Sheffield to Manchester via Castleton.

[boginspro]

I have just come across this photo' of a North Western prewar Tilling Stevens on the Sheffield to Manchester via Castleton route. What a great route, up and down Mam Tor must have been great fun in one of these.

In view of the route I am guessing that this is in front of the LMS station but not sure, can anyone confirm where it is please?          --------------------              (c)   https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/36589607802/sizes/l

[Waterside Echo]

Midland Station approach  c1930.  Courtesy Chas. C Hall.

[boginspro]

Thank you WE,  very interesting vehicles in that photo', what information is there about these buses please?

[Waterside Echo]

53 minutes ago, boginspro said:

Thank you WE,  very interesting vehicles in that photo', what information is there about these buses please?

Front to rear, L.M.S. coach  No. 51F  a  A.E.C. is bound for Bakewell.   Sheffield Corporation bus No. 118 on route 20 to Manchester via Snake Pass. This was a 1926 Guy fitted with 30 seat Guy dual door bodywork.   At the rear is L.M.S. coach. 53F  another A.E.C. bound for Doncaster. This was one of the coaches that worked the Sheffield to Manchester service with connections at Manchester for Blackpool for a while,  a short time later it was transferred to the East Midland Co.   W/E.

[boginspro]

9 hours ago, Waterside Echo said:

Front to rear, L.M.S. coach  No. 51F  a  A.E.C. is bound for Bakewell.   Sheffield Corporation bus No. 118 on route 20 to Manchester via Snake Pass. This was a 1926 Guy fitted with 30 seat Guy dual door bodywork.   At the rear is L.M.S. coach. 53F  another A.E.C. bound for Doncaster. This was one of the coaches that worked the Sheffield to Manchester service with connections at Manchester for Blackpool for a while,  a short time later it was transferred to the East Midland Co.   W/E.

Thanks again, I worked and traveled on routes to all these destinations (except past Castleton of cause) in the 60's / 70's ,  I would have loved it with these vehicles.

[Waterside Echo]

6 hours ago, boginspro said:

Thanks again, I worked and traveled on routes to all these destinations (except past Castleton of cause) in the 60's / 70's ,  I would have loved it with these vehicles.

Well, I was lucky.  Took my test in a crash box Crossley, drove A.E.C. pre-selects every day in service until they were finally withdrawn [for the second and last time]. Then there were the Leyland Leopards with manual gearbox and a big stick to pull on for door operation. Though when we started OMOing these Queens Road very kindly converted the doors to air operation for us. Not much exciting after that apart from the Ailsa-Volvo's and the Bendy's of coarse.   In the mid 1970s the Sheffield fleet of 49 single-deck and 633 double-deck buses formed the major portion of the new S.Y.P.T.E fleet.  W/E.

[boginspro]

58 minutes ago, Waterside Echo said:

Well, I was lucky.  Took my test in a crash box Crossley, drove A.E.C. pre-selects every day in service until they were finally withdrawn [for the second and last time]. Then there were the Leyland Leopards with manual gearbox and a big stick to pull on for door operation. Though when we started OMOing these Queens Road very kindly converted the doors to air operation for us. Not much exciting after that apart from the Ailsa-Volvo's and the Bendy's of coarse.   In the mid 1970s the Sheffield fleet of 49 single-deck and 633 double-deck buses formed the major portion of the new S.Y.P.T.E fleet.  W/E.

I took my test in a Leyland  PD2 and drove Leyland and AEC back loaders in service at East Bank but never drove a Crossley. I was a conductor first in the 60's and in the 70's and loved the job with back loaders (with a good driver). I only decided to go driving because the back loaders were fast vanishing in the early 70's. I later went OMO and was on the Derbyshire board at East Bank before going on nights at Leadmill. My favourite buses were the Leylands especially the PD3 but I would have loved to have worked the C routes with these prewar beasts. My favourite route was probably Gainsborough.

[Peter Hall]

A friend has unearthed  what these days we would call a 'flyer' announcing that this summer only service, suspended during WWII would recommence in May 1950.  It being operated by North Western.  How long it continued for has yet to be established.  

[Peter Hall]

On ‎13‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 21:00, Peter Hall said:

A friend has unearthed  what these days we would call a 'flyer' announcing that this summer only service, suspended during WWII would recommence in May 1950.  It being operated by North Western.  How long it continued for has yet to be established.  

The answer would appear to be until the Summer of 1968.  This information being contained in  http://www.lthlibrary.org.uk/library/PDF-014-1.pdf which mentions that the X39 Sheffield - Manchester via Snake Pass summer only service was also withdrawn then.  These services were jointly operated by Sheffiield Joint Omnibus Committee  and North Western Road Car Company.  This left the X48 as the only Sheffield-Manchester service which by then I am presuming was similarly jointly operated. 

My earliest recollections of the X48 in the mid 1970's were of it being jointly operated by South Yorkshire PTE and Ribble Motor Services.  Ribble pulled out after operation on 7th November 1980 leaving SYPTE to soldier on alone until  its last day of operation, 25th October 1986.

I presume Ribble took over from North Western on 5th March 1972 but initially may have been under National Travel North West guise - more digging needed.  .   

[boginspro]

Thanks  Peter , that has brought back a few memories especially regarding the Mosley Street bus station. I think I remember the Snake and Woodhead routes being 39 and 48 before the X was added, do you know what year the X was added please?  Again I may be wrong but I seem to remember as a conductor, about 1966 working the odd short runner to the Snake Inn, not sure but presumably transferring passengers there.

[Peter Hall]

Further delving suggests involvement of North Western Road Car Company and Sheffield Transport / Joint Omnibus Committee on routes between Sheffield and Manchester is quite complex and an element of blurring of references between the routes may have crept in.  Working South to North this is how I know understand the post World War II history.

72 via Mam Tor

Summer only extension of Sheffield - Castleton service.  All journeys beyond Castleton operated by North Western.  Operated from 1950 - 1966.

39  via Snake Pass

Summer only service that appears to have been jointly operated between North Western and SJOC.  Operated from 1950 - 1966.  There after SJIOC  operated a Summer Sunday service from Sheffield to Snake Inn. 

48 via Woodhead

Daily service operated solely by SJOC until 31/12/69.  Chas Hall's book says that a result of the 1968 Transport Act was that it became jointly operated between STD and the NBC.  The NBC subsidiary involved was presumably North Western.  Certainly they were involved from 3/1/71 when the Manchester terminus was changed to Lower Mosely Street.  At some point North Western were replaced by Ribble Motor Services.  This may have been 4/3/72 when North Western Manchester area local services passed to SELNEC or 4/5/73 when the Manchester terminus was altered to Chorlton Street.  From 8/1/80 operation was solely by SYPTE until the service was withdrawn after operation on 25/10/86..  

Corrections and clarifications welcomed.

 

    

[boginspro]

Thanks  Peter  , so many changes there is no wonder I couldn't remember very well, but it does explain why I remember working to the Snake Inn. My clearer memories are not of working but previously travelling as a passenger sometimes snuggled up the front near the Clayton Dewandre heater.

[boginspro]

I have just come across this photo' of a North Western Leyland TS4 on Mam Tor.                ---------------         http://www.old-bus-photos.co.uk/wp-content/themes/Old-Bus-Photos/galleries/frank_brindley_collection/frank_brindley_collection.php