Yelloway CTD 131V and Yelloway-Trathen A308 XHE at Rochdale – 11 Sep 1988 (74-44)

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 coach dealership 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 main changes was the decision 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 no longer being seen countrywide.

Later that year ATL acquired a portion of the failed Trathen’s Travel business which was based at Plymouth and created a new company Yelloway-Trathen Express Limited. Operation of the old established Yelloway services linking the north-west and south-west of England was moved from Rochdale to Plymouth.

Right: A308 XHE carried the Yelloway-Trathen fleetname and Plymouth address when seen parked at the Yelloway premises in Rochdale where it had been stabled overnight after running northbound the previous day. It is a Jonckheere Deauville bodied Volvo B10M new to National Travel (East) in November 1983.

On the left representing the proud past is CTD 131V, a Plaxton Supreme Express bodied Leyland Leopard, one of the four coaches new to Yelloway in July 1980. This one was fitted with folding doors rather than a coach door and was a front line vehicle used on the Cambridge/Clacton-on-Sea services. Now demoted to local stage work showing service 567 on the destination display.