Foto di David Slater (Spoddendale) con la parola chiave: Metro-Cammell

Saturday 14 September 1974 - One of the Ribble Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland PD3/5 double deckers parked in Preston bus station. This layout, featuring a sliding entrance door, was a Ribble 'trademark' vehicle with 131 being purchased in the early 1960s and was of similar layout to the 105 Burlingham bodied PD3/4 models acquired in 1957/1958. The 131 Metro-Cammell vehicles comprised 50 in 1961 [1706-1755 (PCK 347-396)]; 45 in 1962 [1745-1800 (RCK 901-945)] and 36 in 1963 [1815-1850 (TCK 815-850)].

A Saturday morning in August 1973 – Ribble’s Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland PD3/5s were handsome beasts although I always thought they had sorrowful expressions. 1765 (RCK 910), new in April 1962, is seen here in Major Street, Manchester poised to work on service X60 to Blackpool. This part of Major Street where the bus is standing is now part of the coach loading area of the National Express coach station and has no public traffic access. The access ramp to the upper level multi-storey car park visible behind the bus and to its right can still be identified today.

Sunday 20 June 1965 - Scout Motor Services was taken over by Ribble Motor Services in 1961 and was operated as a separate subsidiary until 1968. Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 PRN 145 was new to Scout in May 1962 and carried fleet number 5. After the Ribble takeover an ‘S’ prefix was applied to the Scout fleet numbers. In due course a Ribble style six sided destination aperture replaced that originally fitted for Scout and the bus was painted in Ribble colours with a Scout fleetname derived from the Ribble style. It was also fitted with the a Ribble style fleetname plaque on the front panel. S5 is seen in Packer Street which forms the edge of Rochdale Town Hall Square. This was the last week of operation of the through Rochdale-Blackpool service 158. Effective Sunday 27 June 1965 the service was severed at Preston with the Preston-Rochdale section becoming service 244. As it transpired S5 was the vehicle that operated the 1940 service on Saturday 26 June which was the last through trip to Blackpool and, since Scout no longer participated on the service east of Preston after that date, it was to be the last Scout vehicle to serve Rochdale. As this was a Sunday the gate to the entrance of Moir and Bateman Architects and the Trustee Savings Bank (on the right) was closed and locked. This covered doorway provided shelter for me when watching the buses during my school lunch break. A Bury Corporation Alexander bodied Daimler Fleetline stands close behind working service 19 back to Bury and beyond that a Rochdale Corporation Weymann bodied Daimler CVG6 working service 14 to Greave.

Saturday 26 October 1985 - Premier Travel Services 310 (KJD 24P) seen operating the cross city Park and Ride service in Cambridge. Worked jointly with Cambus the service ran from Cowley Road, where this photo was taken, to the Cattle Market. After a number of years with no double deckers in the fleet Premier had very recently acquired five former London DMS Leyland Fleetlines each carrying a different advertising message for the group’s activities. (MCW bodied Leyland Fleetline new to London Transport in September 1976 as DMS2024) (Ref 29-14)

Saturday 15 June 1985 - My very first solo trip driving a bus after passing my PSV driving test was to take Premier Travel Services 310 (KJD 24P) on a private hire from the West End Congregational Church in Haverhill to Wicksteed Park, near Kettering where I am seen standing with the bus. After a number of years with no double deckers in the fleet Premier had very recently acquired five former London DMS Leyland Fleetlines each carrying a different advertising message for the group’s activities. Unknown to me until the following week one of the Premier drivers that drove this bus on the more local run from Haverhill to Cambridge said that he didn’t expect the bus would have completed such an epic trip because it was prone to over heating - but he kept quiet about it on the day! After collecting the bus from Haverhill depot I departed from the Church at 0905 arriving at Wicksteed at 1050. The return was 1640 from Wicksteed arriving back at the Church at 1820. I returned the bus to the garage and collected a coach (NEB 346R) to work a Bingo contract into Cambridge. (Ref: 20-26)