Ray Smyth:
oiltreader:
A few from the Highlands.
Oily
Thank you for some great pictures. The Shearings coach company depot was for many years, just 2 miles from where I live.
I remember when it was Smiths Tours, then it became Smiths Happiway Spencers, and then acquired that very large coach
tour company from Leeds whose name I cant recall. About 25 or so years ago, the fleet was so large that they entered a
brand new depot at Bryn, not far from junction 25 M6. Princess Anne did the official opening. It is now a Stagecoach depot.
Cheers, Ray.
Hi Ray, Wallace Arnold ring a bell?
Oily
oiltreader:
Wallace Arnold ring a bell?
Oily
Does with me, Plymouth (Bretonside), the coach station at Victoria, that hellhole in Bristol (can’t remember its name), also Taunton. I think they (WA) had a preference for Plaxtons.
A Liverpool Corporation AEC Regent Mk 111 from the mid 1950s passing a building of Liverpool University,
about to descend Brownlow Hill and pass through the city centre on its way to the Pier Head terminus.
It appears to be a warm day as the drivers windscreen is partly open. Picture from Bus Archive.
Ray.
A City of Oxford Daimler double decker with Northern Counties of Wigan bodywork when new in 1968.
I recall seeing this bus at the 1968 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court, London. A particular regular
Trucknet member will remember this bus I reckon. 
Picture from " Northern Counties of Wigan " by Eric Ogden.
Ray.
I drove this Leyland Atlantean bus, fleet number 1957, many times during my almost 2 years with
Ribble Motor Services from early 1968. It was built fairly local, the Leyland chassis was from the
town of Leyland, just 10 miles to the north, and the bodywork was built at Northern Counties Ltd
right here in Wigan. It is shown here on one of the summer routes, X173, Widnes to Blackpool via
St Helens and Wigan. What I didnt know at the time was the introduction of the HGV licence,
where you could claim " Grandfather Rights " if during my time with Ribble, I did not qualify for
the paperwork, despite having been driving big lorries from 1965, and having passed my driving
test on a TA Army vehicle at the age of 17 & a half. I left Ribble early in 1970 and was taken on by
Robert Baillie & Co Ltd ( Portsmouth ), at their Wigan depot, and was allowed to drive HGVs until
my present licence expired, and later that year I passed my Class 1 HGV on one of their artics
Picture from " Northern Counties of Wigan " by Eric Ogden.
Ray.
Ray Smyth:
A City of Oxford Daimler double decker with Northern Counties of Wigan bodywork when new in 1968.
I recall seeing this bus at the 1968 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court, London. A particular regular
Trucknet member will remember this bus I reckon.
Picture from " Northern Counties of Wigan " by Eric Ogden.
Ray.
Six years after my time at COMS Ray
Oily
A 1929 Leyland Lion single decker belonging to Sunderland Corporation Transport. Currently at Beamish Museum, Co. Durham awaiting restoration.
Tyneside
toshboy:
0
oiltreader:
Credit for these photos goes to Ian Roberts.
Oily
A nostalgic one for Oily
Did many a No12 shift on that one Ivor, Gloucester Green to Abingdon the south end of Ock St opposite Walter’s Transport Cafe, my favourite bus during my three years with COMS and also the last bus I drove.
Oily
What could be the make of this Malta bus? Could “AEC 505” refer to an AEC chassis fitted with an AV 505 engine?
An Alexander Dennis double decker from Tyrers of Bolton and Chorley parked
just outside of the bus station in Wigan town centre this morning. 31/01/2023.
Ray.
Ribble 1538, a Leyland PD3 from the late 1950s with bodywork by Burlingham of Blackpool.
It is on the A58, passing through Ashton-in-Makerfield on the much spread out route to Wigan. NMP.
Ray.
Ray Smyth:
Ribble 1538, a Leyland PD3 from the late 1950s with bodywork by Burlingham of Blackpool.
It is on the A58, passing through Ashton-in-Makerfield on the much spread out route to Wigan. NMP.
Ray.
Would this have been the last batch of front engined deckers Ribble took? There were 105 of them going up to fleet no 1605. Fleet number 1606 starts a big purchase of Atlanteans in 1959.
Froggy55:
What could be the make of this Malta bus? Could “AEC 505” refer to an AEC chassis fitted with an AV 505 engine?
0
could be any make of chassis , but with an AEC 505 shoved in, they were pretty good at fettling buses . i’ve got a book at home on malta buses and their history , really good and fascinating read .
i’l lhave a look and see what y0435 comes up with , there’s a log of reg’s and makes in the back of it.
Dennis, From what I understand, Ribble were not completely pleased with their early Leyland Atlanteans.
They then purchased a large number of 2 Pedal Leyland PD3s with MCW bodywork, and from 1964, they
bought 16 Albion Lowlanders with bodywork by Alexander of Falkirk…Fine Scottish buses.
Ribble eventually owned the Albion Lowlander demonstrator, 747 EUS. I liked driving the Leyland PD2s
and the Albions. The Albions had the Leyland 600 engine, but I have learned that it was upgraded to
about 140 BHP. I will try and find the photo of 1968/747 EUS in altered front and Ribble colours.
All three of these buses spent many years at Ribble Wigan depot.
Cheers, Ray.
The Albion Lowlander demonstrator, 747 EUS, now with its modified upper front and Ribble paintwork.
Cheers, Ray.
Froggy55:
What could be the make of this Malta bus? Could “AEC 505” refer to an AEC chassis fitted with an AV 505 engine?
0
Original reg was 2003 before they changed the reg plates, , Babara bodied AEC my book says, so quite possible an AEC chassis.
Tony
Froggy55:
What could be the make of this Malta bus? Could “AEC 505” refer to an AEC chassis fitted with an AV 505 engine?
got the photo of the front of this one when its reg was 2003 and a lot newer , there’s a conversion chart in my book from old reg’s to the later ones so 2003 became Y0435 and it has an AEC badge on the front
