Can anyone settle an argument? (Bristol RELH coach)

[Shimbleshanks]

In the mid- to late-1990s, I did a pub crawl in Bath with a mate. On the way back from a pub in the outskirts of the city, we caught a local bus and, instead of the breadvan-type minibus we'd been expecting, quite a sumptuous coach turned up; it must have been some sort of fill-in working or possibly the result of the regular vehicle breaking down.

Anyway, my mate is adamant that the coach we got was a Bristol RELH. - ie one of these: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/21611052@N02/49515739797/ . However, my recollection is of something quite a lot more modern - something like a Leyland Leopard. I'm by no means an expert on buses or coaches, but I would have thought RELHs would have been pretty rare beasts on regular services by that time - and I think even I would have noticed and remarked on it, even after a few pints of scrumpy.

Is anyone knowledgable about the fleets of Bath city operators of 30-odd years ago?

 

[carlberry]

In the mid- to late-1990s, I did a pub crawl in Bath with a mate. On the way back from a pub in the outskirts of the city, we caught a local bus and, instead of the breadvan-type minibus we'd been expecting, quite a sumptuous coach turned up; it must have been some sort of fill-in working or possibly the result of the regular vehicle breaking down.

Anyway, my mate is adamant that the coach we got was a Bristol RELH. - ie one of these: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/21611052@N02/49515739797/ . However, my recollection is of something quite a lot more modern - something like a Leyland Leopard. I'm by no means an expert on buses or coaches, but I would have thought RELHs would have been pretty rare beasts on regular services by that time - and I think even I would have noticed and remarked on it, even after a few pints of scrumpy.

Is anyone knowledgable about the fleets of Bath city operators of 30-odd years ago?

At that time bus bodied (but coach seated) RELHs might still appear on the Bath-Wells services: Bristol RELH photo. The other possibility was Somerbus who did operate a coach RELH: Somerbus RELH coach at the time

 

[Shimbleshanks]

At that time bus bodied (but coach seated) RELHs might still appear on the Bath-Wells services: Bristol RELH photo. The other possibility was Somerbus who did operate a coach RELH: Somerbus RELH coach at the time

Many thanks. It definitely was coach- not bus-bodied. I don't THINK it could have been the Somerbus vehicle, but I suppose memory can play tricks...

 

[Whiteway215]

In the mid- to late-1990s, I did a pub crawl in Bath with a mate. On the way back from a pub in the outskirts of the city, we caught a local bus and, instead of the breadvan-type minibus we'd been expecting, quite a sumptuous coach turned up; it must have been some sort of fill-in working or possibly the result of the regular vehicle breaking down.

Anyway, my mate is adamant that the coach we got was a Bristol RELH. - ie one of these: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/21611052@N02/49515739797/ . However, my recollection is of something quite a lot more modern - something like a Leyland Leopard. I'm by no means an expert on buses or coaches, but I would have thought RELHs would have been pretty rare beasts on regular services by that time - and I think even I would have noticed and remarked on it, even after a few pints of scrumpy.

Is anyone knowledgable about the fleets of Bath city operators of 30-odd years ago?

I don’t suppose you recall what part of Bath you caught this bus? With respect possibly not!

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I don’t suppose you recall what part of Bath you caught this bus? With respect possibly not!

Apparently it was a service between Bath city centre (I guess the central bus station) and the South Stoke area, to the south of the city. Pub was the Packhorse...

 

[Redmike]

It could have been 2079, which was rebodied by Eastern National in the early 80s. It ran from Wells depot for a few years including occasional runs to Bath on the 173. It did leave Badgerline by 1992 though.

https://flic.kr/p/boPNjS

 

[Whiteway215]

Apparently it was a service between Bath city centre (I guess the central bus station) and the South Stoke area, to the south of the city. Pub was the Packhorse...

If you caught the bus on the main road I believe it would have been a 3 or 13 from Foxhill Estate to city centre or country bus on Frome to Bath service. I can’t remember if there was any other operator’s service in that area. Sorry I can’t help unravel the type of vehicle. The Packhorse always had a reputation for serving strong local scrumpy!

 

[Shimbleshanks]

It could have been 2079, which was rebodied by Eastern National in the early 80s. It ran from Wells depot for a few years including occasional runs to Bath on the 173. It did leave Badgerline by 1992 though.

https://flic.kr/p/boPNjS

I do seem to recall it looked something like this, yes. But my mate is still adamant that it was an RELH...

 

[martinsh]

I do seem to recall it looked something like this, yes. But my mate is still adamant that it was an RELH...

That IS an RELH - just rebodied

 

[AndyW33]

Although not very likely in Bath, RELHs could be ordered with both the original ECW coach body show near the start of the thread, the much more modern looking late ECW coach body, the ECW bus body (as a DP), some very nice Plaxton coach examples, and some not so good Willowbrook coach bodied ones. There may have been more - Alexander perhaps?

 

[GusB]

Although not very likely in Bath, RELHs could be ordered with both the original ECW coach body show near the start of the thread, the much more modern looking late ECW coach body, the ECW bus body (as a DP), some very nice Plaxton coach examples, and some not so good Willowbrook coach bodied ones. There may have been more - Alexander perhaps?

Alexander (Belfast) built on Bristol RE chassis, and there were the REMH versions built with the Alexander M-type bodies for Scottish Bus Group cross-border services. But this is veering off-topic

 

[theblackwatch]

That IS an RELH - just rebodied

I remember that vehicle with Northern (of Anston, near Sheffield), who had a great collection of REs and VRs in the mid-1990s. Did any other Bristol REs receive this bodywork or was it a 'one off'?

 

[randyrippley]

Although not very likely in Bath, RELHs could be ordered with both the original ECW coach body show near the start of the thread, the much more modern looking late ECW coach body, the ECW bus body (as a DP), some very nice Plaxton coach examples, and some not so good Willowbrook coach bodied ones. There may have been more - Alexander perhaps?

maybe more often than you think...........Bristol (including some with Bath livery) used a number of former RELH coaches painted green/cream or late green/white and used as DPVs. They looked like former Royal Blues but could have been from anywhere in the National empire - of course this was before the time in question

 

[martinsh]

I remember that vehicle with Northern (of Anston, near Sheffield), who had a great collection of REs and VRs in the mid-1990s. Did any other Bristol REs receive this bodywork or was it a 'one off'?

It was a one-off (I think), as a prototype for the ECW B51 coach body that was mounted on Leyland Leopards and Tigers c1982