I was looking through the internet and found some old pictures of Southport Buses.

Anyone else got any other pics that are older than these.

Does anyone know where the single open top bus is driving through or where the number 3 is parked up at.

Both shots that you refer to are taken outside Canning Road depot.
The cream and red with black lining was one of the most attractive liveries around. Southport Corporation never painted the interior ceilings in their buses - which meant that as the bus got older the nicotine (smoking upstairs allowed) darkened the ceilings.
Remember the advertising screen at the bulkhead of the lower deck, as the bus travelled along it moved up and down, displaying adverts for local businesses ?

If you look back on here there are several Southport bus threads.

This is about the best one http://www.qlocal.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=16918

The second picture is odd, it shows a number 4 bus to Halsall Rd and Cenmetery Rd traveling along Lord St.
This used to be my local bus and I know for a fact that route did not go along Lord St. I can only think it must be off duty maybe returning to depot.

The open top, single deck bus in the first picture is very similar to the one my mother, sisters and I used to take from Guildford Rd to Ainsdale beach in the 60's. Happy days.

Definitely outside the bus depot, the houses are in Cobden Rd & haven't changed much at all. A few more cars parked outside them now though. The last picture is also outside the depot, but actually on Canning Rd, the oldest part of the depot, built of red brick, used to be the tram sheds. Before my time I hasten to add!

Here is a Bus Route table.

Another interesting pic.

Great photo Ped, my father always used to tell me how the very last tram was ceremoniously set ablaze after it's final journey. I think the trams finished about 1925, can anyone confirm this date or confirm this story.

It would appear that at least one tram was set afire.... pic in a few minutes. (Not of a tram on fire... )

Here is some info

Originally Posted by pedoja

Here is some info

Thank's ped I was way out with the year but at least the story about burning the last tram was true.

The tram that was burnt was specially stripped down before hand and was not the last one in service.There is a book called The leyland buses of Southport corporation which shows a picture of the tram burning in the early hours of jan 1st 1935.
By the way Kopite one of those pictures you posted was nicked off a web page of mine!!

Originally Posted by Sgt Jones

The second picture is odd, it shows a number 4 bus to Halsall Rd and Cenmetery Rd traveling along Lord St.
This used to be my local bus and I know for a fact that route did not go along Lord St. I can only think it must be off duty maybe returning to depot.

the answer is probably that the driver had forgotten to change the sign from 4 to 3, i was a bus conductor in the early fifties & that did happen occasionally, although you would have thought that someone would have pointed it out before he got to Lord st, in any case he would have to have been in the land of the bewildered to have taken that route to Canning rd, & before anyone mentions Hesketh rd depot i can assure them that routes, 3/4, 5/6, & 7/8 were based at Canning rd, as were 18/20, if my memory serves me correctly all of the other routes were based at Hesketh road depot.

When did the buses first have routes to Formby as i think the formby by pass was only opened in the early seventies

Formby was served by Ribble only, who took over several independents in the Crosby and Waterloo area - prior to 1930 there had been fierce competition. Ribble operated the S1 and S2 to distinguish the service from the L routes that served Crosby.
In Formby Ribble also operated a market service to Ormskirk, the 315 which originally ran from Freshfield Station, then the service was cuit back to Cross Green in Formby. They used single deckers on that route.
Formby by-pass was opened about 1935-ish.

Prior to degulation of the corporation bus services, the Corpy was not permitted to work outside the borough boundry, if they had a private hire, they would subcontract to Holmeswood Coaches At Rufford who would hire the corpy to do the job, any vehicle used would have a 'On Hire to Holmeswood Coaches' sticker displayed on the front screen.
The open top single decker on the first pic was originally a Ribble saloon.

Originally Posted by Jason II

Formby by-pass was opened about 1935-ish.

Sorry if this post is slightly off topic but I hopeyou'll indulge me.
Looking at old maps has anyone seen the route the road from Southport to Liverpool used to take? It's an absolutely incredible windy route and nothing more really than acountry lane.
It must have taken hours in those days to get to Liverpool.
Many years ago i took the old road from woodvale passed Formby Old Hall to what is now the first roundabout on the bye-pass. I can tell you that was quite enough of the old road I didn't bother to follow it any further through Formby.
Generally I think all the routes in and out of Southport are appalling, especially the road in from Ormskirk. But even in the 30s when admitedley there were few cars around that old route to Liverpool must have been a nightmare.
Back to buses, does anyone remember the old Ribble S2 route to Liverpool? I remember that used to take the old road at least through Formby and was an incredible laboriuus way to get to Liverpool.

Originally Posted by beldray

The tram that was burnt was specially stripped down before hand and was not the last one in service.There is a book called The leyland buses of Southport corporation which shows a picture of the tram burning in the early hours of jan 1st 1935.
By the way Kopite one of those pictures you posted was nicked off a web page of mine!!

Fantastic photos Beldray, well done.

Originally Posted by Ken B

the answer is probably that the driver had forgotten to change the sign from 4 to 3, i was a bus conductor in the early fifties & that did happen occasionally, although you would have thought that someone would have pointed it out before he got to Lord st, in any case he would have to have been in the land of the bewildered to have taken that route to Canning rd, & before anyone mentions Hesketh rd depot i can assure them that routes, 3/4, 5/6, & 7/8 were based at Canning rd, as were 18/20, if my memory serves me correctly all of the other routes were based at Hesketh road depot.

I think you've just about hit the nail on the head there Ken. I'd forgotten the number 4 became the number 3 and of course the other way round the number 16 became number 6, I think?
Gosh it's no wonder the old clippies sometimes got it wrong is it?

Originally Posted by Sgt Jones

the number 16 became number 6, I think?
?

sorry Jonesy, the no 6 became the no 5.

Did ever Greater manchester buses operate in southport around 1990, and why were they shortlived.

Originally Posted by Barrie

Prior to degulation of the corporation bus services, the Corpy was not permitted to work outside the borough boundry,

My ex brother-in-law (now deceased), was, if I remember rightly, a Southport Corp bus driver who often took place in double-decker driving competitions - his name was Derek Mercer. Do you remember him?

Originally Posted by beldray

The tram that was burnt was specially stripped down before hand and was not the last one in service.There is a book called The leyland buses of Southport corporation which shows a picture of the tram burning in the early hours of jan 1st 1935.
By the way Kopite one of those pictures you posted was nicked off a web page of mine!!

beldray, it actually says the tram to be burnt was ONE of the last trams.

The information I have given you was in a booklet called 1867 - 1967 Centenary Celebrations.

Here is the cover.

Originally Posted by pedoja

beldray, it actually says the tram to be burnt was ONE of the last trams.

The information I have given you was in a booklet called 1867 - 1967 Centenary Celebrations.

Here is the cover.

Ped sorry to argue with you but.
I was replying to sgt jones comment that the very last tram was burnt.Perhaps i should have used the "quote button"?
Two different books i have say that the tram used had been stripped of its glass and metal fittings and was placed on an unpowered truck prior to being burnt which would have taken a couple of days to carry out.
Cheers peter

Repeats Oops sorry about the upside down pic.

Four recent ones of mine. First three are in St Helens transport museum.
GFY406 fleet no 106 1950 Leyland pd2
FFY404 fleet no 87 1947 Leyland pd2 converted to open top
EWM358 fleet no 62 1945 Daimler cwa6
Last one was taken outside Leyland commercial museum and owned by W. Hunter
CWM151c fleet no 51 1965 Leyland pd2 converted to open top

Originally Posted by Kopite77

Did ever Greater manchester buses operate in southport around 1990, and why were they shortlived.

Yes they did. It was because Merseybus were operating into Manchester in the early days of bus deregulation. A compromise was reached and the services were withdrawn after a short time.

Picture of my Er...... mates two buses

Originally Posted by ex more

Repeats Oops sorry about the upside down pic.

Can you please tell me the registration number of the burnt out Atlanteen was it number 84? Also what is the lacation of the PD220 with the church spire in the background. Is it somewhere in High Park? I think my uncle Syd was driving it........