Bus Running Day

[cessna152towser]

I took part in a bus running day on Sunday, one of those opportunities to travel around central Scotland on classic buses. I started from Glasgow on this London Transport Metrobus, built in 1981.

Blackpool Leyland casts a shadow at the junction of Alexandra Parade and Cumbernauld Road, Glasgow.

The oldest bus taking part, a 1929 Leyland Tiger TS2, was giving short rides around the M90 Commerce Park at Lathalmond in Fife, from where various short trips set off.

Kilty in Kelty.
I took a trip to Kelty in the Ailsa Volvo. This bus was built in Scotland during the nineteen seventies by Ailsa Truck Company at Irvine, Ayshire, with bodywork by Alexanders of Stirling using a Swedish Volvo power plant.

After lunch I went to Saline on the immaculately preserved Leyland Leopard coach, seen here in front of Saline village church.

[cessna152towser]

Next I travelled to Dunfermline on this rare centre engined Leyland Lion. This vehicle is fitted with 86 high backed luxury coach seats, but only thirty two of these were built, between 1986 and 1989.

The 1851 census lists my great grandmother Maggie McLeod as a one month old child living at Moodie Street, no.2, Dunfermline, with her parents William McLeod, who was a weaver from Paisley and his wife Mary Wallace, daughter of a Paisley hand loom weaver Robert Wallace. They shared the house with another family by the name of Dick. This is number 2 and 4 Moodie Street today, an eighteenth century weaver's cottage, of which the nearer half is number 2. Can you imagine two families, a total of eleven people sharing one half of this small cottage in 1851, and in those days the dormers in the attic to provide more living space had probably yet to be added?

Further up the hill in Dunfermline I boarded this 1963 Albion Lowlander to return to Lathalmond. The chassis and running gear was built at Albion Works in Scotstoun, Glasgow, with bodywork by Alexanders of Stirling.

All aboard the Albion. Note the leather seats on the upper deck.

[cessna152towser]

By now it was five o'clock and the five buses for Glasgow were lined up for departure.

Not often that I get to cross the Firth of Forth by the Kincardine Bridge on the top deck of a bus. The chimney of Longannet Power Station can be seen on left while on the distance right is Grangemouth Oil Refinery. A few small fishing boats are anchored off the Kincardine shore.

At Stenhousemuir, we take the M876 motorway towards Glasgow, while in the background a modern coach diverges onto the M9 towards Stirling and Perth.

Back in Glasgow and time for the buses to go back in the garage for the night.

Tucked away out of public view in the Glasgow garage is this 1947 Albion from Sydney Australia. The chassis and running gear were built at Albion Works in Scotstoun, Glasgow and on arrival in Australia this bodywork in uniquely Australian style was assembled onto it in Sydney. The bus has now returned home to Scotland, bringing with it the Australian body which was grafted onto it. Once the engine gets put back together, this should turn a few heads when it takes to the streets of Glasgow.

[cessna152towser]

I think the Sydney bus will look quite at home here outside Glasgow's Opera House at Glasgow Harbour.

[beowulf67]

Thanks for the pics. We don't have much in the way of buses around here, and certainly no double decker ones.

[Cynthia]

What fun!! Thanks so much for sharing with us

[Dirk Skene]

The 3rd from the top, the blue one was my fav. I think because it reminded me of an old Ford model T.

[Jock Scot]

Well done Alex,great pictures as usual!

[Macman]

Looks like a good day, Alex. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[Joe Gondek]

It looks like ther would be more living space in the bus than in the weavers house


Thanks for sharing