Yelloway (ATL) RFS 585V and MDM 286P at Rochdale – 11 Sep 1988 (74-45)

Sunday 11 September 1988 – In July 1985 the Yelloway business which had been managed by the Allen family for more than 50 years was sold to a new owner, Carlton PSV (ATL Holdings). Changes ensued which might have portrayed an air of an optimistic future that sadly was not going to be.

Amongst the changes made by the new management was the decision to branch out into bus service operation and to hand over the long distance coach services to National Express for which Yelloway then became a contracted operator. Vehicles would wear National Express livery resulting in the famous Yelloway colours and name no longer being seen countrywide.

Initially buses appeared in the old Yelloway colours but gradually a livery style and layout used by other businesses in ATL Group ownership came to be which no longer reflected the glorious past of the Yelloway company.

These vehicles, representing the new owner’s aberrations, were seen on the parking ground between the garage/coach station and offices in Rochdale.

Left is RFS 585V, a Leyland National 2 that had been new to Eastern Scottish as their N585 in April 1980. Devoid of exterior fleetnames with the fleetname displayed in the front windscreen I suspect this was a transfer from one of the other companies in the group.

Right is MDM 286P, an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR that had been new to Crosville as their DVG285 in September 1975.

The buildings in the background, on the opposite bank of the River Roch, have now gone and the site is now occupied by the new bus station.