A Virtual Trip on the Royal Blue Run

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

"Do they run every Friday?" asked a lady at London's Victoria Coach Station on Friday morning, gesturing to the eight vintage coaches which had just pulled onto the stands as if fifty years had slipped down the back of the sofa... 

"And where do I book a ticket for next week?"

As it happens, there's only one Royal Blue & Associated Motorways long distance coach run each year; it takes much of the remaining year to recover and plan the next one! But it's an opportunity for drivers and passengers to experience what was once an every day occurrence for the coaches and the people they served.

Photo: Keith Valla

In case you missed our run last weekend, here's a virtual run for which no booking is required. We begin at Victoria Coach Station, nowadays the start of almost 10 million journeys each year, so we were delighted to be invited back and accommodated so well by Transport for London (TfL).

Photo: Keith Valla

Ahead of our 1030 departure, coaches assembled in familiar surroundings for the public to view, while drivers received their briefing for the day ahead.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

This year's journey - using authentic Royal Blue routes wherever possible - was to take us from London to Bristol (Day 1), from Bristol to Bath and Bournemouth (Day 2), then on an excursion to Lulworth Cove and the New Forest (Day 3). The days would be long, as they would have been in bygone days of coach travel, with refreshment stops en-route.

Photo: Keith Valla

The assembled coaches departed Victoria Coach Station at 1030, with the lead coach - Royal Blue Bristol LL6B 1250 (LTA 729) - driven from the coach station by Leon Daniels, TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport.

Photo: Keith Valla

Passing through the coach station's famous exit onto Elizabeth Street, coaches travelled via Buckingham Palace Road onto the Embankment and along the River Thames. Picking up the A4 at Earl's Court, they negotiated heavy traffic through Hammersmith and Chiswick before moving out onto the open road towards Heathrow, Colnbrook, Slough, Maidenhead and Reading.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

 Here are some hungry coach drivers, assembling for a canteen lunch which was very kindly hosted by our friends at Reading Buses. Best of all, it was Fish 'n' Chip Friday! The more hardy photographers worked through lunch as can be seen, as 1250 receives attention from one of Reading Buses' off-duty drivers. The variety of traction can be seen, with dates of manufacture spanning 1947 (Lionel's Bristol L6B on the right) to 1968 (the Bristol RE coach in the centre, flanked by two slightly earlier REs, including Ruby complete with lipstick).

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Whilst the route is meticulously planned and documented, we have to respond to live traffic conditions and we were kindly tipped-off about some delays in Thatcham which would affect our proposed route out of Reading along the A4. Consequently, coaches (mostly good for 50mph or more) followed the M4 for a short stretch to Junction 13, where we picked up the A4 at Newbury.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

At Marlborough, the pretty town scene is often dominated by cars, but fine sights such as this were to be recorded as RE 2351, enjoying a break, is passed by an energetic 1460. (The latter has a semi-automatic gearbox, while the former has constant-mesh, so the need for a left-leg break is quite understandable.)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Typical of the view enjoyed by passengers, the open road and rolling countryside are seen here from Wilts & Dorset Bristol L6B, 279 (EMW 284), very at home bowling through the Wiltshire countryside near Calne. The weather for Day 1 was mixed but generally kind, with coaches remaining clean after days of polishing before the run.

Photo: Stuart Turner

 We're very grateful to the many photographers who share their roadside shots with us, as the weekend can be very intense for drivers who often don't get the chance to observe the coaches in action. Here, in a superb shot by Stuart Turner, newly restored Bristol LS6G 1286 (MOD 973) - on loan to the Trust - is caught ascending Sidbury Hill having unusually claimed pole position from LL6B 1250 back in Newbury. 1250 gives chase, as does enthusiastic Bristol Greyhound Bristol MW 2138 (BHU 92C).

Photo: Stuart Turner

Beyond Bath, late MW 1423 is seen reaching a summit towards Newton St. Loe.

In Bristol, we were welcomed to the City's fine M-Shed museum, celebrating its fifth anniversary that evening with a special on-site party for staff. The arrival of the coaches (by now swollen in number to fourteen) was kept as a surprise by their Managing Director and we duly delighted both staff and public alike.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

279 is seen beneath the dockside cranes while below, items of Bristol's maritime past rise from behind a line-up that is very much 'Made in Bristol'.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Whilst M-Shed was our official destination for Day 1 of the run, several coaches completed a tour of the famous Downs en-route to their hotels. Seen 'up on the Downs' (an expression which makes perfect sense in Bristol), 2270 makes a fine sight alongside the Avon Gorge and Brunel's Clifton Suspension bridge.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

The route for Day 2 was designed to commemorate 50 years since the final train on the Somerset & Dorset railway, a much loved and mourned route that ran through Royal Blue heartland from Bath to Bournemouth.

Our route intertwined with several famous S&D locations, recreating in part the former rail replacement service that was created when the line closed in 1966.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Courtesy of our friends at First, we were invited to begin the day's run at Lawrence Hill depot, the former Central Works of Bristol Omnibus Company. By now totaling fifteen, the coaches assembled amongst the contemporary First buses not already out earning their keep on a Saturday morning, somewhat outnumbering them in our corner of the depot! 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

A range of Associated Motorways operators was represented on the run, including Crosville and Bristol Greyhound alongside Royal Blue. 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Comradery is a big feature of the run, with high spirits prevailing over even the most heated disputes about navigation! Below, Team Widdly Diddly (Wilts & Dorset), confident in their impeccable route knowledge, recite lines from The Titfield Thunderbolt as they approach an appropriate part of the world.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: Jeff Day

Having passed Bath Green Park station (the S&D's northern terminus), coaches climbed Devonshire Hill (through which the S&D tunnelled) and descended into Radstock, where they passed over the former level crossings of both the S&D and the Great Western Railway. Climbing up Silver Street past Midsomer Norton station (where a stretch of the S&D has now reopened as a preserved railway) the two early-style MWs appear to be having great fun.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

The former Evercreech Junction station is a place of pilgrimage for S&D enthusiasts and the adjacent Natterjack Inn couldn't have been a more appropriate venue for a lunch stop. Also highly appropriate, Mike Walker's Bristol Greyhound MW is said to have been amongst those to operate the S&D replacement service, so appears on familiar ground here as it crosses over the site of the former level crossing towards lunch. 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Evercreech Junction is a remote location, defined where the S&D main line to Bath diverged from the first-built line to Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea. Much of the station site is now an industrial estate, although previously it was used for the storage of withdrawn Southern National vehicles in the 70s and 80s. Paying tribute to its less fortunate ancestors, 1250 enjoys a break alongside the former station buildings.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Driving coaches burns many calories, and those of the bygone age must have been fit men. (Unless, of course, they replenished with chips.) Our Natterjack lunch was a 'Proper Job' and we're very grateful to them for such a warm welcome - plus an excellent photo shared on their Facebook page.

Photo: The Natterjack Inn

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Onward, via Castle Cary and Bruton, we tracked the S&D through Henstridge and Shillingstone, where coaches ran for a time in a pleasing convoy for photographers. 

After a stop for ice creams in Blandford, coaches travelled via Poole into Bournemouth. Our destination here is known today as Queens Road Coach Park, built on the site of the S&D's former terminus station at Bournemouth West. 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Here, RE 1460 looks out to the former Midland Hotel (now flats), which derived its name from the Midland Railway who jointly operated the S&D. A victorious line-up of smiling coaches concluded the route for Day 2, all fourteen coaches having completed the journey without trouble.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Day 3 was to be an excursion from Bournemouth to Lulworth Cove, followed by a trip across the New Forest to Lyndhurst. Tired but happy faces were in attendance at the morning briefing, some passengers in dark glasses after a night out in Poole... 

Note the Co-Op's new medium-weight range on display in the window. Something for slimmers.

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

The journey to Lulworth Cove was spectacular, as was the sight of the coaches descending the hill en-masse. 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

After morning tea in the secret garden (it was Sunday, after all), a walk to the cove itself gave participants an opportunity to swap stories about the route, nights out in Poole, all-night Birthday parties with the Village People or any other unexpected sidetracks from the Royal Blue Run!

If only all were as focussed as Team Widdly Diddly.

Photo: Tim Stubbs

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

The coaches attracted much interest from the public visiting Lulworth Cove, including one who asked if they were "always here?"... perhaps a sister of the passenger at Victoria?

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

The penultimate leg of the run took us to Milford-on-Sea for lunch, where coaches and passengers alike were able to enjoy a clear view of The Needles across the Solent. Here, the two L-types perform a PV2 salute to their Southern Vectis cousins, helped by a late MW plotting to steal its owner's picnic.

Photo: Tim Stubbs

A trek across the New Forest to Beaulieu Motor Museum brought natural hazards for the drivers to negotiate, much to the enjoyment of their passengers, as well as spectacular views of the kind that had once made these sorts of day tours so popular. 

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Reaching Lyndhurst on time, all thirteen of the day's participants completed the run without incident. Eight had made the full three day trip from London, with only the journey home to locations as disparate as the Midlands, the West Country and the Home Counties to make before a good rest.

 Where to next? A question for next year certainly - but definitely not for next Friday...

Photo: TV&GWOT (DS)

Our thanks to everybody who makes the run happen, the owners and drivers, those who allow us to use their facilities along the way and, of course, our Supporters for their tireless work in researching the routes and preparing vehicles. Thanks also to those who have shared their excellent photographs of the run so far, many of which are featured here with kind permission - we hope you'll continue to post on our Facebook page (using #RB16) or email them to the Trust via www.tvagwot.org.uk.

Return to Didcot

Our second Didcot Transport Rally took place on Sunday, a joint venture between the Trust and Didcot Railway Centre.

With more than 30 buses on display, 14 in use on free bus services, traction engines, vintage cars and steam at the railway centre, there was much for our visitors to enjoy.

As well as shuttling between the rally site and Didcot Parkway station, free vintage bus services ran on authentic former GWR Road Motors routes to Wantage, Blewbury, Wallingford and East Hendred. We recorded 2,409 passenger journey across all routes.

Thames Valley vehicles from the 'home' fleet included 446, our Bristol K6A; 152, 556, and D40, respectively the Tilling Stevens, Bristol LL6B and FLF6G currently on-loan to the Trust; and 748, Peter Pribik's Bristol KSW6B. There was a welcome star-appearance from 620, an ex. United Welsh Bristol LD6G which joined Thames Valley in 1969. This has been owned and cared for by Brockham Scouts since its retirement from Alder Valley in 1975. 620 is the only Bristol LD with a Thames Valley pedigree known to survive.

There was an exotic selection of visiting traction, including contrasting Bristol REs from Ulsterbus, Crosville and Eastern Counties, an AEC Regal from Oxford Bus Museum, a former Reading Mainline Routemaster, plus Bristol VRs from Southdown and Western National - and many more.

As ever, we're very grateful to the owners and crews of visiting vehicles, as well as our Supporters who worked hard on the day. Trust Supporter Jonathan Radley was responsible for the bus and coach element of the event and his tremendous organisational skills, plus months of hard work, ensured the event was a great success for our visitors. We are also grateful to the teams at Didcot Railway Centre for their help and support.

Meanwhile, some Supporters may still be there now, working out how to get our tent down...

A Special Garden Party

We were invited to a very special garden party this weekend, to celebrate the 80th Birthday of Sir William McAlpine. Here's the 'garden'...

The party was the unique Fawley Hill Steam & Vintage Weekend, laid on by the McAlpines as an opportunity for charities like ours to showcase what they do to the public, to fundraise and recruit new support.

Our stand and display had a strong Thames Valley flavour, appropriate for the area, with five 'Valley vehicles joined by our Great Western Guy FBB and friends from neighbouring fleets. Tilling Stevens 152 (MO 9324) arrived under its own power, along with our Bristol K6A 446 (DBL 154), Graham Tyler's LL6B 556 (FMO 938), Peter Pribik's KSW6B 748 (JRX 823) and FLF6G D40 (GRX 140D).

Besides our buses, attractions included camel racing, a ride on Sir William's full sized garden steam railway, parachutists, stunt aviation, a railway museum and a full fairground. Here's our stand as viewed from the helter skelter!

There was great interest in the vehicles and our forthcoming events, particularly Didcot Railway Centre Transport Rally, now less than a fortnight away on 5 June. If you came to see us for the first time, we hope you'll consider returning your form to become a Supporter of the Trust to continue the good work you inspected at the weekend.

As always, many thanks to the volunteers who helped to assemble the display, crew our stand and answer questions from visitors. And, of course, our thanks to Sir William and Lady Judy for welcoming us to the event.

Penzance: Painting By Numbers

If you came along to our 2016 Penzance Running Day, jointly organised with our pals at Cornwall Bus Preservation Society, you'll know what all the fuss is about. 

The glorious scenery of West Cornwall, together with guaranteed sunshine, makes for an excellent day out in itself. Add to that 30 vintage buses, many of them native, and this is the kind of magic our visitors enjoy.

Passenger numbers were up 20% on the previous year, at 5,836 journeys. The most popular destinations were St. Ives (visited by 1,609 passengers on three different routes), followed by St Just (903 passengers) and Land's End (640 passengers).

For the first time, we had 10 Bristol VR double decekers in service, the type whose retirement from service was celebrated by the inaugural Penzance event in 2006. a decade later, they were out in force, and Western National blue/cream/red-liveried 1230 carried more passengers than any other bus on the day (400).

The two native Bristol SUS single deckers, 600 and 603, proved to be the most popular vehicles by percentage utilisation (running 91% and 85% full respectively).

Despite a mechanical problem with one bus (a Bristol LH) and two buses which were unfortunately unable to attend on the day, all our timetabled services ran as planned.

Our thanks go to everybody who helped to make the day such a success for all the passengers and onlookers.

Save the day for next year: Sunday 16 April.

A Happy Easter

688 passengers joined us for our first event of the year: a free heritage bus service to compliment the South Devon Railway's Easter Gala.

As in previous years, our services connected Buckfastleigh with Ashburton and Staverton, following the course of Western National Service 169, the rail replacement service which ran when the Ashburton branch line was closed temporarily for works and, ultimately, by Dr Beeching. In addition, we introduced a new route connecting Staverton and Landscove, recreating a portion of Western National Service 165.

Bristol H5G 137 (FJ 8967) was in use throughout the three days, accompanied by a second vehicle that varied each day.

On Saturday, Bristol SUL 420 (270 KTA) was used for Ashburton runs in the morning. Its (7'6") width allowed it to relieve the 'H' on the Landscove route in the afternoon, making for this pleasant Spring scene at the terminus.

On Easter Sunday, Ashburton services were provided through the day by Bristol LWL5G 1613 (LTA 772), a regular performer on our South Devon Railway Gala services.

On Easter Monday, Bristol FLF6G 1969 (468 FTT) made its first appearance at an SDR Gala, again for use on Ashburton runs. Here it is seen pausing at Buckfast Abbey on its outward journey to Ashburton.

Despite mixed weather the services proved popular, with some near-full loads on the 'H'. Our next collaboration with the South Devon Railway will be their 1940s Festival on July 2 and 3. See you there?

Joining Up

Keeping old buses alive for the public to enjoy takes bus loads of time, effort, passion and funds. 

Earlier this year we formed a group to help the Trust with these ingredients. Known as our Supporters, over 100 individuals have already signed-up and many are starting to play some vital roles in the Trust's charitable work, from assisting with vehicle restoration and maintenance to helping at our public events. Some are supporting our activities from afar, contributing vital funds and sharing their knowledge via our new Supporters' magazine.

If you haven't already joined, now is a really exciting time to become a Supporter.

The Trust has just enjoyed its busiest Summer to date, with a record number of events attracting more members of the public than ever before. We now have a Winter of activity to plan and look forward to, with vehicle restoration, archiving and 2016 event planning projects already in progress.

The first two editions of To and Fro' , our exclusive quarterly magazine, have received rave reviews from Supporters, who have quickly made it their own with a range of contributions. In each edition, we try to combine a mix of Trust news with articles and features that have a lasting value to the bookshelf, always catering for a broad range of interests across the eras and geography of the patch. 

Issue 001 includes an illustrated history of the early 'British' operations in the Thames Valley area, celebrated at our TV100 centenary event in August. For express coaching fans, there's an illustrated discussion of the paper branding used by Royal Blue and others through the years. As well as an account of the Supporters' inaugural tour with our Thames Valley K6A, there's a profile of our 1927 GWR Guy, including its rescue and restoration. 

We are honoured to feature, as an ongoing serialisation in To and Fro', the memoires of the late Dave Farmer - a former Taunton-based Western National driver - bequeathed to us with their preservation and celebration in mind. Brilliantly observed and recounted with great humour, Dave's tales are a unique and delightful record of life as a West Country bus driver in the 1940s, through the '50s, '60s and beyond. They, alone, are worth signing up to read.

Issue 002 of To and Fro' reports on our Kingsbridge Running Day and TV100 events, and comemmorates the demise of First's bus operations in South Devon (the final incarnation of Western National there). There's a celebration of an important Royal Blue/Bristol Greyhound anniversary, an illustrated profile of the unique South Midland Bristol REX prototype, a profile and history of the Thames Valley K6A and a must-read account of Dave Farmer's driving test in a dubiously braked Leyland Lion!

For a limited time, new Supporters will receive editions 001 and 002 as part of their welcome. Issue 003, due before Christmas, will feature articles on Royal Blue coaching refreshment stops and Thames Valley's Bracknell depot, plus discussion in our new 'Letters' column on, amongst other things, Western/Southern National ticket machines.

To and Fro' is just one of the many exclusive benefits enjoyed by Supporters as a result of working closely with the Trust. As a Supporter, you will have the opportunity to volunteer for a wide range of Trust activities should you wish, and learn new skills as you go. As well as opportunities to work on vehicles and help at public events, we have a significant archive and museum facility that we'd welcome your help to maintain. There is also a thriving social element to the Supporters, offering the opportunity to make new friends across the country.

If we've tempted you to become a Supporter of the Trust, please visit our website now to join online.

Kingsbridge 2015: The Stats

The Trust's 2015 Kingsbridge Running Day set new records, with more visitors, more vehicles and more routes than ever before.

TV&GWOT's own team of statisticians has been counting up everything from passenger numbers to paw prints. We thought you might enjoy their findings.

2015's event saw more passengers enjoying rides on the buses than ever before, with 5,836 single passenger journeys recorded. With a record 39 buses in service, we coped well with the crowds, buses running on average at 61% capacity.

Photo: John Killick

Wildlife turned out in all its various forms too, with canine ridership up 30% on last year, at 63 dog journeys recorded. No wonder this cat was so concerned...

(Waybills suggest we even carried a Lodekka-loving parrot, though we're unsure if it was dead or alive.)

Photo: Barrie Whitehall

Our network of 23 routes gave more choice than ever before, with sea, sand, creeks, leafy lanes, hairpins, hills, narrows and humpback bridges all covered. Here, Bristol SUS 600 overcomes Gara Bridge.

Photo: Richard Pearson

The most popular routes were to Salcombe, Slapton and Hope Cove, while the increased service on the Kingsbridge town circular seems to have been well received, too. This was operated by the two oldest vehicles in service, Peter Stanier's 1929 Leyland Lioness and Colin Billington's 1934 Dennis Mace.

Photo: Kevin Cripps

The most popular vehicle by seat utilisation was Bristol SUL 420 - an original Kingsbridge coach - which ran at 100% capacity on all runs. This was driven in service by our youngest and most recently qualified driver, Luke Farley, its conductor in previous years. Owner David Sheppard was transferred to light duties (a Bristol SUS!) for the day. The vehicle carrying the most passengers was David Hoare's Bristol K6B (pictured top, crossing Bowcombe Creek), which gave 296 journeys, every one resulting in a smiling face - and that was just Driver Peter.

Photo: Janice Taylor

Owners brought their vehicles from far and wide to join in at Kingsbridge. Special mention must be made of Ben Bartram and his team, overseas visitors, who brought their Southern Vectis Bristol LHS from the Isle of Wight. We were also delighted that Trevor and Shirley Leach traveled from Yorkshire with their immaculate Bristol SUL. Both are delightful little buses and highly appropriate for the South Hams terrain.

So, a record breaking day for our visitors, achieved by our Supporters, crews and vehicle owners who worked so hard to make the day so successful. Many stayed on for our Sunday road run to Dartmouth as an opportunity for the Drivers to enjoy a ride themselves. 

This year's run extended to Buckfastleigh for a celebratory trip on the South Devon Railway, complete with pasties and a Devon cream tea. Cream on first...

If you'd like to help us stage events like this for the public to enjoy, you might consider joining our Supporters Group. As a Supporter you will enjoy several exclusive benefits of working closely with the Trust, including our quarterly magazine To and Fro'. Visit www.tvagot.org.uk/supporters.htm for more details, and join us online today.