Old Buses, new colours. First Bristol VR's 38873 & 38895

The far end of Cornwall is often the place where older buses see out their final days. Indeed the Bristol VR saw regular service there until December 2006 with First Devon and Cornwall. Whilst most of them wore the blue and white of Western National or the early "Barbie" livery of First, some were repainted into more modern colour schemes. UAR595W was new to Eastern National in June 1981 as their 3105, transferring to Thamesway and then eventually ending up in Cornwall as First Devon & Cornwall 38895. By July 2005 it had become a Driver Training vehicle based in Plymouth and given a new livery to advertise itself as such. In 2006 it was transferred to Cornwall (possibly as a staff shuttle bus rather than driver training) and is seen here in Penzance on the 10th July 2006. This vehicle is recorded as being broken up for spares in September 2006. LFJ873W, new in Feb 1981 to Western National as their 1226 eventually become First Devon & Cornwall 38873. Fully renovated and repainted into "Barbie 3" livery in July 2006 it was allocated to special events duties - taking part in the final running day of Bristol VR's with First Devon & Cornwall in Penzance on 9th December 2006. By 2007 it had passed to the Western National Preservation Group and is seen here on the Bristol Vintage Bus Group running day in Brislington, Brisol on 12th August 2007. 

First Kernow Dennis Dart 46235 N235KAE.

The far west of Cornwall is often where old buses see out their final years. As far as First Group fleets (and their predecessors) go, First Kernow has an older than average age for its fleet with new purchases being rare and a lot of vehicles cascaded from other fleets. N235KAE (First 46235) is a Dennis Dart 9.8SDL/Plaxton B40F new in November 1995 to Badgerline as their 235. Transferred from Bristol to Cornwall in 2011, when this photograph was taken on 23rd March 2014 at the First outstation in Helston step entrance buses were already becoming a rarity in the FirstGroup fleets. This bus was placed in reserve during 2013 but returned to traffic in 2014 when various rail replacement contracts put pressure on the fleet. At the time of writing (October 2014) it has been reported that this bus has been stripped of fleet names and prepared for scrap.

Bristol Omnibus Co Bristol RE 1268 EHU369K. Service X8, Yate.

Along with many other NBC subsidiaries, Bristol Omnibus Co implimented a large-scale review of its services in the early 1980's as part of the in-house Market Analysis Project (MAP). Surveys undertook both on and off the bus gave a picture of what the public actually wanted from it's local services and this feedback helped shape the future bus network. The town of Yate (along with its neighbour Chipping Sodbury) were liked to Bristol primarily by service 329 (more direct along the A432) or service 328 via the villages of Iron Acton, Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne along the B4058. Following MAP a new limited stop service was introduced from Yate to Bristol that took the B4058 but without deviating from the road and then picked up the M32 Motorway at Hambrook for a fast journey into Bristol City Centre. Delivered new to Bristol Omnibus in January 1972 for use on Bristol City services, Bristol RELL3/ECW B44D 1268 EHU369K was converted to single door B50F layout during February 1982 for use on "Country" services and is seen in the short lived Yate outstation on the Yate/Chipping Sodbury border where Station Road Yate meets Bowling Hill Chipping Sodbury. A couple of hundred yards away from here on the Yate side of the border is the confusingly named "Chipping Sodbury" Cottage hospital - Birthplace of Harry Potter author J.K.Rowling. 

First 53402, formerly Truronian, T20TVL.

Truronian was established in Cornwall in 1987 by three former Western National managers. Purchases of other local operators and tendered contract wins saw the company expand eventually to a size of 70 vehicles (50 buses and 20 coaches), becoming a dominant operator in the West of England. The company sold out to First (ironically Western Nationals predecessor) in April 2008. Seen at Lemon Quay Truro on 22nd March 2011 is First Devon and Cornwall Optare Solo M880 B29F 53402 (T20TVL) new to Truronian in September 2004.

Bristol Omnibus Farecards

OK, not a bus - but hopefully an interesting vehicle nonetheless. VHW547H is pictured here in its guise as a publicity vehicle for the Bristol Omnibus Company at the Bristol Bus Rally on 18th August 1981. The livery is an advert for the companies range of ticket savers - launched in late Summer 1979 and running for several years. The range included Fare Cards, Day Out, Off Peak, Rover Card and Week Ender - each with it's own character as part of a family such as Freddie Fare Card and Reggie Rovercard etc. The campaign included on-bus, press and even TV advertising along with some vehicles being painted in an all-over advertising livery such as the five Metrobuses referred to in an earlier post on this site. On a personal note, as a young YTS (Youth Training Scheme) employee with Bristol Omnibus in the early 80's, I clearly remember spending a day dressed casually (as a Student - therefore carrying a large pile of books) on board a Leyland National driving around Bristol being filmed for a TV advert promoting the range of fare saving cards. I did get to see this advert a couple of times, usually on TV around 6:00 to 7:00pm between the local and National news - aimed at the commuter who has just arrived home and switched on the TV for the evening I guess!

Western Greyhound, St Ives

Established in 1998 by former Western National manager Mark Howarth, Western Greyhound has grown into a highly respected multi award winning bus operator - the second largest in Cornwall after First. During the 2000's the company standardised on Mercedes Vario/Plaxton Beaver 2's as their single deck bus of choice. Two examples are seen at the picturesque Malakoff Bus Station in St Ives on 23rd March 2011.

Thamesdown Transport DMS Fleetline

 London Transport DMS type Fleetlines withdrawn early on in their London career were a good source of newish second-hand double deckers for many an operator in the early 1980's. After gaining many school contracts in 1983 Thamesdown Transport acquired a variety of second hand 'deckers - many of them ex-LT DMS Fleetlines. Freshly repainted into it's new owners livery, ex London Transport DMS2188 OJD188R (now Thamesdown Transport 132) leaves the depot for a School journey in November 1983.