My job title back then was ‘Operations Examiner’ and I was one of a team of five crunching through mileage data to identify potential cost savings and enhanced efficiencies. We were based at Centre Heights, Swiss Cottage, London NW3. This six-storey building comprised offices on the lower three floors and private flats (with balconies) on the top three. As there was no room for us in the company’s main office, we were based in a private flat - and largely forgotten by the company managers. This made for a very leisurely work rate, plus long lunch breaks. I brought my camera to work one day to record the activity in Finchley Road down below. Here we see an London Transport single-doorway AEC Merlin of the MB class picking up passengers on the 268 route to Hampstead Village and Golders Green.

July 1975
Zorki 4 camera
Agfa CT18 ASA 100 film.

Tags:   268 route the 268 bus centre heights Swiss Cottage northways parade london nw3 london transport aec Merlin Finchley Road

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On a golden Friday evening in July 1975, the driver climbs into the cab of Green Line Routemaster coach RCL2250 (CUV250C) parked behind Baker Street Station, ready to set off on the long journey on the 709 to Godstone, Surrey. The journey would likely be subject to numerous delays due to London’s perennial traffic congestion, but at least it would be a comfortable ride. Those commuters who used to service would surely have been dismayed when the RCLs were replaced in 1976 by spartan Leyland National single-deckers.

The RCLs were demoted to ordinary bus service and were being steadily withdrawn, only for London Transport to step in and buy back the surviving RCL fleet for a few years’ service on the 149 route.

RCL2250 went on to become a sightseeing bus, converted to partial open-top, and was last recorded as a mobile diner in 2013, based in Devon.

July 1975
Zorki 4 camera
Agfa CT18 ASA 50 film.

Tags:   rcl2250 cuv250c national bus company london country bus services LCBS 709 route godstone green line Baker Street routemaster coach aec routemaster

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The traditional open-platform bus fleet was shrinking fast when Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive was formed in June 1973 to take over the bus and subway operations of Glasgow Corporation Transport. Nevertheless, many of the Leyland PD2s and Daimler CVG6s that were the surging rear-entrance buses by then did receive the PTE’s bright new livery. They included L112 (SGD14), a Leyland PD2/24 with Alexander-style body work, seen in St. Enoch Square.

Large numbers of these buses entered service between 1958-60 to replace trams.

July 1975
Zorki 4 camera.
Agfa CT18 ASA 50 film.

Tags:   glasgow st Enoch square alexander bodywork Leyland pd2/24 Leyland pd2 glasgow corporation transport greater glasgow pte

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George Square seems remarkably deserted in this mid-1979s Friday evening scene - and Glasgow City Chambers still had a liberal coating of soot. The Leyland AN68 Atlantean of Greater Glasgow PTE provides a welcome burst of colour. The 35mm wide-angle lens I used with my Zorki 4 camera did not provide a strong enough definition to enable me to identify the bus.

It was one of a large number ordered by the new general manager of the PTE, to a similar dual-doorway and panoramic window specification that he had chosen in his previous posting in Edinburgh. Glasgow’s pot-holed roads proved catastrophic to these buses, generating major problems with their Alexander bodywork. Premature withdrawal for scrap duly followed.

July 1975
Zorki 4 camera, 35 mm lens
Agfa CT18 ASA 50 film

Tags:   Alexander bodywork Leyland an68 Leyland Atlantean Glasgow city chambers greater glasgow Pte glasgow George square

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Midday on a Friday in July 1975 sees a quartet of Bristol/ECW buses of United Automobile Services lined up in Richmond Market Place, ready to take their passengers to various Yorkshire Dales destinations. Holy Trinity Church overlooks the scene.

United Automobile Services, Bristol Commercial Vehicles and Eastern Coachworks are all defunct today, as is National Bus Company, United’s parent company. So too is the Vaux Brewery - the Sunderland brewery was closed in controversial circumstances in 2000.

Zorki 4 camera
Agfa CT18 ASA 50 film.

Tags:   vaux brewery ecw eastern coachworks national bus company United Automobile services Bristol mw Bristol lh holy trinity church Richmond North Yorkshire Richmond

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