Do you remember when on Sunday everything was closed and all the bus drivers left late because otherwise they would dawdle along dropping off to sleep. As you can judge there were not many intending passengers on the Royal Parade and a little Dennis Dart or a small minibus could have more than handled the non-existent load, but don't look at me I'm not complaining. The Plymouth fleet has seen a good few livery changes over the years mostly using various combination of reds creams white grey and black. But in the early Eighties before buses started to look jazzy the main colour reverted to a historic chocolate maroon hue used in the tramway days before the war and these attractive East-Lancs bodied Leyland Atlanteans like No.145 of 1980 were delivered looking just like this.
Probably the best looking East Lancs product. Ever. And didn’t they look fine, no matter the livery. Personal viewpoint but I felt the soon to be adopted after this photo CityBus livery suited these deckers well. But I guess they looked smart no matter what. Royal Parade isn’t this quiet during daylight hours on Sundays now!
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Another favourite was The 'Bolton Atlantean' which looked really good too in a crisp bright livery like that at Southampton, but being a purist I'm particularly fond of the first flat fronted Bolton batches, but the finest East Lancs products must have been worn by the last generation of 30ft half-cabs like the AEC Regent V buses also to be seen in Southampton. Here they did not did not spoil the look or character of their older buses by giving them the revised Atlantean look and kept in good condition they never looked dowdy and second best.
ReplyDeleteThe Soton Atlanteans did looked good too, whether in red or later cream and red (Soton did something similar to Plymouth with its livery style and application). Am inclined to agree about the Regent Vs.
ReplyDeleteAny chance of a Southampton City Seddon RU, if you have one?
Bolton was a bit too North for me!