Route History

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Bolton Corporation, January 1961.
At that time, the corporation did not publish its own timetable; all services were listed in a Bolton area ABC guide, which also included local rail services. Joint operators of bus services are not always identified.

1. Green Lane - Bolton - Chorley Old Road (Moss Bank Way) via Church Rd.
2. Townleys - Bolton - Barrow Bridge via Chorley Old Rd.
3. Townleys - Bolton - Rushey Fold Lane via Vernon St.
4. Townleys - Bolton - Barrow Bridge via Mount St.
5. Farnworth (Highfield Rd.) - Bolton - Martland Mill (Stapleton Avenue)
(Joint with LUT)
6/7. Bolton - Harwood circulars.
8. Bolton - Manchester (Victoria Bus Station)
(Joint with Salford & LUT)
9. Bolton - Ainsworth via Withins
10. Bolton - Blackburn Road (Crompton Way)
11. Crompton Way - Markland Mill circular via Bolton,
or, Johnson Fold - Markland Mill - Bolton
(10, 11 were effectively "outer circle" routes, with 11 being a very limited variant of 10, operating Mon-Fri. only)
12. Bolton - Salford Greengate via Walkden, Worsley)
(Joint with Salford & LUT)
14. Bolton - Darcy Lever.
15. Bolton - Wigan via Lostock Junction & Wingates.
(Joint with Wigan)
(Note - LUT 59, Bolton - Wigan ia Hindley was not jointly operated and return tickets on 59 were not accepted on service 15)
16. Leigh - Atherton - Westhoughton - Horwich
(Joint with Leigh & LUT)
20. Bolton - Johnson Fold Estate.
(Short workings: 18 to Ivy Road, 19 to Doffcocker)
23T. Bolton - Bury.
(Short workings: 21 Crompton Ave; 22 Blenheim Rd; 23 Breightmet)
(Assumed to be joint with Bury)
25. Bolton - Smithills Hall / Colliers Road
(Short workings: 24 to Halliwell, Crompton Way)
26/27. Bolton - Great Lever circulars.
30. Bolton - Dunscar
31. Bolton - Eagley.
(Short workings of 30/31: 28 to Seymour Rd; 29 to Andrew Lane)
32. Bolton - Lostock, De Havilland Works
(Works services only)
35. Bolton - Horwich (Old Lords Estate)
(Short workings; 33 to Lever Park Avenue, 34 to Albert Rd.)
36. Bolton - Breightmet - Radcliffe
37. Little Lever - Coach & Horses.
39. Bolton - Westhoughton (Birch Avenue)
(Short workings: 38 to Dean, Hulton Lane)
41. Bolton - Eccles via Farnworth, Walkden & Worsley.
42. Bolton - Walkden via Green Lane, Moses Gate
43. Bolton - Farnworth Black Horse via Green Lane
(Short workings: 44 to Moses Gate)
45. Bolton - Tonge Moor
(Short workings: 46 to Hall i' th' Wood, 47 to Crompton Way)
48. Bolton - Borough Hospital (Hulton Lane)
49. Bolton - Union Road Mills
(Works service)
50. Bolton - Leigh - Warrington
(LUT operated, also joint with Leigh)
52. Bolton - Little Lever - Radcliffe - Bury.
(Short workings: 51 to Little Lever)
(Joint with Bury.)
53. Bolton - Affetside
54. Bolton - Oldhams Estate.
55. Bolton - Belmont
57. Bolton - Lever Edge Lane
61. Bolton - Withins Estate via Newby Rd
62. Bolton - Withins Estate via Deepdale Rd
82. Bolton - Atherton - Leigh
(Short workings: 79 Daubhill; 80 Hulton Lane; 81 Four Lane Ends)
(Joint with LUT & Leigh.)

The following were joint with Ribble:
122. Bolton - Chorley - Southport via Eccleston, Mawdesley, Rufford & Banks
(The Chorley - Southport section ran approximately every 2 hours)
215/225 Bolton - Blackburn / Clitheroe
(215 via Astley Bridge, 225 via Tonge Moor)
B15. Bolton - Dimple via Astley Bridge
B25. Bolton - Dunscar via Tonge Moor
B35. Bolton - Dimple via Tonge Moor

Joint with Ribble & LUT:
X66. Manchester - Bolton - Blackburn express.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Ramsbottom Urban District Council, October 1964.
With a fleet of about 13 buses, mostly Leyland Titan half-cab double deckers, the network was small. No route numbers were used, and the timetable does not specify which services were jointly operated. The Bury posting (to follow) shows that Bury, Rawtenstall & Ribble had involvement with some of the services.

Bury - Holcombe Brook - Ramsbottom - Stubbins - Edenfield - Rawtenstall.
Most journeys were short workings, termnating at Ramsbottom, Stubbins or Edenfield, extended approximately hourly to Rawtenstall. Some short workings to Edenfield ran via Shuttleworth instead of Stubbins.

Bury - Walmersley - Shuttleworth - Edenfield / Rawtenstall

Ramsbottom - Shuttleworth.
(Mostly hourly)

Holcombe Brook - Holcombe Village
(Mostly every 2 hours.)

Ramsbottom UDC was taken over by Selnec in 1969, and the depot in Stubbins Lane was later closed, with workings transferred to Bury depot.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Bury Corporation Transport, 1967 timetable.

1. Walshaw - Bury - Radcliffe Bus Station via Warth.
(Short workings: 25, Bury - Radcliffe Bus Station; 55 to Radcliffe Town Hall)
2. Ainsworh - Bury - Alfred Street
(Short workings: 12, Bury - Starling)
3. Bury - Walmersley - Edenfield - Rawtenstall - Water.
(Joint with Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall & Ribble). This is the same as the route listed for Ramsbottom, but with most journeys extended from Rawtenstall to Water.
4. Bury - Holcombe Brook - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall
(joint with Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall & Ribble.)
(Short workings: 45, Bury - Old Duke)
5. Whitefield - Radcliffe - Ainsworth.
9. Jericho - Bury - Tottington
(Short workings: 18, Bury - Topping Fold)
19. Bury - Jericho - Rochdale
(Joint with Rochdale)
21T. Bury - Heywood - Rochdale.
(Joint with Rochdale)
(Short workings: 14, Bury - Heywood Bamford Road.)
23T. Bury - Breightmet - Bolton
(Joint with Bolton)
(Short workings 22 to Jolly Carter, 26 to Breightmet)
29. Bury - Bullfinch Drive
35. Bury - Manchester
(Joint with Manchester & Salford.)
36/37. Walmersley - Bury - Sunnybank (36) or Whitefield (37)
38. Bury - Unsworth - Whitefield.
48. Bury - Heywood Furness Avenue via Bury Old Road .
49. Bury - Nangreaves.
52. Bury - Radcliffe - Little Lever - Bolton.
(Joint with Bolton)
(Short workings: 6 to Radcliffe Town Hall, 16 to Stopes.)
53. Bury - Calrows (Broom House)
65. Whitefield - Radcliffe - Bolton Road Estate (Morley Road)

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Rossendale Joint Transport, November 1972 timetable.

Rossendale was formed in April 1968 by the merger of the Haslingden & Rawtenstall Corporation fleets. No route numbers were used, at that time most of the buses had single screen displays and were unable to display route numbers. The timetable mostly provides no information about joint operators.

Bacup - Rawtenstall - Haslingden - Accrington.
(Joint with Accrington)

Bacup - Sharneyford.
Bacup - Burnley via Weir.
Rawtenstall - Loveclough - Burnley
Bolton - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall - Water - Burnley.
(Ribble service 236)

Bury - Edenfield - Rawtenstall - Water.
Bury - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall
(Both joint with Bury, Ramsbottom & Ribble)

Rawtenstall - Waterfoot - Cowpe
Rawtenstall - Newchurch - Waterfoot.
Rawtenstall - Hall Carr
Rawtenstall - Oakley
Rawtenstall - Balladen.
Waterfoot - Edgeside.
Waterfoot - Britannia.
Rawtenstall - Rossendale General Hospital.
Haslingden - Irwell Vale (Works & schools only)
Haslingden - Carrs (Schools only)
Haslingden - Stonefold. (TuFO plus schools journeys)
Rawtenstall / Haslingden - Helmshore circular.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
"Rochdale Corporation Passenger Transport Omnibus Services", June 1961 timetable.

Another one with possibility for confusing visitors, with a few service numbers covering more than one route. Some were (probably) linked across the town centre, but are listed as they appear in the timetable.

1. Rochdale - Castleton via Deeplish.
2. Rochdale - Healey via Shawclough.
3/3A. New Hey - Rochdale
3/3A. Rochdale - Littleborough.
6/6A. New Hey - Rochdale
6/6A. Rochdale - Littleborough - Summit.
(3 & 6 via Entwistle Rd., 3A & 6A via John St.)
Passengers for Todmorden had to change at Summit.
4. Rochdale - Bamford Village via Mellor St. & Bagslate. (infrequent)
4. Bamford - Heywood - Rhodes - Manchester Cannon St.
5. Rochdale - Bamford Village via Bury Road & War Office Road.
7/7A. Rochdale - Smallbridge - Wardle
(7 via Entwistle Rd., 7A via John St.)
8. Rochdale - Castleton - Middleton - Manchester.
(Joint with Manchester; limited stop peak hours service.)
8. Rochdale - Smithy Bridge - Hollingworth Lake.
8. Littleborough, various local services to:
Hollingworth Lake, Shore, Stansfield Estate, High Peak
9. Rochdale - Oldham - Ashton.
(Joint with Ashton & Oldham)
9C. Rochdale - Friars Crescent (infrequent; shown in index as 9A, but 9C in timetable pages.)
9C. Rochdale - Bagslate (shown in index, but could not find any journeys in the timetable)
10. Rochdale - Syke via Whitehall St. & Cronkeyshaw.
10. Rochdale - Turf Hill via Oldham Road.
11A/11C. Rochdale - Norden.
12A/12C. Rochdale - Daniel Fold / Lanehead.
(11A, 12A via Spotland Rd., 11C, 12C via Mellor St.)
14. Rochdale - Belfield - Kingsway.
14. Rochdale - Greave.
15. Rochdale - Shaw via Oldham Rd., Broad Lane & Burnedge.
16. Rochdale - Wallbank / Bacup.
17. Rochdale - Middleton - Manchester via Drake St.
(Joint with Manchester)
17T. Rochdale - Castleton (Chesham Avenue) via Rochdale Station (infrequent).
18. Rochdale - Kirkholt via Oldham Rd. & Queensway.
19. Rochdale - Jericho - Bury.
(Joint with Bury)
20. Rochdale - Littleborough - Todmorden. (Saturdays only, limited stop)
(Joint with Todmorden & British Railways)
21. Rochdale - Heywood - Bury via Rochdale Station.
(Joint with Bury)
21A. Rochdale - Heywood via Manchester Road
24. Rochdale - Royton - Chadderton - Manchester (limited stop)
90. Rochdale - Royton - Manchester. (peak hours, non-stop between Royton & Manchester)
(24 & 90 Joint with Oldham & Manchester.)

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Todmorden Joint Omnibus Committee, June 1966.
Listed for completeness as it overlaps some Rochdale services.
This was jointly owned by Todmorden Corporation & British Railways. No route numbers were used.

Todmorden - Summit. (Change buses for Littleborough & Rochdale)
Todmorden - Littleborough - Rochdale. (SO, limited stop, joint with Rochdale)
Todmorden - Portsmouth / Burnley.
Todmorden - Hebden Bridge.
Hebden Bridge - Oxenhope. (Infrequent)
Hebden Bridge - Pecket Well.
Todmorden local services to Cloughfoot, Lumbutts, Cross Lee

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield Transport Board (SHMD) timetable, May 1967. Jointly owned by 4 local authorities, with a depot in Tame Street, Stalybridge.

1. Ashton - Dukinfield - Audenshaw
1A. Dukinfield Globe Square - Newton (Cheshire Cheese)
(1, 1A infrequent workpeoples' services)
2. Stalybridge - Brushes Estate. (Infrequent)
4/4A. Hyde - Stalybridge - Mossley Brookbottom.
(4 via Staley Rd., 4A via Micklehurst)
5. Hyde - Godley - Hattersley Estate.
(Three alternative routes through Hattersley Estate)
6. Manchester - Ashton - Stalybridge - Mottram - Glossop
(Joint with Ashton, Manchester & North Western)
7. Hyde - Walker Fold Estate, Hyde Hospital or Mottram. (irregular)
8. Stalybridge - Hurst Cross - Oldham
(Joint with Ashton & Oldham)
10/10A/10B. Ashton - Dukinfield (Yew Tree Lane / Lyne Edge Crescent.)
(10 via Inverness Rd. & Dewsnal Lane; 10A via Boyds Walk, Armadale Rd. & Dewsnap Lane);
10B via Boyds Walk, Lodge Lane & Gorse Hall Rd.)
11. Newton - Ashton - Stalybridge (Grey St., Copley Estate or Brushes Estate)
(Joint with Ashton)
14. Ashton - Mossley Brookbottom.
(Joint with Ashton)
15. Hyde - Newton circulars.
15A. Hyde - Hyde (Cheshire Cheese) (Workpeople service)
16. Mossley Market Place - Grotton - Lees - Oldham.
(Joint with Oldham)
21/21A. Dukinfield or Stalybridge - Audenshaw - Manchester.
(Joint with Manchester)
29/29A. Hyde - Stockport - Edgeley.
(29 via Gee Cross, 29A via Dawson Rd.; joint with Stockport.)
30/30A. Ashton - Hyde - Stockport - Edgeley
(30 via Cheadle Old Rd; 31 via Petersburg Rd.)
(Joint with Ashton & Stockport.)
32. Ashton - Hyde.
(Joint with Ashton)
90. Stalybridge - Newton - Hyde - Romiley - Marple.
(Joint with Stockport & North Western)
125. Manchester - Hyde - Mottram - Old Glossop
(Joint with Manchester & North Western)
127/128. Glossop - Hadfield - Tintwistle - Stalybridge.
(127 via Dinting Vale, 128 via Dinting Rd.; joint with North Western.)
127B. Glossop - Stalybridge - Hospital (Fountain St.)
(Joint with North Western; one journey each way)
153. Manchester - Ashton - Stalybridge (Buckton Vale Road)
(Joint with Ashton & Manchester; peak hours limited stop)
154. Ashton - Mossley - Uppermill.
154A. Ashton - Mossley - Micklehurst
(Joint with Ashton & North Western)
185. Hyde - Haughton Green.
(Joint with Manchester)
207/208/209. Manchester - Hyde - Hattersley Estate.
(Joint with Manchester)
(207 via Hattersley Rd. West to Stockport Rd/Underwood Rd.)
(208 via Underwood Rd. to Stockport Rd./Chapman Rd.)
(209 via Hattersley Rd. West to Hattersley Rd. East/Underwood Rd.)
210. Manchester - Denton - Hyde (Apethorn Lane)
(Joint with Manchester, who provided all the buses on this former trolleybus route.)
211. Manchester - Hyde - Hattersley (John Kennedy Road)
(Joint with Manchester.)
215/216. Manchester - Droylesden - Audenshaw / Ashton / Stalybridge.
218. Manchester - Ashton Old Road - Audenshaw / Ahton / Stalybridge.
(Joint with Ashton & Manchester; who provided all the buses - SHMD had no trolleybuses.)

In the absence of any timetables for Ashton under Lyne or Oldham, that completes my offerings for municipal operator services in the GM area.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
I have just realised that my listings of St. Helens Corporation services were lost in the old forum. As time permits, I will copy them here. However, before that, I am offering some extracts from early leaflets that were passed to me several years ago by the late John Dunabin.

First, we have Ribble Motor Services.

"Commencing Tuesday 1st June 1937, the new system of route indication will be extended to the ordinary stopping services operating in the Liverpool St. Helens and Southport districts in accordance with the details shown herein". Followed by a list, which I have rearranged somewhat, with the "new" number first, and the previous numbers in brackets)

"With the introduction of the new system of route indication, the use of cards bearing the names of intermediate stages & terminal points will be discontinued."

101. Preston - Liverpool via Burscough, Ormskirk & Maghull (19 & 20)
311. Liverpool - Ormskirk (20)
321. Liverpool - Lydiate (20)
341. Liverpool - Chorley via Ormskirk & Parbold (4A, 19A, 20)
351. Liverpool - Ormskirk - Parbold (19A & 20)
351. Ormskirk - Parbold (19A)
361. Liverpool - Burscough. (19 & 20)

302. Liverpool Southport via Maghull, Halsall (20B)
302. Liverpool - Barton. (20B)
303. Liverpool - Great Crosby via Aintree, Thornton) (20A)

336. Wigan - Skelmersdale direct (21)
346. Wigan - Ormskirk via Bickerstaffe (21B)
356. Wigan - Ormskirk direct (21)
366. Wigan - Southport via Ormskirk. (21 & 22)
376. Wigan - Southport via Bescar & Scarisbrick New Road (21 & 22B)
386. Ormskirk - Bescar

307. Wigan - St. Helens via Billinge (41 Ex)
317. Wigan - Liverpool via Billinge & St. Helens (41 Ex)
(Joint with St. Helens Corporation)

310. Wigan - St. Helens via Ashton (55 Ex)
320. Wigan - St. Helens - Liverpool (55 Ex)
330. St. Helens - Liverpool (55 Ex)
(Joint with LUT, St. Helens & Wigan Corporations)

327. Chorley - Eccleston via Euxton (68 & 69)
337. Chorley - Rufford via Eccleston (68 & 69)
347. Chorley - Southport via Rufford (68 & 69)

309. Warrington / St. Helens - Southport via Bickerstaffe (23 & 22)
309. St. Helens - Ormskirk via Bickerstaffe (23)
319. Warrington - Ormskirk via Barrow Nook (23 & 22A)
319. Warrington / St. Helens - Southport (23A & 22)
329. Warrington - St. Helens via Burtonwood (23)
(Joint with LUT & St. Helens Corporation)

Workpeoples services.
W1. Liverpool - Aintree (Old Roan) direct.
W3. Seaforth Sands - Fazakerley (Costains Works)
W6. Wigan - Junction Chequer Lane/Ormskirk Road

Special Services.
S11. Ormskirk - Liverpool (Market)
S12, Liverpool (Lime St.) - Southport via Seaforth & Great Crosby.
S13. Seaforth Sands - Sefton (Church & Meadows)
S23. Great Crosby - Aintree (Old Roan)


(I also have a list of Ribble services outside our local area, but I think that might be better located in a separate topic.)

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Route History
Thanks for those Bevan, if only some of the variety above were still operational!

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Route History
that 329 really has been going for years!!!