Ribble 378 (ERN 701) on Mellor Street, Rochdale - early 1960s

Unknown date early 1960s - One of my early schoolboy photographs. Ribble 378 (ERN 701) paused at the traffic lights at the junction of Mellor Street and Bury Road, Rochdale bound for Blackburn on service 158.

Service 158 was an hourly double deck service through to Blackpool via Blackburn and Preston but there was an extra short trip operated Mondays to Fridays only ‘for workpeople and liable to suspension if not so required’ that was always worked by a one man operated single decker departing Blackburn at 1650 returning from Rochdale at 1810. It is a Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13 with Leyland built bodywork new in 1952, one of 110 such buses bought in 1951 (60) and 1952 (50).