toss

The start of a couple of bus rallies in September/October today. I went over to the Trans-Lancs Rally in Heaton Park, north Manchester and caught a load of shots (on Jayne's borrowed camera), some of the better pictures I present below.

The weather, yet again, was gorgeous.

Wallasey Corporation 1 (FHF451), a 1958 Metro-Cammell-Weymann bodied Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1. This bus has the distinction of being the first ever production Atlantean to enter service in December 1958.

Ribble 1847 (TCK847), a 1963 Leyland PD3. I'm not really front-engined buses, but I'll make an exception here. Fairly certain that this bus worked out of Ribble's Bootle depot in its' final years on local routes in Waterloo.

MTL 7227 (L227TKA), a 1994 Plaxton Pointer-bodied Volvo B6.

Merseyside PTE 1365 (DKC365L), a 1973 Alexander AL-bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R. Recently repainted in the original MPTE Wirral livery of blue and cream, with the short-lived "Merseyside" badge over the door.

Merseyside PTE 1551 (OLV551M), a 1974 Alexander AL-bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R. Withdrawn by Arriva in 2001, but cared for by the Merseyside Transport Trust in Burscough.

So there's another bus rally in Liverpool next Sunday, and another one the week after (that I won't be at due to prior commitments), and a third bus show at the beginning of October over in Birkenhead. I will be a busy boy.

Just a shame no one but me will give a toss, but there you go.......