United Automobile Services 
1955
Bristol LS5G
ECW B45F

Photographed at the Corner Cafe Scarborough is a bus version of the Bristol LS5G owned by United Automobile, there has been two coach versions on this site before click the Bristol LS link below to view them. United had large numbers of one man operated single deck vehicles as it had many country routes and a lot of countryside between the towns it serviced. Keeping costs down by one man operation and light vehicles like the LS using less diesel meant country routes could be maintained.

A full list of Bristol codes can be seen here.

A full list of United codes can be seen here.

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Lovely to see this excellent picture. United did indeed have many Bristol LS types on country routes before they gave way to the later MW. I have heard it said that wherever you were – from Berwick-on-Tweed all the way down to Bridlington – a United LS was certain to pull up at your bus stop… given time!

Nice also to see the Corner Cafe. It has been a favourite image on Scarborough postcards throughout the decades – nearly always with a United vehicle parked at the terminus nearby! Sadly, when I visited the resort last autumn, the cafe had finally been demolished to make way for a new development of flats. The end of an era indeed.

Dorsetcol

Photo by ‘unknown’ if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Crosville Motor Services
1961
Bristol MW6G
ECW DP41F

Crosville at its head office at Chester and had its boundaries at St Helens (N) Newcastle under Lyme (E) Cardigan (S) and Aberdaron (W) including the Island of Anglesey that is a very big area to cover. It was possible for the company to be running a local service about 150 miles away from the head office to do this in 1963 they had 1,221 vehicles and 35 depots. The above dual purpose vehicle would have been used on some of their express routes like the X4 Liverpool to Caernarvon or one from my neck of the woods the X35 Skipton to Llandudno. The livery of Crosville coaches and dual purpose vehicles was cream and the buses was the usual Tilling green.

A full list of Bristol codes can be seen here.

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Whilst Crosville coaches were all-over cream, in the early and mid 60s at least, through to the NBC takeover, their dual purpose vehicles were green up the waist and cream above.

Anonymous

United Automobile Services
1954
Bristol LS6B
ECW C39F

Another LS6B coach belonging to United this coach instead of having roof windows had glass panels depicting the service that it ran. The first panel says ‘Tyne Tees’ the second panel starts with a ‘T’ is 6 or 7 letters long it could be ‘Thames’ and the third panel I am sure says ‘Service’. When I took this shot much newer coaches would of been doing that run as this coach would of been about 12 years old at the time. This photo was taken at Whitby in the summer of 1966 the coach is on route to Newcastle, its starting point being Scarborough more than likely.
For anybody who knows or more than likely remembers the place this photo was taken you are right there should be a very large street light just behind the coach, “ I’m afraid it had to go as it ruined the shot”.

A full list of Bristol codes can be seen here.

A full list of United codes can be seen here.

The lettering on this lovely LS6B did as you say state Tyne-Tees-Thames Service. Although most LS coaches were fitted with Gardner HLW engines, some operators did specify the Bristol LSW unit instead, including United. The LSW was basically a horizontal version of the AVW engine used in many K/L-types and LD Lodekkas. Although not quite matching the Gardners for longevity or fuel economy, the Bristol engines were quite smooth running units nonetheless. I seem to recall LS6B exhausts emitted a nice crisp bark too.

Brendan Smith

08/11/13 – 14:42

I travelled on the United service from Victoria to the North East 3/4 times a year through out the fifties and early sixties. I well remember these coaches.
They also had Tyne Tees and Thames printed in black on the upper part of the side windows together with towns en route.
Overnight services had central blue night lights in the roof so passengers could sleep. I can remember one of the first changed routes journeys north so to use the M1.
Does any model manufacture past or present have an Bristol LS in the United TTT livery?

Harry

09/11/13 – 05:55

Harry, EFE made a very nice model of a United LS coach in Tyne Tees livery a few years ago – 1005 (formerly UC5): 305 GHN. Although the genuine coach was an LS6B, the model was based on EFE’s MW coach casting. This gave the body a slightly less curved rear profile than the LS would have had, but nonetheless evoked the spirit of these fine machines admirably.

Brendan Smith