North Downs Rural Transport
Bill Hayles
Hinson) wrote:
>On behalf of the current owner of a Bedford VAS, registration number
>3255 PJ, can anybody point me at any source of information on the
>one-time owners, North Downs Rural Transport. Information on the
>company, and especially photographs of the vehicle are sought.
>
>If I remember correctly, this company operated mainly minibuses, (from
>the Orpington area?) into Croydon around 1970.
(From memory - not authoritative)
North Downs Rural Transport started the first service between Orpington
and Croydon in, as you say, about 1970. It was started by a chap called
John Wilde, who was formerly a teacher at my primary school (!). The
service was successful enough for him to buy a former LT RF (sorry, I
can't remember which one).
About 1974, the Orpington Rural Transport Association of Joan Normington
took over NDRT and the whole became Orpington & District Omnibuses.
Orpington & District Omnibuses went bust in February 1981, and the
Orpington to Croydon service was rescued by Tillingbourne, which formed
Tillingbourne (Metropolitan), which metamorphosed into Metrobus.
ISTR that John Wilde himself published a small booklet detailing NDRT,
which may well have a photo of your Bedford. You could also see if the
archives of the London Omnibus Traction Society (LOTS) has anything.
El inglés loco
The mad Englishman of Benitachell
Bill Hayles
bil...@ctv.es
Ian Roberts
Bill Hayles <bil...@ctv.es> wrote in message
news:384ac149...@news.ctv.es...
John Wilde proprietor of North Downs Rural Transport published a book this
year called Wildes Adventures In Busland which may be a possible clue to
finding out more. Adverts for which have been carried in Buses Magazine this
year.
Peter Relf
John,
I have the following negatives of North Downs vehicles:
5. EPO 943 H Carfax, Horsham 28.01.70 [18832]
8. HBP 478 H Addington Village 01.08.70 [19529]
14. 577 BYE Carfax, Horsham 18.11.71 [21406]
15. 3255 PJ Carfax, Horsham 18.11.71 [21407]
17. WKG 34 Crawley Bus Station 29.04.71 [21004]
19. WKG 48 Carfax, Horsham 01.12.71 [21410]
23. 222 CHN East Croydon Sta. 13.03.73 [22509]
24. MLL 791 Coney Hall 16.05.74 [24010]
??. OTT 51 Carfax, Horsham 01.12.71 [21409]
??. CVF 851 Carfax, Horsham 14.12.71 [21412]
??. MOD 967 Carfax, Horsham 12.01.72 [21501]
also, Tillingbourne (on hire to North Downs)
MOD 954 North Heath Lane, Horsham 06.09.71 [21317]
The numbers in square brackets are my negative numbers.
Unfortunately, due to pressure of (paid) work, I am unable to print any
of these for the next couple of months, but if you are interested
please e-mail me off-group.
Regards.
Peter Relf.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Robert Fraser
Downs Rural Transport (!!) at the time in question. He should be able to
point you in the right direction.
Cheers
Bob Fraser
John Hinson <email....@web.site.ok> wrote in message
news:38424705...@news.connectfree.net...
> On behalf of the current owner of a Bedford VAS, registration number
> 3255 PJ, can anybody point me at any source of information on the
> one-time owners, North Downs Rural Transport. Information on the
> company, and especially photographs of the vehicle are sought.
>
> If I remember correctly, this company operated mainly minibuses, (from
> the Orpington area?) into Croydon around 1970.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> John Hinson
> The Old Bus Garage
> http://www.busgarage.sftt.co.uk/
cjohnso...@btinternet.com
> On Mon, 29 Nov 1999 09:39:57 GMT, email....@web.site.ok (John
> Hinson) wrote:
>
> >3255 PJ, can anybody point me at any source of information on the
> >one-time owners, North Downs Rural Transport. Information on the
> >company, and especially photographs of the vehicle are sought.
> >
> >If I remember correctly, this company operated mainly minibuses, (from
> >the Orpington area?) into Croydon around 1970.
>
>
> North Downs Rural Transport started the first service between Orpington
> and Croydon in, as you say, about 1970. It was started by a chap called
> John Wilde, who was formerly a teacher at my primary school (!). The
> service was successful enough for him to buy a former LT RF (sorry, I
> can't remember which one).
>
> About 1974, the Orpington Rural Transport Association of Joan Normington
> took over NDRT and the whole became Orpington & District Omnibuses.
> Orpington & District Omnibuses went bust in February 1981, and the
> Orpington to Croydon service was rescued by Tillingbourne, which formed
> Tillingbourne (Metropolitan), which metamorphosed into Metrobus.
>
> ISTR that John Wilde himself published a small booklet detailing NDRT,
> which may well have a photo of your Bedford. You could also see if the
> archives of the London Omnibus Traction Society (LOTS) has anything.
>
>
> El inglés loco
> The mad Englishman of Benitachell
> Bill Hayles
> bil...@ctv.es
The book which details North Downs Transport is "Wylde's adventures in Busland" by Johns Wylde published by John Wylde himself in 1998 ISBN 09533502 07. Hope you be able to find a second hand copy.
The Bedford VAS 3255 PJ had a 29 seat Marshall Cabrette body and was bought by Brown Motor Services of Forest Green, Surrey in 1960 and they ran services Forest Green to Guildford and Horsham. North Down took over the services when the proprietor retired in 1971 but they did not last long shutting down the Horsham area routes after only about two years. John Wylde state in his book that "the Bedford VAS was a poor thing. its appearance was not pre-possessing, the door being in a position normal for coaches at that time, behind the front wheels, so that the driver had to carry out his fare collecting duties over his left shoulder. The rear axle sounded tram like and could be heard practically all the way down the hill from Holbury St Mary, and it could hardly do over 30 MPH. The suspension was so lively that the drivers called it Zebedee. Nevertheless, Bert and Charlie used it on the Guildford route without any trouble for over ten years."
From Chris Johnson.
