Route History

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Route History
The 475 was a great bus to use it ran non stop from the city centre to I think the Black Horse/Queens Drive bus stop in Old Swan then all the stops to Huyton. It used to do the run to Old Swan/Knotty Ash a good 15-20 faster than the other routes so always tried to catch that one if I could.

Merseybus also did a change to the 9's in 1988 when the 9/9C got withdrawn and a new 9B was introduced. This for a few months ran in a loop around Stockbridge for a time then doing Seth Powell Way and the current 8/9 route via Longview to Huyton. It only lasted a few months before the 9B's just ran straight from Page Moss to Longview and Huyton and in 1990 (I think) the 8/9 Huyton Circular's began as we have now.

Would these Rapidride routes be useful now? Generally they should but with the city centre congestion as it is rigt now I can't see how they'd make much difference sadly.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Route History
If it's quickness you wanted, you couldn't beat GM Buses 34, 43 minutes St Helens - Liverpool and it was very often waiting out time in St Helens. Most definitely wouldn't happen today.

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Route History

(23/05/2019 08:56)St Helens Rider Wrote:  If it's quickness you wanted, you couldn't beat GM Buses 34, 43 minutes St Helens - Liverpool and it was very often waiting out time in St Helens. Most definitely wouldn't happen today.

True mate, I did the 34 a few times from town to Old Swan/Knotty Ash and very quick. Also had a few happy days getting a £2.50 or whatever daysaver from there to Manchester too. Happy days.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
Looking at my maps, the 9C was the one that ran the loop in Stockbridge Village, when the 9C was withdrawn, the 9A replaced the 9C through Stockbridge, don't think 9B ever did the loop as the 11 was introduced instead.

Looks like the 11 Huyton-Pier Head was introduced spring 88, this also did a loop around Stockbridge Village, rest of the route mirrored the old PTE 11

I used to love the old 34, GM Buses used express standard olympians, with seating to match, the 34 went in & out of Liverpool via Edge Lane, then St Oswald Street to Old Swan, followed the 79 to the University, would regularly travel end to end, always arrive early at major timing points.

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Route History
Thanks MTL0201 thought it was the 9B that did the loop around the Farm but only ever used the 9C once and took as long to do that as what other routes did to Huyton.

I thought the 11 replaced the 111 in Autumn 88 the same time the 217 took over from the 192, but could be wrong about that at least one thing about Merseybus/MTL they did give marginal routes a go that the big groups with a few exceptions wouldn't these days.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Route History
I recall October 88 seeing major changes as there were quite a few contracts changing hands, some examples in St Helens being Ogdens gaining the 105 and 121/122 and Shearings starting/amending a fair few commercial services including the 51/51P, 53 & 55 and I think there were major changes across Merseyside at the same time.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
The 11 did replace the 111, which was Stockbridge-Pier Head, but the 11 was extended to Huyton, mirroring the old PTE 11 Pier Head-Huyton[which is what i was alluding to], but via diverting through Stockbridge. I think the 111 still continued evening & Sundays though.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History

(23/05/2019 15:23)St Helens Rider Wrote:  I recall October 88 seeing major changes as there were quite a few contracts changing hands, some examples in St Helens being Ogdens gaining the 105 and 121/122 and Shearings starting/amending a fair few commercial services including the 51/51P, 53 & 55 and I think there were major changes across Merseyside at the same time.

In my area Merseybus hads major changes March 89, certainly affected me, the 33/34/35/36/44/45 were renumbered & or part replaced 3/3A/4/5/7/7A/8/8A/8E, the 3 was every 15 minutes at first then may have been later that year or 1990, 3B[now 413] was introduced replaced the 4 & 5 Liscard to Seacombe with the 4 & 5 cut to Liscard-Saughall Massie.

I do remember some Crosville changes around then, 86 introduced replacing the 185 Eastham-West Kirby, extending to Liscard via Moreton, Merseytravel introduced an evening & Sunday 186 Mill Park/Eastham Ferry-Leasowe Station, this was operated by PMT RedRider

80A was diverted at Arrowe Park to Somerville via Leasowe Estate & Liscard replacing the 123/124

[moreton407]

RE: Route History

(17/05/2019 15:09)MTL0201 Wrote:  When did Merseybus take completely over the 284 route?

The 284, has its origins in the Ribble S1/S2/S3 which was Liverpool-Southport, 1978 the S1/S2/S3 were renumbered S4/S5 & cut to operate Liverpool-Formby/Freshfield, the Freshfield terminus was the roundabout Southport Road/Formby By Pass in 1983 these were renumbered 284/285, at d-reg the 284 was extended to Southport 285 Liverpool-Freshfield, which gave a 30 minute service Liverpool-Freshfield & hourly to Southport, i think the 285 was withdrawn sometime 1988, 284 left stand alone on an hourly frequency. When North Western refused the use of saveaways on there buses, Merseybus added extra journeys & this became a North Western/Merseybus joint service, Merseybus using Skelhorne Street bus station part of the bus & coach station, before it closed, which was weird to see.

Not sure when North Western withdrew from the 284 leaving Merseybus to operate the route alone, not sure when it was extended to Crossens

After d-reg ABC Travel started a 284, later transferred to CMT after CMT brought ABC, main difference to Merseybus/North Western route ABC/CMT route diverted via Birkdale station. Stagecoach withdrew the 284, but whole route is effectively covered by the X2

The 47 has it's origins in the 17 Crossens-Formby, later Banks-Formby, Arriva renumbered the 17 to 47 & extended it to Liverpool, 284 was renumbered 48/48A, 48A extended to operate Southport-Liverpool Airport, although the Airport extension didn't last long, 48A went via the Dock Road 47/48 via Scotland Road, 48/48A were eventually withdrawn & 47 increased to every 20 minutes

Don't forget that GM Buses operated on the 284 during their war with MTL.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
Going on depots, i remember Gillmoss operating the 53 Liverpool-Thornton, 55 City Centre-Old Roan, may have operated the 93 City Centre-Crosby, 53 & 55 then became operated by Garston when they merged with the 86, think they might have gone back to Gillmoss, when the routes were split.

PTE era 12/13 was Green Lane operated, but moved to Gillmoss after d-reg[always remember MCWs & Dominators on the 12/13], normally interworkes with the 14C, 12/13 moved back to Green Lane sometime in the mid 90s, don't think it was when the routes merged in 91.

Speaking of vehicles, the experimental buses numbered in the 00 range, before d-reg the MCW Metrobuses were new to Gillmoss, Dennis Dominators, Speke, Leyland Olympians Green Lane, Volvo Ailsa's Laird Street. I think the rear engined Titan was supposed to be the natural successor to the Atlantean, but difficulties building them, that mostly London Titans, were built in numbers, the Titan was effectively replaced by the Olympian.