Your all-time favourite bus trip (and why?). Reports welcome

[TheGrandWazoo]

We're now no longer able to take trips (except for essential journeys), so thought I'd emulate the thread on the rail side of the forum. Cast your mind back about a month - those halcyon days when we could travel at will. Perhaps head back further in time....

What have been your favourite bus trips? It could be a single journey or a full days' worth (or even heading from Dover to Dumfries)? Also, why is it your favourite.... the buses involved? You met your future wife? You loved the gritty urban scenery of Hartlepool?

Be interesting to hear people's recollections.

 

[RustySpoons]

I’m not sure I have a favourite bus trip, but I have a most memorable one.

It was about 15 or so years ago, and for whatever reason it was a very quiet day traffic/passenger wise. I’d got on the bus in Nelson (a Burnley & Pendle B10BLE) and sat near the back, heading to Clitheroe. I remember being surprised at how quiet it was considering it was pretty much rush hour. By the time we’d got to Burnley a few more people had got on, but the bus was still only half full if that. One of the passengers was an old lady, who shuffled her way to one of the front seats and sat down.

We got to Burnley, a lot of the passengers got off apart from me, the old lady and a couple of others. After a driver changeover we set off again. By the time we got to Padiham there was only me and the old lady on the bus.

Back then there were two B&P Mainline services to Clitheroe, one went direct from Padiham towards Whalley, and the one I was one which went to Read and then took a rural route round country lanes via Sabden. It was always impressive how a full sized bus could squeeze around the country lanes.

The driver we had on this journey was particularly lead footed. I imagine his driving style would be frowned upon nowadays with Greenroad and other driver snooping tech. It never felt unsafe, he was smooth with his braking and steering, but he was definitely ‘going some’. The sunny summer countryside was flying by at an incredible rate with the 9.6 litre Volvo engine and ZF gearbox providing a wonderfully musical soundtrack. It was only after flying over a bouncy bit of road that I noticed the little old lady sat at the front, clinging onto the window frame with one hand and the seat with the other. Maybe the driver hadn’t seen her sat there, I thought to myself.

Anyway, we got to Whalley, little old lady rang the bell and slowly made her way to the front of the bus and turned to the driver. Uh oh, I thought. She’s going to go mad at him. But no. ‘Do you know driver, that was the best ride I’ve ever had’, and she got off and walked back along the pavement with a massive smile on her face.

Always brings a smile to my face whenever I think of it.

 

[86247]

Their is two bus trips that stick in my mind. many many years ago a good 25 years plus, was getting my last ride on a ribble VR in fact any VR, was from Blackburn to Burnley sat at the front upstairs loving every second of the ride with snow on the hills amazing. The other trip was on a timeline coach from Earlstown back to st helens done the trip in 7 minutes flat it was the fastest ride I've ever had in my life.

 

[Ian Hardy]

On the top deck of a Highland (Rapsons) VR (326 KVF246V) on 14:05 service 80 from John O'Groats to Thurso on 25th March 2004. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, The views across the Pentland Firth to Orkney and of Dunnet Head was lovely. Also I had not expected to see a double deck on such a rural route at that time of year. I think (it was 16 years ago) that I had the top deck to myself for most of journey.

 

[CM]

Travelling from Glasgow to Stirling via Balfron on their Alexander bodied MCW Metrobuses, especially the ones fitted with Cummins L10 engines and 4 Speed Voith gearboxes, they could fair shift down those country roads.

 

[fgwrich]

Both on Bristol VRs and both back in the West Country. You couldn't beat a trip on the former 300, From Penzance to Penzance via St Ives / St Just / Pendeen / Sennen / Lands End etc. The other probably has to be when Rail River Link operated the 3 VRs on the 100 Service. I spent more than enough enjoyable days out on those.

 

[Busaholic]

Not favourite exactly, but most memorable bus trip was one home from school in London around 1961. There'd been thick fog all day, but there were never any concessions from school on going home early, and, in any case, our free passes wouldn't have been valid. The journey was six or seven miles, including a diversion around an estate, but after what seemed like an hour down the South Circular we got to the large roundabout at Eltham Green and the conductor went round to the driver's cab for a conflab, whereupon I witnessed something never seen by me before or since, and the conductor lit a flare and walked in front of the bus, up the fairly steep Eltham Hill which wasn't on the route, but avoided the estate diversion. We got to Eltham Church, whereupon the conductor rejoined the platform and the bus got a 'turn' from the inspector at Southend Crescent, two stops on and virtually home for me anyway. I made my excuses later and raced round to Southend Crescent to find the 160 still there, plus two buses also out of Catford on the 124, and gathered that the three buses were going to attempt a convoy back the way the 160 had come, with each bus taking a turn in leading for part of the way. That was also the day when a 51B, a peak hour route not seen in Eltham after about 6 p.m., produced a bus into the Eltham, Well Hall bus station about 8 p.m.! It then had somehow to get back to Sidcup Garage. All this on open platform buses - who'd dare say bus crews are overpaid?!

 

[Geordie driver]

First route I ever drove, Newcastle/Blyth 404 out X24 back, I thought " blimey, what a canny job, I am set for life".

Really miss those days.

Edit, it was a Bristol VR, which after the Lodekkas we had trained on was a dream to drive.

 

[Llandudno]

A current cracking bus route:

508 Stagecoach commercial service
Windermere to Penrith via Kirkstone Pass

I travelled on it on a Friday lunchtime at the end of September, standing load between Glenridding and Pooley Bridge!

 

[Stan Drews]

I had family in Eastbourne and made a few visits there on my own, during my teen years - late 70s, early 80s. A trip I always enjoyed was the 712 from Eastbourne to Brighton, especially when one of the Park Royal bodied Atlanteans turned up. There are some epic climbs on that route which tested any bus, including regular use of 1st gear, or even crawler gear where fitted. I’d happily travel back and forth along the coast on the Atlanteans and VRs.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I don’t travel on buses an awful lot but a few stick out as particularly memorable.

• Last May, I took a bus from Llandudno to Bangor and I was very impressed how the bus was able to squeeze through all of the country lanes and cattle grids etc.
• My first Routemaster journey back in about 2014 on route 15 end-to-end. For no other reason than it being a Routemaster.
• In May 2018 from Cubao to Baguio on my annual jaunt to The Philippines. I’d just come off an 18 hour flight, and purchased a crate of booze and, like a teenager, we all got quite intoxicated, to say the least . Fun times.

 

[bussnapperwm]

For me it's a choice between the Olys on the Canterbury to Plucks Gutter Stagecoach East Kent service (especially the required reversal mid route at Wickhambeaux), a Scania E400 between Hastings and Dover Stagecoach East Kent, any trip on a Leeds FTR, or Weymouth to Bridgport on a First B7 decker

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I know it is a cheat but my first spotters bus trip with NCTS- Northern Counties Transport Society. It was a B&J Leyland Leopard I think. We went from Manchester to Sheffield then to Plymouth and various depots on the way. It was about 27 hours in total. Fabulous memories.

 

[Llandudno]

I don’t travel on buses an awful lot but a few stick out as particularly memorable.

• Last May, I took a bus from Llandudno to Bangor and I was very impressed how the bus was able to squeeze through all of the country lanes and cattle grids etc.
• My first Routemaster journey back in about 2014 on route 15 end-to-end. For no other reason than it being a Routemaster.
• In May 2018 from Cubao to Baguio on my annual jaunt to The Philippines. I’d just come off an 18 hour flight, and purchased a crate of booze and, like a teenager, we all got quite intoxicated, to say the least . Fun times.

Country lanes and cattle grids on the bus from Llandudno to Bangor?
There are four buses per hour in each direction on the 5/X5 route, not overly rural but some nice sea views!

If you want rural catch the 75 from Llandudno to Llanfairfechan Railway Station via the Sychnant Pass, only a couple of times per day though!

 

[Darandio]

The 722/723 from Darlington to Newcastle, but not necessarily for the bus journey alone. Could buy an explorer ticket at Ferryhill and go to Darlington and spend the morning at Bank Top then go through to Newcastle and spend the afternoon at Central before going home. Some days I would do Durham station in between as well. I'm sure it was something daft like £4 back then.

 

[43055]

I don’t travel on buses an awful lot but a few stick out as particularly memorable.

• Last May, I took a bus from Llandudno to Bangor and I was very impressed how the bus was able to squeeze through all of the country lanes and cattle grids etc.
• My first Routemaster journey back in about 2014 on route 15 end-to-end. For no other reason than it being a Routemaster.
• In May 2018 from Cubao to Baguio on my annual jaunt to The Philippines. I’d just come off an 18 hour flight, and purchased a crate of booze and, like a teenager, we all got quite intoxicated, to say the least . Fun times.

I agree with you on the 5/X5 in north Wales.
The 840 between Pickering and Whitby is also very nice.

 

[SteveyBee131]

My favourite bus route ever is probably what was once the 241, it ran Sheffield to Bakewell via the Eastern end of Snake Pass, Ladybower, Hathersage and Bamford. Absolutely stunning scenery whatever the weather and time of year. I often used it as a fitting way to start a day out on a Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket. Once upon a time TM Travel had the privilege of running the route, and often produced one of their ex-Dublin Olympians, either Leyland or Volvo, which among an ever increasing array of low-floor modernity were heavenly enough Then, one day in the height of summer, and my first experience of an ex-Lothian Leyland Olympian (J850TSC possibly???), well absolute bliss ensued for the next hour and a half or thereabouts!

Changes to the route and contract around 2011ish meant it went low floor minibus, and indeed a different way round so isn't quite the same anymore. But the memories shall live on!

 

[ivanhoe]

A number of years ago now, but Dolgellau to Machynlleth was a really nice ride. It was jointly operated at the time by Arriva and I think Lloyd’s. Arriva have since left Dolgellau but I seem to think that each other’s tickets were allowable on either operators buses for that route.We were staying in a bunk house somewhere en route (Corris). I did do the whole trip though on a free day. Seemed a lot nicer than my usual trips on the 127 Loughborough to Leicester, or 82, Speke to City Centre! Suppose, I was starting from a low threshold

 

[185]

Age 12.
"Mum I'm going to the shops."

1C Wallasey to Chester
X1 Chester-Llandudno
X5 Llandudno-Bangor-Caernarfon
2 Caernarfon-Dolgellau
94 Dolgellau-Wrexham
1 Wrexham-Chester
1C Chester-Wallasey

Six Olympians and an Optare Delta. I didn't say which shops

 

[johnw]

Casting my mind back to the early 1990s and as a young teenager buying a United Counties explorer ticket and riding around the Coachlinks network. Starting in Northamptonshire and going via Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire on Tigers, Leopards, B10Ms, Olympians and VRTs substituting for coaches.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Good to hear all of these recollections and reports.

Thought I'd share a trip of mine and it isn't that long ago. The better half was away for the weekend in June 2018 and you might remember that we were experiencing some stunning weather. Having not "done" South Wales for a while, I headed to near Cwmbran and headed off on a clockwise trip. The buses were fine and the multi operator SE Wales network rider meant five operators in one day and some nice if unremarkable vehicles.

However, the weather was beautiful and that really did help. Everywhere looks nice in the sun. That just added to the scenery and there was something almost Mediterranean about looking across the Bristol Channel on the 303 - well worth a trip anyway as you hug the Glamorgan coast but quite exceptional that day. I did a short trip to Ogmore Vale, simply because I fancied it and then caught the 172 to Aberdare - again, a trip that I can only recommend as you traverse the Valleys at right angles and go up and over and down and then back up. It's a superb journey.

I also had a trip on one of the nearly new Gold e200s to Caerphilly (now since reallocated) and they are some of the nicest vehicles about. Aside from a slight misstep when I thought of travelling north (hence the trip to Wingfield and then back to Caerphilly), it was then a trip back to Newport and again through some what were once industrial cauldrons but are now lush verdant valleys.

It isn't that long ago, and the buses were very much of the e200/e300/Solo variety but the weather and scenery was fantastic. If you get the chance to ride on the 172 or 303, you really should do it!!

ps attached a little diagram that I knocked up in 5 mins whilst bored

 

[delt1c]

The trip back from Hammersmith Brook Green to Dalston Garage on the last duty at night. Clear roads , regular passengers used to love it

 

[AJM580]

Routemaster on route 11 Victoria - Liverpool Street via the tourist route

For scenery had to be the trip from Windermere - Buttermere with a break for fish and chips in Keswick between buses, then over Honister Pass to Buttermere covering the last two legs of an all day journey from Norwich. (train to Windermere via Manchester & Preston)

Also enjoyed the ride to my first job after leaving school, involved Bristol Lodekkas along the Dereham Road in Norwich to the high school at Costessey where I was helping out in the Computer Studies department.

 

[Busaholic]

The trip back from Hammersmith Brook Green to Dalston Garage on the last duty at night. Clear roads , regular passengers used to love it

Or the last one on a Saturday night from Farnborough George to Dalston Garage, reputedly could just about be done in under an hour! In the spirit of the Dalston driver who jumped the opening Tower Bridge, obviously.

 

[James101]

Perhaps it's nostalgia but I look back fondly at my first local bus route - the 1 in Hartlepool as it happens (as referenced in the OP). The town section is fairly mundane, it gets interesting from Seaton Carew through to Middlesbrough. The Art Deco bus station in Seaton Carew is splendid, give it a Google. It stands as a monument to the village's heyday as a resort, service 1 being the last remaining service, perhaps relegating the structure to Britain's most elaborate bus shelter?

The route double backs up & down Elizabeth Way past a shelter on which a blue-painted skirt panel went missing about a decade ago, revealing the original maroon colour of Hartlepool Transport beneath, it was still as such last time I visited a few months ago. It's then express to Middlesbrough down the Tees Road. The road is through some of the densest heavy industry in the region; a nuclear power station, petrol refineries & chemical plants. Very few actual workplaces can be seen from the road, more hectares of pipework and flare stacks networking over the salt marshes either side of the road. The uninhabitable landscape makes a great nature reserve, particularly as the bus zips over Greatham Creek at Seal Sands, their namesake can be seen basking on the muddy beaches, safe from human intrusion.

The area is a labyrinth of pools & creeks which lead to substantial subsidence along the 5 mile stretch to Port Clarence, making for a rocky if exhilarating ride at top speed as the drivers made the most of their one run off the urban network. It was most amplified on on a ex Busways Olympian, riding top deck wasn't so much bumpy as sharing the sensation of being on a ship on rolling seas. I mainly remember the period inanition after Stagecoach takeover, enjoying a mix of native Dennis Falcons and Leyland Nationals, onto Lynxes and B10Ms. The road has seen extensive refurbishment and speed restrictions in recent years to alleviate the flooding and subsidence and the traction is also more subdued, though the reasonable rare Stagecoach MAN A66s sometimes found their at least make an interesting noise when pressed hard.

 

[delt1c]

Or the last one on a Saturday night from Farnborough George to Dalston Garage, reputedly could just about be done in under an hour! In the spirit of the Dalston driver who jumped the opening Tower Bridge, obviously.

That last one from the George was a nightmare unless you left about 20 mins late you had to crawl along to keep time. In winter you froze as the one big problem with the RM,s was the heating unless you were motoring .

 

[65477]

Not an "all time favourite" bus trip but rather than start a new thread this seems appropriate to show what we can no longer do:

One positive outcome of the "lock-down" is that I have finally got round to digitising and cataloguing both my photo collection and trip logs. These include both train and bus trips and go back 50 years to 1970,the year I left school and started commuting to London. Employment gave me the income for travel and to start "serious" photography.

From my logs it seems that my peak bus travel was autumn/winter 1973/74. There is a logical reason for that. In 1972 I left work to study at the Polytechnic of Central London. From '72 - '74 I was a full time student. Initially my main interest was trains but I managed to get a summer job in 1973 with LT, working at 55 Broadway, This gave me three months of free travel on LT services. Through this my interest in buses grew and so upon my return to Poly' in the autumn I started to explore the LT bus area more and more. The most epic journey I undertook seems to have been on 5th January 1974 as follows: (route no, bus [using LT vehicle codes], journey)

397 RT621 Harlow - Bishops Stortford
720 RP7 BS - Epping
718 RP39 Epp - London Victoria
712 RF85 Vic - Epsom
406 RT4647 Epsom - Reigate
406 RT3153 Reigate - Redhill
405 RCL2222 Redhill - Crawley
727 RP2 Crawley - Heathrow
724 RP14 Heathrow - Harlow

With the loss of most of the Greenline bus routes such an itinerary would be impossible today. Harlow - Victoria alone (by bus) would take three hours on buses using four routes. Although if Airport buses were allowed taking a bus from Harlow to Stansted Airport and coach to London would be faster. Once I have cross referenced my pictures with logs I will add some images.

 

[RELL6L]

So difficult to answer this as I am lucky to have so many to choose from.

Probably my longest and furthest flung trips have been the most enjoyable. Some of these, impossible to rank and therefore in no particular order, are:

• Windermere – Ulverston – Barrow – (train) - Whitehaven – Workington – Maryport – Cockermouth – Keswick – Seatoller – Keswick – Windermere
• Grange-over-Sands – Ulverston – Coniston – Ambleside – Bowness – Penrith – Keswick – Kendal – Grange-over-Sands
• Durham – Newcastle – Corbridge – Hexham – Allenheads – (taxi - pre-booked!) - St John’s Chapel – Stanhope – Bishop Auckland – Durham
• Leeds – Harrogate – Ripon – Richmond – Darlington – Barnard Castle – Bishop Auckland – Darlington – (train) - Leeds
• The only two day staying away trip I have done: Doncaster – Selby – York – Pickering – Whitby – Robin Hood’s Bay – Scarborough (overnight stop) – Filey – Bridlington – Beverley – Hull – Scunthorpe – Doncaster.
• Middleton – Rochdale – Littleborough – Todmorden – Hebden Bridge – Heptonstall - (walk) – Hebden Bridge – Haworth – Keighley – Skipton – Ilkley – Leeds – (train) – Manchester - Middleton
• Welshpool – Llanfyllin – Oswestry – Chirk – Froncysyllte – (walk over aqueduct) - Trevor – Barmouth – (train) Aberdyfi – Machynlleth – Newtown – Welshpool
• Carmarthen – (train) - Haverfordwest – St Davids – Fishguard – Cardigan – New Quay – Aberaeron – Carmarthen
• Caernarfon – Pwllheli – Abersoch – Aberdaron – Pwllheli – Porthmadog – Beddgelert – Caernarfon
• Anything in the western half of Wales, especially including Aberystwyth, Tenby or Llandudno (not all together!)

This appears lopsided in that there’s nothing in the southern half of England even though I live there. This is not representative as I have had many great trips all over, including the West Country, East Anglia and the Peak District to mention just three areas, but none individually so dramatic as those making the above list.

Why? The scenery mostly, discovery of new places, the freedom of the great British outdoors. And I do simply enjoy travelling on buses. And I wish I could do it now – what a great week this would have been!

These are all since I restarted making trips once my kids had grown up. Going back to the days before family there were some really good trips but not as well remembered in the detail:

• Inverness – Perth – Dundee – Aberdeen – Elgin (via Banff, what is the 35 now) – Inverness
• Overnight London to Newcastle on a Metroliner double deck coach, can’t remember who ran it (Armstrong Galley?) – Newcastle – Morpeth – Rothbury – Otterburn – Bellingham – Hexham – Consett then somehow back to Newcastle and overnight to London
• From Oxford, train to Swansea then – Carmarthen – Lampeter – Aberystwyth – Machynlleth Dolgellau – Wrexham – overnight coach back to Oxford
• Age 12 from St Albans – Kingston – Gravesend – ferry to Tilbury – Romford – St Albans using three orbital Green Line routes and the 370.

 

[56 1/2]

Not an "all time favourite" bus trip but rather than start a new thread this seems appropriate to show what we can no longer do:

One positive outcome of the "lock-down" is that I have finally got round to digitising and cataloguing both my photo collection and trip logs. These include both train and bus trips and go back 50 years to 1970,the year I left school and started commuting to London. Employment gave me the income for travel and to start "serious" photography.

From my logs it seems that my peak bus travel was autumn/winter 1973/74. There is a logical reason for that. In 1972 I left work to study at the Polytechnic of Central London. From '72 - '74 I was a full time student. Initially my main interest was trains but I managed to get a summer job in 1973 with LT, working at 55 Broadway, This gave me three months of free travel on LT services. Through this my interest in buses grew and so upon my return to Poly' in the autumn I started to explore the LT bus area more and more. The most epic journey I undertook seems to have been on 5th January 1974 as follows: (route no, bus [using LT vehicle codes], journey)

397 RT621 Harlow - Bishops Stortford
720 RP7 BS - Epping
718 RP39 Epp - London Victoria
712 RF85 Vic - Epsom
406 RT4647 Epsom - Reigate
406 RT3153 Reigate - Redhill
405 RCL2222 Redhill - Crawley
727 RP2 Crawley - Heathrow
724 RP14 Heathrow - Harlow

With the loss of most of the Greenline bus routes such an itinerary would be impossible today. Harlow - Victoria alone (by bus) would take three hours on buses using four routes. Although if Airport buses were allowed taking a bus from Harlow to Stansted Airport and coach to London would be faster. Once I have cross referenced my pictures with logs I will add some images.

Fantastic trip, please do give us some pictures, of course you were well outside LT, LCBS had taken over the green empire in 1970. I might have stayed on the 712 all the way to Dorking, RFs working on coaches were always a joy.

 

[GusB]

Thanks for sharing your trips. I intend to get out and about a bit more once restrictions are eased, including exploring a bit more of my local area. I've only ever done the 35 Aberdeen to Elgin route once, but it was only because I'd missed the 10 and it was going to be another two hours before the next one. I'd like to do the coast run in slightly better weather.

A couple of favourites of mine:

• Aberdeen to Edinburgh via the coast (A92). Most Citylink and National Express journeys used to take this route rather than the more direct A94 (as it was then), and it was quite pleasant either in the early morning or coming back in the evening when the roads were a bit quieter. If I was up early enough I'd try to go for the service that departed around 7am. That diagram was operated for a time by Bebb's and usually produced one of their Setras - lovely coaches to travel on. Nowadays I suppose I'd use the X7.
• Inverness - Edinburgh. If it was a nice day I'd prefer taking the stoppers rather than the few limited-stop services. If they were running early or on time they'd often head along the old A9 south from Aviemore rather than taking the main road. In the hands of the right (or wrong!) driver, it could be quite a hair-raising experience on one of Rapson's older B10Ms, and there was usually a guaranteed "refreshment" stop at Pitlochry for those who have bad habits After Perth came the 80mph dash down the M90. Happy days!