The beautiful
Yorkshire Dales is a delight to visit.
It looks brilliant from the seat of a Bristol L single deck bus, and
even better from an open top bus, especially if that bus is a early mark 2
Bristol VRT with a flat front! Come and
join us on board these two fine vehicles.
Vintage Omnibus Services based near West Tanfield in the Yorkshire Dales
operate service 127 from Ripon to Garsdale via Hawes. In early August 2016 the independent
transport videos cameras were invited back to film one of the Tuesday
journeys, but this time with a difference!
The usual vehicle for this journey is either former United Automobile
Bristol L5G BG381 (LHN 823) that featured on our last programme filmed in 2009,
or it’s stable mate, former Lincolnshire Road Car 749 (FFW 830) a 1949 Bristol
L5G also with an ECW B35R bodywork. On
this journey the Lincolnshire vehicle was used along with recently restored
former Eastern Counties, originally Ribble, OT5 (OCK 995K), a 1972 Bristol VRT/SL/6G
with an O70F body, making its one and only appearance on the service!
Our day begins at the
tiny Vintage Omnibus Service depot set in the Yorkshire Dales. We journey in the L5G to Ripon Bus Station to
meet up with the VRT that is waiting to duplicate the 0940 departure with the L
type on service 127. Both vehicles set
off from Ripon on the long journey to Garsdale via the pretty town of
Hawes. There is plenty of action for you
to enjoy as our cameras film from both vehicles, coupled with the sound of the
Gardner 5 cylinder engine of the L type and the much larger Gardner 6 cylinder
engine and semi-automatic gearbox of the Bristol VRT. The superb scenery looks great passing the
windows of the L type and from the top of the VRT!
Our route takes us
through West Tanfield, Masham, and Leyburn to Redmire Station where we visit
the Wensleydale Railway and see a former BR DMU in action! From here we journey to Hawes passing Bolton
Castle, the Aysgarth Falls and many pretty villages. From Hawes we make the journey to Garsdale
Station where we see the Settle to Carlisle railway line and then return to
Hawes to meet up with the VRT for the journey back to Ripon.
Sid Parker, our
conductor on the VRT, is also an artist.
We feature some of his paintings of buses at the end of this programme.
We would like to thank
Chris Bulmer of Vintage Omnibus Services for his invitation and help with the
filming on the day. Also to Neil
Halliday for bringing his Bristol VRT, that is currently operated by the
Keighley Bus Museum Trust. We would also
like to express our thanks to conductors Sid Parker and Don McKeon and
assistant Ian Hunter.
Now take your seats
and enjoy the ride!