THE SHOWBUS WELSH BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Welsh Bus Miscellany
 |
 |
||
Page 6 |
| ||
 The distinctive dual door Mellor body on this Fiat 59-12 instantly identify it as a product originally destined for Harry Blundred's minibus revolution fleets. This one served with Blue Admiral in the relatively short lived Portsmouth area operation. Harry Blundred's Transit Holdings company acquired its Portsmouth services from Stagecoach which was forced to divest itself of the former Portsmouth Citybus routes because of its adjacent Southdown operations. The municipal operations of Porstmouth had been sold to then employee owned Southampton Citybus. Both operations later ended up together again under First ownership. Seen with 2 Travel, the bus was another exhibited at the Cardiff Centenary display in 1985. |
Seen in August 2005, this former Rhondda Wadham Stringer bodied Mercedes 711D, N157MTG, of Dukes Travel is working the 707 to Coleford. The bus passed to Stagecoach Red & White as their 157 when they acquired Rhondda Bus. It is unclear if it passed from their to Dukes or went via Bromyard Omnibus, with whom it also ran.
|
This unusual bus, LUI8537, believed to be a Talbot Pullman, was another exhibited at the Cardiff Centenary. It was obviously used on a special rail-link service by Clarkes.
|
Another oddity at the Cardiff Centenary event in 1985 was this OCC Omni minibus of the Merthyr Tydfil Association of the Disabled. The Omni was designed as a low floor minibus, like the later Optare Alero. It suffered the same fate as the Alero, basically it was too costly compared to a minibus with a tail lift. The bus was originally sold as the CVE Omni and around 400 were built including tri-axled battery powered versions for SPT in Strathclyde.
|
 Still in North Western colours, this Leyland Sherpa minibus is seen working for Crusader in Merthyr Tydfil, one of the "hot beds" for competition in the early deregulation era. Behind are Red & White ex Northern General Dodge Minibuses. |
 |
|
|
||
Page 6 |
| ||