95/96 Didsbury to Whitefield Bus Routes

Can anyone tell me when these 2 bus routes first started to run to Whitefield as a friend of mine insists that these did not run in the 1950,s as these routes had the service of numbers 24/17 to Salford.

Barry Waters

03/03/14 - 11:29

The new cross town 95 and 96 joint service between MCTD and SCT commenced on 7th November 1955 and replaced the former MCTD route 95, East Didsbury (Parrs Wood) to Exchange Stn Approach (which required it to travel through a short stretch of SCT territory, without stopping) and the SCT routes 17 and 24 to Whitefield from Victoria. In the early years Manchester supplied relatively new both CVG5's and 6's with enclosed radiators. Crossleys were used as rush hour additions on the 95x from Manchester city centre to various points on the route but primarily Moseley Rd (for Birchfield Rd garage), Green End Rd and Fog Lane. Salford fielded their exposed short radiator CVG6's, then the pride of that fleet. I don't know if SCT continued the 17 and 24 for peak period part route services after the new routes were introduced. In the early '60's SCT began to standardise on their (fast) front entrance PD2/40's from Frederick Rd garage on the routes and Manchester gradually introduced new PD2's from Parrs Wood alongside Birchfield Rd's CVG6's before deploying Atlanteans (something I don't recall SCT ever doing on the routes).
The joint service was quite long lived, surviving into GMT days.

Orla Nutting

04/03/14 - 07:08

Just to add to Orla's comprehensive reply, the instigation of the route was part of a limited rapprochement between Salford and Manchester. Salford did use Atlanteans on short workings on the route from Whitefield into Manchester early mornings and bank holidays, just before SELNEC days. I can't recall ever seeing their Atlanteans on Kingsway

Phil Blinkhorn

12/04/14 - 18:45

Salford continued to use 17 & 24 for short workings on the 95/96. Full list was:
17 Whitefield to Victoria (short on 95)
7 Kings Road to Victoria (short on 17)
24 Whitefield to Victoria (short on 96)
22 Prestwich to Victoria (short on 24)
85 Kings Road to Victoria (short on 22)
20 Broom Lane to Victoria (short on 85)
!! there were a few examples in Salford of shorts having a different number which bore no relation to the main route

John Hodkinson

15/04/14 - 06:55

It seems incredible that these services, which ran every 7/8 minutes have disappeared without trace, certainly on the south side of Manchester. The section of road between Slade Lane/A6 and Kingsway/Moseley Rd now completely unserved save for a tendered 194 journey. Just one of many areas of Greater Manchester which have lost their service. Withington Rd looks as though it will be the next to go - MCTD/SELNEC ran the 62/63 alternately every 20 minutes, Arriva now seem to be about to withdraw their 16 which is the nearest equivalent to the old 62/63 route.

Michael Keeley

16/04/14 - 06:44

That photo takes me back a bit. Early 1970's by the look of it in SELNEC days with MCT bus stops still prevalent and a Salford PD2/40 disappearing down Kingsway past Parrs Wood garage presumably on service 95 as there's a 96 at the terminus lay-by and I guess an ex MCT Atlantean on the 95 behind it and two SELNEC standards on service 50 behind them.
It's true that Moseley Rd to Slade Lane no longer has any bus service bar the once a day 194. How different to this scene when, along with the 95 and 96, that section was covered by the 30, 51, 52, 52A, 74, 85 and 97. That said, all but the 95/6/7 and 85 only stopped at Moseley Rd and Hathersage Rd before Stockport Rd and the North Western's amongst them only did so if you stood in the middle of the road prepared to die for your bus.
Nowadays, although the 97 lives on, after a fashion, as the 197 following the most convoluted route imaginable between Manchester and Stockport town centres, for reasons best known to Stagecoach traffic managers it now turns right at the end of Burnage Lane along Albert Rd to Stockport Rd where it once turned left down Slade Lane to West Point.
On the plus side the Metro tram from the new East Didsbury tram terminus (with free parking) does get to the centre of Manchester much quicker and smoothly than the 95/6 and if you do want to go by bus the service 50 still follows the same route as ever via Birchfields Rd into town (and Salford Quays) ... you just have to step on it a bit down Old Hall Lane to catch it from Slade Lane!

Orla Nutting

20/04/14 - 06:50

Correct about the early 70s - photo taken on 8th April 1973, a Sunday so these services were obviously frequent on that day (which in social terms was a lot quieter than it is today!) I think the reason for the current 197 routing is that it is also an attempt to replace the 189 - another more or less disappeared high frequency route, every 12 minutes all day I seem to recall, to provide a link between the University area and the main centre of Levenshulme which otherwise only has the peak-hour 191. In most cases it's still easy enough to get in and out of the city centre, it's the links such as Ardwick/Longsight to Parrs Wood for example which have been lost, meanwhile dozens of Magic Buses clog up Wilmslow Rd.

Michael Keeley

19/07/14 - 07:59

In the 1950's through to the formation of SELNEC and for a while thereafter these two routes existed. The 95 and 96 were jointly operated by MCT and Salford City Transport. The two routes were the same through Soth Manchester down the A34 and along the A6 to the City Centre. At Victoria Bus station in Salford the routes split with one bus taking Bury Old Road and the other Bury New Road meeting up again in Whitefield at the Railway Station where they both terminated. Right through to SELNEC Salford ran Daimler CVG's and the vehicles were always spotless and carried no adverts. MCT ran with Daimlers from Birchfield Depot. In the mid 60's
MCT started using rear engine front loaders. I lived on the route and used both buses many times per day usually on Gas Board business.

Alex the Gasman

21/07/14 - 07:24

After leaving Victoria Bus Station the 95 used Blackfriars Road and Great Clowes Street, and the 96 used Great Ducie Street and Bury New Road. Neither used Bury Old Road. The route to Whitefield via Bury Old Road was part of the 35 Manchester-Bury service.

Peter Williamson

21/07/14 - 14:26

Michael K's aside on Magic Buses reminds me that, Stagecoach in Gloucester were running one of their Palatine-bodied buses until at least six months ago - I've not seen it recently. Entrance not designed for folk weighing over 9 stone or the disabled!

Chris Hebbron

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