TRIVIA : Most Unusual names for bus/coach operators (current/historical)

[Ken H]

There was a coach operator in Oxford called Crappers.

Thomas Crapper invented the syphon toilet cistern. But 'crap' is a far older word, always meant what it means today.

I always liked 'The Executors of Samuel Ledgard'. Existed from Sammys death in 1952 to when they were bought out by West Yorkshire Road Car Co in 1972. Rode their buses from Leeds to Otley and Ilkley in the 60's as a kid.

 

[A0wen]

Not technically a company name but one of the more interesting ones was Luton and District's minibus operations that originally had a very restrained image but then adopted a very distinctive one with a comedy rabbit logo and the name Hoppenstopper

Hoppanstopper was actually their second minibus brand. The first was "Buzza". And Hoppanstopper wasn't just confined to minibuses. Pics below from Flickr, acknowledgement to posters.

Luton and District C24NVV and D758MUR

Two types of minibuses that typified the minibus revolution in Luton was the Ford Transit and the Iveco 49-10. Seen here on 8th October 1986, in George Street, Luton are Ford Transit C24 NVV and Iveco D758 MUR. The Iveco is clearly nearly new and is being run in before transfer to Leighton...

flic.kr

Hoppanstopper

Hoppanstopper was a fun brand introduced by Luton & District for its minibus fleet but was also applied to a pair of Leyland Nationals, initially for use in Leighton Buzzard. 488 (GNV 655N) had finished its day's duties when seen parked opposite Aylesbury depot on 20th April, 1990.

flic.kr

 

[DunsBus]

A few from Scotland, all brand names for SBG minibuses: Harrier, Skipper, City Sprinter, Buzz Bus, Highland Terrier and Berwick Beaver which were used by Central, Clydeside, Eastern, Fife, Highland and Lowland respectively.

Outside of the SBG you had MaxiTaxi (LRT, applied to a few Leyland Cubs for local services in Musselburgh and Wester Hailes), Wee Happy Buses'(Strathclyde) and The Wee Bus (Tayside).

I seem to recall the original sell off of Alder Valley South went to one such peculiarly named company Frontsource Ltd (along with several other parts of NBC). The company then passed to Q Drive, with some depots (including what is now Arriva Guildford) later being sold to another such example Randomquick Ltd.

Randomquick was the forerunner of what eventually became British Bus. Along the way it was also known as Endless Holdings, taking its name from the street in Salisbury in which it was based, and Drawlane.

 

[nw1]

Following on the Transdev thread on the new Team Pennie name for the Yorkshire Tiger company, what are/have been the oddest names for bus/coach operators


Stoke-on-trent had PMT (although it stood for Potteries Motor Traction),
And currently have Scraggs

I remember PMT, first noticed their buses when I was 12 (the 260 from Stafford to Stoke if I remember right, notable as it had double-deckers while the dominant operator, Midland Red 'Chaserider', seemed to be all single-decker) but wasn't yet aware of the other meaning of it..

Thought Badgerline was an OK name, presumably it was to project a rural feel - quite appropriate given that it generally served the more rural areas of the Bristol region.

 

[Tom B]

In Doncaster in the 90s there was Wilfreda Beehive - a merger of different companies. They did stage carriage for a while, now primarily concentrate on coach trips for OAPs, the odd school contract and a couple of service routes.

For some time there was MASS Transit which operated from North Anston - perhaps that makes you think of frequent bustling city routes? It was a series of elderly rustbucket Titans rattling around residential streets once an hour, with a break in the middle for lunch and a break in the peaks to do a school trip.

 

[MotCO]

BriJan Tours was another one like that - Brian and Janette!

I thought it was a Dutch name

 

[Busaholic]

I remember PMT, first noticed their buses when I was 12 (the 260 from Stafford to Stoke if I remember right, notable as it had double-deckers while the dominant operator, Midland Red 'Chaserider', seemed to be all single-decker) but wasn't yet aware of the other meaning of it..

Thought Badgerline was an OK name, presumably it was to project a rural feel - quite appropriate given that it generally served the more rural areas of the Bristol region.

I always thought the idea of the badger livery came first and the name just followed, though I've absolutely no evidence for it.

 

[507021]

"Team Pennine" makes it sound more like a bicycle racing team.

 

[Roilshead]

I always liked 'The Executors of Samuel Ledgard'. Existed from Sammys death in 1952 to when they were bought out by West Yorkshire Road Car Co in 1972.

There were three companies: Exors. of S. Ledgard (the former directly-owned operations); Exors. of S. Ledgard (Bradford) Ltd" (the former B&B Tours Ltd operations); and Exors. of S. Ledgard (Ilkley) Ltd (the former Cream Bus Service Ltd operations). All were taken over by West Yorkshire on 14th October 1967.

After a bit of research, I can confirm that the British Automobile Traction Company in 1935 purchased the business and fleet of Arthur Kitson of Sheffield (which itself had acquired rival operators over the years) and two months later (1st March) changed its name to Sheffield United Tours. BAT later became BET, and Hebble was part of this group too, before all British BET bus/coach operations were acquired by the National Bus Company in January, 1969.

This isn't quite correct.

By 1935 British Automobile Traction (BAT) had ceased to exist - it was formed by BET in 1905 as British Automobile Development Ltd, the name was changed to British Automobile Traction Ltd in 1912, and - following a rationalisation of Tilling and BAT (in which Tilling had acquired a substantial shareholding) shareholdings in associated companies - changed to Tilling & British Automobile Traction (TBAT) in 1928. BAT - or correctly, TBAT - did not become BET . . . in 1942 Tilling and BET decided to split their interests in TBAT, allocating "one company to us, one to you" (under which Hebble did pass to the BET-side), and for which BET formed a new company, BET Omnibus Services Ltd, to act as a holding company.

The coach business of Arthur Kitson was to have been purchased by Yorkshire Traction, a TBAT subsidiary, but before completion the shares were passed to East Midland, a fellow TBAT subsidiary. Subsequent events led to the formation of Sheffield United Tours Ltd, and its co-ownership by TBAT-owned companies East Midland, North Western, Yorkshire and Traction.

BET's bus/coach operations were not acquired by the NBC in January 1969 - they were acquired by the Transport Holding Company (THC) in 1967, the road passenger transport operations of the THC (along with British Railways Board's interests in the four Yorkshire Joint Omnibus Committees) constituted the NBC on 1st January 1969l

 

[341o2]

I think for sheer municipal eccentricity in names it's hard to beat the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Joint Transport and Electricity Board.

When SHM&D replaced its trams in 1945 by trolleybuses, it did not provide any buses, only the wiring. Manchester and Ashton provided them.
The wiring was not dismantled when the two aforementioned systems were abandoned, I believe it lasted for most of the 60's

The Londonderry & Lough Swilly railway Co saw its future in road transport, operating a fleet of buses and lorries from the former railway stations with "L&LS Railway Co" on the road vehicles

 

[JRT]

Kingfisher was a daft name for Yorkshire Rider Huddersfield, especially when FirstBus corporate edicts prevented any kind of development of a brand identity for it. Might have made more sense with a Badgerline style bird graphic.

When the Yorkshire Rider operation was bought out by First Bus, the latter had a short-lived policy of giving each of the constituent cities/towns the opportunity to create its own identity: so YR Bradford became Bradford Traveller in a two-tone blue livery as a nod to its Corporation heritage, Calderline (Halifax/Todmorden) adopted a striking blue/yellow stripe, Kingfisher (Huddersfield) retained a YR-type livery, and Leeds developed its own identity Leeds City Link with a striped orange? scheme.
Of course not long after, First decided to go down the corporate route and all buses irrespective of age were repainted into the Barbie 1 livery.

 

[jammy36]

One that I always found memorable/unusual was the Millbrook Steamboat and Trading Co. who operated ferries in the Plymouth area, but also buses on the Rame Peninsula.

Another whose name always tickled me for some reason was Bassett & Sluggett of Holsworthy in Devon (they always sounded like they should be characters in a Dickens novel!). Oddly the company still trades as Bassett & Sluggett Coaches Ltd. despite having surrendered it's operator's licence and having no coaches. Bassett & Sluggett Coaches Ltd. is now a car repair garage, tyre centre and MOT station.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I remember Syd Jenkins Coal & Transport Co. of Newport around 50 years ago. Don't know what happened to them.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

When the Yorkshire Rider operation was bought out by First Bus, the latter had a short-lived policy of giving each of the constituent cities/towns the opportunity to create its own identity: so YR Bradford became Bradford Traveller in a two-tone blue livery as a nod to its Corporation heritage, Calderline (Halifax) and Kingfisher (Huddersfield) retained a YR-type livery, and Leeds developed its own identity. Of course not long after, First decided to go down the corporate route and all buses irrespective of age were repainted into the Barbie 1 livery.

Yorkshire Rider was bought out by Badgerline rather than First Bus with some of the M reg vehicles being delivered with Badgers by the rear wheel arch.

The split did indeed come under First though with Leeds City Link being the other ID

 

[elbows47]

Many years ago there was an operator called Ron Bott in Abergynolwyn, often known locally as Botty Bus. More prosaic was Scottish Cooperative Coaches and also in London RACS coaches, I seem to remember

 

[MotCO]

Many years ago there was an operator called Ron Bott in Abergynolwyn, often known locally as Botty Bus. More prosaic was Scottish Cooperative Coaches and also in London RACS coaches, I seem to remember

RACS was the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society (now known as the Coop, but without running coaches), and also ran under the Duvals name if I remember correctly.

 

[elbows47]

RACS was the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society (now known as the Coop, but without running coaches), and also ran under the Duvals name if I remember correctly.

There were also various Margo companies, Bexleyheath and Streatham and perhaps others by branches of the same family.

 

[MotCO]

What about Tally Ho coaches in Devon?

 

[Whisky Papa]

When the Yorkshire Rider operation was bought out by First Bus, the latter had a short-lived policy of giving each of the constituent cities/towns the opportunity to create its own identity: so YR Bradford became Bradford Traveller in a two-tone blue livery as a nod to its Corporation heritage, Calderline (Halifax) and Kingfisher (Huddersfield) retained a YR-type livery, and Leeds developed its own identity. Of course not long after, First decided to go down the corporate route and all buses irrespective of age were repainted into the Barbie 1 livery.

I might be misinterpreting you - are you saying Calderline retained a Yorkshire Rider based livery as well as Kingfisher? That wasn't the case, Calderline adopted a quite striking blue/white/yellow scheme that was probably the best of a bad bunch.

Civic pride compels me to point out that Calderline also included Todmorden garage.

 

[Mr Manager]

There were also various Margo companies, Bexleyheath and Streatham and perhaps others by branches of the same family.

Atlas Coaches where a Margo Company. Also Bexleyheath Transport.To name a few.

 

[Ken H]

Quick mention for Arran Transport and Trading. Did buses and local freight transport on the island. Branded themselves Arran Coaches later.

 

[nw1]

Was there a company, or branding, in Hereford around 1993 called "Sit n'Cyder" ? I swear i noticed a minibus with that branding when on a train passing through Hereford at that time. Some sort of pun on "sit inside her", 'her' being the bus presumably, and cider being produced in the area?

Of course I may have misread the branding altogether as it was on the street maybe 50 metres away.

 

[scosutsut]

AC's Taxis and Minibuses, based in Tranent near Edinburgh. On the side of a 2019 VDL Bova Futura that is neither.

 

[Deerfold]

Was there a company, or branding, in Hereford around 1993 called "Sit n'Cyder" ? I swear i noticed a minibus with that branding when on a train passing through Hereford at that time. Some sort of pun on "sit inside her", 'her' being the bus presumably, and cider being produced in the area?

Of course I may have misread the branding altogether as it was on the street maybe 50 metres away.

It appears to have been one of a series of named buses.

http://www.midlandred.net/vehicles/fleetinfo.php?type=609&operator=mrw&page=miscellaneous

When the “Hereford Hopper” minibus service was launched Midland Red West Limited ran a competition to name the buses. As a result almost all of the Mercedes-Benz 609D minibuses in Hereford carried a name above the front doors

1412	Gilbert Harding	1425	Mazeppa
1413	Wye Walk	1426	The Saracen
1414	H.P. Bulmer	1427	David Garrick
1415	Hereford Bull	1428	– not named –
1416	Grandstand	1429†	The Third Choir / The Herefordian
1417	The Kembles	1430	Apple Blossom
1418	St Thomas Cantilupe	1431	Sit’n Cyder
1419	City of Hereford	1432	Nell Gwynne
1420	Maylord	1433	Sarah Siddons
1421	St. Ethelbert	1434	Ron Radford
1422	Sir Edward Elgar	1435	Roaring Meg
1423	Walter De Lacy	1436	On and Offa
1424	David Stirling	1437	Mappa Mundi

 

[Romsey]

Musterphantom (however it traded as Solent Blue Line) or King Alfred.

King Alfred was an appropriate name for an operator in Winchester, the former capital of Wessex.
The statue in the Broadway is a give away!

Statue of Alfred the Great, Winchester, Hampshire | Educational Images | Historic England

In 1899 it was decided to build a statue of King Alfred to mark the millennium of his death - he died 1000 years earlier. He ruled from 849-899. The statue was finished in 1901. It has the inscription 'Aelfred, To the Founder of the Kingdom and Nation'.

historicengland.org.uk

And a dodgy photo from the from the final weeks of King Alfred buses with the statue above one of their Leyland Panthers.

 

[JRT]

I might be misinterpreting you - are you saying Calderline retained a Yorkshire Rider based livery as well as Kingfisher? That wasn't the case, Calderline adopted a quite striking blue/white/yellow scheme that was probably the best of a bad bunch.

Civic pride compels me to point out that Calderline also included Todmorden garage.

(I was probably thinking about the Rider York livery)
Ah yes forgot about that, yes it was a good livery, will correct.

 

[tbtc]

I might be misinterpreting you - are you saying Calderline retained a Yorkshire Rider based livery as well as Kingfisher? That wasn't the case, Calderline adopted a quite striking blue/white/yellow scheme that was probably the best of a bad bunch.

Civic pride compels me to point out that Calderline also included Todmorden garage.

Cursed Folderline definitely had the best of the ex-Rider liveries - always felt very fresh when I saw it in Leeds - I think it'd look quite good on a modern vehicle too

The Leeds CityLink one was quite nice - First did introduce some decent "local" liveries for non-premium vehicles in the era between "Barbie" and "Barbie 2" (e.g. the Edinburgh one which combined the blue of Midland Bluebird, the green of Eastern/SMT and the yellow of Lowland)

(Bradford's "Traveller" livery looked a bit washed out IMHO)

 

[nw1]

It appears to have been one of a series of named buses.

http://www.midlandred.net/vehicles/fleetinfo.php?type=609&operator=mrw&page=miscellaneous

Interesting. I think I probably thought "Sit n'Cyder" was a brand name for all Midland Red West minibuses in the Hereford area, a la "Whippet" (Alder Valley) or "Mini Link" (Badgerline).

 

[RustySpoons]

There used to be a cowboy operator in Blackburn in the early 2000s running minibuses under the 'Blackburn Transport Ltd' name. Nothing unusual in the name I admit, but what was unusual is that the company they were competing heavily against was the well respected municipal at the time 'Blackburn Transport'.

Someone previously mentioned 'Strawberry Bus'. Can't remember much about them, but they did have various promos where ginger people could travel for free.

St Helens Star article

REDHEADS are being offered free rides on St Helens’ newest transport company.

Strawberry Bus is adding a splash of colour to its journeys by offering the free tickets to passengers with fiery-topped manes.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Interesting. I think I probably thought "Sit n'Cyder" was a brand name for all Midland Red West minibuses in the Hereford area, a la "Whippet" (Alder Valley) or "Mini Link" (Badgerline).

Depending on the number of adverts applied, you could be forgiven for not knowing they were Hereford Hoppers (credit to photographer)

On and Offa

Midland Red West E436KUY "on and offa" (?) seen in Hereford, 1988

www.flickr.com