‘Scene’ in Derbyshire on routes 143 and 144 and a bit of the 142 (formerly K&H Doyle routes)

These two relatively rural routes provide a vital service linking as they do the towns of Ripley and Belper via Ambergate (143) and Ripley and Crich (144).

 

Crich being best known as the home of ‘The Tramway Museum’ or ‘Tramway Village’ as it now prefers to be called.

 

The normal practice has been for both routes to be interworked with 1 bus. 

 

When I first came to live locally, the Ripley-Belper service was operated by ‘Trent’ as its service No. 95 using Leyland Tiger Cubs with Metro Cammell-Wweymann or Saunders-Roe bodies. 

 

The Ripley-Crich service on Saturdays only was run by a company called ‘Mylady Coaches’ who at that time ran it with Duple bodied Bedfod OB’s. During the rest of the week it was the province of Trent and its service No. 96 (Thanks to

Chris Barker for clarification re the 96 and 'My lady Coaches').

 

Over the years, the routes have stayed much as they were but as might be expected the operators and vehicles have changed.

 

At the start of 2014 the operator was K & H Doyle of Alfreton. Doyle’s began as a Ripley based operator in 1986 but moved to Alfreton where they found more suitable premises.

 

R556 UOT

A Dennis Dart  SLF with UVG Urbanstar body is seen waiting departure in Belper. The Urbanstar  was also marketed as the ‘Caetano Compass’.

 

On the 13th. of January, Doyle’s ceased operating. I new something was amiss when on the 14th. I saw a Doyle’s route being run by ‘yourbus’.

 

‘yourbus’ (yb) a relative newcomer in central Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire has in the last few years have built up quite a portfolio of routes operating out of their base in Heanor.

 

Asked to cover these and other routes on an emergency basis, ‘yb’ quickly stepped in using mainly ‘Wright Streetlite D/F’s.

 

MX62 GXE

A Wright 'Streetlte' D/F

 

Things seemed to be settling down with the new arrangements.

 

I was surprised therefore to see in Derbyshire County Council’s ‘Forthcoming changes to bus services’ to find that as from 30th March the operator was to change again. This time to ‘McEwens Coaches of Mansfield’.

 

‘McEwens’ were established in 1998 and in late 2013 came under the control of ‘Skills Coaches’ when Skills purchased a majority interest.

 

‘Skills’ are a well established coach operator dating back to 1919. In recent years they have also built up a substantial contract hire fleet of double deckers.

 

I am not aware of ‘McEwens’ operating in this part of Derbyshire before so it will be interesting to see how it works out.

 

MX07 BBZ.

An Optare Solo previously operated by ‘Robert’s of Hugglescote in Leicestershire

 

 

 

Intriguingly whilst waiting for the Crich bus to depart another ‘McEwens’ Solo turned up with 143 in its route number box.

 

X791 NWX

Which was previously operated by ‘K & H Doyle of Alfreton’. As the saying goes, ‘What comes around goes around’..........!

 

Almost as a postscript to this article, I was in Belper the following day and X791 NWX turned up again this time on the 142.

 

The 142 is a ‘yourbus’ route with 5 departures a day between Belper and Alfreton. ‘McEwens’ operate just one service per day on the 142 and this was it.

K & H Doyle Coaches. The end.

W 975 ETW

Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart

 

 

 

I remember 'Doyle’s starting up in the mid 1980’s with one vehicle running a contracted taxi bus service between Street Lane and Pentrich via Ripley.

 

Since them, I have seen them grow and seemingly prosper to the point where they had become a fixture in the area.

 

At one time they had an operating base in Ripley but then moved to a unit on Lydford Road on the Meadow Lane industrial estate in Alfreton which then became their base.

 

I remember an evening visit to ‘Doyles’ with ‘Transpire’ the Chesterfield Bus Society when Kevin Doyle personally conducted us around his premises.

 

A likeable man who was pleased with what he had achieved.

 

I knew something was amiss when I saw a ‘yourbus’ Wright Streetlite running on a ‘Doyle’ service earlier this week.

 

There were a number of rumours about but it seemed that ‘Doyles’ had gone out of business on Monday 13th. of January and that both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Councils transport units were trying to fill the gaps that had appeared in their timetables.

 

A visit to the Lydford Road premises found them empty apart from Optare Solo W296 EYG

in the workshop.

Today, I set out to find out what routes were being run, by whom and with what vehicles.

 

I was able to glean a lot of information regarding what and whom from Matthew Barker’s excellent ‘Derby Bus Depot’ web site.

The with what, was down to me.

 

As I write, the following appears to be the situation.

 

Route 4  Mansfield -Mansfield Woodhouse currently has no service.

 

Route 17 Oak Tree-Mansfield- Sutton-in- Ashfield is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

YN53 ZRY 

A Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart

Route 18 Mansfield-Crown Farm is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

V515 XTL

Another Dennis Dart, this time bodied by East Lancs.

Route 19 Mansfield-Berry Hill- Mansfield currently has no service.

 

Route 143 Ripley-Ambergate-Belper is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX62 GXZ

A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

 

Route 144 Ripley-Ambergate-Crich is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX62 GXZ

Again, which interworks the two routes.

 

 

Route 145 Blidworth-Sutton-Kirkby is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

YN53 ZSG

A Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart.

 

 

Route 148 Codnor-Ripley- Alfreton is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX62 GXE

A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

Route 151 Alfreton-Outseats and Peasehill Estates is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX62 GXK

A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

Route 152 and 153 Alfreton-Sleetmoor Lane-Somercotes-Lower Birchwood is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX

A Wright Streetlite D/F which inter works the two routes.

 

 

 

 

Route 228 Hucknall-Bestwood Village-Bulwell is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

No Image

 

Route 331 Selston-Moorgreen-Phoenix Park is only running between Selston Church and Phoenix Park. Operated by A & S Coaches.

 

No Image

 

Route 332 Eastwood-Moorgreen-Pinxton- Alfreton currently has no service.

 

It is always sad when an enterprise that started out with ambition and high hopes comes to grief.

 

The passengers have mostly already been found alternative transport.

 

The buses will move on and very soon the bright green buses of ‘K & H Doyle Coaches’ will be but a memory.

 

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Councils have done well to keep the services running.

 

The management teams at ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘yourbus’ have done extremely well to juggle their resources to provide the services that they have.

 

Transport to me is all about people. People providing a service to enable other people to move around.

 

The loss of ‘Doyles’ will mean that some of those people will lose their jobs. Some will find other jobs. Possibly with 'Stagecoach' and 'yourbus' To all of Doyle's former employees I extend my very best wishes for the future.

‘Scene’ today (15th January 2014) in Ripley, Derbyshire

‘yourbus’ (yb) Wright Streetlite D/F MX62 GXE operating on service 148 which is normally operated by ‘K & H Doyle Coaches’ of Alfreton.

 

Rumour in the town has it that Doyles’s have ceased trading overnight and that ‘yb’ are picking up the pieces.

 

Time as they say will tell.