BUSWORLD PHOTOGRAPHY

I AM CHRISTOPHER LEACH THE ARTIST. I started this blog so that I can share with everyone my vast collection of transport photographs showing a personal and nostalgic view of the industry with images that span some 45 years taking in the U.K and some of Europe. I have no darkroom and so rather than being the perfectionist after tidying them up I upload the images warts and all, and even those that won't scan squarely or are scratched. In a way it adds age and character. You are all free to download these for your personal use but please remember I still own them and you are not just free to use them without prior permission for any knd of publishing. Click on images to enlarge them and if you want to see more leave your comments or visit my website for the mother-site with galleries including those Buses & Girls: PICTUREWORLD

Saturday 12 January 2008

I want to take the slow bus to Saas-Fee


The driver of the two year old more luxurious Setra S315-UL of 1996 could not understand why I should want to forgo the speed and comfort of the best the PTT- Regie Garage at Brig could provide for an old Saurer of 1984 soon to be replaced by something better. To be honest he probably didn't realise I was a bus enthusiast otherwise he would have understood my passion for what many think was the best Post Auto of them all. As for myself I'm more of an FBW fan as I love those almost indecent powerful sounds but when it comes to choosing Saurer's for me the RH wins hands down, so much charm and character. At the time on my mission I was trying to see if I could on my annual Swiss holiday visits manage see every P-Regie bus and still proving it was not so easy I had to go to Saas Fee as there were about half a dozen older type Setra S213's outstationed by Brig there and I needed two of them Nos P25061-2. In actual fact I did take the Setra on the reasonably long journey but I still don't quite see why the driver was so insistent as faithful old P24400 arrived just a few minutes later. I would have liked to have seen Stalden on the way u[ there but I had to return on P26019 as well but this time it was going there too and I was pleased to pay my little homage to the location of what used to be another for me important PTT-Regie Bus Garage, now the location of the enlarged Post Office. The driver of P24400 left his bus at Saas Fee and returned with us, and also of interest being close to the Italian Border we were stopped on our ascent by the Swiss Police who searched the bus for illegal immigrants. As you see there is never a dull moment in the sleepy Valais of Switzerland.

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