Yorkshire Traction

[Crossover]

Well, here is probably a blast from the past for a few people!

For quite a while, "Tracky" were one of the main bus companies in West/South Yorkshire and I had the fortune (or should that be misfortune?) of using their services to get to school (in West Yorkshire, on my route, they only ran a handful of services, interspersed with Arriva services)

The first buses I remember were these
http://www.barnsley.towntalk.co.uk/news/d/445/yorkshire-traction-sold/

But I have no idea what they are/were - I do recall J/K/L regs, but not much else. One of those type was also one of only two buses to break down on me (oil pressure issues leading to a morse code type sound) - the other being an Arriva ALX400.

I do remember them having Leyland Olympians as well

The other type that I remember using, and I think which are the only ones still in service (with the Huddersfield Bus Company) are:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6228_leeds/6737573383/

Again, I have no idea about the technical details, but I remember them having very slow to open passenger doors, and said doors were very narrow! For Tracky, they were luxury though, and seemed to be the newest thing on the fleet by a fair few years!

 

[martinsh]

The J/K/L buses you mention were Wright bodied Scanias (there were also some H reg ones as well).

Yorkshire Traction has always had some odd vehicles. There were two Spartans and the Kirn Mogul. Also one of few ex NBC operators to run Metrobuses.

The earliest Trakky buses I remeber are ex Merborough & Swinton 1960 Leyland Atlanteans.

 

[mbonwick]

The Wright vehicle linked to is a Wright Endeavour on Scania K93 chassis.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Of the 2 buses in your linked photos, the second one does indeed still has several examples running for the Huddersfield successors to Tracky (as the photo suggests), and the first example still had one running for 'Huddersfield Bus Company' until about 2 years ago when it crashed on Far Dene, Highburton due to a brake failure! This vehicle was also the last step-entrance single decker based at Waterloo and the last to carry YT livery (though it did get a Centrebus repaint before it's demise). Even now, Waterloo has quite a ragtag fleet of mismatched buses!

 

[455driver]

I used to be a driver for Tracky at Shafton depot, I can remember the Metroriders coming into service, they were seriously fast buses (535 was the best); pity about the (drum front) brakes though, they were all changed for discs eventually!

I was on £2.66 an hour back then!

 

[trentside]

I never used Yorkshire Traction, but I will always remember their (far superior) sister company Lincolnshire RoadCar. Especially in the last few years of independence RoadCar's vehicles were always in great condition, they may have been elderly, but they felt and usually looked well maintained. Always an interesting fleet too!

Sadly, I've lost all of my RoadCar pictures - but if you search 'RoadCar' on Flickr you'll see some of their interesting vehicles!

 

[455driver]

I always remember the open toppers that Road car ran, all very very old (over 20 years old) except for one virtually brand new Bristol VR, the reason it was there was because it had gone under a low bridge (in Barnsley?) and smashed the roof in so they decided to rebuild it as an open topper and send it to Scarborough.

Most people dont realise that Tracky had 2 different heights of VR, 13ft8in and 13ft5in, you could see which were which because the 13ft8in ones had a narrow white stripe over the top of the windscreens but the 13ft5in ones didnt have it as all the reduction in height was between the decks.

The damaged one was a 13ft8in one and it went on a 13ft5in route hence the damaged roof.

 

[Welshman]

This thread on "Tracky" brings back memories.
In the late 1970's, I worked in Chesterfield and visited my parents regularly in Halifax.
So I used the Service 512 Chesterfield-Sheffield Limited Stop, and then the X68 Sheffield-Halifax service.
That was shared by South Yorkshire Transport, Halifax Passenger Transport and Yorkshire Traction, and the limited-stop service took just over 1.5 hours.

At that time, "Tracky" used DP Leylands - comfortable seating, but very low-powered engines, as I remember. Then they went to the other extreme with very fast Leyland Nationals, but extremely spartan interiors and seating that I wouldn't even have wanted to use for 5 minutes while waiting at a bus-stop!

Memories!

 

[northwichcat]

I was on £2.66 an hour back then!

And how much did the passengers pay? 2p single?

 

[455driver]

Does anyone remember the Leyland Nationals that Tracky used as tow buses?
They had a strengthened rear chassis with a hook up point and were used to tow broken down buses, I remember seeing one towing a Leyland Olympian, quite a sight.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And how much did the passengers pay? 2p single?

Cant remember, it wasnt much though.

 

[northwichcat]

There were two Spartans

The livery seemed strange. A Yorkshire name promoting Lancashire bodywork and that a part was made in America: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62892411@N05/6117873392/in/faves-73079833@N02/lightbox/

 

[overthewater]

I never used Yorkshire Traction, but I will always remember their (far superior) sister company Lincolnshire RoadCar. Especially in the last few years of independence RoadCar's vehicles were always in great condition, they may have been elderly, but they felt and usually looked well maintained. Always an interesting fleet too!

Superior?.... Roadcar? There dont not help themselves and there really did leave the network to rot.