Dissatisfied with the reliability of its AEC Merlin and Swift single-deck buses, London Transport in 1973 purchased six Leyland Nationals for evaluation. Liking what it saw of this ultimate standard product, where even the paint swatch was of Leyland s choice, LT took up an option to buy fifty more from a cancelled export order and then bought further batches of 110, 30 and 140 to bring the LS class to 437 members by the middle of 1980\. A year later the last MBAs and SMSs were replaced on Red Arrow services by sixty-nine new Leyland National 2s. Straightforward but reliable, the LS satisfied London Transport s single-deck needs for a decade and a half, often standing in for double-deckers when needed, and then going on to help hold the fort during the tough years of early tendering, during which some innovative LS operations introduced several new liveries and identities. The type served the ten years expected out of it with few worries, only starting to disappear when minibuses came on strength at the end of the 1980s. Although the LS was formally retired by 1992, refurbishment programmes gave survivors an extended lease of life, bringing us the National Greenway, the ultimate development of the Leyland National. Most of the Red Arrow National 2s thus became GLSs, and lasted until 2002. Matthew Wharmby is an author, photographer and editor specialising in London bus history. His published books include London Transport s Last Buses: Leyland Olympians L 1-263, Routemaster Requiem and Routemaster Retrospective (with Geoff Rixon), London Transport 1970-1984 (with R. C. Riley), The London Titan and The London Metrobus. He has also written many articles for Buses, Bus & Coach Preservation, Classic Bus and London Bus Magazine.

Spain is the most popular holiday destination for British tourists, and the most popular destination for emigrating Brits. The book highlights the negative and positive British involvement in the Spanish stray dog problem, and also shows how the issue is being addressed by rescue organisations and volunteers. With a firsthand account of finding a sick and uncared for stray on the side of the road, and details of the specific nature of many of the Spanish breeds and hunting pastimes, this unique book reveals a little known face of British and Spanish culture with inside knowledge and insight from all levels. From the Spanish hunting culture to the British tourist culture, a chain of responsibility for the stray dog problem exists that crosses borders and societies. Included are case studies and photos of all aspects of the rescue world, showing just how much can be done with the will and motivation.

The West Yorkshire Road Car Company's routes from Skipton and Ilkley up into Wharfedale, Wensleydale and Swaledale are some of the most scenic in Great Britain, and they are captured in this volume of historic bus photographs, taken from the 1950s to the 1970s by some of the finest photographers in their field. Using his first-hand knowledge of West Yorkshire's network, Stuart Emmett takes the reader on a journey in Upper Wharfedale, passing by countless sheep farms along the grass-patched limestone river valleys as he goes from hamlets and small villages like Grassington to market towns like Skipton and Otley, and the spa town of Ilkley. The enduring Yorkshire landscape, which has been used for many films and TV programmes, such as Calendar Girls, All Creatures Great and Small and Emmerdale, complements the little-changed street scenes and villages to give a fascinating backdrop to this captivating collection of more than 170 photographs, many of which are previously unpublished or have rarely been seen in print.

London Transport was formed in 1933 to bring together all the public transport operations (except national railways) that served the capital, the suburbs and the surrounding countryside. Previously, these had been in the hands of a myriad of operators, some more dependable than others. Containing some 120 colour photographs, including rare images from the postwar period, and detailed captions, this album shows the transition from prewar standards, which initially continued after the Second World War, to the modernisation that was essential to encourage continued use of London's transport systems by the public in the face of increasing car ownership. Rekindling memories of the postwar period, this nostalgic colour portrait looks at London Transport's buses, trolleybuses, trams and underground trains (both surface and tube stock) operating between 1949 and 1974.

This book covers the operations of Jersey Motor Transport from the late 1980s, as well as looking at how the island's bus scene has developed over the last three decades, including the Easylink and Connex era. Jersey was a popular tourist destination during this period, and the coach business was booming. Operators Holiday Tours Mascot and Tantivy merged in the 1990s to become Tantivy Holiday Tours, operating over a hundred coaches and minicoaches. Blue Coaches later joined the Tantivy group, and the purchase of Pioneer Coaches followed. This leaves just two main coach operators on the island. Previously unpublished photographs document this unique bus scene.

Go-Ahead began life as the Gateshead-based Go-Ahead Northern bus company after the privatisation of the National Bus Company in 1987. Early expansion saw the acquisition of a number of smaller bus operators in the North East. During the 1990s, it entered London, where it rapidly became the largest provider of bus services in the UK capital. It has subsequently acquired operations across England. Rail privatisation has presented another opportunity for the group and it currently operates Govia Thameslink Railway, comprising Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern as well as South Eastern. More recently, it has established an overseas presence and runs buses in Singapore and Dublin along with rail services in Germany and Norway. All of these are franchised operations. The Group continues to believe that public transport is best managed locally and its operating companies all retain local management and identities. Illustrated with over 150 colour illustrations, this book looks at its first 25 years in detail with a brief update of developments since then.

On 4th October 1966 eleven young bus enthusiasts met in Central London to look for ways to develop their shared interest in preserving some old London buses. They couldn't know then that their meeting was the beginning of a volunteer-run organisation which would grow to a membership of around 800 owning a world-class museum. This is the London Bus Museum at Brooklands in Surrey with its unique collection of buses spanning more than a century. This book describes the first 50 years of the London Bus Preservation Group/Trust, including the many years at its Cobham Bus Museum premises, and also shows how the London bus developed from the horse-bus through many stages to today's latest all-electric double-deckers. It's a fascinating journey through time as, indeed, are many of the stories about the vehicles in the London Bus Museum's collection.

Merseyside can claim, with some justification, to have provided the transport enthusiast with a greater variety of transport modes than anywhere else in Britain. By the 1950s, with many long-standing scenes about to disappear, photographers began faithfully to record what they saw in colour. It is these images, including road, rail, sea and other modes of transport, that illustrate this nostalgic pictorial portrait of key aspects of the richly varied scene. Taking the reader on a journey from Liverpool and its suburbs to Birkenhead and Wallasey, with one small detour to include views of the remarkable Runcorn Transporter Bridge, this book gives a full-colour view of the historic transport that was part of the Merseyside townscape from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Lodekkas first appeared in service during a period when the passenger-transport industry was enjoying a peak in popularity. Passenger numbers were among their highest ever in the provinces, and most members of society relied on public transport for journeys to and from work or school, or for leisure activities. The Lodekka was supplied only to state-owned transport operators, as a result of sales restrictions imposed on the manufacturer, yet some 5,217 examples were built between 1949 and 1968, making it one of the most familiar British double-deck bus types throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s. This book, which features a huge variety of photographs, including a number of official views which will be of great interest to modellers and enthusiasts alike, recalls a period when Bristol Lodekkas not only formed the mainstay of many provincial bus fleets but also one in which company liveries were closely associated with specific areas of the country. It gives a colourful look at the life and times of the Bristol Lodekka, portraying it in different liveries and locations as it worked the country with a variety of operators.

What if we all had to say goodbye to petrol cars tomorrow? Would you be ready? There might be several reasons why you're holding this book in your hand. Concern about the environment, determination to cut your fuel bill, or simply curiosity. Whatever the reason, the answer is within. This consumer guide is for housewives, petrol-heads, pedestrians, green activists, everyone - but most importantly, it's for YOU. It will introduce the electric car to potential advocates and opponents, revealing all the pros and cons. Is such a vehicle really what it promises to be - the perfect answer to the fuel crisis and environmental issues? Will your next car be electric? This book will help you find out.

By the end of the 1960s, economics dictated that the traditional front-engined double-decker had had its day. In the Atlantean and its competitors, the British bus and coach industry had vehicles capable of taking on and meeting the challenges, both at home and abroad, that the contemporary world presented. The Atlantean was probably the last British-designed and -built bus to achieve massive sales worldwide, with the list of operators both at home and abroad being legion. In this fully illustrated book, Gavin Booth looks back at the development of the Leyland Atlantean from its origins in the 1950s and examines its importance over the past half-century. Although the Atlantean has largely disappeared from public service, its influence remains and, through the handful that remain in service and those that survive in preservation and through the pages of this book, it is possible to pay tribute to one of the most significant bus designs of the second half of the 20th century.

Preston Corporation Tramways began operation of electric trams in June 1904, and they exclusively served the town until 1922. Additional tram routes to Frenchwood and Fulwood had been mooted several times, but the latter had been rejected on a number of occasions due to the narrowness of some of the highways on the proposed route. Consequently, the route to Fulwood was inaugurated on 23 January 1922, using motorbuses. The trams were abandoned between 1932 and 1935 when the six routes were converted to motorbus operation. Before the Second World War additional bus routes were started to serve new housing developments. Post-war routes were commenced to serve further new housing at Brookfield, Ingol, Larches, Lea, Moor Nook and Ribbleton. A Joint Operating Agreement was entered into with Ribble Motors (and Scout Motors) on 1 January 1948. There were initially four routes involved, with three more being added over the next twenty-five years. This agreement continued in diminished form until deregulation in 1986, following which the route network rapidly expanded. In more recent times, following the brief tenure by Stagecoach, Rotala Preston Bus has also operated a diverse number of services on behalf of Lancashire County Council, which over recent years has involved routes to many of the surrounding Lancashire towns.

The Blackpool Electric Tramway Company commenced operation of a conduit system of railed vehicles along the Promenade between Cocker Street and Station Road on 29 September 1885. By the 1930s the rolling stock was becoming somewhat worn out and, following the appointment of Walter Luff as General Manager in November 1932, the fleet was revolutionised. Over the next few years Luff introduced a fleet of eighty-four streamlined cars and built a new depot at Rigby Road in which to house them. These formed the backbone of the fleet for several decades and a considerable number, although significantly altered, continued in service until the end of conventional tramway operation on 6 November 2011. Following a substantial injection of government funding in January 2008 the failing tramway was revitalised and like a phoenix from the ashes the whole system was modernised and reopened as a Light Rail Transit system in April 2012, with a fleet of new LRT articulated vehicles, which were housed in a new depot at Starr Gate. This book features a wide cross-section of trams that have operated at the seaside resort over the past forty years and follows the line from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, with many comparisons made between the old and new systems.

Travelling fairs hold a special place in English history and traditions. Once or twice a year local towns and villages are overwhelmed with a cacophony of sounds, sights and smells, bringing magic and excitement into peoples' lives before, all too quickly, moving on. The transient nature of travelling fairs is part of their magic, and an integral part of that magic is the transport that carries the people and the rides. More than just vehicles however, fairground transport is often an integral part of the show, acting as homes for the showmen, a way of generating power and even converting into parts of the rides themselves. In short, they are part of the way of life. This book looks at the history of the travelling fair through its transport, beginning with how it has evolved from what a performer could carry on their back and simple horse-drawn caravans, through to steam-powered traction engines and war surplus petrol and electric vehicles, finally bringing the story up to date with today's mega lorries and cranes.

Located in the Chiltern Hills, Luton has a rich transport history, being home to London Luton Airport and Vauxhall Motors. This south Bedfordshire town has also had an interesting public transport history, most notable being Luton Corporation Transport, Eastern National, United Counties and London Transport. The towns of Luton and Dunstable are linked by one of the longest guided busways in the world. Luton's Transport takes a look at the development of Luton's tramway, along with the development of bus and coach services in the Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis areas of Bedfordshire.

In this volume: We travel back to the `Swinging Sixties ` era of 1963-69, from the Beatles first No 1 to the first man on the moon For the younger reader there are wonderful pictures of buses and coaches that they will never have seen. There will, for example, be half-cab single and double deckers the like of which are no longerin production. Some will be recognised from models and books, while others will be seen for the first time. For those old enough to remember the years depicted, the series will, we hope, provide reminders for many of school days, time perhaps spent bus-spotting, depot visiting and generally visiting interesting locations! The books also make ideal theme gifts for the year of birth, marriage, retirement, starting work and other such events in life.

The aim of this series is to appeal to readers of all ages, perhaps for different reasons...In this volume: We travel back to the year 1958For the younger reader there are wonderful pictures of trains, real trains. There will, for example, be tank engines, steam engines, electric trains and multiple units and many more varieties besides! Some will be recognised from train sets, model railways and books, while others will be seen for the first time. For the older reader the books are designed to build into a collection placing the railway in the context of key events thus providing an historical perspective of travel in times past. For those old enough to remember the years depicted, the series will, we hope, provide reminders for many of school days, time perhaps spent train-spotting, shed bashing and generally gricing! The books also make ideal theme gifts for the year of birth, marriage, retirement, starting work and other such events in life.

Between the 1930s and 1960s, during the peak of Britain's railways, road hauliers were in stiff competition to transport goods. The commercial vehicles used during this period varied from articulated lorries to vans, trucks, recovery vehicles and wreckers. With photographs featuring a range of vehicle types and manufacturers both popular and obscure, Royston Morris offers an interesting insight into a range of surviving commercial vehicles dating from before 1960.