blackpool is Whittle, Highley 35, a Bedford YNT with Duple Dominant IV Express C53F bodywork registered PNT 835X.
The board in the windscreen shows it operating on hire to Central Coachways of Walsall.
JPA 123K was an AEC Reliance 6U2R with Park Royal DP45F bodywork, one of a large batch new to London Country Bus Services Ltd in 1972, as its RP25.
By 1986 it had appeared in the yard of Irvine's Coaches of Law, Lanarkshire and still retaining the livery of Heart of England, Water Orton, West Midlands.
I can't remember if RP25 then was prepared for service (which would include a full repaint in fleet livery) or was sold on in dealer capacity, which was quite common at this time, to another operator.
Belshotmuir Bus & Coach Depot/Garage, Belshotmuir, North Lanarkside.
Selection of Tour/Private Hire and Express Service coaches, and standard service buses of Hutchison of Overtown coaches.
All models are my own Code 3 work, and represent the real life Hutchison independent operator from Overtown, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire in Scotland. This was a well respected operator, with tour coaches being seen as far afield as mainland Europe. Upon the retirement of the family owners, the company; including drivers, vehicles and depot were bought over by First Glasgow/Lanarkshire. The Overtown depot is still in use as of 2020.
The Volvo Wright Renown in the unique swooping livery is modelled on the real life buses Y181/182 BGB. 182 worked for several years with First before entering preservation at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust in Bridgeton, it recently returned there from Ferrymill Motors having been repainted into the livery shown here, as it was when delivered new to Hutchison.
Given the difficulty in sourcing a kit of the real life Optare Excels or Vectas used by Hutchison, an Optare Delta model has been used in their place here. All bus models have received interior decoration in addition to full repainting and transfer application.
The coaches have received the Hutchison āScottish Pullmanā coach transfer set produced by Sunrise, having had their production decals stripped.
NXWM 6703 makes its way to Birmingham City Centre operating on Platinum branded service 900. This bus is based at Birmingham Central in Digbeth, part of the 6701-18 batch delivered in 2015. But, the current plan sees this batch transferred away to Acocks Green, Walsall & Pensnett depots with a new batch of thirty Platinum Enviro 400MMC's delivered to 'BC' instead as No's 6825-54. Wolverhampton are receiving 6759-95 [37 examples] with Perry Barr having 6796-6824 [29].
Details here: www.busandcoachbuyer.com/platinum-black-country/
Bissett (Primrose), Ryton operated a daily Newcastle to Blackpool service for many years.
MTN 874X was a Leyland Tiger TRCTL11/3R with Duple Dominant III C55F seen in Blackpool awaiting it's return trip.
Baker, Weston-Super-Mare operated C342GSD a Volvo B10M-53 with Van Hool CH47/35Ct coachwork on their daily Bristol-London Flyer service.
This photograph shows the height of the coach to effect.
Photographed at the Walnut Grove, Perth depot of Stagecoach is C892 CSN, one of four DAF MB230DKVL615 Duple 320 C49Ft new in 1986 and seen when still fairly new.
Afternoon of Saturday 11th July 1987.
Staffordian coach on X86 service (Birmingham -M6- Walsall - Stafford).
TRE63R-rtX86,c1535hrsSat11july(10V87)6804
Thanks to fellow 'Flickrite' vss1x, I was reminded that there would be a small ensemble of former Royal Blue coaches passing by and through North Staffordshire today. I've forgotten any information I once knew about the event, so maybe someone else can enlighten me and anyone else who wishes to know. First to pass the camera at High Carr on the A34 north of Newcastle under Lyme was Duple bodied Bristol LL6B, LTA 729. At this point, the A34 is a busy dual carriage way, and consequently a touch unnerving pressed up against the central reservation's crash barriers in an effort to stop opposing traffic spoiling the shots. That said, I only achieved what I did here by luck as the world and his wife felt the need to overtake the convoy at or around this point.
NXWM Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 MMC 6834 (SN66 WFC) from Birmingham Central garage rests at a damp Pool Meadow bus station in Coventry. Thus far, no E400 MMC's are based in Coventry - but visits from this batch and Stagecoach Midlands E400 MMC's can be seen on a regular basis.
Comfortable riding vs West Riding: 725 (EHL 336) is a preserved 1952 West Riding Leyland Tiger PS2/12 with Roe C35F bodywork - while slightly more modern (by 63 years!) 6704 (YX15 OXW) is a National Express West Midlands Platinum-branded Alexander Dennis Enviro 400MMC dating from 2015.
Western SMT AG 974. EAG476 . Seen here in Morecambe`s Bus Station.On Euston Road.
Possibly working Liverpool or Manchester to Glasgow.Joint service with Ribble.
Photographed some time in the early nineteen sixties !!
An Eastern National Leyland Tiger, A 696 OHJ with Alexander TE bodywork is seen brazenly leaving Folkstone Bus Station in clear contravention of the sign saying East Kent Vehicles only!
Seriously though, to ask those who would know better, was this an express working from East Anglia... a long distance service, or a hiring in?
Route 353 (Express/Special Service) : Slough, Bus Station - Chesham, The Broadway
š The Broadway, Chesham
Taking part in the Amersham & District Motorbus Society Running Day centred on Chesham Broadway 6.10.24
After looking at my recent offerings and deciding there was rather too much green on the page, I thought I'd offer this. It's a water colour illustration which I painted back in the 1980s of a particular bus which always interested me in the Berresford's fleet. TFN 409 was an AH470 powered AEC Reliance with Park Royal dual purpose bodywork which had been new to East Kent. This and it's WFN registered siblings of which there were also representatives in the Cheddleton based fleet were absolute flyers .. an instance of 70mph being recorded on at least one occasion between Cellerhead and Wetley Rocks. This sort of stupidity appealed at the time to impressionable young enthusiast such as me!
Unlike it's sisters (or so I thought until seeing another photo), TFN was intriguingly signwritten on the cove panels for the West Wales holiday express service which operated in the summer peak. I've often wondered whether the sight of such an elderly bus lettered up thus encouraged or discouraged potential users who might not have been so enamoured by it's charms. Still, when he later became my boss Jim Berresford once told me after another tiff with 'The Ministry' which had received a public airing in the local press 'There ain't no such thing as bad publicity lad'
It would have paid to get all of the subject in the frame! But commemorative liveried 4453 (a Dennis Trident/Transbus ALX400 new in June 2003) is still hanging around in that scheme after its 2012 repaint into the 1970-73 'Marshall Red' version of the Coventry Transport livery. This bus has a black-on-yellow front dot-matrix display. Saturday 13th February 2016 was another dreary grey day.
Showing off the rear-end vinyls is Stagecoach Bluebird 53721, a Volvo B9R with Plaxton Elite coachwork and registered SV11 FSA and for the X7 Service between Dundee and Aberdeen.
Seen at SVBM, Lathalmond 21.08.11
DB Cargo / Express Service ( Ruse, Bulgaria ) 4wBE Battery Electric Departmental Shunter, E602 / 101896 / 000118.... ( Confirmation anyone, please, as this appears to lack any external identity at this angle ? ) shunting a very grubby looking Colas / BR ( Alstom Meinfesa, Valensia / General Motors EMD ) JT42HW-HS ( W/n: 2067/2000 ) Class 67 Bo-Bo, 67 027 'Charlotte' ( following Rail Head Treatment Train action ).
Volvo B12M - Transbus ( Plaxton ) Paragon . C49FT
New to First Southern National in October-2003
Elizabeth Street , Victoria , London .
Wednesday 26th-May-2010
Midland Red North 1912 on the Birmingham to Essington (via Walsall) X32 service, Saturday 28th March 1987.
Chaserider B912 NBF rt X32 09X87 Sat 28.3.87 Walsall 1559hrs a
By the time that I took this picture in the mid 1980's, working Harrington bodied coaches were something of a rarity. There could be little doubt that the Grenadier was a true classic of the mid '60's, in fact a well presented one such as 487 GFR didn't look out of place here. The operator of the Reliance was Abbot's Coaches of Blackpool, a longstanding AEC user until they ceased operating. The shot was taken on one of those fortuitous occasions when things actually worked out!... it nearly was so different. The location is Colwyn Bay, and was prior to the opening of the A55 North Wales 'Expressway'.