Memories of school bus travel

[Journeyman]

I only briefly lived far enough away from school to need to use buses, for a year or so while I was in sixth form. Those buses were Westlink's Titans on route 131, Kingston to Wimbledon. It was bit of a novelty as south west London was otherwise a Metrobus stronghold, and those were the only Titans you'd see that side of Croydon, or further into Central London.

Did occasionally use the 213 for going to friends' houses and stuff, in the final few years it was operated by DMS buses. They always seemed a bit grim.

 

[Busaholic]

Going to school here in Leyland in the 1950's, where it seems many of your school buses were built, most of us went to school on our bikes, or walked it.

You were forbidden by my school to arrive there on a bike or even by car (except in extremis.) You were expected to travel by public transport or walk, though I remember no pupils who lived within reasonable walking distance. Admittedly, we were in an urban situation with two stations less than five minutes walk away, and had a bus terminus immediately opposite the school.

 

[Master Cutler]

It was the school bus drivers I recall who experienced the most stress when carrying school kids.
On double decker busses it was often considered a bit of a prank for older children on the upper deck to move simultaneously from side to side while the bus was travelling.
Unaware of how dangerous this was the kids thought it was great to get the bus to stop followe by a top deck visit by a furious driver.
Fortunately we were bussed to school on single deckers, but I remember the announcements by the head master during assembly threatening severe punishments to the culprits from the double deckers if the practice didn't stop immediately.

 

[asw22]

Between 1992 and 1999 I caught Keighley and district routes 662 to 668 to school.
The transition from Y, A, B and C reg Olympian ECW with smokers upstairs (although not allowed) and the occasional DNW...T reg National through to the early 662 Shuttle era with then brand new T reg Volvo B10s which seemed much more modern at the time.
Interestingly the T reg Volvo B10s were replaced just 6 years later (in 2005) with the current batch of Eclipses which have lasted 16 years so far. Indeed many of the T reg B10s were sold to Yorkshire Traction while the Olympians they replaced were around until around the early 2010s.

 

[david1212]

I travelled to secondary school for 7 years from mid-1970's. The route was shared with younger children to the Catholic primary school.

Three to two seats was permitted so the council only booked a 41 seat coach. Sometimes a 51 - 53 seat was provided depending on the company fleet allocation and other bookings for the same shift.

Initially either a Duple Super Vega, Bella Vega, Harrington Crusader on a Bedford SB or Duple Vega Major or Plaxton Panorama on a Bedford VAL. Working heating was a bonus never mind a radio. As the VAL's disappeared Duple Viceroys on a Ford chassis or Plaxton's on a Bedford chassis appeared while the SB's soldiered on other than the Super Vegas disappearing. Eventually a K-plate Duple Vega 31 appeared otherwise a 51-53 seat. The Duple Viceroys went too so mostly Plaxton. Occasionally an early Duple Dominant or Caetano Estoril / Moseley Continental. Towards the end of the summer term in later years a bus appeared too, the leather seats could be hot !!

Despite the normal coaches being at least 10 years old I only recall three breakdowns and all in the morning. Two punctures and once the engine cooling fan coming loose so either it or part of the fixing in contact with the radiator. Once the left section of the windscreen broken out, the days of toughened remember, and once a side window broken. Even in the worst of winter while late I only recall one no-show, the day of a mock A-level exam. A few times the second part of the route missed as the minor roads not passible to a coach due to two banks one up and one down.

The primary school were always at the front then oldest at the rear. The back seat was earned, I never progressed to that plus even the seats immediately in front were actually a rougher ride particularly on the minor roads section. I'm struggling to remember about smoking. At first an attendant was provided but eventually the council cut this out. After a parent did it voluntary for a while. My thinking is if an attendant any attempt was stopped but if driver only dependant if they became aware, less likely in summer if windows and roof vents opened, and which driver.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Used to do either Broughton or Woodplumpton to Preston and then to Kirkham Grammar School. Had both coaches and double decker buses. Sometimes got a corporation bus which had a hop on platform at the back. Great days.

 

[theblackwatch]

I went to primary school by bus between 1975 and 1982. It was provided by a local independent operator, Pynes, the firm later being taken over by Wrays who continued to operate the service from c1980. It was a private bus for us schoolkids. The firms also provided vehicles for our school trips, and I have a photo of me alighting from one of these - a couple of friends managed to narrow it down to one of around 3 Bedford vehicles. At some point I intend to obtain a Pynes fleetlist from that era via the PSV Circle library.

There were a couple of 'oddities' in the fleet. One was a rather short (smaller than I remember it!) Bedford VAL with a sliding door, EWT739C, which I used to refer, quite logically, as 'the slide door'. There's a pic of it at https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=119562 dated 1967, it was quite a stalwart as it remained with the company until around 1978. The other one I remember, which I can only recall appearing on our school run once (and it was on the return home after school), was a front door Lodekka, which had come from Bristol. Pynes replaced the green on its NBC colour scheme with purple, retaining the white stripe.

At one point, the school bus was nearly always late in the morning, so it was re-routed. In typical 'crank' style (even though I was only 10/11), on the last day of it taking the old route, I went to the first pick-up to travel it in full.

We had a few regular drivers. One of them was Pat, who would do slalom for us on the long straight road down to school. Not sure that would be acceptable nowadays (not sure it was then either!). Happy days.

I now live a 5 minute walk from what was the Pynes depot, and it is now a brewery. I called in a few weeks back and came home with a case of beer!

 

[david1212]

...
There were a couple of 'oddities' in the fleet. One was a rather short (smaller than I remember it!) Bedford VAL with a sliding door, EWT739C, which I used to refer, quite logically, as 'the slide door'. There's a pic of it at https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=119562 dated 1967, it was quite a stalwart as it remained with the company until around 1978 ...

That is not a VAL ( e.g. https://www.flickriver.com/photos/andysbusphotos/26230278269/#large ) which was 4 steering wheels at the front but a VAS.

 

[GusB]

That is not a VAL ( e.g. https://www.flickriver.com/photos/andysbusphotos/26230278269/#large ) which was 4 steering wheels at the front but a VAS.

To be fair, the caption in the photograph (which says it's a VAL) is incorrect. Don't shoot the messenger!

 

[LiviCrazy]

I never used school buses for travel to/from school. I was far too close for that. But I do have a distinct memory of a day trip.

It was in my sixth year and it was our “muck-up day”. To stop the traditional mess that’s made of the school, they shoved us on a bus up to Beecraigs Country Park.

Horsburgh provided a clapped out old Lothian Buses double decker complete with the weird door conversion and duct taped seats. The journey to Bathgate went smoothly, it wasn’t until the driver started trying to get us into one of the car parks that problems started. This ancient old bus did not like the tight, windy hills. With a bit of aggressive driving it was going okay until we rounded a corner and came to a particularly steep hill. The bus managed to get halfway up by momentum alone then stopped. With a loud echoing creak it slowly started resisting the brakes and heading back down the hill, much to the distress of the driver of the wee car behind. The bus then had to reverse its way back to one of the other car parks.

That was nearly 15 years ago, and the mad thing is I suspect Horsburgh are still running some of them for School Buses.

 

[theblackwatch]

That is not a VAL ( e.g. https://www.flickriver.com/photos/andysbusphotos/26230278269/#large ) which was 4 steering wheels at the front but a VAS.

I stand corrected. You may wish to get in touch with The Transport Library and advise them that their caption is incorrect.

 

[Geordie driver]

I never used school buses for travel to/from school. I was far too close for that. But I do have a distinct memory of a day trip.

it was in my sixth year and it was our “muck-up day”. To stop the traditional mess that’s made of the school, they shoved us on a bus up to Beecraigs Country Park.

Horsburgh provided a clapped out old Lothian Buses double decker complete with the weird door conversion and duct taped seats. The journey to Bathgate went smoothly, it wasn’t until the driver started trying to get us into one of the car parks that problems started. This ancient old bus did not like the tight, windy hills. With a bit of aggressive driving it was going okay until we rounded a corner and came to a particularly steep hill. The bus managed to get halfway up by momentum alone then stopped. With a loud echoing creek it slowly started resisting the brakes and heading back down the hill, much to the distress of the driver of the wee car behind. The bus then had to reverse its way back to one of the other car parks.

That was nearly 15 years ago, and the mad thing is I suspect Horsburgh are still running some of them for School Buses.

I have resisted posting in this thread as it is clearly meant for memories from your childhood, all my school bus memories are as a driver, 15 years I did, should have got a medal. Got a thousand ( dull) stories.

But your bit about not going up a hill reminded me, we had numerous services that went to a school In Winlaton, Gateshead, via Shibdon bank for those who know it. Many of our ancient ex Manchester Fleetlines or ex London MCWs would not go up this hill, you either had to get the kids to walk the steep bit or turn around and go ( off route) up Blaydon bank. When this happened I used to give the kids a " Had a problem" pre paid complaints form and tell the to complain, the company soon got rid of those.

 

[theblackwatch]

That is not a VAL ( e.g. https://www.flickriver.com/photos/andysbusphotos/26230278269/#large ) which was 4 steering wheels at the front but a VAS.

I stand corrected! Presumably L is for long and S for short? You may wish to get in touch with thetransportlibrary and advise them that their caption is incorrect.

 

[neilmc]

I had a triangular daily journey from home to school in Leeds.

Morning journey: Cross Gates to Whitkirk on Service 38 and walk along Selby Road. LCT Daimler small CVG6 or AEC Regent 5 for a couple of years, then OPO AEC Reliance.

Evening Journey: Whitkirk/Halton to grandparents in East End Park for tea. Either:

a) West Riding bus along Selby Road - Guy Arab or old Leyland PD2, occasional AEC Reliance on the Selby service or a hissing, bouncing Guy Wulfrunian
b) LCT Service 39/41 from Green Lane - usually small AEC Regent 5 again
c) LCT Service 14 from Halton - large or small LCT Daimler.

Late Evening journey from grandparents home to Cross Gates:

Service 4 Horsforth-Cross Gates, later 24/25. Variety of larger buses from Seacroft allocation, mostly AEC Regent 5s or Daimler CVGs from the 1962-1964 batches, the later ones with flourescent advertising panels being my favourites. Then the large exposed-radiator AECS 910 to 923 were transferred in. There were a few Fleetlines earmarked for service 11 to Gipton but very occasionally one would stray on to the Cross Gates service and that was a treat in 1964-66 after which they became too common.

The other bus we used was on games afternoon in the winter, the school sports field wasn't large enough for all the boys in the year to play at once so the duffers got transported on the offscourings of Torre Road to a farmer's field at Colton, where the cow pats hadn't been cleared from the previous occupants. You might not believe this now but in those days we clambered on to the bus, usually an old AEC Regent 3, covered in mud and cow **** to be taken back to school to shower - and presumably the filthy bus was then used in evening service!

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Down in Wiltshire, I went to George Ward in Melksham on a Frome Minibuses breadvan which was part of the town service. Now and again I got a First Badgerine Bath service I think it was that pulled into the school, usually a breadvan as well.

Then moved to Atworth and spent the last years going on the X72 with Alexander P's. School trips would be on MC Travel of Melksham. Other local field trips would be on the schools rusty LDV minibus, and some field trips were pulled because it wouldn't start!

Nowadays I'm driving the school runs, and completely different to the sheds that were regular on schools.

Lavington school on my run can get anything from this W reg manual Bova Futura:



to this 2018 touring spec Mercedes Tourismo


Even the Platinum Class Irizar i8 has been used but is preferred for Lavington other than Trowbridge school.

 

[Ken H]

I had a triangular daily journey from home to school in Leeds.

Morning journey: Cross Gates to Whitkirk on Service 38 and walk along Selby Road. LCT Daimler small CVG6 or AEC Regent 5 for a couple of years, then OPO AEC Reliance.

Evening Journey: Whitkirk/Halton to grandparents in East End Park for tea. Either:

a) West Riding bus along Selby Road - Guy Arab or old Leyland PD2, occasional AEC Reliance on the Selby service or a hissing, bouncing Guy Wulfrunian
b) LCT Service 39/41 from Green Lane - usually small AEC Regent 5 again
c) LCT Service 14 from Halton - large or small LCT Daimler.

Late Evening journey from grandparents home to Cross Gates:

Service 4 Horsforth-Cross Gates, later 24/25. Variety of larger buses from Seacroft allocation, mostly AEC Regent 5s or Daimler CVGs from the 1962-1964 batches, the later ones with flourescent advertising panels being my favourites. Then the large exposed-radiator AECS 910 to 923 were transferred in. There were a few Fleetlines earmarked for service 11 to Gipton but very occasionally one would stray on to the Cross Gates service and that was a treat in 1964-66 after which they became too common.

The other bus we used was on games afternoon in the winter, the school sports field wasn't large enough for all the boys in the year to play at once so the duffers got transported on the offscourings of Torre Road to a farmer's field at Colton, where the cow pats hadn't been cleared from the previous occupants. You might not believe this now but in those days we clambered on to the bus, usually an old AEC Regent 3, covered in mud and cow **** to be taken back to school to shower - and presumably the filthy bus was then used in evening service!

interesting you got a reliance on the 38. Thanks. These had Roe bodies and this one was introduced in 8/1964. Though they did 9 ring road and 73 Headingley - Greenthorpe.

 

[GusB]

Please make sure any images posted have captions to describe them. If the images are your own, please indicate this (eg "photo is my own") and if they're not your own work you should have permission to post it and credit the photographer in your post.

 

[neilmc]

interesting you got a reliance on the 38. Thanks. These had Roe bodies and this one was introduced in 8/1964. Though they did 9 ring road and 73 Headingley - Greenthorpe.

View attachment 96253

Yep, thy'ere the ones. From Torre Road at the time, and shared between the 22 and the 38. Only for a short time, I believe they were sold early when the large AEC SWifts came online.

 

[Richard Scott]

Had a well presented DMS THM 548M, if I remember correctly run by Castleways of Winchcombe. If it was off the road a single deck coach would turn up resulting in mass overcrowding. In latter years Swanbrook had the contract with a mixture of oddly painted double deckers, possibly Atlanteans but don't remember registrations of them. I now see a Bristol VR, think it's XJJ655V, almost every day on a school contract. Is this the oldest school bus in UK and likely last VR left in regular use?

 

[TUC]

There were three buses used for our school service. The third was always the then very new Leyland National, complete with very visible bolts. I was fascinated by it, and often hung back to catch that one, sometimes to the chagrin of drivers who seemed to oddly not appreciate just why someone might want to catch such an unusual looking bus.

 

[Ken H]

Found this link on a Leeds facebook group today
Its an account of travel on Leeds buses in 60's -70's
It corresponds to my memories, that I wrote about above.
Author says OK to post here

‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – The Last Bus Home. Using Public Transport to Get Around Leeds in the 1960s and 1970s.

I started to go on buses from the age of four with my brother who was four years older than me. We used to go from Arlington Road junction with Easterly Road down to Harehills and there we would ca…

davidmcameronauthormusician.com

 

[peters]

Usually a coach but occasionally old double decker buses, especially in the summer when the coach hire company were running more coach trips. The coaches could be a mix of old ones the company would only use on schools work and more modern ones which would get used on private hire work as well. The buses were ones withdrawn from regular service and had been given the coach hire company's livery but internally they remained in the same condition as when they were with another operator running normal services, including outdated passenger notices and adverts.

 

[ScotsRail]

Lived that far out in the Scottish wilderness that we and the family on the farm next door used to get a council ordered Taxi to school every morning.

At the time anyone who lived more than 2 miles away from the school was entitled to free transport to and from school and we didnt have a bus route running anywhere near us so a taxi it was.

 

[nw1]

Never went to school on a bus (primary school was walking distance, and secondary school was too far away, so I went by train - FWIW, a CIG or VEP with very occasional HAP) but had I gone to the more local school there seemed to be a choice of either a VR on a service bus or a dedicated school bus with an ancient double decker run by a local private coach company which always annoyed the commuters driving to the nearby rail station as it went at a snail's place up the local hill.

In latter school years (15+, I think) I used to use the bus on the way home though for the last part of the journey (i.e. rail station to home). This was always a Leyland National on a service bus and was beyond the local school peak (1700 or so) so was never overcrowded.

 

[adc82140]

I travelled on a succession of Owen's of Yateley Plaxton Supremes in the 80s. We were latterly treated to a couple of D reg Plaxton Paramounts. Among the drivers I remember Mick, Les, and Mr Fullbrook (I think he was Les as well) with Charlie Owen doing the honours if they were short.

 

[L401CJF]

During My time between 2006-2011 we had a fair few oddities. Operated by Helms of Eastham (John Cherry-who is an enthusiast), the regulars were ex London NVs (N421/22 JBV), in the earlier years we would have some Leylands too, F442 AKB, G864 XDX and occasionally an old ECW bodied. He acquired 2 ex Dublin Leylans Olympians , one of which the last one built and is now preserved back in Ireland. As the Leylands departed our regular became ex Metroline AV13 P493 MBY. A few years later he sold it and bought 2 ex Dublin Volvo Olympians. He had a horrendous looking ex Nottingham Leyland Lion (?) which didn't frequent my route often, it was usually on a different one driven by John Nolan of the 201 bus group. Ex Chester olympian B201EFM was used occasionally along with ex Metroline Palatine V2 L202 SKD.

We did have the perks of one offs which he didn't have long, including an ex Merseyside Transport Volvo Ailsa which he acquired from Cardiff I think? Along with the occasional Palatine bodied Dennis Arrow or the one of a kind Double decker dennis lance.

Around 2010 I ditched the Helms service due to overcrowding and switched to Arriva public buses, mainly to clock up some miles on the Birkenhead based cross river olympians which were due to retire. Plus when the school bus was £15 per week yet an Arriva North West weekly was only £7 at the time and I could then venture out on weekends too it was a win for mum and a win for me!

In the later years and my time at 6th form until 2013 he used ex London tridents.

 

[Grumpy Git]

A "E Webster & Sons" Bedford SB coach was my regular school transport in the early 70's. For my two elder brothers it was a Bedford OB!

Sometimes we also got a much more modern "Chinese six" Bedford VAL (the one with two steering axles at the front). Later our (dedicated school) service was run by Glovers, but I can't recollect what type they used, maybe a Bedford YMT?

Here is a photograph of the actual Websters OB:
https://thebusgallery.co.uk/derbyshireindependents/h7AF725DD#h73f55314

 

[busken]

I seem to remember that the school bus was late so often that one of the teachers who also used it would take the register during the journey so that we could go straight to lessons and not have to go to the office to register first!!