CONTRIBUTORS PAGE
This page is designed for photographic contributions to the Manx
Electric Railway Society website. If you have any views of transport
to or on the Isle of Man and would like to see them added to the
website please e-mail first with details to [email protected]
All contributions welcomed.
Photographer Clive Brown visited the Island for a short break during
May 1982, when he was able to capture some of the many facets of Manx
transport during that period. It was an interesting toime especially
on the bus scene, with many of the 'traditional' buses entering their
twylight days in service being replaced with more modern types,
albeit second-hand. Clive has a many thousands of transport and
scenic photographs from all over the UK on his website at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/
with the Manx page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/sets/72157605943072350/
and has very kindly allowed the inclusion of some on the Manx
Electric Railway Society website. To see these images in full-size or
the other good quality photographs from his collection please take a
look at the above links.
This page continues to look at some of Isle of Man National
Transport's single-deckers found in the fleet during May 1982. The
MERS is very grateful for the use of these photographs, which make a
welcome addition to the website. Copyright for each view remains with
Clive Brown.
Leyland Leopard 3 (F808 MAN), with driver Alan Clague at the wheel,
arrives at Rasmey bus station having completed its journey around
Maughold on the infrequent 16 service. The bus had been new to Ribble
Motor Services in 1966
Another of the ex-Ribble Leyland Leopards, 8 (F810 MAN), is parked at
Lord Street, Douglas having worked another infrequent service - route
4 to Foxdale. Arthur Clague is at the wheel this time
Mainstay of the single-deck fleet in 1982 were the twenty Layland
Nationals delivered to/ordered by the Isle of Man Road Services.
Dating from 1975, bus 16 (MAN 16D), driven by John Cormode
climbs out of Laxey on the Ramsey Road bound for the twon of that
name. With the growth of trees and other vegitation this view of the
Laxey Valley belowcan no longer be achieved. National 16 has at some
stage suffered off-side panel damage and upon replacement has lost
the National Transport fleetname. The transfers applied to the
Nationals were of a larger size than tapplied to the rest of the
fleet, but were in short supply, indeed at least two Nationals never
carried proper transfer instead having the name hand painted.
National 16, again working the trunk Douglas-Ramsey route, but this
time with Doug Atkins at the wheel and heading south past the former
IoM Road Services Laxey depot, then a car sales outlet. The bus
was one of the Nationals with hand painted fleetname, the slight
difference in the shade of yellow compared to the 'circles' around
the ThreeLegs of Mann symbol giving the game away
Taken at the same place in Laxey as the previous shot, but from
across the road, National 19 (MAN 19D[i]) from the 1975
batch also heads to Douglas with Ted Radcliffe driving. Some three
years later the bus would be involved in an accident at Baldrine a
few miles down the road, which would see it on its side, and
subsequently scrapped
The very last bus delivered to the Isle of Man Road Services
shortly before amlamation in 1976 was Leyland National 27
(MAN 27H), seen at Douglas bus station. Sadly, despite all
hopes, the bus was not retained by Isle of Man Transport (as
IoMNT had become) as recognition of its importance to the local
transport scene becoming instead a youth bus before being
scrapped
Isle of Man Road Services had a further siz Leyland Nationals on
order at the time of the amalgamation in October 1976 and which were
delivered the following year. The last of the six, 33 (MAN 33N)
reverses at Dalby on the infrequent service 7 from Peel. The
condition of some of the destination screens was, perhaps, not one of
IoMNT's strongest points of the period
Former Preston Corporation Marshall bodied Leyland Panther 91 (C58
MAN[ii]) rests between Leyland National 20 and Atlantean 88
on the 'Patch' at Douglas, wearing all-over advert for Manx Radio.
This Panther and sister 92 were locally registered with numbers from
withdrawn Leyland Atlanteans