| Pictures from various times in the history of the Isle of Wight's Southern Vectis buses. Note:
By viewing these photographs you signify your agreement to the terms
of usage. |
VBC Daimler at the Isle of Wight Bus Museum.
|
|
From 1950, new regulations allowed two axle buses to be one foot longer. Number 750 (HDL 264), with chassis type designated KS5G, is seen in Fort Street, Sandown, near to the Company's bus park in 1965. Note the pebble covered walls fronting the houses on the right – a feature of late Victorian Sandown.
|
Following the introduction of new legislation Bristol Commercial Vehicles increased the width of the standard double-decker from 7'6" to 8'0". Southern Vectis took 15 of the new KSW type in 1952/3 including No 763 (JDL 37), seen on service 8 from Ryde passing the closed Bembridge station, terminus of the short branch line from Brading until September 1953.
|
|
The Lodekka combined a conventional upper deck seating layout with low height (13'5") allowing operation under the two railway bridges either side of Sandown. Number 566 (TDL 999), an FS type, descends Lake Hill while on the busy service 16 from Ryde to Blackgang. Note the inscription painted on the bridge ironwork – TOO LOW FOR HIGHBRIDGE BUSES.
|
The next Bedford model was the revolutionary twin-steering VAL 6-wheeler, built to the revised length of 36 feet, thus allowing a capacity of 52 seats. Number 401 (ADL 109B) descends Skew Bridge at Lake (over the Ryde–Ventnor railway). On the opposite side of the bridge was located, at the time, Farmer's Ice Cream factory. |
|
The NBC leaf green livery could appear scruffy and faded after a while, especially if it had been touched up after accident repairs. Bristol FLF Lodekka 70 seater No 605 (BDL 581B) descends Staplers Road, Newport, on the busy 1A Ryde–Cowes 'rounders' in April 1982. St Paul's Church is in the background. |
The Bristol LH was a rugged vehicle intended to have a short lifespan under NBC policy. Number 829 (PDL 491H), seen at Sandown Library in 1978, did not survive the 1981 fleet reduction but still operates today as a well-maintained mobile home. |
|
As it had been refloored, No 628 (SDL 638J) was chosen to represent its type in the Vintage Fleet rather than being despatched to Southampton to inaugurate Solent Blue Line operation. It is seen at Steephill Court Road, St Lawrence, on a section of route that can no longer be served by full size vehicles following the cliff fall. |
The outstation at East Cowes was, for a long time, the home of Bristol RELL6G single-decker No 863. In this April 2001 view at Ryde, No 863 is seen wearing the parchment/holly green livery, the only RE to do so. Also visible is the coach-style seating fitted in 1999. Interestingly, No 863 was the last Bristol RE to operate with any of the former Tilling Group companies. |
|
Few liveries had the impact of the Big Dipper purple and lime green 'Battenburg Cake' style application. Number 506 (UFX 858S), a convertible VR in winter guise, which later passed to Westbrook Travel, is seen at Freshwater Bay. |
Like most NBC operators, SVOC introduced several urban minibus schemes using Ford Transits from the huge batch that the group purchased to rescue town services from financial problems. Number 251 (B251 LDL) of the first batch commenced Ryde's Wanderer service to Binstead in March, 1985 and is seen climbing Hillrise Avenue, then newly built to connect two residential estates. |
|
Although signwritten for National Holidays, the Tigers often performed more localised work. Number 315 (new as C315 TDL) had been reregistered 473 CDL in 1991 and is seen on the Military Road at Brook Chine. |
Route Rouge livery was eventually applied to all of the 1989/90 Leyland Olympians. Number 712 is pictured here climbing away from the Cowes terminus at Carvel Lane, at the beginning of its run to Newport, Shanklin and Sandown. En route this journey will call at the new Cowes Park & Ride site at Somerton. |
|
Solent Blue Line received the new vehicle allocation in 1991 but as Leyland then ceased building bodies the company turned to Northern Counties of Wigan for the 1993 batch of nine buses, Nos 735-43 (K735-43 ODL). These have been undergoing a mid-life refurbishment although two, Nos 742 and 743, have been converted to open top for the Alum Bay service. Number 743 is seen here arriving at the Needles Old Battery terminus on 1st April 2004, during its first week in service as an open-top. |
Seven Volvo B7TLs arrived in 2002 and carried Explorer vinyls. Number 105 (HW52 EPU) is actually on a return Tesco working to Ventnor and has just set down at 'Miss Black's', a quaintly-named request stop in Brading named after a long deceased teacher of pianoforte who lived nearby. These Volvos are the largest double-deckers ever operated and have sustained hefty costs for replacement glass because of the overhanging trees on many rural roads. |
|
|
|
