Royal Blue (SNOC) 2381 (OTA 641G) leaving Rochdale -19 Sep 1970

Saturday 19 September 1970 – Royal Blue (Southern National) 2381 (OTA 641G) rumbles over the setts along Penn Street as it departed Rochdale at 0900 on the joint Yelloway/Associated Motorways service to Bournemouth.

Royal Blue Express Services was jointly owned the Western National Omnibus Co Ltd and the Southern National Omnibus Co Ltd, both themselves related. Some Royal Blue coaches were owned by WNOC and some by SNOC. An Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELH6G new in March 1969.

Unfortunately this coach was one of those completely lost during a disastrous fire at Bournemouth Coach Station in the early hours of 25 July 1976. The fire caused such serious damage to the underground coach station that it could not be used thereafter.