Sheffield Corporation Atlantean

My first attempt at copying negatives with my new scanner wasn't very successful but as you can see I now have mastered the basics. Unfortunately it takes forever to scan them so I will have to be selective. I don't think I had a good print of Park Royal Roe bodied Sheffield Atlantean MWJ182D taken in about 1970 though.

Berlin girl lost in her thoughts

This must have been about 1982, and I wouldn't have liked to have been in this 'greenhouse' MAN coach of Paul Kanz had it rolled over on to it's roof.

Newport PDW 780 at Cardiff on the Joint 30

In the Sixties Cardiff Bus Station seemed to be served by buses that ranged through the reds and into the browns. But Newport Corporation who worked a joint service with Cardiff and whose green and cream double-deckers looked a bit like my Dinky fleet brought a bit of colour to the scene. 1958 Leyland PD2/40 PDW 780 No.182 shows off it's Longwell Green trademark hump between the decks.

Scarborough Fayre: Armstrong Galley and Happy Days Coaches

In the Eighties the PTE's became far more involved with coach work usually trying to offer a well branded more up-market service. Tyne & Wear's modern fleet ran under the banner Armstrong Galley and when this view was taken a Tiger had the honour of carrying 1 JVK which had been carried by a Newcastle 1963 Atlantean. Also at Scarborough was a similarly Plaxton bodied Scania G897 DEH of Happy Days of Woodseaves.

Berresford's Atlantean AEL 178B

Seen at the Cheddleton garage with a rather neglected look one always felt much of the Berresford fleet was perhaps just an engine failure away from that slow death dumped to rust and perish at the back of the garage. Life must have been a much more sunny experience for this Atlantean when it enjoyed the sea air in Bournemouth. Built to resemble the more shapely Alexander desgin this 1964 Leyland AEL178B was bodied by Metro-Cammell.

BVG 1009: Springtime on the Kurfirstendam

So far Neoplan haven't made any significant dents in the predominently MAN and Mercedes BVG Berlin fleet. At one time they featured on the prestigious 109 airport service to Tegal before being banished to the former East. In this interesting early Nineties scene we also have a Fifties Mercedes 190, Gaurdian Angel's on patrol and a little red car just like mines.

Lichfield City Coaches

Lichfield City Coaches ran this former National Travel South East Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen A656 EMY and it was seen out in a trip to Bridgnorth. Sadly the badges on the front had value to the trophy collector and worth about £150 many got stolen which was a pity as it spoilt the fine looks of the vehicle.

London Buslines SMU928N

Booming Britain in the Thatcher years, I think though in West London property was a better long term investment than a struggling bus company. This cheaply aquired former LT bus on a former LT route, London Buslines Daimler Fleetline SMU928N must have been captured on film when I was out delivering some air freight in Heathrow area.

Border in Blackpool returning to Burnley

Once the weekend limited stop services to the Lancashire Seaside were the preserve of the large operators like Ribble but all those working disappeared with the demise of the NBC and it was left to 'small fry' like Border of Burnley to make a few bob by offering a service as can be seen here with a former Barton Leopard heading home.

Saturday in Warrington: Gold Line M188 YKA

I rather enjoyed the period before the big groups started painting everything in one livery. I thought the later North western livery applied to this Warrington Gold Line Dennis Dart bound for Houghton Green was rather colourful and bright.

How Surreal: A Midland Red bus in Manchester

Deregulation turned the busworld as we  knew it upside-down and we all became accustomed to seeing things in the wrong place. However unlike with new identities it seemed most odd seeing a once familiar Midland Red double-decker on service in the heart of Manchester in MRN's then current retro-livery working from the former North Western depot at Macclesfield.

Dresden in the Nineties

Of course we flattened Dresden in the War but we can't be blamed for the soulless Communist architecture that replaced many fine buildings. I was not party to it but I'm sure following German Reunification there were many interesting bus fleet developments prior to the big groups getting involved.  For that reason DB bought Arriva as it was the biggest threat in Europe.

YMS710R passes the Silver Link Cafe

It might still be there but I wonder how many of your remember this cafe near Kincardine Bridge where I recall the menu featured a fry up or those peppered 'scottish pies'. These tuneful Ailsas were the first highbridge Midland buses for many years. Such was life's perks if the company driver didn't want to go up in Christmas Week it was left for me to go to Kirkcaldy so you can guess what I had for that festive pre-X'mas Lunch!

Armchair of Brentford in the Cotswolds

I hope the beer and the pub lunch was better than the weather as it was not a wonderful day to visit the Cotswolds and no doubt on a wet day many of these rural establishments greatly value the regular coach visitors from London. In the once familiar orange and white livery of Armchair of Brentford new Bedfords were not so common in the Eighties and might have struggled on some of those steep hills.

Sale of Twenty-five year old Stagecoach Atlantean GBV101N

An interesting time to visit Blackburn was in about 1999-2000 when as part of the deal when selling it's under-performing  local East Lancashire area services to newly formed Lancashire United an extra amount of elderly vehicles were included which their new operator planned to replace. Most were former NBC Ribble stock but more unusual was this rather elderly former Preston Atlantean from 1975 which had been ancient by Stagecoach standards.