David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos with the keyword: National Express Coach Guide

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 of the 'Yorkshire-Blackpool' pool operators.

The 'Ten Cities Express' had its origins with the Fawdon Bus Company which started the service in 1928. In 1933 Fawdon was acquired by the various operators involved in the ‘Limited Stop’ and ‘Yorkshire Services’ pools. It became service 313 in the National Travel service numbering scheme. The feeder services to/from Halifax and Huddersfield were actually covered by the Blackpool-Barnsley service 217.

South Yorkshire-Blackpool services timetable from the National Travel (NBC) Limited Coach Guide - Winter 1973/1974

Blackpool-South Yorkshire services timetable from the National Travel (NBC) Limited Coach Guide - Winter 1973/1974

The National Bus Company's 'National Travel' and 'National' coach branding had recently been launched. The first coach guide to be published with that image was for the Winter period 1973/1974 and it contained details of this Southend-on-Sea to Liverpool service numbered 112 which was to be a flagship of the new order. As far as I am aware, although I would stand to be corrected, the service never operated due to opposition by, amongst others, Premier Travel and Yelloway who claimed their joint services from East Anglia to the North West would lose traffic as a result of a licence being granted. The road service licences remained in the names of the different NBC operators for some time prior to being pulled together under National Travel and National Express. Circled codes are shown at the bottom of each timetable column to indicate the licenced operator(s). In this table service 112 carries a 'TS' code which signifies Tillings Travel (NBC) Limited. The feeder service carries the code 'EL' indicating the 'Eastlander' joint services operated by Associated Motorways, Grey-Green Coaches, Premier Travel Services and Travel House (Luton).

The National Bus Company's 'National' coach branding had recently been launched and the first coach guide to be published with that image was for the Winter period 1973/1974. The Yorkshire-Luton service had been given service number 300 in the newly established National service numbering scheme and commenced at Bradford. The feeder line from Halifax was covered by the London service 303 and that from Leeds was covered by service 223, the 'South West Clipper'. Another 'South West Clipper' service acted as a feeder into Barnsley from York. The lack arrival times at Barnsley and of any notes or arrows between the columns in this timetable didn't make it overwhelmingly obvious that connectional facilities existed. The arrival time at Barnsley from the Halifax side was incorrect, it reads the same as that from Wakefield (0815 in both cases). The road service licences remained in the names of the different operators for some time prior to being pulled together under National Travel and National Express. Circled codes are shown at the bottom of each timetable column to indicate the licenced operator(s). In this table we actually see two codes, 'YS' for the Yorkshire Services pool whose members were East Midland Motor Services, East Yorkshire Motor Services, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Transport). The other code is 'SB' for the 'South West Clipper' joint services which were operated by Associated Motorways, East Midland Motor Services, East Yorkshire Motor Services, Hebble Motor Services (as successor to Yorkshire Woollen District Transport), J W Kitchin and Sons, Wallace Arnold Tours, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company, Yelloway Motor Services. A collection of nine operators although if one was counting interested parties that number rises to eighteen when you consider that Associated Motorways comprised a pool of ten operators in itself!

An extract from the Winter 1969/1970 ABC Coach and Bus Guide showing the Yorkshire-London and Yorkshire-Luton services of the 'Yorkshire Services' pool operators (East Midland Motor Services, East Yorkshire Motor Services, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Transport).

An extract from the Summer 1951 ABC Coach and Bus Guide showing the Yorkshire-London and Yorkshire-Birmingham services of the 'Yorkshire Services' pool operators (East Midland Motor Services, East Yorkshire Motor Services, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Transport). Barnsley featured as a key interchange point for the different services. The page also contains the timetable for the related Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Coventry service, the 'Fawdon Service' which received the name 'Ten Cities Express' in the 1960s.

In 1928 the Fawdon Bus Company commenced a service between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Coventry. Whilst there had been a number of different pioneering operators with similar services it was only Fawdon Bus Company and Hall Brothers of South Shields that obtained road service licences in 1931 under the then new Road Traffic Act. The Fawdon service had competed with the big company operators working the ‘Limited Stop’ pool between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Leeds and the ‘Yorkshire Services’ pool between Leeds and Birmingham. In 1933 Fawdon was acquired by the West Yorkshire Road Car Company on behalf of the pool operators. 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. It was at this time the service became marketed as the ‘Ten Cities Express’.

Pages 54 and 55 of the Summer 1932 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' showing timetables of Fallowfield and Knight, Farnham Blue Coaches, Fawdon Bus Company, Fingland's and Fleetways.

An extract from the Summer 1972 "Britain's Express Coach Guide" produced by the National Bus Company before the launch of the 'National' coach branding. This page shows the Yorkshire-London and Yorkshire-Luton services operated by the 'Yorkshire Services' pool operators (East Midland Motor Services, East Yorkshire Motor Services, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Transport).

The timetable for the Yelloway Lancashire-London service as shown in the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932. Day and night services operated from Blackpool but the feeder service from Rochdale was for the day service only.

The timetables of East Midland Motor Services as shown in the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932. In 1934 the company became a member of the 'Yorkshire Services' pool contributing their Sheffield-London service to that operation.

An extract from the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932 showing the London-Yorkshire services of the 'Yorkshire Services' pool operators. The pool was created in 1930 by the West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Electric Tramways (which later became Yorkshire Woollen District Transport). East Yorkshire Motor Services joined in 1931 followed by East Midland Motor Services in 1934. Barnsley featured as a key interchange point for the Yorkshire-London and Yorkshire-Birmingham services that formed the pool.

An extract from the 'Roadway Motor Coach Timetable' 1932 showing the Birmingham-Yorkshire services of the 'Yorkshire Services' pool operators. The pool was created in 1930 by the West Yorkshire Road Car Company, Yorkshire Traction Company and Yorkshire Woollen District Electric Tramways (which later became Yorkshire Woollen District Transport). East Yorkshire Motor Services joined in 1931 (followed by East Midland Motor Services on the London services in 1934). Barnsley featured as a key interchange point for the Yorkshire-London and Yorkshire-Birmingham services that formed the pool.

The National Express Coach Guide had become rather large following deregulation and so this additional guide was produced by the National Bus Company as a supplement to the principal long distance service guide. It contained timetables for the medium distance or 'local' coach services available as connections to the main National Express coach network. Limited stop services operated by the likes of Green Line, City of Oxford, Maidstone and District, Ribble, etc etc etc were included.

The 'Roadway Motor Coach Guide' was a useful publication that contained the timetables for the major coach operators of the time. This issue covered the Summer period of 1932.

Varsity Express Motors timetables for services from London to Cambridge and from London to Oxford