Bus nostalgia

[The Red Baron]

to me the white one could be a guy?

You could be right,  this one I'm not sure, I thought it was made in the States.
The originals, that we called charabancs, came from the states and were mainly Fords. :-/ :-/ :-/

no doubt byron will put us right on it

Are you ready for this folks?

It's a Leyland Lioness, and was owned (maybe it still is) by Winkleigh guru Colin Shears.
West of England Transport Collection etc.

ok, both wrong then. 

[splott]

to me the white one could be a guy?

You could be right,  this one I'm not sure, I thought it was made in the States.
The originals, that we called charabancs, came from the states and were mainly Fords. :-/ :-/ :-/

no doubt byron will put us right on it

Are you ready for this folks?

It's a Leyland Lioness, and was owned (maybe it still is) by Winkleigh guru Colin Shears.
West of England Transport Collection etc.

Right again Byron, just checked
All I can add is that it was built in 1929

[splott]

Sethsmates pictures
Ok mate do your bit............................................

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[Seth]

Western Welsh waited until 1969 for it's next delivery of 36' service buses.

These duly arrived in the form of 20 PSU3A Leyland Leopards with 51-seat BET-style bodies by Marshalls of Cambridge. Again, the 9.8 litre 0600 engine was specified with 4-speed semi-automatic transmissions, though of the recently-introduced variant. Allocated fleet numbers 619-638, they were registered PKG 619-638G, and all were equipped for one man operation.



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Here's Neath-allocated 620 leaving Port Talbot in 'as delivered' condition, crew-operated, and heading for Porthcawl.
It's journey had started almost two hours earlier at Merthyr Tydfil, with around 20 minutes still to go before it reached it's outward destination at the coastal resort. It was dovetailed-in with the 603 service which started from Aberdare, and provided a half-hourly frequency along the Vale of Neath.
Heavy Summer season traffic justified the use of maximum-capacity single-deckers on these routes, as double-deckers could not be used, due to low bridges.
602, like all Neath (or Aberdare)-based buses carried a red diamond affixed above the side and rear fleet number transfers.



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Here's the former 635 at Crosskeys depot in the Summer of 1978.

Western Welsh was, by now, part of the National Bus Company and adopted the corporate Poppy Red livery, and the Red & White-inspired fleet numbering system. 635 had been renumbered as U1669, which indicates that it was the 16th underfloor-engined saloon of 1969. In an effort to improve the bland-ness of their appearances, this bus had received a significant amount of Herzim aluminium mouldings to it's bodywork. Although an improved appearance was evident, the experiment was discontinued. The black rectangular units were illuminated in darkness hours, and extolled in amber colour "Pay as you enter" whilst one on the rear displayed "One man operated" in red.

The long 156 route linked Newport with Merthyr Tydfil via the Western Valley and Tredegar, and was jointly operated with the Red & White company.

[Martin_1962]

I remember red buses and green buses.

Midland Red and I think Bristol Omnibus - Gloucester

[Seth]

I remember red buses and green buses.

Midland Red and I think Bristol Omnibus - Gloucester

A very good friend of mine (a 'native' of Upton-upon-Severn), tells me that both Midland Red (Malvern and Worcester depots) and Bristol Omnibus Co (Gloucester and Ledbury) served his home town.

Neither of these one-time giants serve Upton these days. 'Tis nowadays served by Astons of Kempsey on a 'tendered' basis, and even they have been absorbed by the Veolia conglomerate.

[Martin_1962]

I think both did the A38 into Gloucester - I grew up just north of Glos

[alunonhisown]

Veolia, I believe they now own the Clayton Jones abortion.
What a man, What a fool.
I intensley dislike that man immensley, and we won't go there with Alison.

[Seth]

I think both did the A38 into Gloucester - I grew up just north of Glos

Sounds right Martin, I think that there was some joint working with BOC and MR in the Gloucester/Worcester/Malvern areas.

I got to drive a preserved Midland Red S16, and a Stratford Blue Leopard on the erstwhile free bus link between the Welland Rally and Upton/Great Malvern a few years back.

In latter years, I had a Dudleys of Inkberrow Leopard coach. It used to stay overnight alongside my caravan at the rally.
Alas, the service is no more. A sore point which I won't go into here.

[Martin_1962]

I think both did the A38 into Gloucester - I grew up just north of Glos

Sounds right Martin, I think that there was some joint working with BOC and MR in the Gloucester/Worcester/Malvern areas.

I got to drive a preserved Midland Red S16, and a Stratford Blue Leopard on the erstwhile free bus link between the Welland Rally and Upton/Great Malvern a few years back.

In latter years, I had a Dudleys of Inkberrow Leopard coach. It used to stay overnight alongside my caravan at the rally.
Alas, the service is no more. A sore point which I won't go into here.

See them regularly

[splott]

Sethmate picture:- ........................................
What do you know about this one then


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[Seth]

The final order of Leyland Leopard-based service buses arrived in 1972.
They carried fleet numbers 1521-1554, and were registered XBO521-554K.

This delivery comprised of 34 of the 36' PSU3B model, with the beefier 11.1-litre 0.680 engine and 5-speed semi-automatic transmission. The brakes and steering were improved over the previous PSU3A model - basically incorporating Atlantean-derived units. All were bodied by Marshalls of Cambridge, 1521-30 being to DP-spec incorporating 49 coach seats and rear luggage lockers, whilst the remainder were 51-seat buses. Again, all were equipped for one-man operation.


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Here's Crosskeys-based 1554 on private hire duty at Porthcawl's Salt Lake Coach Park very early in it's life.

The observant will note that the WW crest motif, which had previously been centrally-affixed to the fronts has been discontinued in favour of the later WW 'lozenge' transfer. The coloured-diamond depot-allocation system had also been dispensed-with at this point in time. The photo also clearly shows the Atlantean-derived higher driving position, though no power steering was specified.

These were the last buses delivered with the ultimate BET Federation 'house-style' bodywork.
The National Bus Company had other ideas for it's future requirements ...............

[Vamps]

Keep them coming.....

[Seth]

Whilst I unearth some more Western Welsh material, you might like to have a look here:

http://www.warminstervbrd.connectfree.co.uk/v/Leathers.htm


It's a two-page ditty about our good friends Len and Sylv's former operation in deepest rural Wiltshire.
Damn lovely folk, their fleet was 100% Bedford to the end!

Click on the Maiden Bradley website link, and read Don Newbury's (Sylvia's father) tale of purchasing the OB.
It remains the only OB still with it's original owner!

[splott]

Some nice Charabanc pictures..........................

This is American
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Come on Sethsmate name them