Buses in Nottingham

[catfan 14,793]

In the '70s white Leyland Leopards single deckers were used on the services 1, 7, 22. All "P" reg.

Incidently all three services now replaced with the service 79, bulwell bus station via aspley to the city.

[FLY2 10,108]

Anyone remember a mechanic named George Wilshaw worked at the main depot in the 70's.

I believe he's passed away now, but lived on Stevenholme Cres, or nearby

[Guest]

Know the family fly..pm me.

[FLY2 10,108]

Ok. Tomorrow.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

No, 301's yes I remember them . If I'm correct were there only about five of these.

I seem to remember having a little book with all the Reg No's in. Would it be one of the Ian Allen series of books ?

No, FLY - there were 40 of them.

Here's the page from my own copy of Ian Allan's ABC British Bus Fleets vol. 5 - The East Midlands. First edition, published in 1960. Needless to say, I'd seen all of them - underlined in red. Numbers crossed through in black were those withdrawn from service.

I'd include a scan of the front cover of the booklet, but half of it's missing as I evidently cut a big chunk out of it many years ago.

[roger peatman 337]

Anyone remember a mechanic named George Wilshaw worked at the main depot in the 70's.

I believe he's passed away now, but lived on Stevenholme Cres, or nearby

I knew a George Wilshaw when I worked at Trent Bridge Works -- we used to both race sidecars in the 70's .

Don't know if it's the same chap , but sorry to hear if he has passed away

[FLY2 10,108]

I bet that it could be the same one Roger.

[Enigma. 1,533]

curiosity question about the leyland atlantean buses - upstairs at the front on the right hand side , there is a inspection glass where you could look down and see the driver - why did the buses have them - did the driver have a mirror where he could see upstairs?

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Yes a bit like a periscope so the driver could see the top deck bus, now buses have C.C. cameras watching your every move.

[catfan 14,793]

#721. Enigma 1st.

They were installed so the driver could see if there were empty seats upstairs when routes first became one man operated.

I think the idea was by John Lowry the then chief engineer of NCT.

Incidently can anyone remember music on the buses, a continuous stream of music & adverts played on the top deck of the bus ? NCT got lots of complaints from passengers over that idea, so it did'nt last long.

The music equipment consisted of a eight track player which was hidden inside the void above the cab where the driver looked up in the periscope ! So easily disconnected !!

Now all you get to listen to is some recorded voice of a middle aged posh bint telling us that the next stop is bulwell bleedin bus station, & every stop on the way, as if we didn't know.

So much for progress.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Yes, there was a mirror above it in the corner of the top deck ceiling so the driver could see the top deck reflected in it when he looked up.

The old rear entrance, rear staircase buses had one at the top of the stairs so the conductor could look up the stairs and see the top deck reflected in it.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Now all you get to listen to is some recorded voice of a middle aged posh bint telling us that the next stop is bulwell bleedin bus station, & every stop on the way, as if we didn't know.

It's probably for the benefit of the people who DON'T know.

[The Pianoman 1,535]

Looking at Merthyr Imp's post #718 on that page of the book just makes me wonder, was KTV *** reserved for Nottingham City Transport vehicles. All of the ones on that page alone plus all 6-wheeled trollies 500-601. And although it is a 1949 registration not all were registered in 1949.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Buses KTV 500 -KTV 601

Were registered between 01/12/1949 - 01/071952

The last was withdrawn from service in 1966

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Well, they wouldn't all have been reserved for NCT as that would imply all but a thousand vehicles and it would take several years for NCT to take in that many new buses.

However, they did have KTV97 to 126, KTV270 to 341, KTV479 to 495 and KTV 500 to 601 which is around 220 vehicles which was a fair amount.

The trolleybuses were delivered new up to 1952, but the four single deckers delivered in 1951 were LTV 700 to 703, and the next new vehicles were OTV127 to 198 in 1953/54.

I think only the likes of London Transport are likely to have taken in the whole of a particular letter combination (I don't know whether they ever actually did or not).

[catfan 14,793]

#. 725.

So 99.99999999999% of passengers who know where they are have to listen to that "twaddle".

[StephenFord 866]

I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that NCT may have been the only users of the KTV series - although, as Merthyr Imp says, they were certainly not all taken. I think major operators were allowed to book blocks of numbers with their local licensing office, when they had placed orders for series of buses.

[StephenFord 866]

By the way, the supposedly two-part article on Huntingdon Street bus station in "old-bus-photos" has turned into a three-part article, and parts 2 and 3 are now available to read.

[Guest]

Yes Catfan, I do recall piped music, and a few buses in the 80' s having blue upholstery and quite posh inside. Does anyone remember those ' rolling' blind type advert screens on some shelters.. also opposite Trinity Sq. toilets,next door to Vic Hotel a vertical type lit ad board that swivelled when you pressed a button.

[The Pianoman 1,535]

I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that NCT may have been the only users of the KTV series - although, as Merthyr Imp says, they were certainly not all taken. I think major operators were allowed to book blocks of numbers with their local licensing office, when they had placed orders for series of buses.

There must have been something went off as KTV was a 1949 registaration but as Merthyr and one or two others have said (and know) the last trolley buses were registered in 1952 so the registrations must have been withheld until then. As some of you know I am into classic cars but I have NEVER seen KTV, letters first, on any other vehicle except buses and I notice Nottingham registrations when they appear. Perhaps I see it more readily as the my Father had a 1961 Ford Zephyr which was also the car I learned to drive in. That was 965 KTV, obviously letters last.

[tomlinson 879]

I remember on the top deck of the old buses there used to be a sign, 'No Spitting'. Smoking used to be allowed on that deck then but I never realized people went up there to spit.

[catfan 14,793]

or "Driver Below Don't Stamp Feet" above the cab.

Talking of buses me & Mrs Catfan been on ten diffferent buses today & I have to say the overall standard of driving is absolutely abysmal on NCT buses these days.

Only two pedals to press, one to go & one to stop, herein lies the problem.

Pulling away from bus stops is bad, much worse is braking left until the last minute. I offered to show one driver on a 35 how to do it, properley.

[plantfit 7,604]

Any one been to the Lincolnshire road transport museum?not been myself yet but it's on my list,it's only 10 mins down the road from us

Rog

[Paulus 541]

I used to drive a bus when I was a 10 year old !! .................Well, not actually a real bus, but a coal bunker with an old chair on top + a steering wheel & column from a 1937 Ford 7 or 8...................

[FLY2 10,108]

You've passed then. There may be a vacancy for you.