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Guy Arab III / Park Royal #67
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: Another bus which has not travelled far from its original operating area is this 1949 open top Guy Arab 3 originally with Southampton City Transport. Once numbered 167, it was given the number 67 when the roof was removed at some time in the 1960s.
Guy Arab I / Reading #55
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: With correct destination showing, this wartime `utility` Guy Arab 1 is in the same town as it always operated in service, being the first ever Guy bought by the Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company. Guy was one of only a few builders authorised by the Government to supply new buses at this time, as raw materials were very scarce and nearly all were required to make weapons of war. Bus bodies were therefore very basic in construction and the materials used were very poor - like most utility vehicles, this one didn`t have a long life and was completely rebodied in 1955.
Dennis Loline III / MCW #503
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: One of the finest buses ever built in the UK, a Dennis Loline 3 with Weymann body operated by the Aldershot and District Traction Company. The Loline was built under licence from the Bristol factory, who developed the Lodekka in the 1950s, the first modern bus with a step-free floor but only available for purchase by Tilling Group bus companies. The Loline 3 was a magnificent bus, but quite expensive and so not many were sold, the A&D company being the main user.
Comments: 3
AEC Reliance / Weymann Fanfare #370
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: I once lived in the area served by the Aldershot and District Traction Company to the southwest of London and their buses were a daily sight. Along with the same operator`s very distinctive Dennis Loline double deckers, these AEC Reliance saloons are still regarded by many enthusiasts as some of the finest buses in the country. This particular Reliance was #370 in the fleet and eventually passed into preservation.
Leyland Atlantean / East Lancs #WOW 529 J
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: This Leyland Atlantean PDR/1A was new to Southampton in 1968 and later passed to Guide Friday, who removed the roof and employed it on Bournemouth tours. The Guide Friday company operated in a number of historic towns and cities in Great Britain, often using quite elderly vehicles. The Leyland Atlantean caused a major impact when first introduced in the mid-1950s, offering a practical rear-engine layout suitable for one person operation at a time when staffing costs were making separate conductors too expensive for many routes. The design wasn`t entirely successful to begin with, however, having major mechanical `teething problems` for the first few years - it was only in the early 1960s that the previous front-engine, rear entrance layout was finally abandoned.
Comments: 6
Bristol KSW #447
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: Seen at a large bus rally in Hampshire, this well-loaded Bristol KSW from 1955 was originally with the Brighton, Hove and District company - one of three serving this seaside town. BH&D was a Tilling Group company, so was restricted to buying only Bristol buses, whereas the other two Brighton operators (Southdown and Brighton Corporation) could buy on the open market and had much more varied fleets. All the operators seemed to get along with each other, though, and even shared in working several routes.
Leyland Titan PD2 / MCW #4
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: This Leyland PD2/12 joined the Portsmouth city bus fleet in 1956 as their #106 and led an unremarkable life carrying passengers around the city until, at some time in the 1980s, it was converted to this open-top style and renumbered #4 for a route along the south coast to Hayling Island, a popular holiday area.
Bristol MW #2278
2 august 2009 - Gosport,UK - Stokes Bay: Royal Blue was a national long distance coach company which served many areas of the UK with a distinctive fleet of Bristol vehicles, often the MW6G model as shown by this 1963 model shown here, which was #2278 in the fleet. Until car ownership became widespread from the 1960s onwards, coaches (and trains) were the main way to get around the country and long distance coaches did very good business.
Leyland Tiger PS2 / Burlingham #44
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: The seaside holiday town of Bournemouth in Southern England has always had some distinctive public service vehicles, including one of the last remaining trolleybus systems in the UK, which even had some open top double-deck trolleys (think about that!). Here is a 1949 Leyland Tiger PS2/3 with an unusual full-fronted Burlingham body, a style not often seen, although it was quite popular here and also in Blackpool. It was #44 in the Bournemouth fleet.
Comments: 1
Bristol KSW #748
2 august 2018 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: Upstairs on the Thames Valley KSW5B bus shown in my last photo, look at the very unusual seat layout, specially designed to let people come and go in the very restricted top deck.
Bristol KSW #748
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: This 1955 Bristol KSW5B lowbridge double deck bus is one of many supplied to the huge Thames Valley company, but just look at the unusual layout upstairs - see my next photos!
AEC Regent / Park Royal #35
2 august 2009 - Gosport, UK - Stokes Bay: The Gosport and Fareham company was a long-established bus operator in the Hampshire area, trading as `Provincial`. It was noteable for running several very old and interesting buses, including this AEC Regent 1 double deck with a Park Royal body, new to the company in 1936 as their #35. This was not taken out of use until 1967, when it was probably the last Regent 1 still in passenger service anywhere in the country.
Comments: 2
Leyland National #76
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Another ‘dual purpose’ National, this one was new to Hants and Dorset and transferred to Provincial in 1983, then to first Hampshire until 2000, when it was bought for preservation.
Leyland National #1
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A ‘dual-purpose’ version of the National, intended for longer-distance trips, so the seats had higher backs and were just a tiny bit softer – that was about the only difference, as far as passengers were concerned . The attempt by Leyland to create a standard bus was not popular with many operators, who preferred new buses built to their own specification, so they began to buy from other manufacturers, and Leyland eventually went broke.
Comments: 4
Leyland National #432
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – This National was new to British Airways but later passed to First Group, who used it on Provincial bus services in the Gosport area. A dual-door version of the National was available, but most had just one. The ‘pod’ on the roof of a Mark 1 National is quite distinctive and contains the air management system.
Comments: 4
Leyland National Mark 2 #2883
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) This Mark 2 National was new to Devon General, one of the many companies with a long history that were swallowed up in the 1980s. The Mark 2 was an improved version of the original design and was a lot more reliable, but still didn’t look very inspiring. The distinctive ‘pod’ on the roof has gone, though.
Comments: 1
Leyland National #251
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) - – I was amazed to find that more Nationals hadn’t been pictured here (even though there are relatively few British buses on TWB) - thousands were built, so it’s a bit like us having no Ikarus photos. This is a typical example, originally owned by Alder Valley, which was a merger of the Aldershot and District and Thames Valley companies. The colour scheme is also typical – to keep costs down, Leyland supplied just a few standard colours and that was all – many traditional bus company liveries disappeared as a result.
Comments: 4
B10M #98
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – This rather scruffy Volvo B10M could do with a repaint, but has only recently been bought by Brijan Tours. It helpfully displays its old registration number in the windscreen, having been given an Irish registration to help disguise the fact that it is getting on for thirty years old! Before being acquired by Brijan, this vehicle has passed through the hands of several small coach operators.
Comments: 1
Bristol SUL4A/ECW #1224
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A closer view of Bristol SUL4A #1224. This bus ran over 250,000 miles in service (400,000 km), so was a very good bargain. Haw many new 2009 buses will travel this far, I wonder?
Comments: 2
Bristol SUL4A/ECW #1224
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The first Bristol SUL4A seen on TWB, this little bus was new to Western National in 1962 – look how tiny it seems! This short and narrow bus was ideal for the narrow roads in the West of England. It has an Albion 4 litre engine (the ‘A’ type code – please pay attention)…….
Bristol MW6G/ECW #331
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – An attractive 34-seat luxury coach of the 1950s, intended for long distance touring. You can always identify the engine type of Bristol buses by the type code – an ‘A’ signifies an Albion engine, a ‘B’ a Bristol engine, a ‘G a Gardner engine, and so on. This bus is rallied frequently in the South of England.
Comments: 2
Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1R/East Lancs #139
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) - New to Southampton City Transport as their #139, this bus was converted to open top and retained by them for city tours and private hire work. In 1995 it was sold to Guide Friday, who used it in Bournemouth, as seen here.
Comments: 2
Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1R/East Lancs #133
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – This Atlantean was new to Southampton City Transport in 1970 and lasted in service until the late 1980s before being preserved.
Comments: 3
Leyland Olympian / Eastern Coach Works #87
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Another ex-London bus, but now unrecognisable with its unusual brown livery and Irish registration. This was once London Transport L121 but later had a spell with the Midland Red company before being bought by Brijan in 2007.
AEC Reliance 2MU3RV/Weymann #370
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) - Another very nice Aldershot and District bus, this AEC Reliance has a Weymann body. I remember these well on country bus services around West Surrey. Like all UK buses of this period, it originally worked with a conductor.
Comments: 2
Dennis Loline III/Weymann #503
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – My all-time favourite UK bus. Aldershot and District bought many of these locally-built, high quality buses with the distinctive, air-operated sliding entrance door, which gently closed with a lovely ‘woosh’ as the bus moved off from a stop. This one was retained by the company (by now known as Alder Valley) as a show bus until 1998, when it was sold for preservation.
AEC Routemaster/Park Royal #RM1033
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – One of the countless Routemasters in preservation. This one worked latterly for London Central and was sold off in 2005. It has been re-registered and now has a Scania engine.
Comments: 2
AEC Renown 3B2RA/Park Royal #595
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The second of the two ex-King Alfred AEC Renown double-deckers preserved by Friends of King Alfred Buses. This type was the replacement for the AEC Bridgemaster, but not many were sold. Not a very attractive style, in my opinion, but mechanically OK – this was the final AEC half-cab style.
Leyland National #330
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The Leyland National is hugely important – the British Konstal 105N. Intended to be the ‘one size fits all’ bus of the 1970s, built using mass production techniques, it came as a complete bus (not as a bare chassis for someone else to provide a body) and Leyland offered very few variations from the standard design and only a limited range of colours. Operators used to specifying their own requirements didn’t like it, not helped by engine problems, uncomfortable seating and poor quality control. Although many were built, companies like Dennis and Volvo began providing much better buses – Leyland soon went out of business as a result. A TWB debut for the Leyland National, I think.
Comments: 3
Bristol RE/ECW #1651
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A smart Bristol RE of 1972 – this was a very popular bus and there may still be one or two in normal passenger service today. This one was taken into preservation in 2001.
Leyland Olympian/Alexander #13629
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Stagecoach Hampshire keeps several of these ex-Hong Kong 11m, three-axle Olympians In South West Trains livery for Megabus and train replacement duties – handy, as it’s the same company that runs the trains.
Comments: 6
AEC Renown 3B2RA/Park Royal #596
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – King Alfred of Winchester was a much-loved operator you will not have seen before – but now it’s too late, as it closed down in 1973. This was one of the very few privately-owned UK bus companies to run bus services on behalf of a city. The Friends of King Alfred Buses have restored several of their vehicles - this is a semi-automatic AEC Renown of 1964 – the first Renown pictured on TWB.
Comments: 1
Leyland Olympian / Alexander RH #J 843 TSC
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A TWB debut operator, running around twelve second-hand buses on services around Eastleigh since 2008. This Olympian came originally from Lothian Buses in Edinburgh.
Leyland Titan PD2/12/Metro Cammell #112
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Another ex-Portsmouth City bus in their attractive dark red and white livery. Portsmouth also ran a fine trolleybus system, which was one of the last British networks to survive. The Leyland PD2 with Metropolitan Cammell Orion body is one of the great British classics.
Leyland Titan PD2/12/Metro Cammell #4
2 august 2009 - Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Bus Station. Two former Portsmouth City Transport buses in service for enthusiasts – open top #4 is leading. On the right can be seen the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, just across the harbour.
Leyland Tiger TS8/Beadle #649
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – After World War 2, there was a great shortage of new buses. The Beadle company built new bodies and used the mechanical parts of pre-war buses to make a new, chassis-less integral vehicle which was, in many respects, ahead of its time This is one of thirty built for Southdown and is the only survivor.
Bristol MW6G/ECW #2278
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A nice pair of ex-Royal Blue long distance coaches. Note the two slightly different shades of blue – I think the one on the left is closer to the colour I remember.
Dennis Trident/Alexander #18194
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) - This Dennis Trident was new in 2004 to Greater Manchester Buses but is now with Stagecoach South in Hampshire.
Volvo Olympian / Northern Counties Palatine I #31825
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Another ex-London bus, this time from the London General company. It transferred to First Hants and Dorset in 2005.
Leyland Titan PD3/4/Northern Counties #972
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The very distinctive full-fronted Leyland PD3, built in large numbers for Southdown and known as the ‘Queen Mary’ design. Quite a few of these survive in preservation.
BMC Probus 850/BMC #BX 07 ONS
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Another debut operator, Zenith Coach Travel is based near Gosport and runs several unusual (for UK) coaches, including this Turkish-built BMC 35-seater and a Chinese King Long.
MAN 18.400 / Noge Catalan #AH 09 WTL
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A TWB debut for this Southampton coach operator. The MAN chassis with rather odd-looking Noge body is imported in small numbers into the UK.
Dennis Dart /Duple #97
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Buses working in London have a hard life, but are also well-maintained and sold off early, so are often suitable for years of further use. This is ex-London United #DT5, now with Brijan Tours, but which used to work in West London – now it just wanders round small villages in Hampshire. The blue colour scheme suits it quite well.
Bristol VRT/SL2 #516
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – This typical Southdown bus of the 1970s has just returned to the road after a major restoration – lovely! After ten years in service with Southdown, it was transferred to the Crosville (North Wales) fleet, but has now returned home.
Leyland Atlantean AN68/Alexander #305
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A Portsmouth City Transport Leyland Atlantean of 1975, now privately preserved. Many of these popular buses (and the similar Daimler Fleetline) were operated by various UK cities and, like this one, had very long working lives.
Comments: 2
Mercedes OH1628L/Jonckheere #93
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) - Re-registering a coach in Ireland, where non-year specific registrations are available, is a common method of disguising the real age of a vehicle. This 1992 coach was new to a company in London and was bought by Brijan last year.
Scania CN230UD 4x2 EB #1127
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – one of the Polish-built Scania double-deckers bought in 2008 by this operator, which was once Southern Vectis, then Solent Blue Line. In a typically complicated UK arrangement, the company was bought by Go Ahead in 2005 and now trades as Bluestar in their Wilts and Dorset group. The bus is branded for their Route 1 from Winchester to Southampton. I think this must be the first Bluestar bus seen on TWB?
Comments: 2
Dennis Javelin/Plaxton #95
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A TWB debut for this independent operator and also the first UK-based Dennis Javelin seen here. Brijan runs a few bus services in the Hampshire area and also provides coach travel, with a very mixed fleet of around 30 new and second-hand vehicles. This one is called ‘Louise’.
Comments: 1
Leyland Tiger PS2/Burlingham #44
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – inside the ex-Bournemouth Corporation Leyland Tiger – luxury, 1940s style. A bus like this could also be used for coach services – note the opening sun roof.
Leyland Tiger PS2/Burlingham #44
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – A1949 Leyland bus with unusual Burlingham full-fronted bodywork, which operated in Bournemouth until 1970. Look carefully and you will see the 'semaphore' turn indicator (these were used before flashing lights).
Comments: 1
MAN 18.224/Alexander Enviro300 #22744
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The Goldline MAN Enviros have an automatic wheelchair ramp, as seen here – also useful for mothers with small children.
Comments: 2
MAN 18.224/Alexander Enviro300 #22744
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – Interior view of a Goldline MAN – Hand-stitched Italian leather seats and thick carpets. I wonder how long these will last when our British graffiti-merchants and knife-carrying vandals get aboard? At the moment, though, a very nice travel experience.
Comments: 6
MAN 18.224/Alexander Enviro300 #22744
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK) – The first MAN Enviro buses in the UK Stagecoach fleet were bought in 2009 to run a high quality, high frequency service on the former Aldershot and District Line 1 on the Surrey/Hampshire borders. The route is marketed as ‘Goldline’ and fourteen of these MAN buses are used.
Comments: 2
Leyland Leopard PSU2/Marshall #122
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport (UK). Southdown Motor Services was once one of the most famous names in English bus operations, running express services from London to towns all along the south coast, as well as many local and interurban bus routes. The green and cream livery was instantly recognisable and their buses were always kept in beautiful condition. This Leyland Leopard was typical of their 1960s buses.
Comments: 1
Bristol KSW6G/ECW #6447
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport (UK). The twin towns of Brighton and Hove were once served by three bus operators – Southdown (green buses), the red buses and trolleybuses of Brighton Corporation and other red buses of the state-owned Brighton, Hove and District company, seen here. This bus ran in Brighton until 1968 and was later restored for preservation by today’s Brighton and Hove Bus Company.
Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 II 10,7m #44507
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport (UK). First Hants and Dorset is the principal bus operator in Southampton and Portsmouth. This is one of their latest Enviros.
Guy Arab I/Reading #53
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport (UK). This bus was built during World War Two, so originally had a ‘utility’ body, simply made using cheap materials, as good quality metal was in very short supply. It was rebodied in 1955 and ran with the Gosport and Fareham company until 1970. Restored by First Group (who now owns the Provincial company) in 1984, it is still owned by them as a heritage bus.
BMC 1100FE #68553
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport (UK). Many small bus companies in the UK have grown by running second-hand buses to carry school children. First Group has obviously realised that there is money to be made on school contract work, so runs fourteen of these Turkish-built school buses in the Portsmouth area (perhaps hoping they can put some of the small operators out of business).
Bristol KSW6B/ECW #748
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK). Looking forwards on #748. On some of the seat backs are cigarette stubbers – most people travelling upstairs would have been smokers in those days and the atmosphere in a full lowbridge bus on a cold, rainy day had to be experienced to be believed! The gangway stops at the front, to give head room for the driver’s cab below – the roof above the front row of seats was even lower because of this. Downstairs, the seats were entirely conventional, just two each side of the central gangway, but the upstairs gangway was just above the outside row of seats, ready to bang you on the head if you stood up without thinking! 
Bristol KSW6B/ECW #748
2 august 2009 - Stokes Bay, Gosport, Hampshire (UK). Another view of the ‘staggered’ seating on #748. This is entirely original and hasn’t been restored at all. You can see from this angle how cosy these buses were, if you were trapped on the inside! I think there are only one or two survivors still fitted with this type of seat - although there are quite a few more lowbridge buses in preservation, they all have straight bench seats upstairs.
Comments: 2