West Yorkshire Road Car Company

Circa 1967 – West Yorkshire Road Car Company garage and bus station at Northway, Scarborough. Despite being the focal point of my childhood holidays to Scarborough I am sorry to say that I took very few photographs at Northway Bus Station and it was just round the corner from my Grandparents and Uncles/Aunties. The coach is CUG44 (SLA 759), a Bristol LS which had been new to Tillings Travel, London in May 1957. It was transferred from Eastern National to West Yorkshire circa 1965 along with sister vehicle CUG45 (SLA 762). The bus is DX173 (840 DYG), a Bristol FS6B Lodekka new in February 1964. It shows service 84 which was the Harrogate-York-Malton-Scarborough service which shared the same route between York and Scarborough as the Bradford-Leeds-York-Malton-Scarborough service 43 which operated more frequently. In my younger days the Harrogate service was numbered 74. Both these vehicles were bodied by Eastern Coachworks of course.

Wednesday 22 March 1972 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1016 (PWR 859E), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELH new in May 1967 as fleet number CRG3. It was unloading at Bradford on the northbound ‘Yorkshire Services’ pool services from London etc running through to Keighley.

Circa late August 1967 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company DBW18 (KWU 374), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol KSW new in 1952 as fleet number 836. In the newer alpha numeric fleet numbering scheme it became DBW18. Seen close to Vicar Lane bus station in Leeds.

January 1972 - A West Yorkshire Road Car Company Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RE heading eastbound on the M62. It was working the 0950 service from Liverpool to Newcastle (due 1655) driven by a Lancashire United driver between Liverpool and Leeds. From Leeds a West Yorkshire driver would continue to Newcastle and then drive back as the 1800 service to Leeds (2140). (Photo taken from Broad Lane road bridge (B6194) near Rochdale)

Wednesday 22 March 1972 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1068 (8125 WX) seen in the evening light at Bradford on a service to Blackpool. It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol MW6G new in May 1961 as fleet number CUG28.

August 1973 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company ERG4 (AWR 401B), a 1964 Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RE, seen at Lower Mosley Street Bus Station, Manchester when working between Liverpool and Newcastle on a 'Tyne-Tees'Mersey' Limited Stop Poll service X98.

Monday 17 July 1972 - Wellington Street Coach Station, Leeds: From left to right - Ribble 900 (ECK 900E) Leyland Leopard/Marshall (dual purpose model) (Worked in from Southport on service X17 and due to return at 1200); East Yorkshire 879 (RKH 879G) also Leyland Leopard/Marshall (dual purpose model) (Worked in on the 0730 service 46 from Hull due to return at 1205); West Yorkshire Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks (1205 service X35 to Yeadon Airport); a United Automobile Bristol RE/Eastern Coachworks (UHN-G batch) (1155 X99 service to Middlesbrough).

Monday 17 July 1972 - (approx 1300) - Seen from the former cafe window overlooking the bus station. Going clockwise the vehicles are: North Western Leyland Leopard/Duple Commander (Westbound duplicate service X98); West Yorkshire Bristol RE/Eastern Coachworks (Service 43 to York and possibly Scarborough); West Yorkshire Bristol RE/Eastern Coachworks (dual purpose model); Northern General Leyland Leopard/Marshall (dual purpose model); Northern General 2631 (FCN 631F) Leyland Leopard/Alexander Y type (0900 Newcastle-Liverpool X98 service coach); Northern General 2633 (FCN 633F) Leyland Leopard/Alexander Y type (0910 Newcastle-Coventry 'Ten Cities Express' service coach); then a cream topped Alexander Y type that I believe was a Hebble or Yorkshire Woollen District coach running as the 1320 Leeds-Liverpool service X97); then a pair of West Yorkshire Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks coaches. Out of shot to the left was Lancashire United 216, the service coach working the 0950 Liverpool-Newcastle X98). The station inspector can be seen in the dark suit at the rear of the NGT Marshall bodied vehicle. Note the West Yorkshire crew walking across the station towards their assigned vehicle, the male driver in short beige dust jacket and the female conductor in the longer version coat - both have the red collar and the coat a red belt.

Tuesday 2 January 1973 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1002 (AWR 402B), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELH new in May 1964 as fleet number ERG2. It was seen in Bolton when working the Southport to Leeds X17 service which was operated jointly with Ribble Motor Services. Running via Wigan, Bolton and Bury the last Lancashire pick-up point was Heywood. It then joined the M62 Motorway and, from memory, I think the first set-down in Yorkshire was Bradford terminating at Leeds.

August 1973 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1001 (AWR 401B), a 1964 Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RE, seen at Chorlton Street Coach Station, Manchester. It was working the 0950 service from Liverpool to Newcastle (due 1655) driven by a Lancashire United driver between Liverpool and Leeds. From Leeds a West Yorkshire driver would continue to Newcastle and then drive back as the 1800 service to Leeds (2140).

Tuesday 15 July 1975 – A West Yorkshire Road Car Company Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELL seen parked by the War Memorial in York. It might be 1260 (SYG 497F) that was new in January 1968 (fleet number SRG60).

June 1968 – West Yorkshire Road Car Company Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol LS SMG4 (LWR 484) seen in Whixley when working service 84 from Harrogate to Scarborough. New in 1953 as number EUG4, a dual purpose vehicle. After sale by WYRCC is was exported to Macau becoming M-44-29 with Companhia de Autocarros Fok-Lei.

Easter Monday 11 April 1977 - West Yorkshire Road Car Company 1785 (EWY 273C) was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol FS6B Lodekka that carried fleet number DX185 when new in March 1965. Service 659 operated between Bradford (Chester Street) and Baildon (Lucy Hall Drive) via Shipley. I can’t however recall where I took the photograph but the tea shop on the left might offer a clue to someone.

Circa late August 1967 – Vicar Lane bus station, Leeds: Left is Samuel Ledgard MLL 834, former London Transport RT3524 a Weymann bodied AEC RT new in May 1952. Right is West Yorkshire Road Car Company SRG8 (FWY 862C), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELL new in April 1965.

Friday 21 August 1987 – After closure the West Yorkshire Road Car Company bus station and garage in Northway, Scarborough was taken over by a car dealership. Through these large doors was the gateway to many a childhood holiday as our coach operating the joint WYRCC and Ribble service X192 from Rochdale would pull in at 1545. From there we would walk the short distance to Nelson Street to my Grandparents house or my Auntie Hazel and Uncle Ken’s house. The coach booking and enquiry office was beneath where the red and white Citroen signage is now and the open bus station area further along where the long white signage is.

Friday 21 August 1987 – After closure the West Yorkshire Road Car Company bus station and garage in Northway, Scarborough was taken over by a car dealership. Through these large doors was the gateway to many a childhood holiday as our coach operating the joint WYRCC and Ribble service X192 from Rochdale would pull in at 1545. From there we would walk the short distance to Nelson Street to my Grandparents house or my Auntie Hazel and Uncle Ken’s house. The coach booking and enquiry office was beneath where the red and white Citroen signage is now and the open bus station area further along where the long white signage is.

Friday 21 August 1987 – After closure the West Yorkshire Road Car Company bus station and garage in Northway, Scarborough was taken over by a car dealership. This doorway was the coach booking and enquiry office albeit slightly modified now. The garage stood behind. On the extreme left is the entrance from the main roadway to the open bus station area. Note the black plate on the wall. I seem to recall this was a legal notice relating to rights of way and that it was in place from the bus station days.

Friday 21 August 1987 – This car showroom was originally the West Yorkshire Road Car Company bus station and garage located in Northway, Scarborough. The bus loading area stood where the single storey extension is in this photograph. The taller building beyond was the bus garage, the lintel across the large exit is just visible beneath the broken and forlorn looking clock face which had overseen thousands of bus departures and arrivals. In due time (no pun intended) the bus garage was demolished but the newer single storey building remains as part of Jewsons building materials company which occupies both sides of what was Brook Street. A comparable 2022 view from almost the same spot may be seen on Google Streetview at: tinyurl.com/2s2pr7tb