| A A A2001 Bus Tour weekend: a report |
For those who didn't make the weekend, or were to busy talking to notice bits of it:
Friday 4 May 2001
18 or so for a trip to the Liver Building. Superb weather had been arranged, allowing views across to Wales and north to Blackpool. Principal discoveries were that the chimes are a provided by a box of electrics, the main chime for the hour sounds a bit off and they were having a bit of difficulty getting it to chime the correct number.
Post visit, several people adjourned to a pair of car parks in Pall Mall. From the one to the river side of the road, you can trace the alignment of tracks leading from the Waterloo tunnel and just about see the tunnel portal, filled in to a large degree nowadays. Behind the warehouses on the opposite side of the road is the former basin of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal - you can still see bits of towpath and two mooring eyes. Some of the real die hards even had time to look in at Liverpool Community Transport - ex Preston PS2, Royal Tiger and a VR amongst others.
Some relevant weblinks:
Saturday 5 May 2001
The Greater Mancunian, superbly organised by Dave Armstrong. Vehicle was the ex AERE Regent V (240AJB) owned by Dave Thomas, and operating for the day on Liverpool Motor Services' O licence. Difficult to say how many people were on board - it seemed to vary between about 45-55 at various times during the day - no one seems to have been left behind though. Trundling along the M62 in the mid 30s mph, first stop was at Eccles for Metrolink. Intended departure didn't run, just as well as only one ticket machine was in order and there wouldn't have been enough time for all the passengers to buy tickets. Tram when it arrived was no 2002.
Met at Piccadilly by Roy Chapman, Rail Development Coordinator for GMPTE who waxed lyrical about the Piccadilly undercroft and various bits of industrial archaeology in the area, viewed from ex Manchester Atlantean 1001 (HVM901F), deputising for the Guy Arab we'd been promised. (1001 is one of the buses on the 2001 issue of British stamps.) 1001 took us to the bus museum at Queens Road. The Regent took us from there to Stalybridge, to look at the recently completed reinstatement of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and, via a quick look at the outside of the former SHMD generating station, to Ashton for the Portland Basin Industrial Museum. Then at high(ish) speed in the Regent to Bury for a round trip on the East Lancs hauled by Crab 42765, displaying a Thomas face and, briefly at Rawtenstall, the LUPTS headboard.
Bury to Manchester gave people the option of the Regent, Metrolink or a First Manchester articulated bus. Intended bus departure didn't run - when one finally arrived it was no 2002 (where have I heard this before?). A discussion on EC Drivers Hours Regulations took place during the journey back, the upshot being that the intended stop at Burger King was cancelled. Arrival back in Liverpool for about 21:30 and adjournment to The Lion in Tithebarn Street. Some participants are believed not to have departed there until 01:50, but this is unconfirmed.
Courtesy of Paul Hollinghurst, here are some photographs of the weekend:
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Metrolink tram 2002 at Piccadilly terminus, having just conveyed the LUPTS party. |
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The LUPTS party being shown round Piccadilly undercroft by Roy Chapman. |
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Preserved Manchester Atlantean 1001 on a tour of sights of old Manchester. |
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Bus tour drivers look younger every year. |
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Outside the Manchester Transport Museum |
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The Stalybridge Canal. |
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Stalybridge Canal again. |
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A Class 24 does a very good impression of Roland ("The Rat") Williams. |
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Rawtenstall. |
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Crab at Bury Bolton Street. |
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Father and son - isn't it cute? |
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Tour bus, an ex AERE Regent V waits for the party in Bury. |
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Alternative transport to get some of the party from Bury to Manchester - a First Manchester articulated bus. |
Some weblinks relevant to the Saturday:
Sunday 6 May 2001
A leisurely lunch at the Cottage Loaf in Thurstatston for about 25 of us. Then to Royden Park to ride round on the miniature railway for a couple of hours and then disperse. The miniature railway's website is here.
Again courtesy of Paul Hollinghurst, here are some photographs.
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Royden Park miniature railway on the Sunday. |
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Miniature railway passengers look older every year. |
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Scale speed about 200mph. |
Last updated: 19 August 2002
© Charles Roberts/LUPTS 2002