Ribble Motor Services
Encyclopedia
Ribble Motor Services was a large regional bus operator in the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...

 of England, based in Preston. The company was started in 1919, and grew to be the largest operator in the region, with a territory stretching from Carlisle to south Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

. Ribble was one of the first companies to be taken over by Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...

 on privatisation in 1988.

Ribble operated red liveried buses, a colour that was retained through BET Group
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...

 ownership, and then as the standard poppy red in the ownership of the nationalised operator National Bus Company, retaining the Ribble identity.

Prior to the deregulation of bus services
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...

 in 1986, Ribble's territory was reduced with the company's north Cumbrian operations passing to Cumberland Motor Services, and the Merseyside operations to a recreated North Western
North Western Road Car Company (1986)
The North Western Road Car Company Ltd was a former bus operator based in Liverpool, England. The company operated between 1986 and 1998.- History :...

.

The company had also operated subsidiaries Standerwick and Scout. Scout went on to become Scout Computer Services, the IT arm of Ribble that operated out of the Frenchwood Avenue offices until around 1977 when it became National Bus Company Computer Services (NBCCS) Preston and moved into the ground floor of the GUS Building on London Road. NBCCS Preston closed in 1984 when most operation stransferred to Birmingham in what was Midland Red's offices in Edgbaston.

In 2001, Stagecoach sold the Ribble operations in Blackburn, Hyndburn
Hyndburn
Hyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The district is named after the River Hyndburn....

, Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...

 and Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...

 to the Blazefield Group
Blazefield Group
Transdev Blazefield is one of the main bus groups in England. Owner of several bus companies around the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions, since 2006 it has been part of the international transport company Transdev.-History:...

, which rebranded them as Lancashire United
Lancashire United
Transdev Lancashire United is an English bus operator, running mainly in and around the boroughs of Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley. The company was founded in April 2001 following the buyout of Stagecoach Ribble by Blazefield Holdings and has since overcome other operators...

and Burnley & Pendle
Burnley & Pendle
Transdev Burnley & Pendle is a bus operator running within the boroughs of Burnley and Pendle, and into the surrounding areas including Accrington, Keighley and the high profile express service to Manchester...

.

The legal name of Ribble Motor Services is still used by Stagecoach North West.

Vehicles

The company mainly operated Leyland
Leyland Motors Ltd
Leyland Motors Limited was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after being nationalised...

 vehicles, built nearby in Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...

. However, there were some exceptions. In 1948/9 Sentinel had developed an underfloor-engined single deck bus, which increased the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

 significantly. Ribble took two batches of these buses. In the sixties Ribble ordered ten lightweight Bedford coaches for their extended tour fleet.

A batch of Bristol single deck vehicles was ordered before the government brought together Leyland Bus and National Bus Company into the plan to build the "Leyland National" bus factory in Cumberland. After the first batch of 10 fitted with Leyland engines showed poor fuel economy, a larger batch of 30 was delivered with Gardner diesel engines, which had better fuel efficiency. Some Bristol VR
Bristol VR
The Bristol VR was Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as a competitor to the Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline.-Development:...

 double-deckers were also acquired.

Another double deck coach was developed around 1968 for motorway running by Standerwick within Ribble ownership. This time a 60 seater built on a Bristol VRL/LH chassis driven by a Leyland Power Plus 680 engine mounted vertically and logitudinally behind the off-side rear axle. In total 30 were delivered starting with vehicle 50, which was used for trials; and followed by three batches, given fleet numbers 51 to 61, 62 to 71 and finally 72 to 79.

Ribble engineers were responsible for specifying and maintaining coaches for Standerwick and North Western (the coach fleet in Manchester left over when the original North Western Road Car Company was split between the SELNEC PTE, Crosville and Trent) even after they were transferred and became National Travel (North West) Ltd.

Two batches of the lowheight Albion Lowlander double deck service bus were purchased by Ribble, all with LR1 formation. 1851 to 1860, and a year later 1861 to 1866. They had a fully fronted cab, and were a replica of the highbridge PD3's that Ribble operated; they were not popular machines. Ribble acquired a seventeeth example, when they took over Bamber Bridge Motor Services, 747EUS the ex demonstraitor; this was Ribble's only half cab example.

Double deck coaches

Ribble were leaders as regards the introduction of double-deck coaches, after the Second World War when demand was very heavy for express services - the single deck coach with the engine at the front would seat 35 passengers. In the early fifties Leyland introduced the Royal Tiger underfloor coach, which increased the number of passengers to 41.

However, Ribble went one step further and introduced the 'White Lady' double-deck coach. Painted in coach livery, these lowbridge buses had 49 seats (Ian Allan abc Ribble 2nd. Edition 1952); and were used on Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

 and Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...

 services. There were two batches of 'White Lady' 1201 - 1230 with Burlingham 5 bay window arrangement downstairs bodywork; and 1231 - 1250 with East Lancs bodywork with a very attractive four bay window arrangement.

The initial batch were downgraded to red liveried service buses in the mid fifties, and were mostly to be found round Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of 8,394 people, north east of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England.-History:Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written as "Daltune" as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig. Historically, it was the capital of Furness...

 and Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....

 depots. The East Lancs double deck coaches operated as such into the sixties.
Throughout the Fifties the "White Ladies" ran on all the major express and limited stop services out of Lower Mosley Street, Manchester. In particular they served the routes due north including X3 & X13 to Great Harwood
Great Harwood
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, north-east of Blackburn.-History:Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer , the 'father' of Great Harwood, who...

, X23 Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...

, X43 Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...

 and Colne
Colne
Colne is the second largest town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, with a population of 20,118. It lies at the eastern end of the M65, 6 miles north-east of Burnley, with Nelson immediately adjacent, in the Aire Gap with two main roads leading into the Yorkshire...

, X53 Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....

, and X66 Blackburn. The upper deck configuration of a sunken side aisle with four seats all together on one side was an unusual combination. (source - personal first hand experience and Ian Allan Ribble Buses & Coaches 3rd & 4th editions, 1953 & 1956).

Motorways were developed in the late 1950s – in 1958 the M6 Preston Bypass
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...

 was the first motorway in the UK. Arrangements were in hand for a totally new double deck coach, based on the Leyland Atlantean
Leyland Atlantean
The Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....

, 50 reclining seats, toilet and plenty of room for luggage. Christened 'Gay Hostess', these coaches were a common sight on the M6 and the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...

 in the sixties. One was at the opening of the M1, and Ribble milked the publicity for all it was worth.

The 'Gay Hostess' operated into London's Victoria Coach Station, and stood out from all the other operator's vehicles - their application of the cream and maroon red was carefully applied, to give a coach of distinction. When introduced in the sixties, these vehicles were icons of the bus industry; yet during the winter months the majority were laid up for six months delicensed (Ribble Allocation Lists 1960's).

Ribble had fifteen, but their sister operation Standerwick had 22. All were transferred to Standerwick/Scout to operate on Motorway express services. Only one 'Gay Hostess' is in preservation. but costs and time appear to be excessive to get the vehicle back into an as new condition, as the vehicle pioneered so much for Ribble/Standerwick and coaching in general.

On the Ribble homeground, in the early sixties, another generation of 'White Lady' was about to emerge, this was the 59 coach seat body on a Leyland Atlantean chassis; twenty of these were built. As the journeys would be shorter, no toilet facility was carried. These 'White Ladies' survived into National Bus ownership, but eventually they were downgraded to service buses.

Services

Ribble operated the service X60 and X70 between Manchester, Bolton, Chorley, Preston and Blackpool and this service was known as the world's most frequent express service in the sixties. A scheduled departure every fifteen minutes in the summer - with duplicates. Ribble, North Western, and Lancashire United were the most regular performers on this joint service.

The L3/L30 Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles  to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...

, Waterloo  to Crosby
Crosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...

 stage carriage service was the most frequent in its class. Operating for nineteen hours a day, in the fifties and sixties a five minute interval peak hour service with a duplicate or two thrown in as well. Bootle depot operated the service, generally using the highest capacity double deckers on the route.

Bootle depot never received any allocation of the first generation of Leyland Atlanteans, this nearly all double-deck stage carriage service depot stayed loyal to the Leyland Titan PD2 and the PD3. In early seventies a downgraded 'White Lady' Atlantean was allocated to the depot. On Merseyside Aintree Depot had two Atlanteans allocated for the 101 service to Preston from Liverpool (1629/1630). In 1974 Bootle received a large batch of the Park Royal bodied Atlanteans, and from then on the Leyland Titan PD3s were in decline.

The least used Liverpool local service was the L11, introduced during the Second World War, the bus operated three times daily (twice on Sundays) from Crosby Bus Station through Little Crosby to Fort Crosby. Fort Crosby being a prison camp for the duration of the War. Little Crosby never had a bus service up till then.

After the war, the L11 was cut back to the section from Crosby Bus Station to Little Crosby (Dibb Lane), operating three times daily, and twice on Sundays. The service was mainly used by schoolchildren attending secondary school in Crosby. The L11 was the only service to leave Crosby Bus Station, turning left into Little Crosby Road. Ribble threatened to withdraw the service on several occasions, but the L11 survived into the seventies.

An unusual arrangement was made at Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...

, service 411 Liverpool, Crosby, Maghull, Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...

 would meet an Ormskirk to Liverpool (311) at Hall Lane, Maghull. To ensure the two buses linked, the conductors had to obtain the signature of their counterpart from the other bus. Prior to the introduction of the 411 service, service 303 operated from Crosby, via Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....

 to Liverpool; and the link was to ensure through passengers from Crosby to Aintree had their connection.

Liverpool Corporation operated several joint services with Ribble in the Bootle area of the city. Service 28 Old Haymarket to Netherton was a joint operation; but operated solely by the Corporation buses (Ribble and Merseyside Transport timetables).

Considered to be one of the most scenic termini in the British Isles is the Ribble service 667 Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...

 - Dungeon Ghyll; the service became 516 in the shake ups of the late sixties and early seventies; and the service passed to Stagecoach Cumberland
Stagecoach North West
Stagecoach North West is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and has its origins in the purchase of Cumberland in 1987 and Ribble in 1988 from the National Bus Company. The head office of Stagecoach North West is in Carlisle...

 in the 1990s. Dungeon Ghyll is at the head of the Langdale Valley, and is popular with hikers, and climbers. Towards the end of the route there was a short section of road where buses could become grounded, Ribble would send a delegation in the latest single deck vehicle down the valley, to test if the vehicle was suitable for the route.

In Southport Ribble services were not allowed to run the length of Lord Street, this was the prime area for the Southport Corporation buses. On leaving the Ribble Bus Station, several services operated the full length of the Promenade; whilst the S services and the Wigan services headed up Duke Street. This all changed when Southport became part of the Merseyside Metropolitan area, and Merseyside Transport operated the former Corporation services.

In the eighties when the current Bus Station in Ormskirk replaced the Ribble one, the first bus to arrive at the interchange,scraped the ground. The engineers discovered that there was insufficient clearance for certain types of buses.

Depots

Ribble's Head Office was in Frenchwood Avenue, Preston.

However, their depots varied in size from Preston, Selborne Street, and Bootle Depots, which both accommodated close on one hundred vehicles; to small depots like Dalton-in-Furness with a handful. There were out-stations too, at Appleby, Bowness on Solway and Sedbergh, the out-station never having a particular vehicle allocated permanently.

One depot was a former railway terminus, and that was the Cheshire Lines Railway station on Lord Street, Southport; Ribble turned the former railway building into a Bus Station and Depot.

Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...

 depot was built of local Lakeland Stone, and was situated below the bus station; the depot entrance being in the next street. The final new depot before Bus Deregulation, was situated in Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...

 (New Town), and replaced Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...

 Depot. Services in the New Town area had expanded, and the Ormskirk site was believed to be inadequate for the task.

The original Bootle Depot, in Hawthorne Road was fully covered. In the late seventies a new open plan depot was brought into use a few yards away from the original garage. The maintenance building on the far side of the site, featured the pits and all the equipment in a modern environment for servicing buses.

Garstang Depot had a regular vehicle allocation until the late fifties, when it became an out-station. A bus would work out to Garstang for an over night garaging, then the following day return to its home depot.

See also

  • List of bus operating companies
  • Stagecoach North West
    Stagecoach North West
    Stagecoach North West is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and has its origins in the purchase of Cumberland in 1987 and Ribble in 1988 from the National Bus Company. The head office of Stagecoach North West is in Carlisle...


External links

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