Busworld Photography: Midland Red West WOC 734T in Ludlow on the 192.

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

Friday 1 November 2019

Midland Red West WOC 734T in Ludlow on the 192.

The old Midland Red network of routes which was vast included a wide variety of services. Some were more appealing than others but someone boarding a Midland Red West Leyland Leopard couldn't expect anything much better than a trip out through Kidderminster to Ludlow on a lovely sunny day. Well they could of course, but I'm being a realist here and indeed on a dull day no doubt some of the local residents here would appreciate a day's shopping for bling in Brum. Once this route was the stamping ground for the Leyland PD2/20 LD8 buses but sadly the NBC starved the company of deckers so that it could off-load more Nationals. But at least it was allowed to buy plenty of these comfortable Plaxton Supreme grant-coaches like which were invaluable on longer routes like this. This 192 seems to be heading for Hereford, maybe the driver forgot to change the number blind after coming in from Birmingham to do his next trip.

2 comments:

Ross said...: MRW renumbered the X92 (back) to 192 after deregulation to emphasise that it stopped everywhere in the West Midlands County and wasn't Limited Stop anymore, in an attempt to get some of the West Midlands local passengers' pennies, but alternate journeys still ran through beyond Ludlow to Hereford for a while so the route number is correct.

I don't think the Ludlow - Hereford leg lasted very long after deregulation, though, being hived off to Hereford depot as the 492 and being withdrawn around the time of the creation of FirstGroup, when the accountants took over from the busmen. I think it's been run by Lugg Valley/Primrose for many years now.; 1 November 2019 at 03:06
christopher said...: Ross, one of my friends on Flickr told me how it is today:

Now it's hourly Halesowen to Kidderminster with Diamond, then a two hourly 292 Kidderminster to Ludlow with R&B Travel, two hourly 490 Ludlow to Leominster with Lugg Valley Travel, and hourly with the 492 Leominster to Hereford again with LVT.; 1 November 2019 at 16:33