GM Buses Liverpool

[Walton 46]

RE: GM Buses Liverpool

(15/02/2019 00:56)gilesbus1 Wrote:  I've looked at this further Liverpool depot ran service 17C to Fazakerley Hospital, think the start point was Liverpool using Metroriders branded as Liverpool Gem, those at Southport were outstationed on a car park somewhere I belive and carried Lancashire Gem Branding, the two brands as far as I know were not mixed between Liverpool and Southport. I also have a picture of a Fleetline working the 17C also There was also a service 14 operated by Wigan Depot using F plate Olympians that ran Liverpool Gyratory to Croxteth like you say worked off a 79 and changed number to a 14. Then there was a 14C to Croxteth worked by Liverpool depot using Atlanteans and Fleetlines, Liverpool also had journeys on the 14 besides Wigan Depot, further research of the 21 shows that finished at Kirkby Bus Station, so it was presumably short workings that finished at Fazakerley. So now I will summarise in a service listing:-

21 Liverpool - Fazakerley - Kirkby Bus Station operated by Atherton Depot first jouney in the morning started at Leigh Bus Station and the two final journeys at night continued along the A580 East Lancs Road to Lowton then to Leigh Bus Station.
14 Liverpool Gyratory - Croxteth - (Wigan Depot/Bootle Depot) (few journeys)
14C Liverpool Gyratory - Croxteth - (Bootle Depot) - some journeys operated by Liverpool Gem Minibuses.
17C Liverpool Gyratory - Fazakerley Hospital - (Bootle Depot)
18A I have some journeys with a destination of Muirhead Avenue - presume these must be short workings - operated by Bootle Depot.

If I remember rightly Bootle Depot was at Bedford Place and also had its own recovery lorry which was the Bedford TK that was later manufactured by EFE it was originally new at Leigh Depot then moved to Atherton and was replaced there by a Volvo FL6 model and it languished a while and then moved to Bootle - it is now preserved.

Hope all this helps?? It was an interesting time there was always stuff of interest in both Liverpool and Manchester very day, every week and in-between the two Cities and beyond as well. One of the things that brought stuff to a head was MTL had appointed Alan Johnson who knew Manchester well through working there while GMN's Chief Executive at the time was Alan Westwell who was a Liverpudlian by birth, both knew each others territories very well and were able to pick lucrative routes to compete on to try to hit profits of one another. That I think was when they finally knew they couldn't carry on competing like they had been doing as each others key staff knew each others Cities as well as the directors that were with the native directors if not better. GMS's trump card was there Birkenhead & District subsiduary but they also operated Atlanteans from Princess Road Depot in Manchester, which was probably there nearest depot to Liverpoo, some 40 or so miles away, on services 26 & 27 Shield Road Circulars.

Was the 21 the same route as today's 21 or different?

With regards to the 18A, according to my GM Buses timetable, it started and finished on Muirhead Ave East with the first 4/5 morning journeys starting and last 6/7 evening journeys finishing at the Lower Lane turning circle. Most services finished at the Gyratory but continued to the Pier Head in peak hours