Some years ago, I wrote a series of articles about days out by bus in my part of the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
Meant to be a guide for the perhaps less confident intending passenger of what to catch to where and at what time.
The series was published bi-monthly by a local magazine and ran for a number of years.
This blog seeks to replicate the ‘days out by bus’ element but this time looking at the buses that were used on the day.
This article starts and finishes in my home town of Ripley in Derbyshire, continues to Nottingham then on to Mansfield where a short break was taken.
Next was Chesterfield, Bakewell, Matlock and then Alfreton.
All the images illustrated except one were captured as we progressed.
Accompanied by friend Peter Rose, it was quite a day.
So why don’t you join us?
YX20 OJN ‘trentbarton’ No. 170 ‘rainbowone’.
Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The first bus on a very cold but bright and sunny day.
The 09-45 from Ripley to Nottingham.
The piece of road the bus is running on has its own place in history.
From 1913 to 1933 a tramway ran from Ripley to Nottingham ran along this road.
The trams known as ‘The Ripley Rattlers’ had a reputation for being
“the most dangerous tram route in Britain”.
It was also one of the longest.
The trams painted blue and cream ran on a single track that had 316 loops where trams could pass.
The trams were replaced by trolleybuses and in turn by diesel buses now painted in the blue of the ‘Midland General Omnibus Company.’
They were the forerunners of todays ‘trentbarton’ who still use the same colour for its buses on the route.
Perhaps surprisingly, the rails are still there buried under several inches of tarmac.
On two occasions when the local council has dug the road up, I have seen and photographed them.
SN18 KTO ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ No. 10977 ‘pronto’.
Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The 11-30 from Nottingham.
Then after a break in Mansfield, another of the same to Chesterfield at
12-30.
SP05 EKX ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 2.
Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointer 2
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
This image supplied by Peter Rose.
His rendition of the sky was much better than mine.
Purchased from ‘Stagecoach South West’ but new to ‘Fife Scottish’ as No.34725.
The 13-30 from Chesterfield pictured after arrival in Bakewell.
YN07 EXP ‘Bowers Coaches’ No. 789.
Scania 230UB / Scania
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The 14-15 from Bakewell to Matlock pictured leaving Matlock crossing the bridge over the river Derwent on its way to Derby.
New to Scania as a demonstrator
SN65 OFA ‘Littles Travel’ No. 8.
Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The 15-02 from Matlock to Alfreton seen approaching the stand in one of Matlock’s bus stations.
I really must write a blog about Matlocks bus stations!!
FJ09 XPK ‘trentbarton’ No. 750 ‘the comet’.
Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The last bus of the day, the 15-45 from Alfreton leaving Ripley 15 minutes later having just dropped us off.
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