David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos with the keyword: Yorkshire Woollen District

Extract from the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932 - Page 118 is the second of seven pages of timetables under the heading of the North Western Road Car Company which contains the southbound timetable for the 'Tyne-Tees-Mersey' 'Limited Stop' Pool services at the time worked jointly with Lancashire United Transport, Northern General Transport, West Yorkshire Road Car Company and Yorkshire Woollen District. The timetable also includes the Hull service which was jointly operated with East Yorkshire Motor Services. United Automobile Services joined the pool later.

Extract from the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932 - Page 116 shows the timetables between London and Southend operated by New Carrimore Motor Service and New Empress City Saloons. Page 117 is the first of seven pages of timetables under the heading of the North Western Road Car Company which contains the northbound timetable for the 'Tyne-Tees-Mersey' 'Limited Stop' Pool services at the time worked jointly with Lancashire United Transport, Northern General Transport, West Yorkshire Road Car Company and Yorkshire Woollen District. The timetable also includes the Hull service which was jointly operated with East Yorkshire Motor Services. United Automobile Services joined the pool later.

The 'Ten Cities Express' operated between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Coventry licenced to a number of big company operators most of which became part of the National Bus Company. The service had its origins with the Fawdon Bus Company which started the service in 1928. In 1933 Fawdon was acquired by the West Yorkshire Road Car Company on behalf of the ‘Limited Stop’ and ‘Yorkshire Services’ pools and following the acquisition revenue north of Leeds was shared by Northern General Transport, North Western Road Car, West Yorkshire Road Car and Yorkshire Woollen District. South of Leeds it was shared by East Yorkshire Motor Services, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District. Due to there being so many different companies involved, the road service licence for the service was held in the name of the Fawdon Omnibus Company registered at the offices of Northern General in Bensham. Since no vehicles were owned by Fawdon a hiring permit was granted by the Traffic Commissioners with Northern General Transport, West Yorkshire Road Car and Yorkshire Woollen District being the prominent operators. The Fawdon Company was wound up in 1962 and the different pool members then held separate licences (which then included East Midland Motor Services, Lancashire United Transport and United Automobile Services). It was at this time the service became marketed as the ‘Ten Cities Express’. The feeder services shown in this timetable to/from Halifax and Huddersfield were actually timings covered by the Blackpool-Barnsley service J7 (later 217) of the 'Yorkshire-Blackpool' pool operators.

Monday 17 July 1972 - For my return journey from Leeds to Manchester I could have travelled on the North Western Road Car coach operating as a duplicate to Northern General 2631 (FCN 631F), the service coach on the 0900 Tyne-Tees-Mersey service X98. However, I wanted to travel on the service coach itself. The station inspector was aghast that I would choose this coach as opposed to a fairly fresh duplicate which had hardly any passengers on board. The NGT coach had travelled down from Newcastle on what was quite a hot day and was quite 'sweaty' featuring various aromas of food, fruit and the rest! There was just one empty seat, the centre one at the rear - but this ride was the main purpose of the trip! As it transpired the ride was to be fairly short lived because a problem developed after about 20 minutes and the driver took us in to a Yorkshire Woollen District garage (Dewsbury I think) where we all had to transfer to the YWD service bus seen alongside in this photo.

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.

Thursday 6 June 2013 (1417) – As a result of a disastrous fire at the depot of Western Greyhound in Summercourt near Newquay, Cornwall on 13 May 2013, various operators far and wide loaned buses to WG to help the company maintain its services. Summercourt Coaches WDZ 1033 seen at Newquay bus station picking up passengers for the 1420 Western Greyhound circular service 558 to Pentire and back. An Alexander Strider bodied Dennis Lance new in December 1993 as Yorkshire Woollen 815 (L815 NNW). We travelled out to Fistral Bay on this bus. A courteous and polite driver but the bus was a rattler!

Thursday 6 June 2013 (0949) – Summercourt Travel of Summercourt near Newquay, Cornwall WDZ 1033 seen in Cliff Road, Newquay working on hire to Western Greyhound following their disasterous fire on May 13 2013. This was the 0945 circular service 559 to Towan, Trencreek and back - a 33 minute local circular. An Alexander Strider bodied Dennis Lance new in December 1993 as Yorkshire Woollen 815 (L815 NNW)