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The last night of the Dominator


Hjdary

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I know this is very recent history but it is now history no the less.

South Yorkshire PTE, in the seventies tried out many different types of double Decker but in the early eighties they finally settled on two basic types.

The Metrobus and the Dominator.

They were also running so Atlanteans from the sixties and seventies but started to take huge numbers of these new vehicles.

While the Metrobus found homes all over the country the Dominator really only saw service in Sheffield and Leicester(I think)

While the Metrobus's died out years ago the Dominators soldiered on until last year, when owing to the need for more low floor vehicles, and their age I suppose, First South Yorkshire (FSY) decided to retire them.

It has to be said that while the Routemaster was synominous with London, the Dominator was a Sheffield bus.

On the last day FSY ran the remaining five "Domos" all day on the 82 to Bents Green and Stannington.

The day was organized by Andy Metcalf at Olive Grove and he got First Group to donate all the takings on that route that day to the Childrens Hospital. What stars!!

At about half one in the morning a small group of us were waiting at Olive Grove for the last one to come home...then finally we heard a loud roar as the last one came flying over the bridge.

They were all lined up inside the depot for a handful of photos to be taken and then that was it. The drivers left and that was it... another part of Sheffields transport dispached to history.

Here are some of the shots my son and I took that day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjdary/P6256886.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjdary/P6256870.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjd...TANNINGTON2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjd...RLIESMIRROR.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjd...ROMTOPDECK1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjdary/BENTSAM2.jpg

Hj

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For me the Volvo Ailsa B55 was the vehicle which stood out, particularly before they got the gearboxes sorted! More like a fairground ride than public transport. :)

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For me the Volvo Ailsa B55 was the vehicle which stood out, particularly before they got the gearboxes sorted! More like a fairground ride than public transport. :)

I had a ride on the scotish Ailsa they have down at the transport museum once and it was a cracking motor.

I have a picture of that somewhere too. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjdary/P4166194.jpg

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Good to see that tours are still run, I was lucky enough to take part in several run by enthusiastic SYPTE employees in the late 1970s and early 1980s before deregulation. Fun days indeed.

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Guest transit

Just to let you know i heard that around 35 Dominators had been acquired for spares/preservation by local enthusiasts , so they should be a familiar site around local shows/fetes for years to come!

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It surprised me how many went into presavation.

There are quite a few of them in Rotherham in a disused Factory just sitting there.

On the last night I was told that First Group wouldn't selll them to other bus companies but would let enthusiasts have them for £50 plus Tyres.

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Guest acquiescefc

I live in Dublin, i got a job a few years back on the outskirts at Dell. They have a free bus from the train station run by a private company.

Anyway one of there buses is a prope Volvo Ailsa, its was like going back in time for the 20 min journey.

First three seats upstairs on left where single, you know what i mean.

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Guest exmrbd

I worked for First for 5 years at Olive Grove, The Dominator was a great bus to drive especially in the snow lol sad to see them go, but please to hear so many have been bought lol

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I live in Dublin, i got a job a few years back on the outskirts at Dell. They have a free bus from the train station run by a private company.

Anyway one of there buses is a prope Volvo Ailsa, its was like going back in time for the 20 min journey.

First three seats upstairs on left where single, you know what i mean.

I completely forgot about those single seats, I remember kids going up stairs always wanted to sit on those.

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Guest exmrbd

It surprised me how many went into presavation.

There are quite a few of them in Rotherham in a disused Factory just sitting there.

Has anyone got any pictures of this :rolleyes:

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Guest exmrbd

Here we are...what about this one....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/hjdary/P4065878.jpg

What A sad sight, I had 2 favourites, 2248 & 2304, 2248 seemed like it had a new engine in it and could get you out of trouble if you were late, 2304 was the Dominator that was painted in the RAF colours and advert, this was the first bus I broke down in. ( God Bless lol )

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It looks very much like it.

I think they are still up there if you want to have a ride up for a peep.

I think its called some thing lke Winter Gardens.......Go to the north end of Tinsley viaduct then head towards Rotherham. Past the Garage and on to the lights. Carry on as if going to Greasborough and they are hidden down in the dip near the large factory/Mill on the right.

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Guest sheffbusman

Is that a breakdown truck still with an SYPTE coffee and cream colour ?

Hello, just joined this group recently and spotted these postings about Dominators, I am one of the directors of the above mentioned storage facility in Kimberworth, we are called South Yorkshire Transport Trust (SYTT) and we have over 60 buses in our building including 13 Dominators as well as Fleetlines Atlanteans and much more mostly of a sheffield origin. A little info for you about the tow truck that was in SYPTE livery, it was originally a BP petrol tanker and was converted some years ago, we just painted it to look like it fitted in with the buses!!! ;-) Sadly it has now gone to the scrap yard :(

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Guest coffee cup

Here's a bit of brown and cream for those who remember the good old days before deregulation

Wow that's a blast from the past :blink: :blink:

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Guest bus man

A FEW UPDATES /CORRECTIONS

The tow truck never worked for SYPTE but is in there colours and carries a misc vehicle number - see above

The factory refered to is SYTT depot where website is

http://www.sytt.co.uk/

It is at Kimberworth please be carefull when giving locations as it can cause problems when people are using search engines eg some people refered to the Sheffield Bus Musuem at Tinsley as Tinsley bus musuem this cause a lot of problems.

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It is at Kimberworth please be carefull when giving locations as it can cause problems when people are using search engines eg some people refered to the Sheffield Bus Musuem at Tinsley as Tinsley bus musuem this cause a lot of problems.

I think a lot of people outside of the 'Transport Scene' will probably have refered to the Sheffield Bus Museum as Tinsley, simply because the place was always known as Tinsley Tram Sheds.

These days, with Google and what have you, it shouldn't be a problem as you can type in almost anything and still find what you're looking for.

The only real purpose of precise names is to give old 'Gricers' like us somethig to whinge about!

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Guest bus man

2243 is for sale on e bay - ive not put a link in because they dont seem to be working : go on ebay type in bus then select commercail vehicles - and then dig you should find it

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Can't believe thats up for sale....and already gutted!

It was ran on the last day of the Dominators.....

This was taken through a scuffed window....25 years of graffitti had been scraped off it!

I think it was one of the first to be preserved. I saw it a few years ago down Halfway after it was first re painted into coffee and cream.

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