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GM Buses North
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GM Buses North
A THREAD TO DISCUSS THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF GM BUSES NORTH, FROM DEPOTS TO VEHICLES USED, ALLOCATIONS, OPERATING AREA, ROUTES. Gm Buses North were OM= OLDHAM DEPOT QS= QUEENS ROAD DEPOT BN= Bolton Depot BY= Bury Depot An= Atherton Depot NB = North Bury Seprate operating unit SA = South Atherton Seprate operating unit |
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RE: GM Buses North
The takeover of GMBN by First was announced just a month after that of GMBS by Stagecoach. Did they fear Stagecoach competing on many lucrative routes and offer to sell out? |
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RE: GM Buses North
(23/06/2012 00:01)Damien Wrote: A THREAD TO DISCUSS THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF GM BUSES NORTH, FROM DEPOTS TO VEHICLES USED, ALLOCATIONS, OPERATING AREA, ROUTES. |
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RE: GM Buses North
(24/06/2012 18:00)skelmersey Wrote:(23/06/2012 00:01)Damien Wrote: A THREAD TO DISCUSS THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF GM BUSES NORTH, FROM DEPOTS TO VEHICLES USED, ALLOCATIONS, OPERATING AREA, ROUTES. Also had SB = South Bolton BE = Boyle Street (QS) MS = Mumps (OM) |
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RE: GM Buses North
Thank you I forgot them 
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RE: GM Buses North
Al;so add SW as a special operating unit = South Wigan Vehicles taken over initially where MINI's = Dodge S56, a number of Localine NCME bodied Renault S75's based at Bury depot and an odd Iveco 49,10 and 7originally Metroriders, plus a batch of ex London Buses versions SALOONS = Ex LUT Plaxton Derwent Leopards some ex LUT Leyland Nationals and some new to GMT Leyland nationals plus all 4 Lynxs that where based at Bolton at the time, and a solitary Volvo B10MN NCME Paladin with hard plastic bucket seats that was usually based at Wigan. DECKERS = 1482-1483 Volvo Citybus NCME ex GMPTE prototype vehicles 3xxx Leyland Olympians NCME 4xxx Leyland Atlanteans NCME 40xx Leyland Fleetlines NCME 49xx Leyland Fleetlines NCME ex LUT but to GMPTE standard design 5xxx MCW Metrobus MKI integrals 5xxx MCW Metrobus MKII's with NCME the only such vehicles in the whole country all 30 split between QS and OM but some for a short time operated from Atherton (AN) 7001-7010 Volvo Citybus NCME 7009/10 had disabled wheelchair lifts 7077 Leyland Atlantean / Park Royal open top 7xxx Leyland Atlantean / Park Royal 7xxx Leyland Atlantean / Northern Counties Later on in face of competition a fair number of buses where bought in namely Fleetlines and Atlanteans with NCME bodies that originated with GMPTE before sale to Yorkshire Rider these where bought back with mots being allocated to a new depot at Bedford Place, Bootle code (LL). Also bought where MCW Metroriders from Cardiff Bus, Yorkshire Rider and South Wales Transport (THe whole batch in the case of the latter). Then brought in where 20 x New Volvo B6-50's with NCME bodies and a solitary Wright Crusader bodied Volvo B6LE and 55 Volvo B10B's with Wright Endurance bodies labeled as Superbuses and allocated at that time to every depot but Wigan from new, and 18 Dennis Darts with NCME Paladin bodies allocated to Wigan or Atherton Depots eventually. Ordered but delivered to FirstBus Greater Manchester after take-over where 5 x Volvo B10L's wioth Wright Liberator bodies and a further batch of NCME bodied Darts and a further batch of Wright Crusader bodied Volvo B6LE's. Also bought in secopndhand was the entire fleets of Citibus and Bolton Coachways plus selected MTL Leyland ntaional 2's and Ntaionals which came with teh Bolton Coachways operation and a Mercedes-L608D Minicoach all the Citibus fleet but 2 Leyland national 2's and Iveco 59.12's and Merc 811d's where quickly disposed off as was the Merc mini and a small collection of sherpa minibuses from Bolton Coachways, but taken into stock there was another pair of Mercs with their loans and a motely collection of further Dodge S56's and two Optare Star-rider Merc 811D's. Hope that gives a guide as to what the fleet was like prior to the FirstGroup take-over. The vehicles aquired from CXitibus in the main where ex-South Yorkshire PTE Roe/Alexander Atlanteans of which a small number recieved GMN livery there where also various Nationals and a solitary Isle of Man Tiger Cub that was sold for scrap and a Bristol LH trainer which was also sold for scrap, Citibus operated from a depot at Chadderton which there was the intention to retain but then suddenly and quickly was closed and teh operation shut down and the majority of the fleet disposed off - i should mention Citibus wasn't an independent when GMN bought it but was owned by the Lynton Travel Group whop also at the time owned County Bus & Coach in Essex/Hertfordshire which is where some Natioanls had come from. The sale to FirstGroup wasn't what the Drivers had choosen to get rich with or the managers it was 31 Investments that made them sell out as they had a heavy interest in the ESOP and it thought its money could never be recovered so it ordered its sale to FirstBus as FirstGroup was known at that time. Gilesbus1 |
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RE: GM Buses North
5201-10(C201-10-FVU) and 5310/11(D310/11-LNB or JVR) were new to tameside/glossop before the depot shut in 1991. |
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RE: GM Buses North
I'm not sure the period immediately after GM Buses' split could be described at 'the good old days' in regard to GMN. With the exception of the new B10Bs the fleet in general was very down at heel with many knackered old Atlanteans, Fleetlines rotten old Metrobuses on all-day workings. More than a couple of these had prominent notices on the dashboard instructing the driver not to switch the engine off as it wouldn't start again without assistance...! As was often the case at operators who are in a rut driver discipline was poor also and they regularly found it perfectly acceptable to run out of service as and when they felt like, wind the blind to black blank, etc etc. The four Lynxes that they had were also shocking buses. |
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RE: GM Buses North
Does anyone know what happenend to the Lynx's at Bolton? I used one once in July/August 1997 and they were then transfered by First from Greater Manchester to another division but can't exactly remember which one. Thanks |
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