Derby City Transport, Willington Garage Fire

I know that the cut off for this site is in essence 1970, but I am trying to establish a list of the vehicles hired/loaned to Derby City Transport following the devastating fire in January 1976. Any information would be much appreciated.

Andy Johnson

15/08/15 - 06:20

Andy, the fire at the Blue Bus (Tailby & George Ltd) garage must have been a devastating and heart-rending sight for all concerned. An absolutely terrible day for the bus world, but fortunately no one was injured.
On trawling through issues of 'Buses' magazine for 1976, the following vehicles were recorded as on loan to Derby CT/Blue Bus:
Chesterfield Leyland Titan PD2/Weymann 63/64/70 (63/64/70 SRB)
Nottingham AEC Renown/East Lancashire 393/394 (BRR 241/242C)
Nottingham Bedford YRQ/Willowbrook C45F 1 (BTV 601K)
Nottingham Leyland Atlantean/Northern Counties 399 (VAU 399J)
Leicester Leyland Titan PD3/East Lancashire 91 (91 HBC)
East Staffordshire Daimler Fleetline/Northern Counties 107 (RFA 407J)
'Buses' also recorded that in order to maintain the private hire side of the business, five new Plaxton-bodied AEC Reliance coaches were ordered following the fire. They arrived as 9 (NNN 9P) to full C47F coach spec, 10/11(NNN 10/11P) to bus grant C51F spec and 12/13 (NNN 12/13P) to bus grant C53F spec.
Several used vehicles were also acquired:
Two AEC Reliance /Plaxton C45F coaches (ex-Yelloway FDK 419/420D).
Three Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1s from City of Oxford 204 (UBX 48) built 1960, 206 (WTH 113) built 1961, 212 (RTH 639) built 1958. 204 had a Weymann L39/34F body, 206 had a similar body but was L39/33F, and 212 had a Metro-Cammell L39/34F body. All three were new to James, Ammanford and passed to City of Oxford via South Wales Transport.
One Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX/Alexander H44/31F 20 (YJA 20), acquired from Greater Manchester Transport, but new to North Western. Hope this information is of use to you Andy.

Brendan Smith

16/08/15 - 06:25

Brendan,thanks very much for your information. The title for this posting should of course read Derby Borough Transport as Derby did not gain city status until 1977. Does anybody out there have any photos that they could post of the on hire vehicles, particularly the NCT ones.

Andy Johnson

16/08/15 - 07:15

The comments of Andy Johnson and Brendan Smith about the Blue Bus Services (Tailby and George), Willington, fire on the night of 5th/6th January 1976 made me recall an article I wrote sometime ago about my recollections of that night.
I apologize if some of you have seen this before in other forums, but I think it is worth repeating here.

"I was the Assistant Traffic Officer with Derby Borough Transport at the time of the Blue Bus Services fire on 5th January 1976. I remember being at the Ascot Drive Depot in the early hours of the morning of the 6th January, having been roused from my slumbers by my boss who told me of the fire, to sort out replacement buses and to keep the service running.
Baring in mind the Low Bridge in Willington, not any bus would do, they had to get under the bridge.
One of the Derby Fleetline (256) saloons which was allocated to Willington, had been on the last Derby to Burton service the night before. This bus used to 'sleep out' at the Burton (East Staffordshire District Council) depot overnight ready for the first run in the morning, worked by a Burton based Driver, so this was available, and the Rail Link Bus (257) was used for the other working. The Etwall route was no problem with standard Derby Fleetlines being used.
Ticket machines were a problem though, all the Blue Bus TIMs had been destroyed in the fire. Approaches were made to Trent Motor Traction, and they very kindly loaned some of there Setright machines.
These were later replaced by similar machines purchased from Edinburgh City Transport, and I remember them issuing Edinburgh tickets, for a period.
I have the last Blue Bus Services TIM machine, it was in the Garage of Inspector Ken Baker, the Blue Bus Inspector, for repair. The coaching requirements for the day were covered by local coach companies, who rallied round. Temporary replacement vehicles 'Hired In' from Nottingham, Chesterfield, and Leicester Corporations, carried out the Coaching requirements for a number of months until replacements, both new and second hand could be bought.
Later in the day, when things had settled down a bit, I went down to Willington so see the scene of devastation for myself. It was very moving. There were grown men in tears, for some of them this had been there lives, having worked there man and boy. The interior of the Depot was completely gutted, you could not tell the difference between a Double Decker and a Single Decker, (the top decks had just collapsed on to the bottom deck), or a Luxury Coach from a Service Bus.
The roof, which was made of asbestos, had been blown off and scattered all over Willington Village, I am sure residents would have been picking it up out of their gardens for weeks, if not months.
In total 19 vehicles were lost, plus a Morris service van.
2 Blue Bus vehicles which survived were 465 FRB a Dennis Loline 1, which was at Ascot Drive undergoing repairs, and YRB 483 a Daimler CVG6, which had been withdrawn.
YRB 483 was subsequently returned to service, with a short one year ticket, and I remember driving it on an Enthusiasts Tour one Sunday, on the 2 Blue Bus routes.
Whilst the exact cause of the fire was never officially made clear, we at Derby Depot, and some of the Blue Bus staff, thought that it was due to a discarded cigarette end left on one of the vehicles.
As an aside, the funniest thing of the day was that 'Monty' the Humber Towing Vehicle which was a notoriously bad starter, which had been parked outside and thus survived, started at the first turn of the key, we put it down to heat from the fire. I must admit that it was an interesting time, with experiences which I would otherwise not have gained during my 42+ years in Bus and Coach management, but definitely NOT one I would like to repeat.
After the fire all operations were centered on Ascot Drive Garage in Derby, but Blue Bus crews signed on separately in the Training School, the Derby Inspectors refusing to deal with them. This did not last long though. The Blue Bus garage was pulled down and the site lay empty for a number of years. In the 1990's Saxon Grove and the appropriately named Tailby Drive were built on the site
I hope that has not bored you, and you found it of interest, even though it does not fit in with the time frame of this site. I have attached a couple of pictures showing the devastation of the fire.

P.S. The list of Brendan's of the 'Hired In' vehicles agrees with mine, except I seem to have missed off the East Staffordshire Fleetline. I do not recall that at all (must be old age). Perhaps it did not stop long.

Stephen Howarth

17/08/15 - 06:06

Stephen, you certainly have not bored us with your experience of what was an undoubtedly traumatic time for everyone concerned. I can believe it when you say that grown men wept. Such a proud and well-regarded concern such as Blue Bus would no doubt have fostered a close 'family atmosphere' among its staff, and for them to witness such scenes of utter devastation must have hit hard. Blue Bus operated some very interesting vehicles, and from what I've heard and read, ran a very smartly-presented fleet indeed. I'm sure many of us would have wept too if we'd been present that night.

Brendan Smith

31/08/15 - 06:39

I have two other vehicles to add to the list of vehicles hired by Derby to cover duties after the tragic Williton depot fire; 9/11 VUB 394/404H Leyland Leopard PSU3A/4R Plaxton C53F 1970. New to Wallace Arnold 1970, then to Smith, Shennington and hired from Chesterfield Corporation 1/76 to 4/76.

Ron Mesure

01/09/15 - 07:31

Ron Mesure is incorrect about VUB 394/404H being hired from Chesterfield Corporation. They were in fact from Leicester City Transport.

VUB 404H is shown at Ascot Drive Depot complete with 'On Hire' sticker.

Stephen Howarth

02/09/15 - 07:16

Thanks Stephen I wasn't totally sure about who had loaned them, at least I was half right, VUB 394/404H were on loan to Derby and you correct my records pointing out they were hired in from Leicester. I can also offer my apologies for misspelling Willington.

Ron Mesure

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