Nottingham Buses Through The Years

[Caroline 23]

http://www.nottinghampost.com/pictures/Trams-trolley-buses-Nottingham-public-transport/pictures-26743275-detail/pictures.html#36

Recognise anyone? My grandad Harry Ball is smiling at the back

[catfan 14,793]

Yep, the man himself, Harry Ball !

[catfan 14,793]

Found this last night, not seen it for years.

A much younger Catfan taken c1975 Bulwell Depot. Daimler Fleetline.

[Chulla 4,946]

I didn't know that you used to be good-looking, Catfan. Is it 40 years since we last saw conductors on our buses?

[catfan 14,793]

Bulwell depot introduced one man operation in May '75 being the 44 & 71 routes. The 43 & 75 & 55 routes followed the following year.

[Deepdene Boy 642]

Catfan, is that one of the Willowbrook bodied batch, 160 - 184 (ETO160-184L), with the infamous Autoveer power steering?

[catfan 14,793]

Correct BUT the infamous Autoveer came in later on when just before we got rid of em to PSD. Hissing Sids we called em, bleddy awful too.

For the un-initiated Autoveer was an aftermarket power steering system but was total crap.

I remember booting it around the roundabout at the Priory on a service 35 coming back to Bulwell & released the grip on the wheel expecting the steering to centralise, but no it went full lock ! The bleddy hissing noise used to drive us mad.

We managed to get rid & were replaced with Leyland AN68's ! Proper power steering !

[Guest]

Hissing SIDS...not heard that in donkeys!!

That's how i remember you Catfan- and them slipons firmly on the gas pedal.

Great shot,this has made my day..bless you!

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Dig the sideboards, catfan. ( for my friends in the USA, sideburns).

[catfan 14,793]

And the Buddy Holly glasses !

[Commo 1,292]

I didn't know that NCT experimented with one man buses back in 1951. Trouble was that with buses being rear entry the driver had to leave his cab to collect the fares then run back to his cab to continue.It probably made for fit drivers but played hell with the timetables!

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Yes, that's mentioned in the book 'Nottingham City Transport' by F.P.Groves (Transport Publishing Company, 1978) - '...in October 1951...service 32 between Old Market Square and the General Hospital was converted to one-man operation. As all single-deck motor buses in the fleet had rear entrances the driver had to collect the fares before starting the journey.'

I suppose if there were no intermediate stops it would have been workable (must have been a fairly short route). No mention in that book of how long one-man operation of the route lasted.

[StephenFord 866]

It's true there were no stops on the 32 between Old Market Square and General Hospital. I think that service was fairly short lived. It was revived about 10 years later as route 50 running from Broad Marsh via Huntingdon Street to the Old Market Square, and then via Park Row thereby picking up folk for the hospital arriving at all the city bus stations. That was also a single decker, but I think this time it was probably conductor operated.

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

Wandering around ebay I came across this oddity - it's a photo for sale. I'm not sure if I remember seeing it in real life.

[FLY2 10,108]

Mobile staff canteen maybe?

[The Pianoman 1,532]

Looks more like an ambulance!

[FLY2 10,108]

The condition is too poor. Look at the rust under the door.

[catfan 14,793]

When I joined NCT in '74 that bus was used to train conductors to drive before they let em loose in double deckers !

[Merthyr Imp 729]

An Internet search throws up the information that it was was one of four similar vehicles bought new in 1971 by an organisation called 'Nottingham Health & Welfare'. Does that mean anything to anyone?

It was a Bedford with 20-seat bodywork by Willowbrook of Loughborough and when new was fleet no. 64 with the above operator rather than 664.

NCT's 664 was an Atlantean, new in 1978 and was the first no. 664 in the fleet, so whether the vehicle shown here was acquired and given for some reason given the number 664 after the Atlantean was withdrawn I don't know (it being after I'd lost interest in such things).

Maybe StephenFord will come along and enlighten us.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

In view of what caftan has posted since I wrote my piece, maybe it was acquired by NCT from Nottingham Health & Welfare for the purpose he gives and was just given a number by putting a 6 in front of its previous 64. No doubt it had been disposed of before the real no. 664 appeared on the scene in 1978.

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

Quite possible I could've been on this.

[Guest]

I recall seeing a bus of that nature#64 calling at an old peoples home on Mapperley Rd/back of St.Augustines School.

[The Pianoman 1,532]

#71. Thought buses always came in 3's. Why are there two 68's one behind the other.

[catfan 14,793]

#71.

I think that picture of the AEC Renown on the Clifton route was after 1975 when Bulwell depot had gone one man operation. All those Renowns where sent to Parliament Street Depot which were then used on the Clifton route often. Bulwell aquired Daimler Fleetlines 160 - 184.

Up to '75 I had driven every one of them.

[StephenFord 866]

Re #73 - maybe the third 68 was a South Notts heading parallel down London Road to Trent Bridge ! As for #69 - sorry, Merthyr, I can't help on that one. I too rather lost interest when they started putting bus engines at the wrong end !