Royal Blue (WNOC) 1392 (261 KTA) in Rochdale - Jul 1972

July 1972 – Seen in Rochdale on a Friday evening or early Saturday morning was Royal Blue Express Services (Western National) 1392 (261 KTA), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol MW6G new in April 1962. This is a body type we didn’t normally see in Rochdale. It had travelled north to work a duplicate trip on the joint Yelloway/Associated Motorways service to Bournemouth and was parked on some spare ground on Penn Street (between Smith Street (right) and Baillie Street (where the school type building stands in the background)). It would have worked north on the Yelloway Cheltenham-Rochdale service and therefore carried the 'On hire to Yelloway' window label which would be removed for its return journey to Bournemouth on the joint AM/Yelloway service. Alongside is Greenslades NFJ 620G, a Duple bodied AEC Reliance new in April 1969 which would duplicate the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Both carry the pre-National white coach scheme which was being introduced by the National Bus Company subsidiaries in the south-west – mainly white relieved by a colour relevant to the individual operator.