267/01 Premier Travel Services PCE 601R at Cambridge - Sat 7 Sept 1985 (Ref 26-16)

Saturday 7 September 1985 - Premier Travel Services 267 (PCE 601R), a Plaxton Supreme bodied AEC Reliance, seen in Drummer Street bus station, Cambridge. Today I was assigned this coach potentially to duplicate the 0900 service 905 to Birmingham but I was not required. I was then assigned to duplicate the 1100 service but again was not required. Despite these two non-starts I was finally required to duplicate the 1300 service which resulted in my inaugural trip to Digbeth! Due to the late running of another coach I didn’t actually depart until 1355 running about one hour late throughout arriving in Digbeth at 1725 instead of 1620. My return run was duplicating the 1700 (!) service back to Cambridge with passengers on board to connect with the 2045 service 747 to Norwich. The service 905 driver covered Northampton which saved me some time and I duly arrived at Drummer Street 30 minutes late at 2045 – just in time because no one had informed the 747 driver that I had passengers for him!! In this photograph the PCE 601R and the adjacent Cambus Leopard are parked facing away from the Emmanuel Street entrance. The layout of the bus station was changed a few years later which involved the removal of the centre island (to the left of PCE 601R). The older peaked building on the right, one of the famous Cambridge colleges, still stands. The nose in bus loading stands of the redesigned bus station were constructed on the ground on the left of the photograph were the red car is located. (Ref 26-16)