Bristol Omnibus, City Line & Badgerline discussion

[Class 33]

Yes been in the M Shed a few times and hopped aboard the Lodekka there. I've allways taken a seat on the upstairs or downstairs deck for about 5 minutes, and nostalgically think back to the good ol' days when I regularly had journeys on these on normal Bristol city services. I do like the audio clips they've got on that Lodekka in the M Shed. Someone has filmed a clip of it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWyiDy_UBW4

Good to get some rides on these Lodekka's again at Bus Rally/Running Days over the past 5 years though. Here is a journey I filmed of a journey back in 2011. A journey from Bristol Harbourside-White Tree Roundabout. Recreating part of the old 27/28/29 Withywood-Avounmouth services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hi1znVZoo8


Another good Lodekka journey here within Bristol. This one filmed by someone else. A journey from the A4 Keynsham Bypass-A38 Bridgwater Road(just past The Pavillions/Computershare) via Brislington, Hartcliffe, and Bishopsworth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N23Cqf9Pok

Oh and on the subject of bus journeys within Bristol video clips, I may as well plug some more of my own, all filmed during the Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally back in May 2011.....

A journey aboard a Bristol VR from Lewins Mead-Filton Royal Mail. Recreating part of the old 74 service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhUcgx02t3s

A journey aboard a Bristol RE from Bond Street-Stockwood. Recreating part of the old 33 Centre-Stockwood service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECwFh6orTvk
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---




Correction to my posting about that Lodekka pictured at the Polytechnic. As well as it possibly being a service 70, it could also have been a 98 or 99 too. Interesting that that Lodekka was operating services 1,2, and either the 70, 98, or 99 on the same day.

Bristol Polytechnic was at this site from the early 1970's. In 1992 it gained university status, and became the University of the West of England(UWE for short).

This is what the area looked back in 1970 when it was all fields! https://www.flickr.com/photos/50256734@N05/5352180969/

Services 98 and 99 back in 1993. Not sure of the exact routes they took at that time. But the BVBG website lists them as 98 Centre - Clifton - Redland - Lockleaze - UWE, and 99 Centre - Clifton - Redland - Filton Ave - UWE. These two services started way back in 1975 as Centre-Polytechnic services. With some changes to the routes over the years. Both services were axed though around 2005.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Had a look and liked the RE on the Stockwood recreation. Thanks for posting! Love the sound and sight of an RE, although my youth was on Gardner not Leyland engined examples! Also, good to see in areas I know well!

That said, lovely as it all is, I don't think the passenger of today would like it and would prefer the e400mmc, I suspect.

 

[carlberry]

Correction to my posting about that Lodekka pictured at the Polytechnic. As well as it possibly being a service 70, it could also have been a 98 or 99 too. Interesting that that Lodekka was operating services 1,2, and either the 70, 98, or 99 on the same day.

Bristol Polytechnic was at this site from the early 1970's. In 1992 it gained university status, and became the University of the West of England(UWE for short).

7262 outlived its fellow FLFs by several years however it was the only vehicle that needed a conductor so was used on a selection of peak hour only rotas which tend to provide journeys on a whole host of services. My main memory of it during this time was when it covered one of the evening route 7 journeys for many months.

Just after UWE opened it insisted that the University part of its name wasn’t abbreviated (as, of course, it didn’t want to be thought of as anything as lowly as a Polytechnic anymore!) however this caused lots of people to abbreviate its name to the University of W.O.E. It soon changed its mind!

 

[Class 33]

7262 outlived its fellow FLFs by several years however it was the only vehicle that needed a conductor so was used on a selection of peak hour only rotas which tend to provide journeys on a whole host of services. My main memory of it during this time was when it covered one of the evening route 7 journeys for many months.

Yes. I thought it had been brought back into service for some reason a few years after it and all the other FLF's had been withdrawn from Bristol services bac in 1985. But you're right in that they apparantly kept this one in service for several years after all the other were withdrawn from service.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reynardbizzar/2197559509/
As you say it worked service 7 too. Here it is in Colston Street on March 12th 1986 about to work a 7 to Staple Hill. A Bristol VR behind on a 28 to Withywood.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/3266326557/
And here it is again in Penn Street, Broadmead working a 78 to Hartcliffe. This would be sometime during the mid 1980's by the look of that photo.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes. I thought it had been brought back into service for some reason a few years after it and all the other FLF's had been withdrawn from Bristol services bac in 1985. But you're right in that they apparantly kept this one in service for several years after all the other were withdrawn from service.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reynardbizzar/2197559509/
As you say it worked service 7 too. Here it is in Colston Street on March 12th 1986 about to work a 7 to Staple Hill. A Bristol VR behind on a 28 to Withywood.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/3266326557/
And here it is again in Penn Street, Broadmead working a 78 to Hartcliffe. This would be sometime during the mid 1980's by the look of that photo.

As I said before, this probably helps

http://bcv.robsly.com/gae883d.html

It was essentially a heritage vehicle that had to earn its keep. Rather like L638SEU is now doing in Cornwall

 

[Class 33]

As I said before, this probably helps

http://bcv.robsly.com/gae883d.html

It was essentially a heritage vehicle that had to earn its keep. Rather like L638SEU is now doing in Cornwall

Cheers. Yes I didn't originally read that bit where it says it was kept in service after all the others were withdrawn from service.

Had a look and liked the RE on the Stockwood recreation. Thanks for posting! Love the sound and sight of an RE, although my youth was on Gardner not Leyland engined examples! Also, good to see in areas I know well!

That said, lovely as it all is, I don't think the passenger of today would like it and would prefer the e400mmc, I suspect.

Cheers. Glad you enjoyed my RE to Stockwood video.

Yes, the RE's were great. Much much missed buses. I wish had made more use of them in their final years on country services in this region. But then again I wasn't really into buses back then.

Anyone here known when they were withdrawn from CITY services in Bristol? And which services they were last used on?

The only service I can remember riding these on Bristol city services was the old 33 Centre-Stockwood service. I'm sure I probably rode them on other services back in those far gone days, but can't remember now. Long time ago!

Some photos of RE's here....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tarquinius_superbus/11929492814/in/pool-576952@N20/
Zetland Road/Gloucester Road junction. Mid 1970's. An RE on a 24 to Hotwells.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65548708@N03/9777239471/in/pool-576952@N20/
Cheddar Gorge. Late 1980's/early 1990's? A Badgerline RE on a 126 to Wells.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/25183159451/
Lewins Mead, Bristol. Sometime in the 1970's. And an RE on a 376 just arrived into Bristol.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardstubbings/21525021640/
Union Place, Weston-Super-Mare. July 1990. And a Badgerline RE on a 126 to Cheddar.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126782408@N05/16266205297/
Broadweir, Bristol. 16th August 1981. And an RE on an 87 to Filton. Note the old Wimpy on the left, I remember going in there a number of times!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/15877960657/
The Centre, Bristol. Late 1970's/early 1980's? An RE on a 370 to Burnham-On-Sea!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8821741@N04/11691235003/
And the last one(for now!). Bond Street, Bristol. February 1981. And an RE on a 38 to Broomhill.

 

[carlberry]

Yes, the RE's were great. Much much missed buses. I wish had made more use of them in their final years on country services in this region. But then again I wasn't really into buses back then.

Anyone here known when they were withdrawn from CITY services in Bristol? And which services they were last used on?

Service 19 and sometime in 1986. The reason they were kept was the low bridge in Ashton that wasnt compatiable with Leyland Nationals. They were replaced with bread vans which didnt have the size issue. Most of the city RE routes lasted until late 1981 when City MAP saw vast numbers leave the fleet, mostly for scrap as the cost of removing the centre doors was too great and the company already had too many small single deckers.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Cheers. Yes I didn't originally read that bit where it says it was kept in service after all the others were withdrawn from service.



Cheers. Glad you enjoyed my RE to Stockwood video.

Yes, the RE's were great. Much much missed buses. I wish had made more use of them in their final years on country services in this region. But then again I wasn't really into buses back then.

Anyone here known when they were withdrawn from CITY services in Bristol? And which services they were last used on?

The only service I can remember riding these on Bristol city services was the old 33 Centre-Stockwood service. I'm sure I probably rode them on other services back in those far gone days, but can't remember now. Long time ago!

Some photos of RE's here....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tarquinius_superbus/11929492814/in/pool-576952@N20/
Zetland Road/Gloucester Road junction. Mid 1970's. An RE on a 24 to Hotwells.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65548708@N03/9777239471/in/pool-576952@N20/
Cheddar Gorge. Late 1980's/early 1990's? A Badgerline RE on a 126 to Wells.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/25183159451/
Lewins Mead, Bristol. Sometime in the 1970's. And an RE on a 376 just arrived into Bristol.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardstubbings/21525021640/
Union Place, Weston-Super-Mare. July 1990. And a Badgerline RE on a 126 to Cheddar.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126782408@N05/16266205297/
Broadweir, Bristol. 16th August 1981. And an RE on an 87 to Filton. Note the old Wimpy on the left, I remember going in there a number of times!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/15877960657/
The Centre, Bristol. Late 1970's/early 1980's? An RE on a 370 to Burnham-On-Sea!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8821741@N04/11691235003/
And the last one(for now!). Bond Street, Bristol. February 1981. And an RE on a 38 to Broomhill.

Always a sucker for an RE

As for a couple of the dates, the RE on the 376 would be 1980s rather than 1970s, given the Weston and Wells fleetnames. Also, 2071 (which is swinging out of Tweentown in Cheddar NOT the Gorge) looks like a 1990s shot. It was an early repaint in SwiftLink colours so not likely to receive standard Badgerline colours until a few years later

Did manage to get some rides on the Wells REs before they went but I think I missed out on 2071 sadly

 

[Class 33]

Always a sucker for an RE

As for a couple of the dates, the RE on the 376 would be 1980s rather than 1970s, given the Weston and Wells fleetnames. Also, 2071 (which is swinging out of Tweentown in Cheddar NOT the Gorge) looks like a 1990s shot. It was an early repaint in SwiftLink colours so not likely to receive standard Badgerline colours until a few years later

Cheers for confirming the years and location. I was just going by the description from the uploader of the photos, who were wrong.

Something a bit different now....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZV5fv1R60c
Good little film(only just over 4 minutes) of Bristol bus services back in the 1950's. Of particular interest that I would like to draw your attention is between 2m 16s through to 2m 45s. This is footage of the old Patchway Shadow Factory Bus Station!! The Patchway Shadow Factory for anyone not aware, was located on the corner of Gypsy Patch Lane and Gloucester Road North. I have very vague blurry memories of this from back in the early to mid 80's when getting the 74 or 75 to Carrefoure(now Asda!), and at certain peak evening times these buses would be routed to stop at this bus station. A number of different bus stops there, and there would be literally around a couple of hundred people there waiting for buses to get home, like you see in this footage! Just within the past year or two I had remembered this and had been looking on FlickR and YouTube for photos and video clips of this, but to no avail. Untill last week when I found my way to this video and to my delight, there was footage of the old Patchway Shadow Factory Bus Station! Great stuff! Wish there was some colour footage from the 70's or 80's though!

A shame when you look at the site now as it what it once was. It's just a concrete wasteland now.

For many years, there were a number of services that started and terminate at Patchway Shadow Factory(along with the old Filton West too). Whilst also some of the standard services were timetabled to divert into there at certain times, before continueing on with their normal routes. I've just got hold of an old City Line timetable from 1988, and can bring you some scans of the timetables of some of these services. See the attachments.

517 Lawrence Hill-Patchway Shadow Factory.
563 Sturminster Road-Patchway Shadow Factory. Limited stop service.
574 Patchway Shadow Factory-Centre.
577 Filton West-Centre.
587 Centre-Polytechnic/Patchway Shadow Factory.

Also as a bonus there are timetables for the 585 Westbury-The Downs, 515 Muller Road-Kingsweston School, and 553 Clifton-Ashton Park School services that can be found on the pages of the 563, 587, and 517 timetables.

I will be bringing you some more old timetable scans from 1988 soon!

 

[Class 33]

Some more 1988 timetables scanned.....


513 Chittening-Filton
514 Chittening-Patchway Shadow Factory
581 Hanham-Patchway Shadow Factory
590 Longwell Green-Patchway Shadow Factory
591 Hanham-Patchway Shadow Factory
592 Hanham-Filton West
593 Warmley-Patchway Shadow Factory

The full timetables scanned for all of the above.

Also...

72 Centre-Bradley Stoke. (Some peak hour journeys extended to/from Cribbs Causeway, Gateway. Operating as service 572)
73 Centre-Bradley Stoke (Some peak hour journeys extended to/from Cribbs Causeway, Gateway. Operating as service 573)

Note from the route rundown, the route the 72 takes between Gloucester Road and Filton Avenue. Up Gloucester Road, then turns off down Ashley Down Road through to Ralph Road, Muller Road, and Filton Avenue. And also the different route the 73 ran from Parkway Station-Bradley Stoke back then. Note also these two services were City Dart services, yes just mini-buses on these services back then! But Bradley Stoke wasn't as developed back then as it is now. The town was planned way back in the 1970's, but building of it did not begin untill 1987.

 

[Class 33]

A few more timetables I've scanned. I'm not doing a scan of the timetables for every single service. Only the more interesting services....

Three City Clipper service timetables....

X65 Cribbs Causeway-Westbury
X66 Oldland-Westbury
589 Oldland-Temple Meads

The X65 service was launched in 1981 along with a number of other City Clipper limited stop services. The X65 was originally a Patchway-Centre service. Then from the October 1986 changes, it was then extended to become a Cribbs-Causeway-Hartcliffe service. From the Centre it was routed via Redcliffe Hill, Bedminster Parade, East Street, Dalby Avenue, Malago Road, Bedminster Road, Hartcliffe Way through to Bishport Avenue lay-by. This only lasted till 1987, where the route was then changed to become a Cribbs Causeway-Westbury service. And the Hartcliffe-Centre route was still available, with the new 565 Hartcliffe-Centre limited stop service.

X66 was also launched in 1981. Originally as a Broadmead-Lawrence Weston service. October 1986 and it was extended to an Oldland-Westbury service.

The 589 was launched in May 1987. A City Clipper service, but for some reason wasn't numbered in the X60 series. Quite a nice service. Limited stop from Kingswood/Soundwell Road, calling at Blackswarth Road, Old Market, then the usual stops through to Centre and Temple Meads.

I did a number of journeys on the X65 & X66. But think I only did one or two journeys on the 589. And with Leyland Olympians being used on these services back then, they were great services to ride on! Much much missed limited stop services! And much much missed Leyland Olympian buses!

 

[ooo]

A few more timetables I've scanned. I'm not doing a scan of the timetables for every single service. Only the more interesting services....

Three City Clipper service timetables....

X65 Cribbs Causeway-Westbury
X66 Oldland-Westbury
589 Oldland-Temple Meads

The X65 service was launched in 1981 along with a number of other City Clipper limited stop services. The X65 was originally a Patchway-Centre service. Then from the October 1986 changes, it was then extended to become a Cribbs-Causeway-Hartcliffe service. From the Centre it was routed via Redcliffe Hill, Bedminster Parade, East Street, Dalby Avenue, Malago Road, Bedminster Road, Hartcliffe Way through to Bishport Avenue lay-by. This only lasted till 1987, where the route was then changed to become a Cribbs Causeway-Westbury service. And the Hartcliffe-Centre route was still available, with the new 565 Hartcliffe-Centre limited stop service.

X66 was also launched in 1981. Originally as a Broadmead-Lawrence Weston service. October 1986 and it was extended to an Oldland-Westbury service.

The 589 was launched in May 1987. A City Clipper service, but for some reason wasn't numbered in the X60 series. Quite a nice service. Limited stop from Kingswood/Soundwell Road, calling at Blackswarth Road, Old Market, then the usual stops through to Centre and Temple Meads.

I did a number of journeys on the X65 & X66. But think I only did one or two journeys on the 589. And with Leyland Olympians being used on these services back then, they were great services to ride on! Much much missed limited stop services! And much much missed Leyland Olympian buses!

Do you know when these express services stopped?

 

[Class 33]

Do you know when these express services stopped?

Ah yes. Forgot to mention when those services were withdrawn. I'll post a bit more info too about these services beyond 1988. I'm getting this info from the BVBG website, not from my own knowledge!

The route of the X65 was changed again in 1991. The route was ammended to to run via Bradley Stoke. Not sure of the exact route it took from Bradley Stoke to Broadmead, as it doesn't mention it ran via Polytechnic on the BVBG website during this period. However September 1991, and the route changed again. This time it became a Cribbs Causeway-Oldland service. Running via the same route as the X66 between Centre and Oldland I expect. 1993 and it changed again! This time being shorted to a Cribbs Causeway-Centre service, reverting back to it's original route between Cribbs Causeway and Centre, so no longer serving Bradley Stoke. As the new X73 Centre-Bradley Stoke North and X74 Centre-Bradley Stoke South were introduced in that year. 1995 and a slight change to the route to serve MOD Abbey Wood. In 1997 a new service was also introduced, the X64 Centre-Cribbs Causeway via UWE, MOD Abbey Wood, Parkway Station, and Patchway. I didn't even know about that particular service! The X64 was changed in 1998 to become a Centre-Bradley Stoke North service. The next change to the X65 was July 1998, when the route was shortened back to a Patchway-Centre service like it was when the service was first introduced back in 1981! The next change was 2001 when the X64 and X65 became First Badgerline services However they didn't last long after that, as both services were then withdrawn in either 2001 or 2002.

Bit more info about the X66 after 1988. This won't take quite as long as the info about the X65! The next change to the X66 was September 1991, when it was shortened back to a Broadmead-Lawrence Weston service. Again, back to it how it was back in 1981! Come 1994 and the service was then extended slightly to become a Henbury-Centre service. But from September 1995, it was shortened back to a Lawrence Weston-Centre service! But from July 1996, the service was extended back to Henbury again!! The service was withdrawn in July 1998.

However the Lawrence Weston-Centre part of the route was still retained from July 1998 as the 57 Centre-Stockwood service was extended to become a Lawrence Weston-Stockwood service. Though the route was ammended to serve Sea Mills which would have added about another 5 minutes extra journey time to the original X66 route. In 1999, the 57 was extended to Henbury. In 2001 the service was cut back to Lawrence Weston! Not sure when exactly the 57 was withdrawn, as there's no info of Bristol services on the BVBG website between 2002 and 2007.

The 589. A lot more simpler to explain! In 1991, the service was took over by Arrow Coaches. The service was withdrawn in either 1992 or 1993.

Fascinating looking at the routes section of the BVBG website http://bvbg.org.uk/Routes.html A fair number of Bristol city services in the late 1980's and the 1990's that I didn't even know about!

 

[ooo]

By any chance do you have a map of the routes that you could scan?

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[carlberry]

The 589 was launched in May 1987. A City Clipper service, but for some reason wasn't numbered in the X60 series. Quite a nice service. Limited stop from Kingswood/Soundwell Road, calling at Blackswarth Road, Old Market, then the usual stops through to Centre and Temple Meads.

I did a number of journeys on the X65 & X66. But think I only did one or two journeys on the 589. And with Leyland Olympians being used on these services back then, they were great services to ride on! Much much missed limited stop services! And much much missed Leyland Olympian buses!

I dont think the 589 was a City Clipper service. The name applied to the X6x services, I think the 589 is just dumped onto the same timetable to save space. The 5 prefix indicates that the service was subsidised by Avon County Council and they regarded it as a Bristol City service.

The City Clippers were part of a package of extra routes/journeys that Avon County Council paid for at the time of Bristol City MAP in 1981. As well as various threatened services they proposed a set of city wide limited stop services (all of which passed Avon House at convenient times for their employees!) almost all of which were new (There were a couple of peak only limited stop journeys before, Patchway Estate being one of them). New Olympians in a special white livery (with bus seats) were allocated to them and there was even a City Clipper version of the City Rider livery later on.

Whilst popular with the people who used them the majority struggled to get enough customers and were withdrawn gradually over the years.

 

[Class 33]

By any chance do you have a map of the routes that you could scan?

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

Nope, don't have any old route maps to scan I'm afraid. The 1988 timetable I just acquired didn't contain a route map. However for archive route maps and timetables from 1998 to 2003(the 2004 onwards webpages don't work properly), you can view them via old archive webpages of First Cityline via this link https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.firstcityline.co.uk

Incidentally upon looking at those old archived timetables between 1998 and 2003, it appears some of the information on the BVBG route section is inacnurate. Because on these old timetables during that period there is no timetables for the X64 and X65 services I mentioned above. Which suggests these services were axed by then. So BVBG has got some wrong info there! Furthermore, I see there was an X84 Centre-Bradley Stoke service back then too, which is not listed on the BVBG routes section. Was there even a X64 Centre-Cribbs Causeway/Bradley Stoke service?

Also some wrong info about the 57 on BVBG too. I posted above that in July 1998 the 57 Centre-Stockwood service was extended to become a Lawrence Weston-Stockwood service. However according to the archived timetables from November 1998, the 57 was then just a Henbury-Broadmead service(via the route mentioned above).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I dont think the 589 was a City Clipper service. The name applied to the X6x services, I think the 589 is just dumped onto the same timetable to save space. The 5 prefix indicates that the service was subsidised by Avon County Council and they regarded it as a Bristol City service.

The City Clippers were part of a package of extra routes/journeys that Avon County Council paid for at the time of Bristol City MAP in 1981. As well as various threatened services they proposed a set of city wide limited stop services (all of which passed Avon House at convenient times for their employees!) almost all of which were new (There were a couple of peak only limited stop journeys before, Patchway Estate being one of them). New Olympians in a special white livery (with bus seats) were allocated to them and there was even a City Clipper version of the City Rider livery later on.

Whilst popular with the people who used them the majority struggled to get enough customers and were withdrawn gradually over the years.

Yes you're right about the 589. On the timetable page it does seem to give the impression that it's a City Clipper service alongside the X66. And it is a limited stop service too. But at the front of the timetable book it gives a list of the City Clipper services, and the 589 isn't listed. They probably listed the 589 within the same timetable as the X66 as it was a similar service. That said though of the times that I did see the 589, it was always a City Clipper Leyland Olympian operating it. Perhaps to indicate that it was a limited stop service, even though it wasn't actually officially a City Clipper service. The same was the case with the short lived 565 Broadmead-Hartcliffe service.

The City Clipper liveried buses did stray onto a number services, usually on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. Including the likes of the 1,27,28,77, 85,87,88.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8615623@N04/6654931261/
Photo here from 1985 of a Leyland Olympian with the original City Clipper livery on a 14 to Staple Hill service, probably originating from it's usual terminus of Ashton Drive. The 14 wasn't a City Clipper service.

Cheers also for your info about the last city service the RE's were used on.

 

[carlberry]

Incidentally upon looking at those old archived timetables between 1998 and 2003, it appears some of the information on the BVBG route section is inacnurate. Because on these old timetables during that period there is no timetables for the X64 and X65 services I mentioned above. Which suggests these services were axed by then. So BVBG has got some wrong info there! Furthermore, I see there was an X84 Centre-Bradley Stoke service back then too, which is not listed on the BVBG routes section. Was there even a X64 Centre-Cribbs Causeway/Bradley Stoke service?

Also some wrong info about the 57 on BVBG too. I posted above that in July 1998 the 57 Centre-Stockwood service was extended to become a Lawrence Weston-Stockwood service. However according to the archived timetables from November 1998, the 57 was then just a Henbury-Broadmead service(via the route mentioned above).

I'd be the first to admit that the BVBG site isn't always right, however most of the information came via me so it does make it easy to check! The Cityline timetable book* for 16th April 2000 (and those going back to 1998) has the 57 as a half hourly Lawrence Weston-Stockwood service with a few 557s (morning subsidised) and 57As (slight variation near Stockwood). And the X64 Centre-Bradley Stoke half hourly and X65 (peak from Coinston road). And no X84.

I can only assume that the wayback machine has confused something, or the First website was wrong at the time.

Corrections to the BVBG site (historic routes section) always welcome, however it's usually many months before they actually uploaded

*-For our younger visitors a timetable book is a book with all the timetables for an area/operator in it. (A bit like a printed Internet). They were very popular at one time, mostly it has to be said with enthusiasts as most people didn't want to spend 50p to find out the bus times in Kingswood and Hartcliffe when they only used the 74!

 

[Class 33]

Ah right. Cheers for confirming about the 57, X64, X65, and X84 services. Strange that the archived First pages via the wayback machine has got some different info! But your timetable book will obviously be the most reliable source!

Any chance of a scan of the X64 timetable please? Or if not, just a rundown of the route of the service?

Also I note back in 1999 there was a Badgerline X46 Lawrence Weston-Old Market service! When First Cityline were still running their 57! Perhaps this service was faster and ran via the original X66 route going straight onto the Portway after Shirehampton rather than the slightly longer 57 route via Sea Mills square first before the Portway. https://www.flickr.com/photos/28431353@N02/28644840924/in/dateposted/
A Plaxton Pointer Dart pictued at Beverston Gardens, Lawrence Weston on this service back in 1999.

 

[carlberry]

Any chance of a scan of the X64 timetable please? Or if not, just a rundown of the route of the service?

centre-m32-filton road-colharbour road-uwe-colharbour lane-filton road-great stokeway-fox dean road-brierly furlong-parkway-hatchet road-gipsy patch lane-kingsway-little stoke lane-stoke lane-gloucester road-bradley stoke way-woodlands lane

 

[Colly405]

I lived in Stoke Gifford from 1992 to 2005. Somewhere upstairs I have all the CityLine books from 1992 until they stopped doing them, and most leaflets after then. Also, a fair number of Avon CC's Bristol maps - must dig them out...!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
... and going back a few days conversations, I clearly remember 7262 being a regular on a 74A morning journey in around 1993. The 74A was peak-hour variation of the 74 - it ran from Bradley Stoke South (Ellan Hay Rd) to the Centre via current 73 route as far as Filton Ave (but avoiding Parkway Station double run), then from Filton Ave to Centre as the current 70.

 

[Class 33]

centre-m32-filton road-colharbour road-uwe-colharbour lane-filton road-great stokeway-fox dean road-brierly furlong-parkway-hatchet road-gipsy patch lane-kingsway-little stoke lane-stoke lane-gloucester road-bradley stoke way-woodlands lane

Cheers. Sounds like it was a nice route that X64. Part of the route reminds me the long way the 75 used to go to Carrefoure pre the October 1986 changes. From Filton Road it would run via Gloucester Road North, Link Road, Station Road, Great Stoke Way, Fox Den Road, Brierly Furlong, Parkway Station, Hatchet Road, Gipsy Patch Lane, Gifford Crescent, Kingsway, Little Stoke Lane, Stoke Lane, B4057, Coniston Road, Rodway Road, Durban Road, Bradley Road, Coniston Road, Highwood Road, and Highwood Lane before finally arriving at Carrefoure! In those years, the 75 was the only service to serve Carrefoure! The 74 going the more direct route to Patchway Estate straight up Gloucester Road.

I lived in Stoke Gifford from 1992 to 2005. Somewhere upstairs I have all the CityLine books from 1992 until they stopped doing them, and most leaflets after then. Also, a fair number of Avon CC's Bristol maps - must dig them out...!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
... and going back a few days conversations, I clearly remember 7262 being a regular on a 74A morning journey in around 1993. The 74A was peak-hour variation of the 74 - it ran from Bradley Stoke South (Ellan Hay Rd) to the Centre via current 73 route as far as Filton Ave (but avoiding Parkway Station double run), then from Filton Ave to Centre as the current 70.

I had to look up on FlickR to see what this 7262 bus you mentioned. I see it was that Lodekka that was kept in service till late 1993. Interesting to read from you about that 74A Bradley Stoke-Centre service via Ashley Down. And what a nostalgic treat it must have been riding onboard a Lodekka on this service! Did the 74A run at certain peak times only?

During those years, the 74 would have been typically operated by City Darts. The 72 & 73 were City Darts then too. But a number of services between Centre and Bradley Stoke back then compared to just the 73 and X73(peak times only) nowadays. There was the 72, 73, 74, X65, X73 & X74! Plus there was the 70, 71, 72, 73, & 74A running via Filton Avenue.

A couple of photos below of City Darts on the 74 on the Centre back in 1990.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tcd481j/15632915411/in/album-72157646651631234/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tcd481j/15014842604/in/album-72157646651631234/

 

[Colly405]

I had to look up on FlickR to see what this 7262 bus you mentioned. I see it was that Lodekka that was kept in service till late 1993. Interesting to read from you about that 74A Bradley Stoke-Centre service via Ashley Down. And what a nostalgic treat it must have been riding onboard a Lodekka on this service! Did the 74A run at certain peak times only?

During those years, the 74 would have been typically operated by City Darts. The 72 & 73 were City Darts then too. But a number of services between Centre and Bradley Stoke back then compared to just the 73 and X73(peak times only) nowadays. There was the 72, 73, 74, X65, X73 & X74! Plus there was the 70, 71, 72, 73, & 74A running via Filton Avenue.

A couple of photos below of City Darts on the 74 on the Centre back in 1990.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tcd481j/15632915411/in/album-72157646651631234/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tcd481j/15014842604/in/album-72157646651631234/

That's right - the 74 was usually the Iveco CityDarts with the small destination screen; the 72/73/82 were the Merc 608Ds.

The 74A was peak hour, peak flow only. It basically replaced the 70 at those times - Ashley Down was the 71/571 at all times, with the 70 between the peaks and the 74A in the peaks. The 74A was replaced by the X74 by '93.

I've just had a look at my May '92 timetable book and the services in Stoke Gifford / Little Stoke / Bradley Stoke were as below.

X65:
Hourly M-S daytime
Cribbs - Patchway Estate - Stoke Lodge - Kingsway - Parkway - Polytechnic - M32 - Centre - Old Market - St George - Hanham - Cock Rd - Cadbury Heath - North Common - Oldland

565:
M-S Evenings combination of X65 and 74
Running per X65 route City - Parkway, then as 74 to Bradley Stoke South

70:
M-F only, Every 30 min offpeak / 20 min peak contra-flow
Centre to Polytechnic via current 70 route

71:
Every 30 min M-F offpeak / 20 min peak / 15 min Sat / 30 min eve & Sun [571]
As 70 to Filton Ave (full length) - Filton Hill - Filton Church - Filton Ave and back to town

72:
Every 30 min M-F daytime / 15 min Sat daytime / hourly eve & Sun [572]
Centre - A38 - Ashley Down Rd - Ralph Rd - Muller Rd - Filton Ave - Parkway - Little Stoke Kingsway - Stoke Lodge - Bradley Stoke North

82:
every 30 min M-F offpeak
As 72 to Filton Ave, then full length of Filton Ave, Gypsy Patch, Kingsway, then as 72.

72 & 82 every 15 min combined

73:
Every 15 min M-S / hourly eve & Sun [573]
Centre - A38 - Filton Ave - Parkway - Orpheus Ave - Braydon Ave - Stoke Lodge - Bradley Stoke North

X73:
One journey each way as 73 but via M32 (if that makes sense)
1735 from Colston Ave terminated at Bowsland Way 29 mins later!

72 & 82 & 73 every 7/8 mins combined

74:
Every 30 min M-S offpeak
Centre - A38 - Filton Rbt - Link Rd - Sainsburys Car Park (double run) - Stoke Gifford (avoiding Parkway) - Bradley Stoke South

74A:
Peaks flow via Filton Ave and Cromwell Rd per the 70

578:
Hourly M-S daytimes
Keynsham - Willsbridge - Longwell Green - Cock Rd - Kingswood - Staple Hill - Downend - Cleeve Hill - Bromley Heath Rd - Frenchay Hosp - Polytechnic - Parkway - Little Stoke Kingsway - Gypsy Patch - Filton Hill - Filton Church Shops (towards Shire only) - Southmead Rd - Westbury - Coombe Dingle - Lawrence Weston - Shirehampton - Dursley Rd

579:
Hourly M-S all day (Evenings Longwell Gn - Westbury)
Kingswood - Westbury as 578 but not via Kingsway, instead using full length of Gypsy Patch
Point of Interest: the Sunday 579 (Shire - Kingswood) started running 1pm!!!

578/579 half hourly combined


The other fascinating bit about the 1992 timetable is what is now the 77 from Centre to Westbury (hourly, subsidised). That was the 20, 21 and 22, between them 10 per hour, commercial.

 

[Class 33]

Thanks for that info you recently posted Colly405. I've been a bit busy with other things since then so not had much time to post on this thread much.

Yes all those different Centre-Bradley Stoke services during that period look very interesting. I wonder how passengers coped though with all these services being small City Darts/mini-buses? But I suppose with all those different services then to Little Stoke and Bradley Stoke compared with just the 73(and X73 at peak times only) nowadays, this arrangement still worked well?

Yes, also fascinating how frequent the services were between Westbury and Centre on the route of the current 77 via Henleaze and Kingsdown. Going back before these services were the 20,21, & 22 they were the 36 & 37 Westbury-Withywood and the 38 Westbury-Brislington Trading Estate/Broomhill services from the October 1986 changes. Operating at very frequent intervals. Have misplaced my 1988 timetable book at the mo, but probably as frequent as what you mentioned.

I've recently got hold of an old 1983 Bristol city services timetable. Some really interesting services in there. And will posting some selected scans from that over the coming weeks. Starting with one maybe sometime this afternoon.

One interesting thing I did notice in this timetable is that the service 8 Centre-Clifton circular service runs the same route as the current service 8 since the Sep 2016 changes. And there wasn't a service 9 running via Redland back then.

 

[Class 33]

Here you go. One timetable scan for the time being from the 1983 timetable.

Firstly the 13, 14, & 15 services. The 13 Staple Hill-Redland, the 14 Staple Hill-Ashton Drive, and the 15 Staple Hill-Redland. These services appear to run very similar routes to the current 6 & 7 services now between Staple Hill & Centre. Then you can see from the route descriptions in the scans the routes they then took to either Redland or Ashton Drive.

I've only scanned the first page of the timetable for these services. So just some additional things to add. You can see on the timetable a service 15 departing Staple Hill at 0533 on Mondays-Fridays. Apart from that one early morning 15 working, the 15 only ran on Monday-Saturday evenings(after 1825), and on Sundays. On Monday-Saturday evenings(after 1825) and on Sundays it was only the 15 that ran, the 13 & 14 didn't run during these times.

Also the service 14K that departed Staple Hill at 0737 you can see on the timetable scan. This particular service continued after Temple Meads to Brislington, Hungerford Road.

And the 14B that departed Staple Hill at 0747. This particular service ran via Redcliffe Hill, East Street, West Street and Winterstoke Road. And continued to Ashton Park School, arriving there 0848.

I don't actually remember these services myself. But going by one photo I saw of them on FlickR which I can't locate now, these services may have been typically operated by double deckers. As the photo I saw was of a Leyland Olympian on a 14.

Wish I had time to do some more timetable scans and comments. But that's it for the timebeing I'm afraid! Maybe another timetable scan or two next week!

 

[co-tr-paul]

Just caught up with this thread, just confirming last REs on 378 were replaced with H reg Lynx's so 90, and 589 was a limited stop Clipper but was council tendered shortly after it started hence number change to 5xx.

 

[Colly405]

Yes all those different Centre-Bradley Stoke services during that period look very interesting. I wonder how passengers coped though with all these services being small City Darts/mini-buses? But I suppose with all those different services then to Little Stoke and Bradley Stoke compared with just the 73(and X73 at peak times only) nowadays, this arrangement still worked well?

Overall there were less seats than now, but then of course Bradley Stoke wasn't the size it is now.

The 578/579 through the area have become the 18; same frequency but bigger buses (at that time the 578/579 were minis, I think).

The X65 through the area is now the 625 - smaller buses than the old Lynxes.
Then there was no 19, 77 or (current)82.

Little Stoke though is odd as it has gained buses to Bath, WSM, Yate, Portishead, Clevedon and Severn Beach but jas no buses to Bristol.

I've recently got hold of an old 1983 Bristol city services timetable. Some really interesting services in there. And will posting some selected scans from that over the coming weeks. Starting with one maybe sometime this afternoon.

Please do - I do find the off-peak frequencies quite interesting for comparison

And there wasn't a service 9 running via Redland back then.

How was Redland served?

 

[co-tr-paul]

74 to Bradley Stoke South started as Transits then Ivecos as it was a KW route rather than MR. As was 578/80, sun 579 before Darts took over as 18/19.

 

[Class 33]

How was Redland served?

Well between Centre/Broadmead and Redland back then would have been the 13 & 15 Staple Hill-Redland services, running via a slightly different route through Redland. See the timetable scan that I posted.

For the link between Redland and Clifton back then would have been services 82 & 83 which ran onto either Kingswood or Rookery Farm Estate. I will be scanning and posting the timetables for these very shortly. So watch this space!

 

[Colly405]

Well between Centre/Broadmead and Redland back then would have been the 13 & 15 Staple Hill-Redland services, running via a slightly different route through Redland. See the timetable scan that I posted.

For the link between Redland and Clifton back then would have been services 82 & 83 which ran onto either Kingswood or Rookery Farm Estate. I will be scanning and posting the timetables for these very shortly. So watch this space!

Ah, yes, right - ta!

 

[Class 33]

A scan of the first page of the 82 & 83 timetables from 1983 attached.

82 CHELTENHAM ROAD/MULLER ROAD DEPOT-ROOKERY FARM ESTATE. Via Clifton, Horfield, Muller Road, Eastville, Eastville, Old Market, Centre, Knowle West. One full length service per hour from/to Cheltenham Road, and one shorter service per hour running between Muller Road Depot and Rookery Farm Estate.

83 CHELTENHAM ROAD-KINGSWOOD. Via Clifton, Horfield, Muller Road, and Fishponds. One service per hour.

As mentioned with there being no service 9 like there is now(or how it was before the Sep 2016 changes), services 82 & 83 provided the link between Redland and Clifton back in those days. Running via a different way round between Redland and Clifton to the route the 9 takes now. Though these services did only just about nudge into Redland really, they didn't serve much of the area.

Also the services didn't actually serve Cheltenham Road itself. The terminus was Kingsley Road which is just around the corner from Cheltenham Road. Nowadays buses would not be able to terminate in this road due to allocated parking space and double yellow lines.

Quite nice routes/services these were. The superb and much missed Leyland National's usually operated them.