Trivia: Named Buses.

[NorthernSpirit]

No idea if its still done but SYPTE use to name their Rural Links fleet into named of local people, animals and landmarks.

Which meant at one point you had Richard Rolle of Hampole, Tickhill Castle, Vulcan, Nijinksky, Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, Sheffield Castle, Mi Amigo, Hartcliffe Tower, Lizzie Ward, Clock Tower, Ebenezer Elliott, The River Don, The River Sheaf, The River Loxley (there were two other local river named ones and I can't remember them), Samuel Fox, Serre, Stephenson Fountain, The Clayminer, The Little Mesters and Thomas Jessop are the ones that I recall.

Sadly Richard Rolle of Hampole, Nijinksky and Hartcliffe Tower vehicles were denamed.

 

[AJM580]

Sanders Coaches in Norfolk have several named vehicles as do the ex-Norfolk Green buses now run by Stagecoach

 

[SCH117X]

Transdev Harrogate are to name a 36 Riding Redefined vehicle after Ripon Gold medal winning Olympian Jack Laugher.

 

[BestWestern]

Back in pre-First days, Southampton Citybus used to name some or all of their vehicles. I forget the full details, but I'm fairly sure that famous ships figured somewhere amongst things.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

EYMS have a double decker painted up as a WW1 tribute bus - the nice thing is that the livery is modified every time an important battle comes along

 

[deltic1989]

NCT have some vehicles named.

Gotham Garage, have started naming buses after notable people in the Clifton area (Though judging by some of the names that have cropped up, it doesn't take much for NCT to class you as notable. )

Ones I can remember are:

Keiron Hill - L Cpl Keron Hill killed in Afganistan
Josh Hill - His Brother an active fundraiser
Micheal Choudrey - AKA Irish Mike, been removing litter from the estate for years.

Others I don't know the reason for.

Wayne Kidger
Maria Watson
Keith Elliot
Barbra Green

 

[Andyh82]

A fair few (all?) of First's hybrids in Leeds are named - not sure of the full list of names though, sorry. I think some that don't have names might have been having them added as they're being repainted at the moment.

No only a few, which were named way back in 2010 and then they never completed the idea (very unlike FirstGroup!)

One of them was named after someone who was at the time a Leeds legend but it was removed after they'd spelt the surname wrong. Thankfully it never gained a replacement version.

Arriva Yorkshire 268 buses used to be named after Mr Men, but this was discontinued when it converted into a MAX route.

 

[SCH117X]

Another Olympic naming - Transdev Burnley this time with one of the Witch Way vehicles to be named Steven Burke http://www.lancashirebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=1734

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Brighton and Hove?! every single one of their buses is named!

http://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/busnamesintro.htm

Do they transfer the names from obsolete and withdrawn vehicles to new ones ?

Some of the names links with Brighton are a bit tenuous.

 

[Hophead]

http://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/busnamesintro.htm

Do they transfer the names from obsolete and withdrawn vehicles to new ones ?

Some of the names links with Brighton are a bit tenuous.

They do indeed - if you click through, you will find that there have been transfers (as well as livery changes).

It's notable that the new StreeetDecks have yet to get christened (the company made a bit of a fuss about the Coaster buses last year).

The names are linked to the operating area, rather than Brighton itself.

Current fleet list, for a list of currently carried names.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

2 of the Solos used on the Huddersfield Free Town Bus are named Pinky and Perky. I think this is a legacy from before K-Line was bought by what is now Yorkshire Tiger. Honley depot also personalised a few of their solos, with pictures of cartoon/comic characters by the doors. There was a Roadrunner, a Daffy Duck and a Batman. I have no idea if they had permission to use said characters!

 

[DunsBus]

Preserved former Nottingham City Transport Atlantean 666 is named Andrew Pickering, after a local youngster who succumbed to a fatal condition in 1994. 666 was his favourite bus and NCT recognised this by naming it after him when it was refurbished in 1995; it also took part in his funeral procession.

 

[SCH117X]

On odd names Transdev Solo 1254 (now withdrawn) when at Harrogate was named Cupcake - you can make out the name below the front nearside window in this photo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jep2510/10082818754

 

[SCH117X]

Transdev Harrogate have named Riding Redefined branded Gemini 3 3616 "Jack Laugher"

Transdev news article


Photo found on Flickr

 

[83G/84D]

First Kernow relatively recently named an open top Olympian after Olympic star Helen Glover, it was subsequently withdrawn at the end of the summer season.

Nice gesture whilst it lasted!

 

[341o2]

Southern Vectis cdl899 is known as The Old Girl and bears the name on her bonnet

 

[SCH117X]

Transdev have named Harrogate based 'Riding Refined' route 36 Gemini 3615 Peter Melville-Smith. Peter was best known as the duty inspector at Harrogate Bus Station and sadly passed away just before Christmas. My last encounter with him was him trying to persuade, without success, a Connexions driver not to abandon their vehicle on the wrong stand.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm waiting for a gas bus to be named 'Jumping Jack Flash'.

 

[Liam]

The coaches and buses of Telford's (of Newcastleton) are all named Border something. E.g. Border Warden, Border Flyer, Border Settler etc.

 

[theblackwatch]

Transdev Harrogate has named one of its Riding Redefined '36' route buses (3615) 'PETER MELVILLE-SMITH' after a popular member of staff who passed away suddenly just before Christmas. The bus followed the funeral cortege through Harrogate bus station earlier today, bearing the words 'Thank you Peter' on its destination display. The video I've seen of it was rather moving.