EXCERPT FROM RAME EVENT PROGRAM | Plymouthcitytranspor

TORPOINT BUS OPERATIONS 1977- 91

Excerpt from this year Rame Beer and Buses running day

Between 1971 and 1979 Torpoint depot's western national service network was isolated from the rest of the network. The 74 service provided a school journey within Torpoint. The 75 provided a thursdays only service to Portwrinkle. Service 77 was a link to Whitsand on summer weekdays only. Service 81 was a frequent service from the ferry up to H.M.S Raleigh, while 86/87 ran from Cremyll to Millbrook, kingsand/Cawsand and Whitsand also to Torpoint on a Sunday. How many of you can remember when most 86/87 served Cawsand square. A stalwart of the Torpoint depot fleet from Dec 1973 to 1983 was Bristol LH6L 1589 NFJ 589M seen at Cawsand square on a August Sunday afternoon 1977 awaiting departure to Cremyll. Not long after this photo was taken a tremendous thunderstorm happened over the Rame peninsula. Other buses allocated to Torpoint in Aug 1977 were LHs 1564 SUO429H and 1581 VOD112K. Bristol LH 1302 RDV437H a 41 seater duple bodywork coach and Bristol loddekkas 1987 133HUO and 1999 804KDV.

October 1979 saw the service 81 between the ferry and H.M.S Raleigh was extended over the the river Tamar via the ferry to Plymouth Breton side Bus station and was marketed as "ferrybus" Bristol LH6L 1594 NFJ594M is seen alighting the ferry at Torpoint in Feb 1980. The 3 Bristol FLF allocated to Torpoint for school bus services in 1980 were (left to right) 2025 405PTA, 2074 AUO521B and 2026 406PTA. In Feb 1980 there remained only 1 Bristol MW6G at Torpoint this being 2618 916AUO from 1959 and 1 of the very last left in the Western National fleet. Spotted at the back of the yard, now withdrawn 2618 would be dispatched later that year to compound at Exeter airport where WN and Devon General buses would await disposa.2618 would be sold for scrap Nov 1981

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In 1982 Western National purchased a number of Bristol LH6L from Bristol Omnibus which were only 4 years old to replace the older LHs. Amongst those allocated to Torpoint was 1633 REU322S seen at Cremyll Aug 83 on the service 74 to Millbrook and Cawsand.

Also allocated to Torpoint was Devon General poppy red liveried LH6L 109 KTT39P seen on route 79 returning to Plymouth from Great Park estate

However further changes were happening to the vehicles allocated to Torpoint. The Lodekkas were replaced by 3 early VRTSL6Gs dating from 1969. Also the LHs would start to be replaced on the ferry service by secondhand Leyland Nationals from Midland red east. They entered service still in Midland red livery. LN 2886 GOL404N is seen lined up with the 3 VRTs. 2889 JOX523P still in red livery but with "Ferrybus" branding is seen in Torpoint. Some of WN own green Nationals also operated the Ferrybus service, 2871 AFJ710T seen alighting the ferry in Torpoint Aug 83

By 1986 there were 7 Leyland Nationals allocated to Torpoint for the Ferrybus service, by which time these had been repainted in an attractive two tone blue livery. LN 2899 JOX527P is seen at Cremyll terminus in april of 1986

By 1990 Bristol VRT6LXB 1197 LFJ841W was operating the 81 service from Cremyll to Plymouth. Seen here awaiting departure from Cremyll in the livery originally designed for the Hoppa minibuses in 1985 but later rolled out across the rest of the fleet. August 1991 and 1197 was painted in the blue and cream livery of Western National when it was privatised in 1987. Note how both the front and rear panels had been cut away to aid clearance on and off the ferry at Torpoint

TORPOINT BUS OPERATIONS 1977- 91

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