The Wensleydale Vintage Bus

Question: Where can you ride on a Bristol/ECW L-type single decker on a stage service in the year 2014?

Answer: In North Yorkshire, from Ripon to Hawes.

Vintage Omnibus Services operate service 127 every Tuesday from 22nd April until 28th October this year, using one of their two Bristol L5G's. FFW 830 is ex-Lincolnshire, and is painted in a slightly darker than usual shade of green, and LHN 823 is ex-United, beautifully restored in Tilling Red.
I rode on the service on the 24th June, and was lucky enough to have the front nearside seat.

On this day ex-Lincolnshire FFW 830 was in use. Departure from Ripon was at 09:40, with just a handful of passengers, but as the journey progressed many more joined. The scenic route took us through Masham, and Middleham, to Leyburn. Beyond here we called at the Wensleydale Railway Station at Redmire, where there was a ten minute stop to connect with a class 20 hauled train. Here we picked up quite a crowd; the bus was just about full as we left. Next came a steep, narrow double run to Castle Bolton, then on through Aysgarth (another steep climb) to Hawes. Arrival here was at 11:50, and there was a wait of almost two hours here in "England's highest market town."

During this interval an AEC Regent III belonging to Cumbria Classic Coaches arrived from Ravenstonedale and Kirkby Stephen. What other rural market town can support two vintage bus services every week?
We left Hawes at 1345 for the scenic switchback run to Garsdale, where we connected with a train on the Settle - Carlisle line. The return journey started at 14:25, and included a ten minute stop at Hawes, where most passengers rejoined the bus. Then it was back to Ripon via the outward route, again stopping at Redmire Station to drop passengers for the train.
The L5G performed admirably throughout, and sounded great. Hill climbing was impressive; I was told that the Lincolnshire bus has a lower gear ratio that the United one, which doesn't climb the hills quite as well. What better way could there be to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this part of Yorkshire?
The service does not accept ENCTS passes, but it was worth every penny of the £10 (senior) return fare, and I would heartily recommend this service to any enthusiast able to reach Ripon on a Tuesday. Note that during the summer school holiday the whole timetable is advanced by 30 minutes (i.e. leaving Ripon at 09:10) to accommodate a different timetable on the Wensleydale Railway.
Vintage Omnibus Services also own an ex-Eastern National MW5G which has been used on this service in previous years, but the MW is being "rested" this year. The operator also owns half a dozen unrestored Bristol/ECW saloons.

Don McKeown

17/07/14 - 08:37

I have also enjoyed these services on both the magnificent vehicles in this picture - how lucky we are to be able still to enjoy "the real thing" in a World dominated now by glitzy pretentious mobile advertisement hoardings which, arguably, give an inferior ride to these elderly gems. I still remember my utter amazement, just after the end of WW2, one teatime waiting at Ben Rhydding for the service bus home to Ilkley from school. Instead of the usual but much revered prewar West Yorkshire Bristol J or L (or even a Dennis Lancet) the Company's first brand new L5G with the superbly designed and constructed ECW postwar body arrived. Stunned by the lovely exterior, with neatly incorporated roller destination blinds as opposed to tin "bible" boards, I was even more impressed by the clean and functional interior with excellent passenger flow and tasteful decor. The wonderful and now legendary postwar Bristol/ECW age had arrived.

Picture attached of the ex United L5G which also runs the Dales service - thanks for this topic, as its reminded me to have another day on the Hawes service this year.

Chris Youhill

17/07/14 - 13:55

And here's another Cumbria Classic Coaches bus on duty, a 1959 Bristol Lodekka LD 6B (now fitted with a Gardner 6LXB engine). Seen by me at Wensleydale Creamery 20th May 2014.

Chris Hebbron

18/07/14 - 06:47

How nice to see "real" buses, in "real" liveries in normal, if restricted, service, and to note that they are not operating under the concessionary fares scheme: the death knell of other services in the region. I suppose they are considered "excursions".

Pete Davies

20/07/14 - 07:04

Strange that the Lincolnshire bus has a lower ratio diff than its United cousin. Bearing in mind the vastly different operating conditions they had, Lincolnshire being relatively flat and United's territory anything but, you would have thought it would have been the other way round.

Ronnie Hoye

20/07/14 - 07:04

I'm with you on that one Ronnie. Very odd.

Peter

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