Old Routes & Operators In Lanarkshire

[DC21]

To talk about old routes no longer running by operators that dont exist anyway more. Would some old routes be more viable then current under the circumstances, what routes would you like to return?
For example -

Hutchison of Overtown - Service 8 Motherwell-Muirhouse-Wishaw Hosp-Wishaw-Pather.
Mckindless - Service 9 - Hamilton-Motherwell-Craignuek-Wishaw-Coltness-Cleland.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

I remember McKenna of Uddingston who ran some right oddities from Lanarkshire to Glasgow in competition with Central then Kelvin Central in the late 80s and early 90s. They have long since bit the dust.

McKenna, Uddingtson - HSC165X

A former Lothian Leyland Cub with narrow Duple Dominant Bus body seen in Osborne Street, Glasgow. McKenna painted a few vehicles into this livery prior to selling out to Kelvin Central during their spree of mopping up independent operators.

www.flickr.com

Credit to the photographer

 

[DC21]

I remember McKenna of Uddingston who ran some right oddities from Lanarkshire to Glasgow in competition with Central then Kelvin Central in the late 80s and early 90s. They have long since bit the dust.

McKenna, Uddingtson - HSC165X

A former Lothian Leyland Cub with narrow Duple Dominant Bus body seen in Osborne Street, Glasgow. McKenna painted a few vehicles into this livery prior to selling out to Kelvin Central during their spree of mopping up independent operators.

www.flickr.com

Credit to the photographer

Never heard of McKenna. Sounds like they had the same competition that First and Coakley had

 

[route101]

There was a Falkirk to Hamilton route i was reading about.

McKindless had a Lanark to East Kilbride route.

 

[Robert cusick]

Central SMT had several routes from Airdrie to Hamilton and beyond via Holytown and Calderbank namely the 11/12/13 to Strathaven (later to become the 213 to Hamilton) I know that JMB presently run an evening an Sunday SPT service from Airdrie to Motherwell
They also had the 43 and 44 from Wishaw to Glasgow via Newarthill ,New Stevenston and Bellshill (the 43 going via Clydesdale Road in Mossend and the 44 via Holytown)

 

[Bus Lightyear]

There was a Falkirk to Hamilton route i was reading about.

McKindless had a Lanark to East Kilbride route.

Don't know about Hamilton but there was a Airdrie to Falkirk route many years ago possibly done by Midland.

There was also Baxters, a relatively large independent operator in Airdrie and Coatbridge who ran a fleet of Bristol halfcab double deckers. They were taken over by Eastern SMT in the 70s.

 

[smtglasgow]

I think the Hamilton to Falkirk bus was Coakley – incredibly, they won some SPT tenders sometime in the late 90s. Less incredibly, they had them taken away within months. Remember reading about it at the time. I think the Hamilton-Falkirk was several tenders joined together.

 

[DC21]

Am I right in thinking first had a Peebles to Glasgow service? If so does anyone have a route description, pictures, timetable etc? I also seem to recall Blue Bus of Shotts planning a service to St Andrews don't think it started though

There was a Falkirk to Hamilton route i was reading about.

McKindless had a Lanark to East Kilbride route.

The X31 was the mckindless service I'm sure

 

[route101]

Am I right in thinking first had a Peebles to Glasgow service? If so does anyone have a route description, pictures, timetable etc? I also seem to recall Blue Bus of Shotts planning a service to St Andrews don't think it started though


The X31 was the mckindless service I'm sure

242 to Peebles?

 

[DC21]

242 to Peebles?

Yeah sure it ran early 2000s Sunday only I'm sure

 

[Stan_Butler]

X21 was the mckindless Lanark to East Kilbride Service. The Falkirk Service was part of the coakley 201 service so actually was east Kilbride to Falkirk. Most journeys ran East Kilbride to Airdrie but some extended to Falkirk as part of a tender. The Peebles Service was x240 (or 240x) and was by first and was Sunday’s only.

Another interesting operator was Wilson’s who’s routes included 17 Hamilton - Clyde Valley - Lanark and 217 Hamilton - Wishaw- Lanark.

 

[DC21]

McNairns 9 was an interesting service, North Motherwell-Motherwell-Craignuek-Wishaw-Cleland with some extensions from Cleland to Coatbridge. Then in Airdrie there was the arriva express to Glasgow for the commuter's. I wondered if McGills would register a service from their Nouth Lanarkshire operations to link into glasgow and beyond. I'd imagine that would be a non starter with the trains and first pulling the 2

 

[lastbus]

242 to Peebles?

Was it not a 240X? It was run out of Parkhead depot. It was Sunday only I think.

 

[route101]

X21 was the mckindless Lanark to East Kilbride Service. The Falkirk Service was part of the coakley 201 service so actually was east Kilbride to Falkirk. Most journeys ran East Kilbride to Airdrie but some extended to Falkirk as part of a tender. The Peebles Service was x240 (or 240x) and was by first and was Sunday’s only.

Another interesting operator was Wilson’s who’s routes included 17 Hamilton - Clyde Valley - Lanark and 217 Hamilton - Wishaw- Lanark.

Do you recall the route of the X21? I remember it terminating at the Tax Office in East Kilbride.

East Kilbride to Falkirk - jings, must have taken a while.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Don't know about Hamilton but there was a Airdrie to Falkirk route many years ago possibly done by Midland.

There was also Baxters, a relatively large independent operator in Airdrie and Coatbridge who ran a fleet of Bristol halfcab double deckers. They were taken over by Eastern SMT in the 70s.

Baxters was actually purchased in 1962 by Eastern but retained it's identity until c.1977 when the SBG Saltaire identity was brought in and the depot closed with the operations folded into Clarkston.

 

[DC21]

Was it not a 240X? It was run out of Parkhead depot. It was Sunday only I think.

Do you have any idea of the times

 

[Stan_Butler]

Nah, I don’t remember the route sorry, I did think it was Hairmires that it terminated at in East Kilbride though.

 

[AlexanderPS]

Then in Airdrie there was the arriva express to Glasgow for the commuter's. I wondered if McGills would register a service from their Nouth Lanarkshire operations to link into glasgow and beyond.

Would have been handy for them to do this when they first took over in the monklands.

 

[route101]

Do you have any idea of the times

Would of been a long run. The area beyond Lanark to Peebles is sparse with services, like a barrier between east and west.

 

[DC21]

Would have been handy for them to do this when they first took over in the monklands.

didnt first have 'mini' networks in coatbridge and hamilton around 2005? i know in motherwell after the hutchison takover they had 3 different services on the route which is now the 244. Had a Motherwell TC -Forgewood, Motherwell TC - Milton Street, And Motherwell TC- North Lodge. I think they were numbered 244,245, and 246

 

[AlexanderPS]

didnt first have 'mini' networks in coatbridge and hamilton around 2005? i know in motherwell after the hutchison takover they had 3 different services on the route which is now the 244. Had a Motherwell TC -Forgewood, Motherwell TC - Milton Street, And Motherwell TC- North Lodge. I think they were numbered 244,245, and 246

Not sure about 2005 but in 2013 the stepped in for coatbridge locals when Stepend Coaches ceased trading.

 

[delt1c]

Don't know about Hamilton but there was a Airdrie to Falkirk route many years ago possibly done by Midland.

There was also Baxters, a relatively large independent operator in Airdrie and Coatbridge who ran a fleet of Bristol halfcab double deckers. They were taken over by Eastern SMT in the 70s.

They were actually taken over on 01/12/62 by SMT , initially the vehicles were repainted into a version of SMT green . However after protests from the public the Baxters livery and fleetname returned

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Do you have any idea of the times

I got it once on a Sunday afternoon (Which I think was 1 of 3 runs each Sunday during the summer), I boarded it outside the old Tesco at Wishaw, was the only passenger all the way to Peebles and the only passenger all the way back to Wishaw. If I recall correctly it was run by a red Greater Glasgow branded PS. Route was express from Buchanan to Motherwell via M74, Wishaw, Carluke, Lanark, Symington, Biggar, Skirling then A72 to Peebles. Bus had a fairly lengthy layover at Peebles before returning, not sure if he went to the former First Edinburgh depot or just sat somewhere. I’m sure the return fare was something like £12. Not enough to even cover the drivers (Sunday shift) wages considering I was the only punter.

It was heavily advertised however. I remember seeing plenty of posters advertising it on the 240/255s I took to College which was how I found out about it. Wasn’t shocked when it didn’t return the following summer.

I don’t have details of the timings, but it was a brisk run. Driver was a big fan of the racing line and even overtook a few vehicles on the wider open parts of the road. Quite possibly the fastest and most dynamic run a FGG PS ever got. Makes a big change from weaving the 240 around Viewpark.

 

[Stan_Butler]

Wouldn’t have been Greater Glasgow, it was First Glasgow by the time route to Peebles started. Also, it was First Glasgow who started running the 240 round Viewpark, before then, in Greater Glasgow / Kelvin days it was the 61.

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Wouldn’t have been Greater Glasgow, it was First Glasgow by the time route to Peebles started. Also, it was First Glasgow who started running the 240 round Viewpark, before then, in Greater Glasgow / Kelvin days it was the 61.

The writing may have been altered to remove the “Greater” part, but it was definitely a red PS, that I can absolutely state. Because I had hoped for a Leyland.

 

[Robert cusick]

The writing may have been altered to remove the “Greater” part, but it was definitely a red PS, that I can absolutely state. Because I had hoped for a Leyland.

It was probably Cental Scottish from the old Motherwell Traction House

 

[route101]

I got it once on a Sunday afternoon (Which I think was 1 of 3 runs each Sunday during the summer), I boarded it outside the old Tesco at Wishaw, was the only passenger all the way to Peebles and the only passenger all the way back to Wishaw. If I recall correctly it was run by a red Greater Glasgow branded PS. Route was express from Buchanan to Motherwell via M74, Wishaw, Carluke, Lanark, Symington, Biggar, Skirling then A72 to Peebles. Bus had a fairly lengthy layover at Peebles before returning, not sure if he went to the former First Edinburgh depot or just sat somewhere. I’m sure the return fare was something like £12. Not enough to even cover the drivers (Sunday shift) wages considering I was the only punter.

It was heavily advertised however. I remember seeing plenty of posters advertising it on the 240/255s I took to College which was how I found out about it. Wasn’t shocked when it didn’t return the following summer.

I don’t have details of the timings, but it was a brisk run. Driver was a big fan of the racing line and even overtook a few vehicles on the wider open parts of the road. Quite possibly the fastest and most dynamic run a FGG PS ever got. Makes a big change from weaving the 240 around Viewpark.

Id thought there would be a market for OAP daytrips to Peebles.

 

[lastbus]

I got it once on a Sunday afternoon (Which I think was 1 of 3 runs each Sunday during the summer), I boarded it outside the old Tesco at Wishaw, was the only passenger all the way to Peebles and the only passenger all the way back to Wishaw. If I recall correctly it was run by a red Greater Glasgow branded PS. Route was express from Buchanan to Motherwell via M74, Wishaw, Carluke, Lanark, Symington, Biggar, Skirling then A72 to Peebles. Bus had a fairly lengthy layover at Peebles before returning, not sure if he went to the former First Edinburgh depot or just sat somewhere. I’m sure the return fare was something like £12. Not enough to even cover the drivers (Sunday shift) wages considering I was the only punter.

It was heavily advertised however. I remember seeing plenty of posters advertising it on the 240/255s I took to College which was how I found out about it. Wasn’t shocked when it didn’t return the following summer.

I don’t have details of the timings, but it was a brisk run. Driver was a big fan of the racing line and even overtook a few vehicles on the wider open parts of the road. Quite possibly the fastest and most dynamic run a FGG PS ever got. Makes a big change from weaving the 240 around Viewpark.

Yes it would’ve been a Glasgow bus as has been said previously this service was run from Parkhead depot.

 

[tbtc]

Id thought there would be a market for OAP daytrips to Peebles.

Yeah, it's odd how that works - you can use OAPs to sustain a fairly frequent Glasgow - Largs service and even an hourly Glasgow - Dunoon service - Fishers seem to have found a real niche in the market around Dundee for the "day tripper" kind of market. But other destinations have been tried and failed.

Nice to be reminded of the days when First were trying new things for the Glasgow operations, attempting to attract different passengers, expanding... rather than the "Death of a thousand cuts" (shaving one bus per hour off frequencies, then shaving another bus per hour a couple of years later... ) - seems a different era!

 

[route101]

Yeah, it's odd how that works - you can use OAPs to sustain a fairly frequent Glasgow - Largs service and even an hourly Glasgow - Dunoon service - Fishers seem to have found a real niche in the market around Dundee for the "day tripper" kind of market. But other destinations have been tried and failed.

Nice to be reminded of the days when First were trying new things for the Glasgow operations, attempting to attract different passengers, expanding... rather than the "Death of a thousand cuts" (shaving one bus per hour off frequencies, then shaving another bus per hour a couple of years later... ) - seems a different era!

Did notice in July , a lot of westy accents in Peebles. So the markets there.

The Glasgow area of late, not seen many new routes at all.