Chester & Wrexham Charity Heritage Bus Running Day

[Vc Ten]

New Years Day had no bus services in our neck of the woods. This gave the local bus enthusiasts a free hand in providing a free service to travellers, on a cross border route from Chester to Wrexham. All donations to the local hospice.
Good variety of vehicles from museum stock and privately owned. Some photos for the road transport aficionados amongst us.

London Transport Routmaster. Locally owned, and used for hire, weddings etc
Never got the chance to ride this one

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We travelled from the Wrexham road park and ride, to Chester railway station, on this ex Crosville, Gardener engined Bristol bus, 4227 FM. Seen here pulling away from the stop outside the station.

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We took a trip on another ex Crosville bus to Wrexham, from the park and ride. Single decker this one.

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Our final trip was to Chester and back to the park and ride, on this beauty. Ex Chester City Corporation Guy Arab 1953. I remember it well when she was in service. Took me to school many times.

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Dale

[Airspeed]

Lovely set of pics, Dale, thanks for posting
Is that you in the blue coat?

[FlyTexas]

What a great way to start the New Year! I can only imagine the fun you had. Thanks so much for sharing your pics with us, Dale.

Brian

[Tomliner]

Great photos Dale. I really enjoy the running day here when Lothian Buses( Edinburgh’s main operator) use some of their classic vehicles on normal routes, or part routes, as substitutes for modern buses. This most frequently happens during ‘Doors Open Weekends’ at festival times when along with many other organisations they allow the public onto their premises.In the case of Lothian they open their Annandale St depot to show several vintage and modern buses, which can be boarded or are even raised too allow viewing of the undersides. Children can sit in the driver’s seats of modern ones. Rides around the depot passing through the bus washing facility is done as well. A very popular day. EricT
Edit. I meant to say that these events have been suspended during this pandemic.

[TSR2]

Great photos Dale. I do have a soft spot for the Bristol RE (the single deck bus) as almost all of the CityBus buses in Belfast were this type when I was a kid, albeit with different coach work from Alexanders I think.

My favourites were they Leyland Leopard as it was much more powerful.

[Paul K]

That looks like a fun day out - great pictures, Dale. I love seeing these old machines, be they land, sea or air, preserved and kept running.

[Vc Ten]

Is that you in the blue coat?

No it's me behind the camera (phone) Mike. I wanted the guy to finish yapping to the driver, so I could get the shot, but Mrs M had enough and wanted to go home, so he had to be in it.
The organisers hope this will be a regular feature on the calendar, due to the popularity of the event (the mild weather probably helped)
Thanks for the nice comments
Dale

[Tomliner]

Actually I think the picture of the Guy Arab bus is enhanced by the man speaking to the driver. When I was more into photography than now I would often wait for someone to appear ‘in shot’ particularly if they were wearing the ‘right’ colour clothing! Thanks Dale. EricT

[Kevin Farnell]

Thanks for sharing the photos, Dale!

I'm just old enough to remember travelling on Trolley Buses when I was about 5 or 6 years old. Walsall was the last (I believe) operator of the Trolley Buses. It always fascinated me to watch the Driver or Conductor use a long pole to unhook the buses' connectors from the overhead cables, so that a bus behind it could get past.
I've found a photo online, of two Trolley Buses at Bloxwich Bus Station taken in 1969 when I would have been 5 and eight about the time that I remember them. I was born and grew up in the small (then Staffordshire, now West Midlands) town of Bloxwich.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8050359@N07/29885492374

Kevin

[Nigel H-J]

Wonderful pictures Dale, brought back many memories of the fifties and sixties when I was a kid.
When at school in West Bridgeford I used to walk from Musters Road to the other side of Trent Bridge to catch one of the trolley buses into Nottingham City Centre as it was cheaper and left me with some money for the sweet shop!!

Like Kevin, I also remember the times when the conductor had to alight to put the bus connectors back on the lines.

In those days the Guy Bus was my favourite as used to always sit on top deck though usually tried to get the back seat as hated it when some-one behind smoked and blew the smoke forward and I would get the second hand smoke covering me!!!

Always liked it when the bus conductor was busy taking fares that I could on some occasions ring the bell for the bus to stop, as I remember the conductors pressed one to stop, two to go and three not to stop and boy, the faces of the waiting passengers at the stop was a sight to behold as the bus just continued on its journey, better than watching On the Buses with Reg Varney!!

Again, thanks for the memories Dale.

Regards
Nigel.