Scout S5 (PRN 145) at Rochdale - 20 June 1965

Sunday 20 June 1965 - Scout Motor Services was taken over by Ribble Motor Services in 1961 and was operated as a separate subsidiary until 1968. Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 PRN 145 was new to Scout in May 1962 and carried fleet number 5.

After the Ribble takeover an ‘S’ prefix was applied to the Scout fleet numbers. In due course a Ribble style six sided destination aperture replaced that originally fitted for Scout and the bus was painted in Ribble colours with a Scout fleetname derived from the Ribble style. It was also fitted with the a Ribble style fleetname plaque on the front panel.

S5 is seen in Packer Street which forms the edge of Rochdale Town Hall Square. This was the last week of operation of the through Rochdale-Blackpool service 158. Effective Sunday 27 June 1965 the service was severed at Preston with the Preston-Rochdale section becoming service 244. As it transpired S5 was the vehicle that operated the 1940 service on Saturday 26 June which was the last through trip to Blackpool and, since Scout no longer participated on the service east of Preston after that date, it was to be the last Scout vehicle to serve Rochdale.

As this was a Sunday the gate to the entrance of Moir and Bateman Architects and the Trustee Savings Bank (on the right) was closed and locked. This covered doorway provided shelter for me when watching the buses during my school lunch break. A Bury Corporation Alexander bodied Daimler Fleetline stands close behind working service 19 back to Bury and beyond that a Rochdale Corporation Weymann bodied Daimler CVG6 working service 14 to Greave.