Buses in Nottingham

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

Last time I was driving down the A52 near Bassingfield in september 2012, I saw a sight from my childhood, an old Bartons single decker, going towards Radcliffe, it was a sight that brought back lots of memories.............It is also good to see people think enough of the old buses they want to perserve them, especially the old 1970's ones..............

[LizzieM 9,507]

Just picked up the latest edition of Nottingham Post Bygones and there are several pages about the Trent Barton centenary. Thought the bus anoraks on here might be interested!

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Another one for the bus guys , from the West Bridgfordian 1954

[Sheridan 7]

I remember the Brown & cream buses has having Very "Jazzy" Patterned Cut velvet upholstery on the seats

[fch782c 144]

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2857075

Hi Sheridan

Is this the one you were refering to

[StephenFord 866]

Good grief, Sheridan - don't say that - "Bread and Lard Island UDC Passenger Transport Dept" couldn't possibly have done "Very Jazzy" - surely you must mean "Opulent and Tasteful" ?

[ChrisB 150]

Looking at that picture, the thought occurred to me; if the departure point for WBUDC buses was South Parade, how did they get there?

If they came up Lister Gate and Wheeler Gate, did they do a circle of the Market Square? If not, what streets did they use?

[StephenFord 866]

They turned right into St Peters Gate, left into Bridlesmith Gate, left into The Poultry, and hey presto - South Parade. Mind you, I have seen a published map from before the war that seems to suggest that some of the WBUDC routes used to return to town via London Road and Lower Parliament Street. Is anybody on here ancient enough to remember that?

[Cliff Ton 10,454]

They turned right into St Peters Gate, left into Bridlesmith Gate, left into The Poultry, and hey presto - South Parade.

Not the best photo I've ever posted, but here's a West Bridgford bus making that move. You can see St Peter's church on the right.

And - in almost the same location - a reminder of the colours of WBUDC.

[BulwellBrian 107]

I always liked the WBUDC livery. The NCT bus behind looks like one of the low bridge ones for the Clifton route via Wiford Lane.

[Cliff Ton 10,454]

The NCT bus behind looks like one of the low bridge ones for the Clifton route via Wiford Lane.

True, but it couldn't have been on one of those routes on that occasion. They didn't go further into the city than Broad Marsh.

[StephenFord 866]

Although the second picture on #426 shows the West Bridgford colours, it actually has the NCT crest on the side, which must date it to shortly after the takeover in 1968. Buses of this age (built 1949), were not retained by NCT for long, and only the newer WB stock was repainted in green and cream. The lowbridge bus in the background appears to have a blank destination screen, and I wonder if it was on the way empty to become a works service - I think they were used on some of the Boots and Players specials for example.

[StephenFord 866]

On journeys from West Bridgford, that huge destination display used to say "Nottingham Old Market Square via Arkwright Street and LMS Station." It was always quaint that "LMS Station" featured right up to the mid 1960s - but it only just struck me that it was already wrong even when this series of 4 buses was first delivered in 1949.

[bamber 128]

"LMS Station"

I've always called it, and still do, The Midland Station.

[Cliff Ton 10,454]

You can tell the age of a person by how they refer to the railway station.

Anyone old enough to remember Victoria Station still talks about Midland Station.

[StephenFord 866]

...and the younger generation call it the train station, which makes some people's hackles rise. I also dislike this term, and have always used "railway station." However when you think about it, we talk about a bus station - a place where buses pick up and set down passengers, and the railway equivalent is logically a train station - a place where trains pick up and set down passengers. But I still don't like it! (And I suppose someone will remind me that they are customers these days, not passengers - the emphasis being on payment rather than travel.)

[Compo 10,328]

It is Midland Station to me. Recently, mind not fully operational, when someone said they were taking the train from Nottingham Station, I asked "Which one?" Oops! Showing the age there.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Although the second picture on #426 shows the West Bridgford colours, it actually has the NCT crest on the side, which must date it to shortly after the takeover in 1968. Buses of this age (built 1949), were not retained by NCT for long, and only the newer WB stock was repainted in green and cream. The lowbridge bus in the background appears to have a blank destination screen, and I wonder if it was on the way empty to become a works service - I think they were used on some of the Boots and Players specials for example.

Below is a photo I took of a lineup in the yard at Lower Parliament Street depot at what must have been about the same time showing a similar vehicle (probably not the same one as the advert on the side is different) behind two ex West Bridgford vehicles and ahead of what I think is an NCT AEC Regent lll and definitely a Leyland Titan. At the rear it looks like another ex West Bridgford Regent V of the same type as the first two.

I've got a few more West Bridgford bus photos which I'll put on here when I get the chance.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

I doubt this is of much interest and haven't had chance to peruse all the 22 pages of this thread but it was on the back of something that my Mum cut out the paper . Unfortunately if there was any text , thats long gone .

[taxi ray 170]

In the picture #426 and #435, both buses have an advert for the co-op garage advertising Simca cars, they must have been one of the earliest importers of these cars. I dont think that Simca are still trading.

[notty ash 370]

Simca and the Rootes Group (Hillman, Humber etc) became the European division of Chrysler, which then became part of Peugeot

[Andrea 5]

I doubt this is of much interest and haven't had chance to peruse all the 22 pages of this thread but it was on the back of something that my Mum cut out the paper . Unfortunately if there was any text , thats long gone .

I well remember these on the Hucknall Road services, they had a centre exit fitted when they were still newish.

[Rob.L 1,088]

Simca and the Rootes Group (Hillman, Humber etc) became the European division of Chrysler, which then became part of Peugeot

With Talbot sandwiched in just before Peugeot took everything over.

[StephenFord 866]

And American Chrysler joined with Daimler-Benz, to become Daimler-Chrysler. This organisation were also the owners for a while of the former ABB and AEG railway engineering business (including the ex-British Rail Engineering workshops). This was known as Daimler-Chrysler Rail Systems, and was eventually sold to Bombardier. I retired from Bombardier in Derby 10 years ago, having worked for the organisation under its many and various guises for 35 years.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Below is a photo of West Bridgford AEC Regent V no. 30 on South Parade.

Lowbridge AEC Regent no. 31 at Broad Marsh under a threatening sky. This would have been in 1968.

No. 32 at Broad Marsh.

Sorry for the poor quality of these.