‘Scene’ at the ‘Great Central Railway’, Leicestershire 3 “What sort of bus was it? It was a green one” on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

It is two years since friend Peter Rose and I last visited the GCR.

 

A good selection of trains both steam and diesel were running. 

 

However, our main purpose, now as then, was to see and photograph the entrants in the bus rally held at Quorn & Woodhouse station.

 

DFE 963D ‘Lincolnshire Road Car Co. Ltd’. No. 2537

Bristol FS5G Lodekka / Eastern Coach Works

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Please forgive the slight intrusion of shadows at the front, caused by the trees that line the eastern side of the site.

 

 

 

 

MLL 817 ‘London Transport’ No. RF280

AEC Regal IV / Metro-Cammell  /1

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

MLL 817 ‘London Transport’ No. RF280

AEC Regal IV / Metro-Cammell  /2

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

MRT 9P ‘Ipswich Borough Transport’ No.9, PHILLIPA JAYNE.

Leyland AN68 Atlantean / Roe

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Converted to open top in January 1985.

 

 

 

 

FRP 692 ‘UNITED COUNTIES’ No. 692.

Bristol KS6B / Eastern Coach Works

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New in 1950.

 

 

 

 

EKA 220Y ‘Merseyside Transport’.

Leyland Tiger / Duple Dominant

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

264 ERY ‘GUIDE FRIDAY’ No. 264.

Leyland PD3A / Park Royal

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

New in 1963 to ‘LEICESTER CITY TRANSPORT’ who converted it to open top in 1978.

 

 

 

 

PJX 43 ‘HALIFAX CORPORATION TRANSPORT’ No. 43.

Leyland PD2 / Weymann

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

The livery was ‘borrowed’ from ‘Glasgow Corporation Transport’ by Mr. Geoffrey Hillditch who managed ‘HCT’ at the time.

 

Asked why, he said, “because I like it”.

 

I can’t think of a better reason!!

 

New in 1962.

 

‘Scene’ at the GCR’s Bus & Train Spectacular 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Staged at the ‘Great Central Railway’s Quorn & Woodhouse station just south of Loughborough.

 

The day was blessed with dry, warm and sunny weather together with a turnout of buses that exceeded my expectations.

 

The City of Leicester’s transport department was well represented with a wide range of buses on display and also giving rides to the large numbers of people who were visiting.

 

Friend Peter Rose accompanied me on the day and the following images of the show are a mixture of his and mine.

 

CBC 921 ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 329. AEC Renown / Northern Counties

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New in 1939.

 

My star of the show. Superb!

 

 

 

 

FJF 193 ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 154. Leyland PD2 / Leyland /1

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New in 1950.

 

 

 

 

FJF 193 ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 154. Leyland PD2 / Leyland /2

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured outside the ‘GCR’ Loughborough station.

 

Friend Peter Rose is sat behind the 3rd. window from the front upstairs.

 

Give him a wave!

 

 

 

 

TBC 163 ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 163. Leyland PD3 / Park Royal

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

New in 1958.

 

The colours used are the same as for the two earlier images pictured above.

 

However, the different proportions in their application makes the bus seem much brighter and cleaner.

 

This styling was probably the best that half cab bus styling ever got.

 

In the late 1950s the ‘Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus’ Co. (Midland Red) had been building their own buses. 

 

One of the features was a full width panel at the front, hiding the radiator and blending in the wings.

 

They asked Leyland if they could produce something similar for the front of buses the company had on order.

 

This was Leyland’s answer.

 

The blank space between the vertical openings just below the Leyland badge was created to house the stylised initials BMMO.

 

Obviously, other operators wanted something different. 

 

In this case they have used what appears to be the City of Leicester’s coat of arms.

 

Known as ‘tin fronts’.

 

Suddenly AEC, Daimler, Guy, Alexander and others adopted what had virtually become a fashion item.

 

 

 

 

90 HBC ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 90. Leyland PD3A / East Lancs

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

If memory serves me right: For the PD3, the ‘tin front’ now became fibreglass.

 

New in 1964.

 

 

 

 

217 AJF ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 217. AEC Bridgemaster / Park Royal /1

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New in 1961.

 

 

 

 

217 AJF ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 217. AEC Bridgemaster / Park Royal /2

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2017. ‘Leicester City Transport’ (LCT) on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

‘Leicester City Transport’ has a history stretching back to the City Tramways in the 1870’s.

 

Eventually becoming a bus operator it continued with various name changes until 1993 when it became part of the GRT group which evolved into today’s ‘First’ group.

 

90 HBC ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 90. Leyland PD3A/1 / East Lancs.

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New in 1964.

 

 

FJF 40D ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 40. AEC Renown / East Lancs. /1

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New in 1966.

 

 

 

FJF 40D ‘Leicester City Transport’ No. 40. AEC Renown / East Lancs. /2

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

GJF 301N ‘Leicester City Transport No. 301. Scania BR111DH / MCW Metropolitan

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

As is the case with many fleets these days where the current operator paints one of its current fleet in a former historical livery.

 

KP54 AZL ‘First Leicester’ No. 46 (First’s No. 32646). Volvo B7TL / Wright Gemini

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’