Jump to content

53 Bus Route


mickjj

Recommended Posts

Can any of our bus experts help settle an argument? I'm sure that the 53 Parson Cross bus stopped on Campo Lane in the seventies but my wife disagrees, which one of us is losing their memory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A quick perusal of the 1970s timetables I have easy access to suggests that the 53 has never stopped on Campo Lane.

It was one of the replacement bus routes for the Wadsley Bridge to Woodseats tram route. The route through the city centre was via Nursery Street, Waingate, Haymarket, Fitzalan Square and Pond Street. I don't think it ever changed substantially, and the current route 53 still uses essentially the same route (with a few changes due to changed road layouts)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can any of our bus experts help settle an argument? I'm sure that the 53 Parson Cross bus stopped on Campo Lane in the seventies but my wife disagrees, which one of us is losing their memory

In the early 70s three routes that used Campo Lane were Service 51, 54 and 59. The nearest service 53 got to Campo Lane was when it started using Corporation Street instead of Nursery Street on the inward journey from Parson Cross. W/E.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A quick perusal of the 1970s timetables I have easy access to suggests that the 53 has never stopped on Campo Lane.

It was one of the replacement bus routes for the Wadsley Bridge to Woodseats tram route. The route through the city centre was via Nursery Street, Waingate, Haymarket, Fitzalan Square and Pond Street. I don't think it ever changed substantially, and the current route 53 still uses essentially the same route (with a few changes due to changed road layouts)

Yes maddannie77 you are right about the route 53. In the later part of 1967 the service 38 to Low Edges was discontinued and replaced by the 42/53. The service 53 that had terminated at the roundabout on Abbey Lane was extended, missing out Abbey Lane and followed the old 38 route to the terminus at Low Edges. At the same time service 42 that had terminated at Graves Park was also extended, travelling straight up Chesterfield Road missing out Graves Park altogether. This, along with the 75/76 routes gave Low Edges one of the best bus services in the City. W/E.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's got me baffled, I'm sure she used to get on a bus on Campo Lane occasionally to meet her of a bus on Campo lane from the Cross. Still I guess she stil has all her marbles and I'm losing mine lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Parson Cross bus terminus in town was Bridge St .The route travelled was along Shalesmoor, Penistone Rd., up Herries Rd.at the Wednesday ground and left on to Wordsworth Ave. after the five arches Then up Donovan Rd. to Southey Green Rd., down Adlington Rd., to the terminus at the bottom of Adlington. I used this bus for many years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Parson Cross bus terminus in town was Bridge St .The route travelled was along Shalesmoor, Penistone Rd., up Herries Rd.at the Wednesday ground and left on to Wordsworth Ave. after the five arches Then up Donovan Rd. to Southey Green Rd., down Adlington Rd., to the terminus at the bottom of Adlington. I used this bus for many years.

The route you describe jmdee did indeed go to Parson Cross, though it was the 110 service. This ran until the the early 1960s when it then became the service 10 and was extended to Rokeby Drive. In 1969 it was one man operated and became a circular service with the service 89 Yew Lane. Later the 10 number was dropped becoming the number 79. There was a minor route change later on when both services were diverted via Herries Garage to cater for workers on Claywheels Lane. After de-regulation in 1986 and due to the decline of industry on Penistone Road, both daytime services were diverted via the Hillsborough shopping centre in both directions becoming 779/789. For over 25 years I worked those routes, and I can honestly say that I have never met a more friendly, honest and sincere lot people as the ones living on "The Cross", or to use the correct term, Ont Cross. W/E.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I remember correctly I occasionally worked route 51 Lodge Moor out of Campo Lane in the 1970's. I think other routes also worked from there but I can't remember which.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest sammyopisite

In the early 70s three routes that used Campo Lane were Service 51, 54 and 59. The nearest service 53 got to Campo Lane was when it started using Corporation Street instead of Nursery Street on the inward journey from Parson Cross. W/E.

In the early 60s the 54 & 55 routes started on Leopold Street, the 51 & 50 started on Pinfold Street and Campo lane was the start for route 7, 107,117, 16, 116, 18, 13 & 14 routes 7, 16 & 18 were out of Herries Road and all the rest were out of Townhead Street

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The missus mainly caught the Bridge Street busses 79/89 when we were down town as I caught the 150/47 or 151/48. Sometimes though (if she had missed the bus) it may be the 49 or the above mentioned 53 though I seem to remember that that one all round the houses to get there. Occasionally we would catch the 17 as it ran late and although it went through Brightside it was the only bus that stopped close to both my house in Shiregreen and hers on the Cross

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest sammyopisite

The missus mainly caught the Bridge Street busses 79/89 when we were down town as I caught the 150/47 or 151/48. Sometimes though (if she had missed the bus) it may be the 49 or the above mentioned 53 though I seem to remember that that one all round the houses to get there. Occasionally we would catch the 17 as it ran late and although it went through Brightside it was the only bus that stopped close to both my house in Shiregreen and hers on the Cross

When I left the buses in 67 the 150 ,151,10, 49 & 89 all stopped in Bridge Street the 79 and 91 also stopped there but they were Greengate lane circular ( High Green )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I left the buses in 67 the 150 ,151,10, 49 & 89 all stopped in Bridge Street the 79 and 91 also stopped there but they were Greengate lane circular ( High Green )

There were quiet a few number changes then as of now. Up here, though its a bit of a walk we have got the 38 back after a absence of nearly 50 years. What was the 79 when you were on was changed to 98 after they had cocked up the Southey Green/Nether Edge route. I think we got 16 minutes from Nether Edge to Castlegate in the old Leyland back loaders [633 was the fastest at that time] and we still managed a cuppa along with a dripping slice in the canteen. W/E.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was the 53 Bus to Parson's Cross running between 1966 to 1969? 

There's a model of one and I'm trying to pin it down

16506_N_Final_Large.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, not sure of the exact dates but I remember it was one of the first Atlantean buses in the area.

Used to catch it roughly where the new Asda is today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Nov 1970 bus timetable shows the 42 Foxhill and 53 Parson Cross jointly working the through route. An undated  picture in Chas C Hall's book of Leyland Atlantean 889 shows " One of the first Atlanteans being inspected by the Mayor and other officials...." the front indicator shows the number 53 and 'Private'. This was one of a batch with fleet numbers 881-899 Leyland PDR1/1 MCW bodied 78 seaters received in mid-1959.and with WJ registration letters after the fleet number. At the time of publishing the book (1977) no disposal dates are shown for any of that batch. 

The model (I think) came out in the early 90's made in China for EFE (Gilbow (Holdings) Ltd -Hemel Hempstead).Model No. 16506. it carries no Registration Plate  details, front or rear, but has the other decals. Daimler Fleetline versions used the same chassis.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More a question than an answer, and from a very vague memory but before the 53 route took over from the tram route was the Thorpe Hesley route not number 53. If so I can't remember what the number was changed to in the 60's. Also did the 53 before going to Parson Cross at some time turn at Grenoside or somewhere close, I seem to have memories of reversing somewhere up Halifax Road or further out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My memory of the 40's/50's is that the Thorpe Hesley was always the 58 and still was in the 1970 timetable. I also associate Fitzalan Square as its starting point but may be mixing it up with the 29 which served Blackburn (the Wincobank one!). Both those routes were single deck buses.

The only places I can think of on Halifax Road where a reversing manoeuvre  might have been allowed would be the junctions with Chaucer Road or Cowper Avenue. However this is based on my late 50's early 60's familiarity of the area. At that time the 'B' fleet would operate the longer services beyond Wadsley Bridge. Does this help or cloud the matter more! :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So in theory that model of the bus could be seen going under the Wicker Arches around 1967?

Yes or no anybody?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, History dude said:

So in theory that model of the bus could be seen going under the Wicker Arches around 1967?

Yes or no anybody?

Yes, we sometimes had that type of bus on the Prince of Wales Circular, route 71.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as the Route Number and Destination are changed on the model, yes!

The nearest the 53 got to the Wicker Arches was Nursery Street/Waingate, unless the driver missed the turn into Nursery Street:o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not to certain how easy that would be to do on that model. It might have been specially put on - the route number details. So as I haven't bought one (you can get one from Hattons the model railway people for around £10) I'll not order one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you could tolerate a slight adjustment of the year, have you considered EFE 16105 a Leyland PD2 Fleet No. 601? It was one of 3 used regularly on the 69 Route and would fit perfectly but was disposed of in 1965. The model carries the 69 Rotherham route indicator on a (unusual for Sheffield) single panel board.  I received an Atlantean as a gift in the 90's, cost then being just under £10 so it's not changed much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1967 is more to do with when British Rail started to go blue and double arrow logo's started. Funnily enough the prices of model cars and buses are very cheap compared with railway models. Brand new MK 1 railway coaches are coming in around £45. That's why young kids are not really into model railways these days. James May did a thing about Hornby on TV recently. There was a model railway exhibition filmed all the people were old chaps. They blocked out the face of a single teenage lad, James said it was so that he could have a life!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An update on the model bus, I got one of the other EFE buses, the one running with 95 Intake on it, M.C.W. Orion body. And found it easy to convert the numbers. You can get transfers from Fox Transfers with some not all destinations and bus numbers. And you can populate with people too. That's a bit more tricky as you have to go under the bus and you will see two plastic lugs with EFE on them around the base of the metal poles that go all the way to the top of the roof. What you then need to do is prise out the lug with a small watchmakers screw driver. One both are removed the top section of the bus with come away with the floor and windows. I painted the seats and floor areas and glued suitably seated figures, (HO scale (1.87) are a bit smaller but will fit them better, even though the bus's are 1.76 scale. You might have to use the type with no legs on the middle seats, but the side seats and front have space for the legs! The driver and conductor are another matter. And like the real bus companies I have a shortage of both!!lol

I did get one, the driver, though who was a legless type - reminds me of the Douglas Barder - bus company:) The conductor was converted from a postman, but his bag does look like the money bag they had. He stands on the door to the bus! The reason why the bus crew are adapted is because for 6 bus crew figures the charge is over £15! 

Lastly I did a small amount of dirt in place, mostly on the engine hood and some muck around the wheels and the roof looks less pristine. I did not fit the poles back, as they don't look right and it only needed a small amount of Bostick Solvent Free to stick it back on. Don't stick the people in the seats to close to the window sides or you will have problems getting it back together!  To detach the poles from the roof just bend them over to the base of the roof. You think they might be held by a screw, but actually it's a pin head!

I'll post a picture soon, it now goes to Firth Park on the number 4 route, which did go under the Wicker Arches.

As for the Atlantean bus I have got the model. I will have to fit some people and change the number to a 277 bus, which went via Furnival Road. The back of that bus will also get dirty around the engine as most of them where mucky in that area, even worse during the winter! Buses tend to be a bit cleaner these days, but a 60's to early 70's bus were mostly grimy in some place or other!

I have also added two more buses to the collection a Leyland DP2 which already has a 69 Rotherham on it! And a Leyland Leopard in green West Riding on the X33 heading to Sheffield. 

So I am recruiting for 3 bus drivers, who must be legless! And two conductors maximum height 20mm! hehe I am assuming the driver took the money on the X33. 

 

The pictures: Some work still needed to tidy up the route numbers etc.

   

Bus 1.JPG

Bus 2.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/04/2014 at 04:37, mickjj said:

Can any of our bus experts help settle an argument? I'm sure that the 53 Parson Cross bus stopped on Campo Lane in the seventies but my wife disagrees, which one of us is losing their memory

Any man who disagrees with his wife is a braver man than me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...