Wigan Album

Hi Ron, The first model after the Leyland take over of Albion Motors of Scotstoun Glasgow. It went to Glasgow Corporation and after about 12 months service it was sold to Ribble.
It featured a body 6" lower than normal and a low level entrance platform.

Well, without looking it up, you can see from the S in its registration that it's a refugee from the Scottish Bus Group, and from the radiator that it's Scottish-built Leyland Albion, probably also with a Scottish-built Alexander body.

My dad drove Ribbles in the 1940s Regular on the Blackpool service. Where was Ribble depot in Wigan?

facing wigan pier were tyre place is now national is were depot use to be i lived in leeds st

Thank you Brian

This Bus came into Ribble ownership via the buy out of Bamber Bridge Motor Services,(B.B.M.S.)IT IS A Lowlander Model.

We used to catch the Ribble bus to Southport outside 'The Three Shops' in Pemberton. They were a class above with lovely coloured cloth seats and were always immaculately clean. The Southport depot was on Lord Street, at the fairground end. Happy times in the mid sixties.

Some of my earliest memories as a youngster in the 1960s were travelling on the dark red Ribble buses between Wigan and Chorley. I particularly remember:-
1) The buses were always clean and comfortable and didn't smell of old cigarette smoke like the Corporation buses.
2) Every trip, my dad always used to complain about the cost of taking the family of 5 out on Ribble. Must have been dearer fares than LUT & Wigan Corporation.
3) Upstairs on the double deckers, the front half had normal seats (2+2 with gangway down the middle), but the back half of top deck had long bench seats and the gangway at one side by the windows. Did I remember this correctly, or am I dreaming?

The Ribble Depot in Wigan didn't operate any double deckers from the late 70's. It was only after National Bus Company split Ribble Motors into two separate operating companies,prior to privatization, with Wigan and Skelmersdale depots becoming part of Liverpool based North Western that double deckers were employed on the Ormskirk/Southport route only. which was operated jointly by Wigan and Skelmersdale depots So this bus must have been prior to the single deck only decision for Wigan Depot. I know that because from 1979 onwards, I worked as a part-time/casual driver from Wigan Depot, and I only had a single deck licence prior to that. However, National Bus wouldn't let me start until I had upgraded my licence to include double deckers. They said that although Wigan had no double deckers, I might be on a Preston run and break down closer to Preston than to Wigan, and the replacement bus might well be a double decker sent out from Preston.


Incidentally, I drove the very last bus to leave the old Southport bus station before it was closed. That was on a DP or dual purpose vehicle. Essentially a coach body. I would have had the distinction of driving the very last bus to leave Southport Bus Station, but there was a service to Preston which left about ten minutes after mine.

By the way, I should have said the very last bus from Southport bus station to Wigan

Worked on this bus at this depot many times

This bus was built by Albion in Glasgow as a demonstration model and was used to try and sell batches to both Glas gow and Edinburgh Corporations, without success. The bus was sold to Bamber Bridge Motor Services and they were bought out by Ribble. The bus was transferred to Wigan depot because they already had some similar buses.

Anyone know when Miry Lane shut down completely as a bus depot by North Western

Could I ask Brian Gallagher when he was with Ribble at Southport whether or not Southport Depot had any workings on the MPTE Routes 10 11 17 and 18 between Southport and Formby/Freshfield
Timetables showed these routes as Ribble/MPTE joint services
Thanks
John