Old Bus Routes Wirral

[MTL0201]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral

(21/08/2017 11:30)SSS871 Wrote:  If my memory is right the 3A was the Eves/Sun service (as current 423 to Birkenhead) and the 3B was the daytime service, equivalent to the current 413.

The 33B/34B was a circular service that was introduced for a period (not sure on the dates) that linked Seacombe to Woodside over Tower Bridge and then followed the current 413 route back to Seacombe. My memory is a bit hazy, I would have only been about 8 or 9 at the time, so I'm unsure if this was as well as the 3B or instead of, perhaps fellow members could clarify?

33B/34B think was introduced either around the time of the Merseybus/GM Buses wars, or just shortly after, there was no 3B after 33B/34B was introduced, Arriva withdrew 33B/34B & replaced Seacombe-Woodside via Moreton section with current 413.

3B was introduced late 80s when the 4 & 5 routes were cut,

3A was introduced as the 36 at D-Reg, renumbered to 3A in the Winter 89 changes, the 3A also interworked with the 37 then Woodside-West Kirby, Arriva renumbered the 3A to 423, then couple of years later extended the 423 to Liverpool mainly to keep the interworking with the 437 when the Evening & Sunday 437 was introduced, now 423 apart from first couple of Evening journeys, doesn't regally interwork with any other routes.

[SSS871]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
Interesting stuff, thanks MTL0201. Remember well riding Atlanteans on the 33B frequently between Liscard and Wallasey Village. Alongside the 7/7A/8/8A and, if it was a Sunday, the 8E which operated to Town Meadow only.

With regards to interworking, its something that seems to have diminished as routes have been simplified over the years.

[MTL0201]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
Still a few interworkings today as
407 interworks with the 471/472
410 interworks with the 411
432/433 interworks with the 437

Merseybus era think was
Daytime 431/432/433/434, interworked with the 1, later 10A when 10A had short New Brighton-Woodside journeys introduced, Evening & Sunday 431 interworked the 7A/8E
As mentioned 3A interworked with the 37
Not sure of the rest

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
This thread has brought back some fond memories of the late 90s and early 00s period. It would be great to see a map of Wirral bus routes from this sort of era if anyone has one they could possibly scan?

I just about remember the transition from the Metrorider-operated 501/502 routes which were withdrawn in favour of the 9 in Wallasey. Atlanteans were the mainstay of the 9 for a few years before the more suitable step entry Darts took over. I loved the Atlanteans but they were far too big for this route.

The other service I remember using a lot was the 8/8A, one of which (8A?) went up Mosslands Drive and Mossdene Road as I recall. This was another Atlantean haunt but the odd N-CKB Palatine popped up occasionally which was always a delight. Wasn't the 403/413 a combined replacement for both the 3 and 8 collection of routes? I could be getting the 3 and 8 confused of course.

Lastly, during the early years of the N-CKB/CLVs, I remember the 434 being an all-day route. Can anyone remember how it differed from the present day 433?

[N271CKB]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
I think the Mosslands Drive route was part of the old 23/24, Liscard to Leasowe

[MTL0201]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
8/8A New Brighton-Woodside, was one of my local routes, reverse of the 7/7A[this was because of a double run down Hoylake Road], evening & Sundays was 8E New Brighton-Moreton Cross which then became 7A[the evening & Sunday did a full loop Moreton Cross to Town Meadow Lane, the Merseytravel equivalents 107/208 finished 18 months ago when Avon went bust, Merseytravel never renewed the tender. The 7A/8A/8E was via Victoria Road, Atherton Street, Albion Street, Dudley Road, Hamilton Road & Mount Road, the 7 & 8 went the direct route as current 414 to Moreton Cross.

501/502 ended in 1996, partly replaced by diverting the then 18 Mill Park-Seacombe, at Park Station to Woodside then via the 501/501 to Grove Road, renumbering it to 18A, the 18A from Woodside went via the docks to Seacombe then current 409 to Sandy Lane then that loop via Bayswater Road to Grove Road, i have a timetable for the 18A somewhere took around 2 hours end to end.

The differences in the 433/434[431/432] were in Liverpool City Centre,
432/433 were the peak routes, which went direct from Scotland Road via Byrom Street & Whitechapel to Hood Street Gyrotory.
431/434 were off peak, which went via Hunter Street, Norton Street, London Road & Lime Street.
Both routes going out from Hood Street Gyrotory went via Crosshall Street, Dale Street, Exchange Street East, Tithebarn Street & Great Crosshall Street to Scotland Road

Arriva changed the numbers, 403/413 replaced 3/3B, the 3A was the evening & Sunday route now 423, the 7/7A/8/8A became 405/406/407/408, evening & Sunday 7A/8E was withdrawn.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
Many thanks for the informative post. That's cleared up quite a few things: I'd completely forgotten the 7 and 8 worked like that.

[MTL0201]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral

(04/06/2020 20:42)H101GEV Wrote:  Many thanks for the informative post. That's cleared up quite a few things: I'd completely forgotten the 7 and 8 worked like that.

No prob, yep the double run was between Reeds Lane & Moreton Cross.

The evening & Sunday 7A/8E originally terminated at Town Meadow Lane using local side roads to turn around, however locals complained buses turning around regully mounted the pavements because the roads were unsuitable & on an angle, Merseybus ended up revising the route to terminate the 8E at Moreton Cross, then 7A doing a clockwise loop via Town Meadow Lane.

Merseytravel numbers to 7/7A/8/8A/8E were something else, being 7/107, 7A/207, 8/108, 8A/208, 8E/308, it's weird to look back when Merseytravel had all there tenders to commercial services a different number, it's only the last 15 years Merseytravel have most of the time numbered them the same as the commercial number.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral
That's due to the fact that after dereg Merseytravel numbered their routes between 100 & 250 to differentiate between these and the commercial journeys. Certainly did throw up some strange numbers at times (especially where the commercial journeys started with a letter as per most of Crosville & Fareway services).

[MTL0201]

RE: Old Bus Routes Wirral

(05/06/2020 06:27)St Helens Rider Wrote:  That's due to the fact that after dereg Merseytravel numbered their routes between 100 & 250 to differentiate between these and the commercial journeys. Certainly did throw up some strange numbers at times (especially where the commercial journeys started with a letter as per most of Crosville & Fareway services).

Indeed, Ribble L series numbers was affected too, L3 was 213, L21 was 131 [even more strange there was another 131 in Liverpool City Centre, the Merseytravel number to the cross river 431] L81 was 151, as you say, the Fareway numbers were strange too F9 was 244, at least the F2 was 242