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What type of bus?


vox

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They had a sunken aisle down one side and the seats were up a little step.

The only times I remember going on them were: (probably 1950's)

a/ On the very odd occasion from town to Birley Moor Road. They were probably going to Mosborough because they didn't turn down Occupation Lane.

b/ In Cornwall. I think these seemed to be "the normal ones" around the Looe area where we often went on holiday.

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They had a sunken aisle down one side and the seats were up a little step.

The only times I remember going on them were: (probably 1950's)

a/ On the very odd occasion from town to Birley Moor Road. They were probably going to Mosborough because they didn't turn down Occupation Lane.

b/ In Cornwall. I think these seemed to be "the normal ones" around the Looe area where we often went on holiday.

They are known as "lowbridge" buses. The upstairs gangway is at one side and to get to the seats (3 or 4 across) is a step up, as you remember. The name says it all, really - they were buil with lower overall height so low bridges could be negotiated. This bodywork could appear on any chassis type.

Sheffield Transport had very few of these postwar - I can only find one batch of 9 dating from 1957. How long the few remaining from pre-war days lingered I am not aware of.

Some operators used virtually nothing other than lowbridge type buses. Whether East MIdland had any (which would have appeared on Birley Moor Road) I am not certain of, either, but I know that Western National (operators of buses in Looe) had many.

A picture of an Aldershot & District lowbridge bus interior is below - this had a staggered seating layout. Other buses had rows of four seats, and others had alternate rows of three and four. I am sure someone else will be able to find photos of these types

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Fantastic maddanie. I new someone would shoot the answer straight back.

Low bridges. I wondered what the idea was. Another one of those - "obvious when someone tells you"- things.

Thinking on - would I be right in saying that the ones that ran over Frecheville could have been painted green as opposed to the blue and cream Sheffield colours?

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Fantastic maddanie. I new someone would shoot the answer straight back.

Low bridges. I wondered what the idea was. Another one of those - "obvious when someone tells you"- things.

Thinking on - would I be right in saying that the ones that ran over Frecheville could have been painted green as opposed to the blue and cream Sheffield colours?

The Sheffield J.O.C. batch was all Azure and Cream vox. Like so.

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The Sheffield J.O.C. batch was all Azure and Cream vox. Like so.

I do miss those colours.

My dad told me that Sheffield buses were the smartest in the country. Was that some sort of official fact or just his opinion ?

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The Sheffield J.O.C. batch was all Azure and Cream vox. Like so.

Lovely. Weymann bodied AEC Regent 3 1285. As I understand it, the lowbridge buses were for the route to Dinnington via Anston which passed under a low railway bridge.

The only green buses to be seen in south Sheffield in the fifties would be some of the Sheffield buses painted in experimental grren liveries which proved to be unpopular with the people of Sheffield. At this time East Midland, who operated along Birley Moor Road were in the process of changing from a dark orange, cream and brown livery to a predominantly red colour scheme. They didn't turn green until after they became part of the National Bus Company in 1968, which scuppers my initial thought on green buses in Frecheville.

I don't know if the smartest buses in the country was ever official, but Sheffield buses always seemed to be very smartly turned out. Keeping predominantly cream buses smart in an industrial city such as Sheffield must have been a real chgallenge, which clearly the cleaners rose to. You don't see many photos of scruffy trams and buses in Sheffield from that period.

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The Sheffield J.O.C. batch was all Azure and Cream vox. Like so.

...with a noticeable "thinner" top deck blue band .......

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Lovely. Weymann bodied AEC Regent 3 1285. As I understand it, the lowbridge buses were for the route to Dinnington via Anston which passed under a low railway bridge.

The only green buses to be seen in south Sheffield in the fifties would be some of the Sheffield buses painted in experimental grren liveries which proved to be unpopular with the people of Sheffield. At this time East Midland, who operated along Birley Moor Road were in the process of changing from a dark orange, cream and brown livery to a predominantly red colour scheme. They didn't turn green until after they became part of the National Bus Company in 1968, which scuppers my initial thought on green buses in Frecheville.

I don't know if the smartest buses in the country was ever official, but Sheffield buses always seemed to be very smartly turned out. Keeping predominantly cream buses smart in an industrial city such as Sheffield must have been a real chgallenge, which clearly the cleaners rose to. You don't see many photos of scruffy trams and buses in Sheffield from that period.

I just chucked the "Green" bit in as a "possible" because I know there were the odd green ones along Frecheville Top when I was a teenager. What I went on in the 50's must have been the East Midlands in whichever of those other colours they were at the time.

I just remember the sunken aisle because as a small child it was pretty exciting. :)

Someone I knew briefly in the late 60's was an apprentice coach painter. I was surprised to learn that the buses were hand painted, not sprayed.

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I just chucked the "Green" bit in as a "possible" because I know there were the odd green ones along Frecheville Top when I was a teenager. What I went on in the 50's must have been the East Midlands in whichever of those other colours they were at the time.

I just remember the sunken aisle because as a small child it was pretty exciting. :)

Someone I knew briefly in the late 60's was an apprentice coach painter. I was surprised to learn that the buses were hand painted, not sprayed.

As a grown-up, I find it exciting to be on a lowbridge bus, having never encountered them in my childhood in Sheffield lol

One of the reasons Sheffield trams and buses looked smart is because for many years no adverts were carried: when it was reintroduced at sometime in the fifties the adverts were also hand-painted - there is a photo of an advert being painted on page 265 of Charles C Hall's book on Sheffield Transport.

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I just chucked the "Green" bit in as a "possible" because I know there were the odd green ones along Frecheville Top when I was a teenager. What I went on in the 50's must have been the East Midlands in whichever of those other colours they were at the time.

I just remember the sunken aisle because as a small child it was pretty exciting. :)

Someone I knew briefly in the late 60's was an apprentice coach painter. I was surprised to learn that the buses were hand painted, not sprayed.

...the buses of Sheff Trans ,and later South Yorks PTE were all hand painted well into the mid 80's before they started getting sprayed - although paper adverts and then vinyl were intrduced from mid 70's. As vinyl/ laser printers became more and more advanced, almost ANY design could be applied to a whole bus within a day or so !

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...the buses of Sheff Trans ,and later South Yorks PTE were all hand painted well into the mid 80's before they started getting sprayed - although paper adverts and then vinyl were intrduced from mid 70's. As vinyl/ laser printers became more and more advanced, almost ANY design could be applied to a whole bus within a day or so !

I remember that the buses between Cayton Bay ( presumably came from Bridlington ) & Scarborough were of that type when I was a kid in the 1950's.

John

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I remember that the buses between Cayton Bay ( presumably came from Bridlington ) & Scarborough were of that type when I was a kid in the 1950's.

John

I also, with my family, used the buses between Cayton Bay and Scarborough in the 1950's. Perhaps you were staying at Wallis's Holiday Camp ? I have very fond memories of the place with its rustic fencing leading up from the main road and beds of Marigolds brightening the place up. The owner had a flash american aluminium caravan just inside the gate. Milk was obtained from the farm just over the lane and came in wide-necked bottles with a cardboard disk closure. I can still smell the wonderful aroma in the little coffee bar, ( and the not so nice smell of the toilet blocks). Eventually the the new club was built next door, all swept away now in the road widening.

Perhaps we should have a Wallis's thread on the forum, there must be many people with happy memories ?

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I also, with my family, used the buses between Cayton Bay and Scarborough in the 1950's. Perhaps you were staying at Wallis's Holiday Camp ? I have very fond memories of the place with its rustic fencing leading up from the main road and beds of Marigolds brightening the place up. The owner had a flash american aluminium caravan just inside the gate. Milk was obtained from the farm just over the lane and came in wide-necked bottles with a cardboard disk closure. I can still smell the wonderful aroma in the little coffee bar, ( and the not so nice smell of the toilet blocks). Eventually the the new club was built next door, all swept away now in the road widening.

Perhaps we should have a Wallis's thread on the forum, there must be many people with happy memories ?

Hi Hilldweller, Yes it was Wallis' and we first went 16th-30th August 1952 when I was 8. I still have the booking receipt which shows it cost 14 pounds 3 shillings for the 2 weeks in caravan 216 ( a 4 berth called "Pedo" ) .In 1952 I only recall a small number of caravans but as we had number 216 there must have been a lot - shows how memory can be wrong!

Attached are photos ; one of of me, my dad and uncle on one of the 3 wheeler bikes you could hire with "Wallis" proudly displayed on the front! One showing me with a caravan in the background and one showing me on a bike with the Camp Office in the background. All much grander than my memory of it.

Cheers, John

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Hi Hilldweller, Yes it was Wallis' and we first went 16th-30th August 1952 when I was 8. I still have the booking receipt which shows it cost 14 pounds 3 shillings for the 2 weeks in caravan 216 ( a 4 berth called "Pedo" ) .In 1952 I only recall a small number of caravans but as we had number 216 there must have been a lot - shows how memory can be wrong!

Attached are photos ; one of of me, my dad and uncle on one of the 3 wheeler bikes you could hire with "Wallis" proudly displayed on the front! One showing me with a caravan in the background and one showing me on a bike with the Camp Office in the background. All much grander than my memory of it.

Cheers, John

Hi John, Thanks for the great photo's, were you wearing a snake belt to hold up those short trousers ?

I think it would be a couple of years later when we started to go as an extended family to Wallis's. By this time they appeared to have carried out a fair bit of additional landscaping with rustic fencing and loads of calendulas. They also built some concrete chalets. Do you remember the busy main road and the walk down through the fields to the beach. As I remember the cliffs were of red mud and there were WW2 pillboxes to explore. Further up the beach was the NALGO holiday camp, replaced by a housing development which is now falling down the cliffs (Knype Point).

Do you remember in Scarborough an underground pleasure ground with amusements and a small concert hall situated near the bottom of the Valley Road ? I have asked various people about it but no one remembers it.

Happy Days,

Regards,

Hilldweller

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Hi John, Thanks for the great photo's, were you wearing a snake belt to hold up those short trousers ?

I think it would be a couple of years later when we started to go as an extended family to Wallis's. By this time they appeared to have carried out a fair bit of additional landscaping with rustic fencing and loads of calendulas. They also built some concrete chalets. Do you remember the busy main road and the walk down through the fields to the beach. As I remember the cliffs were of red mud and there were WW2 pillboxes to explore. Further up the beach was the NALGO holiday camp, replaced by a housing development which is now falling down the cliffs (Knype Point).

Do you remember in Scarborough an underground pleasure ground with amusements and a small concert hall situated near the bottom of the Valley Road ? I have asked various people about it but no one remembers it.

Happy Days,

Regards,

Hilldweller

Hi Hilldweller, Yes, I am sure there was a concert hall near the bottom of Valley Rd. I think that may have become a theatre in more recent times.

I can't remember the underground amusements though. I did go on the Hispaniola digging for Dubloons at The Mere - I think they ran busus there from Scarborough.

I still spend a week at Scarborough every year in August & its still very popular. Was there 2 weeks ago for a theatre visit and 3 nights stay as well.

The pill box on Cayton Bay beach is still there too.

Regards, John

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I just chucked the "Green" bit in as a "possible" because I know there were the odd green ones along Frecheville Top when I was a teenager. What I went on in the 50's must have been the East Midlands in whichever of those other colours they were at the time.

I just remember the sunken aisle because as a small child it was pretty exciting. :)

Someone I knew briefly in the late 60's was an apprentice coach painter. I was surprised to learn that the buses were hand painted, not sprayed.

I note from a recently acquired 1961 timetable that Chesterfield Corporation buses ran via Manor Top and Birley Moor Road on a route to Eckington and Chesterfield. At that time most of Chesterfield's double deckers were of the lowbridge type, and they were definitely green. This could be the answer to the green part of the question, although it appears that this route started in the early 1960s. Chesterfield also operated some journeys on the Sheffield to Killamarsh service at this time, also via Manor Top and Birley Moor Road.

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I note from a recently acquired 1961 timetable that Chesterfield Corporation buses ran via Manor Top and Birley Moor Road on a route to Eckington and Chesterfield. At that time most of Chesterfield's double deckers were of the lowbridge type, and they were definitely green. This could be the answer to the green part of the question, although it appears that this route started in the early 1960s. Chesterfield also operated some journeys on the Sheffield to Killamarsh service at this time, also via Manor Top and Birley Moor Road.

Then it must have been in the early 60's that I remember. I did originally say probably 50's.

That seems to answer that then.

Thanks all. :)

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I know this is a very old post but for some reason I have only just come across it.

I sometimes worked on these low bridge buses as a conductor on the old Sheffield Transport Sheffield to Chesterfield route that ran through Frechville. I think the route number could have been 64 but may be wrong. I think they may also have been used sometimes on the Chesterfield routes that ran through Dronfield.

I think they were all joint operated routes with Chesterfield Transport.

These buses were a bit unusual to conduct but upstairs the passengers usually just passed the fairs on to the end so it could be quite quick upstairs.

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The nine delivered in 1956-7 mentioned by Madannie were 1283-1291 (WWB 483-91) examples being pictured earlier in this thread.

The book Sheffield Transport by Chas, H, Hall has a picture on page 271 of 1287 squeezing under Anston Railway Bridge. Part of the caption reads " Various designs of vehicle were being produced to eliminate the need for this side gangway and Sheffield were shortly to take delivery of the AEC Bridgemaster which produced a low-height vehicle with full headroom".

The AEC Bridgemasters were of course were 519-524 (2519-24 WE) delivered in 1959 and 525 (1925 WA) delivered in 1961.

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I remember travelling on one of those side-gangway buses a couple of times, - from memory a route 6 to Dinnington, though I can't think why I would have been going in that direction.

The buses were indeed hand-painted in the '50s and '60s, as were their side advertising panels - a friend of our family, Alan Collins, was one of the signwriters who worked on them.

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The nine delivered in 1956-7 mentioned by Madannie were 1283-1291 (WWB 483-91) examples being pictured earlier in this thread.

 

The book Sheffield Transport by Chas, H, Hall has a picture on page 271 of 1287 squeezing under Anston Railway Bridge.  Part of the caption reads " Various designs of vehicle were being produced to eliminate the need for this side gangway and Sheffield were shortly to take delivery of the AEC Bridgemaster which produced a low-height vehicle with full headroom". 

 

 

The AEC Bridgemasters were of course were 519-524 (2519-24 WE) delivered in 1959 and 525 (1925 WA) delivered in 1961. 

​The bridgemasters were mostly used on routes 101,102 and 105 and they were on air suspension so bounced and rolled a bit

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The 1285 t0 1291 AEC bridgemasters were mostly if not all "B" buses which were jointly operated on services out of Sheffield boundary,s   and had a broader blue band as I drove them on route 70 to Upton quite often in the 60s

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I know this is a very old post but for some reason I have only just come across it.

I sometimes worked on these low bridge buses as a conductor on the old Sheffield Transport Sheffield to Chesterfield route that ran through Frechville. I think the route number could have been 64 but may be wrong. I think they may also have been used sometimes on the Chesterfield routes that ran through Dronfield.

I think they were all joint operated routes with Chesterfield Transport.

These buses were a bit unusual to conduct but upstairs the passengers usually just passed the fairs on to the end so it could be quite quick upstairs.

​The routes to Chesterfield via Frecheville were 62 and 64 which had different routings between Eckington and Chesterfield. These were jointly operated by Sheffield Corporation, Chesterfield Corporation and East Midland.

Due to the running time being inconvenient for an hourly service I think they interworked with route 26 to Killamarsh, which would have meant Chesterfield and East MIdland buses on that route through Frecheville as well.

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​The routes to Chesterfield via Frecheville were 62 and 64 which had different routings between Eckington and Chesterfield. These were jointly operated by Sheffield Corporation, Chesterfield Corporation and East Midland.

Due to the running time being inconvenient for an hourly service I think they interworked with route 26 to Killamarsh, which would have meant Chesterfield and East MIdland buses on that route through Frecheville as well.

​Thanks madannie77  for refreshing my memory on that one, it was a long time ago but there are some routes I could follow today and others that I have almost forgotten.

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Those buses weren't used on the 102 route until 1961. I can clearly remember the first day that I arrived at Pond Street on my way home from King Ted's to Gleadless and was confronted by this strange-looking bus with its side, rather than rear, entrance. I mistakenly assumed that it was a "normal" bus which had been converted.

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