Non-LCT Buses that ran into Leeds

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Mon 24 Mar, 2008 6:29 pm

Terrym wrote: Hi,For those interested in Samuel Ledgard can I recommend a book called Beer And Blue Buses. This book is a full history of the whole Samuel Ledgard family and set up including operations after his death right up to the take over by West Yorkshire.It is worth every penny.Another book which is worth it's weight in gold is Leeds Transport Vol 4, which covers the years 1953 - 1974. Besides having details of LCT it also has a small section on both Farsley Omnibus and Kippax Motors.Both books do not come cheap at over £25 each but they really are a good read and worth every penny.Just hide how much you paid from your wife and you will be safe !! They may be in the Libary local history I suppose.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sat 17 May, 2008 3:07 pm

Terrym wrote: Hi,For those interested in Samuel Ledgard can I recommend a book called Beer And Blue Buses. This book is a full history of the whole Samuel Ledgard family and set up including operations after his death right up to the take over by West Yorkshire.It is worth every penny. "BEER AND BLUE BUSES" is written by a friend of mine and his painstaking research took many many years. He was a fitter at Armley Depot and I was a conductor and driver at Otley and Ilkley Depots. We are both life long enthusiats for the old firm which, despite not having expensive new vehicles ALL the time, maintained the buses in very good order and provided a top notch reliable service which is still sorely missed today. I helped my friend a lot during the preparation of the huge book, especially about traffic and operating matters, and a few of my own photos and a route map are in it. On the pictorial outer cover appears a picture of a very young conductor taken in 1957 - Me !! October 14th 2007 marked the fortieth anniversary of the end of the firm, and we had a massive running day with free services all over the area - there was tremendous support from the Public who loved it. I acted as a conductor all day in the Leeds, Otley, Ilkey and Yeadon and Guiseley areas wearing my original uniform hat and smock, and using one of the ticket machines which I actually worked with at Otley/Ilkley depots - the machines were taken over by West Yorkshire and eventually sold when outdated. A day of very mixed emotions - happy and enjoyable in many ways (picture attached) but, oh, how I wish I could go back to those great times - fancy being paid for enjoying yourself with great workmates and most appreciative passengers.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sat 17 May, 2008 3:09 pm

Terrym wrote: Hi,For those interested in Samuel Ledgard can I recommend a book called Beer And Blue Buses. This book is a full history of the whole Samuel Ledgard family and set up including operations after his death right up to the take over by West Yorkshire.It is worth every penny. "BEER AND BLUE BUSES" is written by a friend of mine and his painstaking research took many many years. He was a fitter at Armley Depot and I was a conductor and driver at Otley and Ilkley Depots. We are both life long enthusiats for the old firm which, despite not having expensive new vehicles ALL the time, maintained the buses in very good order and provided a top notch reliable service which is still sorely missed today. I helped my friend a lot during the preparation of the huge book, especially about traffic and operating matters, and a few of my own photos and a route map are in it. On the pictorial outer cover appears a picture of a very young conductor taken in 1957 - Me !! October 14th 2007 marked the fortieth anniversary of the end of the firm, and we had a massive running day with free services all over the area - there was tremendous support from the Public who loved it. I acted as a conductor all day in the Leeds, Otley, Ilkey and Yeadon and Guiseley areas wearing my original uniform hat and smock, and using one of the ticket machines which I actually worked with at Otley/Ilkley depots - the machines were taken over by West Yorkshire and eventually sold when outdated. A day of very mixed emotions - happy and enjoyable in many ways (picture attached) but, oh, how I wish I could go back to those great times - fancy being paid for enjoying yourself with great workmates and most appreciative passengers.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sat 17 May, 2008 3:13 pm

Terrym wrote: Hi,For those interested in Samuel Ledgard can I recommend a book called Beer And Blue Buses. This book is a full history of the whole Samuel Ledgard family and set up including operations after his death right up to the take over by West Yorkshire.It is worth every penny. "BEER AND BLUE BUSES" is written by a friend of mine and his painstaking research took many many years. He was a fitter at Armley Depot and I was a conductor and driver at Otley and Ilkley Depots. We are both life long enthusiats for the old firm which, despite not having expensive new vehicles ALL the time, maintained the buses in very good order and provided a top notch reliable service which is still sorely missed today. I helped my friend a lot during the preparation of the huge book, especially about traffic and operating matters, and a few of my own photos and a route map are in it. On the pictorial outer cover appears a picture of a very young conductor taken in 1957 - Me !! October 14th 2007 marked the fortieth anniversary of the end of the firm, and we had a massive running day with free services all over the area - there was tremendous support from the Public who loved it. I acted as a conductor all day in the Leeds, Otley, Ilkey and Yeadon and Guiseley areas wearing my original uniform hat and smock, and using one of the ticket machines which I actually worked with at Otley/Ilkley depots - the machines were taken over by West Yorkshire and eventually sold when outdated. A day of very mixed emotions - happy and enjoyable in many ways (picture attached) but, oh, how I wish I could go back to those great times - fancy being paid for enjoying yourself with great workmates and most appreciative passengers.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Wed 31 Dec, 2008 10:00 pm

Trojan wrote: The buses were AEC Regent, had central entrances, two sets of stairs and were normally red as opposed to the normal West Riding green. I believe they were replacements for West Riding trams that used to run into Leeds. Sorry to quote myself, but I've searched the internet high and low for a picture of one of these Roe bodies buses. I wondered if any of the bus fans on here had one? The mini bus station was where Autoglass now have (had?) their depot.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 31 Dec, 2008 10:33 pm

Fear not Trojan - plenty of pictures of the centre entrance Regents.I'll just try and put two por ones on for now, and dig out some of the many better ones soon - if the memory fails remind me please.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 31 Dec, 2008 10:35 pm

BLAKEY wrote: Fear not Trojan - plenty of pictures of the centre entrance Regents.I'll just try and put two por ones on for now, and dig out some of the many better ones soon - if the memory fails remind me please. Sorry - can't seem to attach pictures (could at one time) - will try again later

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 01 Jan, 2009 2:08 am

BLAKEY wrote: BLAKEY wrote: Fear not Trojan - plenty of pictures of the centre entrance Regents.I'll just try and put two por ones on for now, and dig out some of the many better ones soon - if the memory fails remind me please. Sorry - can't seem to attach pictures (could at one time) - will try again later Ta! Sorry to seem so obsesssed, but in my callow youth I used to support Wakefield Trinity and these buses were used to move the crowd from Belle Vue to Wakefield. Because of their central entrance and double staircase they were particularly suited to this duty. They also provided the no 10 Crigglestone-Leeds service.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 01 Jan, 2009 9:57 am

Trojan wrote: BLAKEY wrote: BLAKEY wrote: Fear not Trojan - plenty of pictures of the centre entrance Regents.I'll just try and put two por ones on for now, and dig out some of the many better ones soon - if the memory fails remind me please. Sorry - can't seem to attach pictures (could at one time) - will try again later Ta! Sorry to seem so obsesssed, but in my callow youth I used to support Wakefield Trinity and these buses were used to move the crowd from Belle Vue to Wakefield. Because of their central entrance and double staircase they were particularly suited to this duty. They also provided the no 10 Crigglestone-Leeds service. You're not obsessed at all Trojan There were several generations of these vehicles with West Riding and, in its separate days, Yorkshire Woollen. The first batches for both companies were Leylands, followed by the AECs in West Riding's case. West Riding in pasrticular was a very single minded company which was not afraid to "do its own thing" and their view was that it was worth sacrificing a few seats for the quick loading that the centre doorway and twin staircases provided - and they were right. Most of the type were red and were used on the "Track" (former tram) as the 10 route (110) is STILL known by the staff, and on the 18 to Rothwell. The 10 was and is Kettlethorpe (and Hall Green these days), not Crigglestone, to Leeds by the way but we'll let you off A small number of these vehicles were green and were used on other Wakefield local routes.Incidentally it was West Riding's courage in "going it alone" that sadly brought about their downfall and sale to National Bus Company. They entered into a design venture with Guy Motors to produce the revolutionary "Wulfrunian" front engined independent air suspension new model which, although well thought out , was rushed into service with insufficient funds and development. Major faults included tyre and brake wear, heavy steering and wiring disasters. West Riding bought 125 new and a handul of others from brave operators who got their fingers burnt and were glad to be shott of them. West Riding cancelled a further 25 which were on order. They were all withdrawn after a ridiculously short career, causing West Riding to have to purchase large numbers of conventional second hand buses from various operators.Tied up with "nationalisation pressure" and financial difficulties the Firm gave in to the NBC. Guy Motors were similarly put in peril by the Wulfrunian fiasco and failed after a long and creditable career as a highly respected manufacturer.Sadly perhaps the lasting memory of the Wulfrunian was a boom in the sales of travel sickness remedies - as many a "landlubber "passenger will remember.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 01 Jan, 2009 11:12 am

BLAKEY wrote: Incidentally it was West Riding's courage in "going it alone" that sadly brought about their downfall and sale to National Bus Company. They entered into a design venture with Guy Motors to produce the revolutionary "Wulfrunian" front engined independent air suspension new model which, although well thought out , was rushed into service with insufficient funds and development. Major faults included tyre and brake wear, heavy steering and wiring disasters. West Riding bought 125 new and a handul of others from brave operators who got their fingers burnt and were glad to be shott of them. West Riding cancelled a further 25 which were on order. They were all withdrawn after a ridiculously short career, causing West Riding to have to purchase large numbers of conventional second hand buses from various operators.Tied up with "nationalisation pressure" and financial difficulties the Firm gave in to the NBC. Guy Motors were similarly put in peril by the Wulfrunian fiasco and failed after a long and creditable career as a highly respected manufacturer.Sadly perhaps the lasting memory of the Wulfrunian was a boom in the sales of travel sickness remedies - as many a "landlubber "passenger will remember. I remember the Wulfrunians well, I used to travel from Morley to Gildersome where I worked most mornings on one. In the latter days, the front seats upstairs (I smoked in those days) were barred to passengers, presumably for some structural reason. I remember in the 1963 winter, one of them having its air suspension frozen - water in compressed air pipes is always a problem.The first indication I had that West Riding was in trouble was when I was waiting for a bus one Sunday to go into work in Gildersome when a Bristol Lodekka (?) of the type used by West Yorkshire showed up at the stop - but it was green and said Mansfield District on the side. I can only guess from what you've written and what I previously read on the West Riding site that they'd become part of NBC because they urgently needed to replace the Wulfrunians.The central entrance buses were mainly red as you say and ran on the no 10 Kettlethorpe - Leeds (I always get Kettlethorpe and Crigglestone mixed up) the Rothwell service and of course the no 20 Wakefield - Ossett. When I was a kid and used to travel to Hemsworth with my mam to visit my grandma I always wanted to go on one - it used to stand next to the platform where we caught the United Services (another Yorkshire bus name from the past) for Hemsworth - I think my fascination with them comes from this time. Incidentally some of the Wulfrunians were also painted red and worked the no 10 into Leeds.