(07 Oct 2019, 5:58 pm)ifm001 wrote

Just been reading the GNE thread re scholars services and noticed a lot of discussion regarding scholars buses back in the day when we were at school. So thought I'd kick off a new section in the Bygone Era.

I went to school in the South Tyneside area from mid to late 80s. Not sure how many members are of same age.

Tyne and Wear PTE operated by South Shields ran my scholars service at the beginning using a variety of vehicles. Including Atlanteans and the sole coach at the time 1804 (LVK 404L)

When deregulation arrived and Busways was introduced nothing much changed at first same vehicles but gradually the Bristol REs got introduced namely 1822-31 GTJ 382N etc. We also got rare occurrences of Daimler 140 LCU 112 and open toppers 1218/1227 KBB 118D and SVK 627G.  Approx 1987 or thereabouts Busways were either rejected or too late for the tender and we ended up with Northumbria Motors (venturing into South Shields very rare) we had then the LHs and those ex Manchester Daimlers (can't remember the fleet numbers) and all of a sudden for a few months there was a scholar's bus war as Busways registered commercially the scholars services 2 mins or so in front of the tendered.  I remember we had "graduated" with the coach LVK 404L to 1872 CMJ 450T by this time.  Then I believe Busways stayed with the scholars for a period of time after I left school in the late 80s.

Those were the days.

I've copied over my text from the other thread.

Mk1 Nationals and ECW Olympians for me in the main, when I first started.

Operated by Philly and Washington depots and out on service work afterwards, so usually in good nick internally.

Could always work out the shift patterns too. Whoever drove the Oly on a morning, always ended up on the 194 that passed the school just as we came out on an afternoon.

Never worked what the PM runs worked off, as I tended to get a 'normal bus' home.

In addition to this, there was an OK service. I'm guessing one of the services was contracted and the other a competing service, but we had the choice of an OK Alexander bodied 'something or other' or the Oly on one route.

The 194 and its Lynxes ran parallel with the National Mk1's.

Lucky to get either of them to stop, usually far too full!

On the rare occasion we did get on, it was faces squashed to the front windscreen.

The driver always made sure we paid for the privilege!