TRIVIA: companies/services named after birds or animals

[TheGrandWazoo]

Just remembered another. Midland Fox had a competitive spat with Kinchbus in the late 1980s and responded with Midland Wolf!

 

[DunsBus]

The Alexander company was split into three in the sixties, so all three companies could probably claim the right to use the Bluebird name. I remember seeing the Bluebird emblem on Northern buses when I was small, but over time, the SBG corporate look took over and the Bluebird gradually disappeared. Midland kept it going for much longer, and Northern re-introduced it in 1989 when they re-branded as Bluebird Northern. After the Stagecoach buyout Northern was legally known as Bluebird Northern Ltd for a short period of time before being re-named Bluebird Buses Ltd. (the current legal name if I'm not mistaken). As far as I'm aware, the Fife entity has made no attempt since to reclaim the Bluebird title.

A few more examples that no-one seems to have mentioned yet:
- Greyhound Coaches. I can't remember where they were based originally, but they were acquired by Tayside and branded as "Tayside Greyhound" for a time. Do they still use this brand?
- Perth Panther - a brand introduced by Stagecoach Scotland Ltd for services in the Perth area before the attack on Strathtay
- Golden Eagle - a Lanarkshire independent (Salburgh based? I can't be arsed to dig out my books at this time of day)
- Beaver - used by GRT for their minibuses in the 90s
- Harrier - Central SMT
- Terrier - Highland Omnibuses

Let's not forget the manufacturers which used animal names:
- Leyland: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Panther, Lynx, Swift
- AEC: Swift, Merlin
- ACE: Cougar
- Plaxton: Leopard, Panther, Cheetah, Beaver, Pointer

I'm sure I've missed a few.

The Perth Panther identity was still in use until 1994, when the Perth operations became part of Bluebird Buses. So we had the unusual case of a panther being swallowed by a bluebird - usually it's the other way round!

 

[Saperstein]

Busy Bee. Brand used by Brighton & Hove Buses in about 1986 for their fleet of mini buses.

 

[Simon75]

Crosville had Mini Lynx/Town Lynx

 

[Saperstein]

One of the London sectors had a Swan as its sign in about the 1990’s. Anyone remember what one it was?

 

[DunsBus]

One of the London sectors had a Swan as its sign in about the 1990’s. Anyone remember what one it was?

Leaside?

 

[Saperstein]

Leaside?

Yep that’s the one!

 

[tbtc]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Fraser Eagle, who carried about as many rail passengers as Northern Spirit used to manage!

The Perth Panther identity was still in use until 1994, when the Perth operations became part of Bluebird Buses. So we had the unusual case of a panther being swallowed by a bluebird - usually it's the other way round!

Nice!

That one was definitely named after the toy rather than bird though. As well as the two variations of route branding the route has had which both saw them covered in images of them, it was also named at the same time a number of routes received names of children's toys. They were 2 Farnborough to Camberley (Marbles), 4/5 Aldershot to Farnham (Connect 4/5), 6 Farnborough to Prospect Estate (YoYo), 15 Aldershot to Heron Wood (Scoot), and 20 Aldershot to Guildford (Kite). Only the YoYo and Kite survive today though, with both the routes having their numbers replaced by the toy name.

That's a really interesting example of branding (presumably it started with naming the 4 "connect" and then expanding from that pun to naming a whole network?)

The Alexander company was split into three in the sixties, so all three companies could probably claim the right to use the Bluebird name. I remember seeing the Bluebird emblem on Northern buses when I was small, but over time, the SBG corporate look took over and the Bluebird gradually disappeared. Midland kept it going for much longer, and Northern re-introduced it in 1989 when they re-branded as Bluebird Northern. After the Stagecoach buyout Northern was legally known as Bluebird Northern Ltd for a short period of time before being re-named Bluebird Buses Ltd. (the current legal name if I'm not mistaken). As far as I'm aware, the Fife entity has made no attempt since to reclaim the Bluebird title

Good point about Fife not reclaiming the "Bluebird" name - I guess because "Fife" is a clear identifiable area (whereas the boundaries of "Northern" and "Midland" are more of a mish mash of different areas - e.g. Midland was mainly the traditional county of Stirlingshire but with depots in Perth/ Cumbernauld/ Oban/ Linlithgow... Northern went all the way down to Dundee... so "Bluebird" was something required to unite the disparate depots into the same identity whereas "Fife" speaks for itself - there's no ambiguity with Fife, other than the Kinross area sometimes being lumped in with it by companies). Interesting. Or maybe just because the Fife livery was red (then again, the Northern Scottish livery was yellow/white with no blue).

Fife did have the "Buzz Buses" (which were the sound that a bee made, rather than an actual animal name) - I don't know if that would qualify for this thread? Maybe the local St Andrews services could have been named Eagle/ Birdie/ Albatross?

 

[Busaholic]

How about Hopley's of Mount Hawke, whose bus routes are about to be subsumed into the operations of Go Cornwall Bus, for the time being at any rate? I know it's not the right spelling, but I feel choughed about it!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

How about Hopley's of Mount Hawke, whose bus routes are about to be subsumed into the operations of Go Cornwall Bus, for the time being at any rate? I know it's not the right spelling, but I feel choughed about it!

Bedum tish!!!

There have been some mythical creatures too, I guess. Welsh companies would be inclined to show a dragon or two, with both National Welsh and Crosville Wales doing so with the latter branding their minibuses as Little Dragons. Also, Midland Red West did invite you to "Ride the Wyvern".

 

[dgl]

talking about bluebirds, Bluebird Coaches is a current coach company.

 

[Flange Squeal]

That's a really interesting example of branding (presumably it started with naming the 4 "connect" and then expanding from that pun to naming a whole network?)

From memory they were rolled out together, coordinated with a fleet of new Optare Solos for most of them. Maybe there was some sort of staff competition or something. The Marbles was marketed as “rolling around x and y” - the 2 does take a meandering route in fairness. Connect 4/5 shared much of their length, with a couple of minor deviations, and combined/connected offer an even frequency. The 6 YoYo is a circular route that the marketing stayed “goes up and down/round and round”, so another good match. The 15 Scoot was a frequent local route that connected Aldershot town centre with a couple of housing estates, so I guess the marketing implied a quick link into town. The original Kite branding made a point of the green credentials of the new vehicles, making a link between that and the fresh outside air kites fly in. Route 3 also got ‘Three Little Wishes’ branding, but not sure where that fits into toys.

 

[156443]

Go North East Black Cats 5465 / NK17 GHV by kieron mathews, on Flickr

Go North East has their Black Cats services which operate in and around Sunderland.

 

[hst43102]

Don't forget the Stagecoach South West Falcon service between Plymouth and Bristol!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Don't forget the Stagecoach South West Falcon service between Plymouth and Bristol!

It was mentioned earlier but it's easy to miss

Let's not forget the manufacturers which used animal names:
- Leyland: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Panther, Lynx, Swift
- AEC: Swift, Merlin
- ACE: Cougar
- Plaxton: Leopard, Panther, Cheetah, Beaver, Pointer

Wasn't there a Reeve Burgess Harrier that was fitted to Lowland's small Bedfords?

Thanks for the reminder of the Swift which has also been the Ashbourne to Derby service and does feature said bird (rather than being a synonym for fast)

 

[quarella]

"Puffin Shuttle" - St David's - Marloes operated by Richard's Bros in West Wales.

 

[Busaholic]

Let's not forget the manufacturers which used animal names:
- Leyland: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Panther, Lynx, Swift
- AEC: Swift, Merlin
- ACE: Cougar
- Plaxton: Leopard, Panther, Cheetah, Beaver, Pointer

I'm sure I've missed a few.

Leyland had the half cab Cheetah coach, then the Royal Tiger and Tiger Cub before re-using the Tiger name.

Bodybuilders also used animal/bird names e.g. Burlingham Seagull coach bodies. It would have been nice if the supremely elegant Harrington range had included a Harrier, which would have tripped off the tongue, but sadly no.

 

[shopbford]

There was Caroline Seagull Coaches from Great Yarmouth who folded in 2008.

 

[GusB]

Wasn't there a Reeve Burgess Harrier that was fitted to Lowland's small Bedfords?

There were a few Reeve Burgess Bedfords with Lowland, but I think the Harrier was built on Leyland Swift chassis.

Bodybuilders also used animal/bird names e.g. Burlingham Seagull coach bodies. It would have been nice if the supremely elegant Harrington range had included a Harrier, which would have tripped off the tongue, but sadly no.

Ah, how could I have forgotten the Burlingham Seagull? One of the most stylish designs of its time.

I have remembered a other historic body - the Duple Firefly.

 

[DunsBus]

There were a few Reeve Burgess Bedfords with Lowland, but I think the Harrier was built on Leyland Swift chassis.

Lowland had a solitary Leyland Swift/Reeve Burgess Harrier, 715 (G715RSH).

 

[Busaholic]

Ah, how could I have forgotten the Burlingham Seagull? One of the most stylish designs of its time.

I'd put it just slightly behind the Harrington Cavalier, but an extremely stylish second.

 

[LiviCrazy]

We used to have Bulldog Travel in Livingston. Later changed their name to Autowater if I remember rightly.

 

[Deerfold]

I can think of a few:
Reading Buses' Leopard, Lion and Tiger services (3, 4/X4, 7, 9 and 10)
First Kernow's Lizard services (L1, L2)
Trent Barton's black cat and swift services

Trentbarton also used to run the Pegasus from Leicester to Bakewell (now skylink Leicester to Derby and 6.1 Derby to Bakewell)

You also have two incarnations of the insect name : BEELINE
Beeline / First Beeline - A name born out of the Alder Valley North split (as briefly mentioned above) and The current trading name of First Berkshire & The Thames Valley.

First Beeline is the legal name, but they haven't used it as their trading name for years - they use First Berkshire & Thames Valley.

 

[KeithC]

Black Cat Travel in Lincoln & an oldie was was Tiger from Salsburgh

 

[A0wen]

Long established Northampton independent Country Lion.

Former Flitwick independent Buffalo travel.

 

[Busaholic]

There's a Jay Coach Travel in Airdrie, but whether it's named after the bird I don't know.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Go North East has their Black Cats services which operate in and around Sunderland.

That's because the football club's nickname is now the Black Cats, named after the main gun battery on the Wear (IIRC sited roughly where the Stadium of Sh!te now stands). It's not strictly a moggy reference.

Go did/do have the Red Kite, the Pink Panther, the West Durham Swift, and the Lambton Worm (don't phone in to tell me what it is!). Not to mention the Magic Roundabout with its bizarre Dougal the Dog livery.

 

[6Gman]

Crosville had Mini Lynx/Town Lynx

And Townlynx was reused by Lee of Northop / Greenfield. Complere with a very familiar looking lynx emblem ! (And they used ex-Irish B6s which had a greyhound on their moquette!)

 

[bussnapperwm]

Rotala's Diamond Bus service 226 was named "Swift226" at one stage with a pair of 02 plate and Y reg Pointers branded for it