SELEC Cheshire Bristol VR No. 408

I'm sure my RN fans from Portugal will heartily agree that in the early Seventies SELNEC made a good choice when it selected this orange and cream livery for it's combined Manchester area bus fleet. I admit they were quite cheerful colours and looked rather pleasing on this ECW bodied Bristol VR with it's cream window mounts which had been ordered by the old North Western Road Car Company. The trouble was like with the big groups today and even RN, the new look swept away all the fascinating variety and individuality that went before. When Wigan was added SELNEC became known as the more memorable Greater Manchester Transport but stood for South-East Lancashire and North East Cheshire PTA. The now preserved bus was blinded up to work the Stockport to Altrincham 80 Service but was seen last year at the Meadow Hall Bus Rally.

Victoria Coach Station: Evening Departures

At London's Victoria Coach Station just as things had quietened down after the evening rush-hour activity started to quicken again as the Evening long distance departures started to gather. As well as National Express former United Automobile services to the North East there were of course plenty of coaches heading for Scotland. At 8.pm in Summer it is often still light enough to take photos and I was able to catch a shot of Northern Scottish NPEX71, a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard waiting before getting ready to return to Aberdeen.

Those Colours: Is it from Metrobus of Orpington?

No I'm afraid it wasn't that attractive South London operator but unlike most all-over advertisement liveries on buses the one British Telecom employed on this Western National Bristol VR was far more attractive than the usual leaf-green still being used by former NBC companies at the end of the Eighties which can also be glimpsed in this photo. Also at Bretonside were two Plymouth Atlanteans showing the two styles of bodywork from Park Royal and East Lancs on it's later AN68 type buses.

Chur in the early 90's: Afternoon Departures

One can almost imagine those older buses that used to gather ready for departure outside the traditional looking station buildings in Chur. But now in Switzerland buses like P26023 on of the two the more comfortable Setra's bound for Bellinzona now depart from a raised platform connected by an escalator at the end of the platforms and one is ready to board in seconds.

Zagrebachi Transporti: Just metres from freedom

I don't think the people of the tourist areas of Yugoslavia were as materially or spiritually impoverished as other poor souls imprisoned far behind the Iron Curtain in the middle of a cold and dusty nowhere but the greater affluence of Italy and Cosmopolitan Trieste just the other side of this ugly checkpoint must have been tantalizing for these people from Zagreb who had made the long pilgrimage on this well used Mercedes O303 coach. Of course like myself they might have just been the lucky ones, either way how quickly we have forgotten the old divided Europe twenty-years-ago.

Chesterfield No.195

As Chesterfield had a very mixed fleet of both highbridge and lowbridge double-deckers one is left wondering how they avoided the almost inevitable de-roofing accident. Even though they did not carry an H or L prefix to the fleet numbers they were as you might expect kept apart. Front-engined highbridge buses were numbered from 200 and rear-engined vehicles 300. So as you would expect 1955 Weymann Daimler CVG6 No.195 was by conductors one of the much hated lowbridge buses which caused them many headaches both mental and physical.

Carlyle Dart: Save Me!

It seems to be the end of the road for this the oldest bus at Arriva's Stafford Garage which is a pity as it was only taken off the road after the Ministry pulled it up because of an oil leak. Always a popular bus it always looked in excellent condition and various people think it ought to be saved. I agree because these attractive early Carlyle bodied Dennis Darts were never common and this one found it's way to Arriva having started life with Williamson's on the Shrewsbury Park and Ride. Now it stand awaiting it's fate minus blinds at the bottom of the garage yard parked up against the fence.

'Complete': Nothing lasts forever

Even though I still have plenty more bus and tram photo views to come from my 1984 Portugal trip at some time or other my prized collection of RN vehicles will come to an end and then most of you won't bother to visit my blog any more. But that time is still some way off and this week I've found your a bonus Utic bodied AEC No.6649. It's good to see buses with full loads like this one bound for Bucalas informing any more intending passengers that it is full-up.

Sea-view Coaches

Seaview Coaches took three of these Spanish built Beulas bodied MAN coaches in 2008, and one of them is seen as visitors arrive at Plymouth Bretonside in June. I think they are based in Poole.

Jaywalking: Another close shave!

The laws in European countries are very much the same you might think or maybe some are enforced whilst others are not. When it comes to crossing roads in Britain we have a very easygoing attitude whereas in places like Germany and Switzerland this kind of behaviour would if you are lucky just get you a good ticking off from a policeman. Anyway I'm glad our nanny state hasn't taken all the danger out of life. A familiar sight in Stafford are a small batch of four or five of these short Plaxton Pointer Dennis Darts used on the No1 Service by Arriva which crosses the town.

Taking a break: Driver Under Instruction

It's always a bit sad to see our favourite bus types reaching the end of their days so it's some consolation at least when they are put to other uses. Few will fail to notice that this Optare Delta with Stagecoach at Exeter is a driver training bus. The all-over red livery is somewhat out of place but maybe like many of the old buses that migrate down here it was previously in London.

Lea Hall Garage

Because of the difficult and poor lighting conditions photography inside bus garages is never an easy task. However any technical deficiencies should be forgiven as the views are often most rewarding like this one of West Midland PTE's Lea Hall Garage. Situated near Kitts green it was the last new garage to be opened by Birmingham City transport in 1955 to replace the small thirty-nine vehicle Barford Street Garage and to serve the expanding new housing estates in the the Castle Bromwich area of the city. Perhaps the most interesting vehicle to have been allocated here was 3228 the added demonstration Crossley Bridgemaster of 1956. However by the mid-Eighties the buses might have been rather less exciting but as with the rest of the West Midlands fleet the allocation of Daimler Fleetline and Metrobuses in blue and cream still had a reassuring Birmingham look to it. In the foreground was a so-called Ford Transit bread van minibus, but fortunately even though it liked the Metrorider the operator didn't ever go for small buses in a huge way.