Recollections
Edinburgh Corporation Transport
Dept
('The Corpo') |
Recollections
1.
John Stewart
Livingston, West Lothian |
Thank you to John Stewart, formerly of Leith, now living in Livingston,
West Lothian for sending me his recollections.
John wrote |
1960s
Buses
©
"This photo was taken for me by
another driver, using my camera. It shows me as the driver and my
conductor `sailor` Martin in front of our No 16 Edinburgh
Corporation Transport bus at Silverknowes in 1964. The bus was a
Leyland Titan.
The photo shows the
obligatory uniform that we all had to wear. Note the caps. You
would be reported and disciplined if an Inspector caught you
without the cap on. Changed days now.
|
City Cars
"By the 1960s, the City Cars were
mainly blue Minis ('City Blues' as they were collectively known)
that were used by Edinburgh Corporation officials during the day.
When finished with, they would be
parked randomly within an area bounded by Market Street, Cockburn
Street, Lawnmarket and George IV Bridge.
They were collected in the evening by
spare bus drivers based in the Central Garage in Annandale Street,
and returned there for washing and re-fuelling, etc. About
30 cars were involved.
This nearly always meant scouting
around for the particular car allotted to you. You could do some
walking. I had often been delegated to do this, first of all
collecting the key from an official at the City Chambers.
On one occasion I spied a blue mini
just opposite the High Street Police Station. Inserting the key I
opened the door and got in and started the engine, and made my
way back to Annandale Street.
I was greeted by an Inspector and told
in no uncertain terms to take it back. I had taken a privately
owned one. The owner, in relief at getting it back, saw the funny
side to it and I accepted my apology. It just shows how one key
can often gain access to another vehicle."
|
John Stewart, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland: April 11,
2006 |
Recollections
2.
Jim Paton
Australia |
Thank you to Jim Paton who
wrote:
|
1950s |
Parcel Depot
©
"The Parcel depot was outside the gate to
the Shrubhill depot. I was a 'Parcel Boy' from 1957 until I started
my Apprenticeship as a Fitter and Tuner with the 'Corpo' in 1958. I was with the Corpo
until we left for Australia in 1968.
Shrubhill
The workshop at that time was away down
through the old tram repair workshop at Shrubhill.
There
was an old cable tunnel that ran from the
Shrubhill workshop up to Leith Walk and the you could go either up or down
under the walk.
Jim Paton, Australia: November 5 +
6, 2009. |
Shrubhill
Here is an early photo
taken at Shrubhill. It shows of the old winding engine
that used to drive the cables for the cable
cars.
©
Here is are a couple of photos that I took at
Shrubhill workshops in the 1990s. The
workshops have now been demolished and the land is to be redeveloped as
housing.
©
©
Peter
Stubbs: November 6, 2009 |
Recollections
3.
Jim Paton
Australia |
Jim
Paton added:
|
1940s |
Central Garage
My Father
"My late father,
Jimmie (James) Paton, was in charge of the city
cars at Central Garage, Annandale
Street for many years, until he retired.
He
was put in charge of them after losing a leg
when he was crushed between two trams at a
terminus on a winter night.
He had
originally
been a fitter with the Corpo
but when he came back from the war they put him as a conductor on the
trams until a fitter's job became available.
Jim Paton, Australia: November 6, 2009. |
Recollections
4.
Brian Alexander
Prestonfield, Edinburgh |
Brian
Alexander wrote:
|
Late 1970s / Early-1980s
|
Restored Buses
"Those are interesting photos of restored
Edinburgh buses, 101, 900 and 665.
*
I had the dubious pleasure of driving all
three in the late-1970s and early-1980s.
These buses were all
part of the fleet at Marine Garage, Portobello,
during that time."
Photos
*
These photos were taken in Edinburgh on a 'Bus
Running Day' for restored Edinburgh buses, possibly around 2004.
©
©
©
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 4,
2010
|
|
Marine Garage
"I joined Edinburgh Corporation Transport
just before the change to LRT, the only conducted routes from Marine
Garage when I joined, in 1975,
were services 2/12 and 15.
I spent one year as a 'Conventional' driver
(on conducted buses) before going over to 'One
Man Operated' routes,
when service 15 went OMO."
|
Bus 900
"Bus 900 still had its roof and was used mainly
as a 'Rush Bus', used at peak periods.
This was the longest Atlantean in the fleet,
being three feet longer than the rest.
When
delivered new, it was fitted with an automatic
counter, counting passengers on the top deck.
This consisted of a special step on the staircase that depressed when
stood on. The 'count'
was shown on a panel above the windscreen.
I don't think it ever worked
properly.
**
The step that did the
counting had been removed by the time that I drove the bus, but the
counter above the windscreen was still in place."
Question
**
How did it know whether the passenger
was going up or down the stairs?
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 4,
2010
|
|
Buses 101 and 665
"Bus 101 was used in a similar way,
and 665 was used on route 2/12. 101 was a single door bus at the time,
not popular with drivers due to its length and the
constant vibration from the engine. My recollection of 665 is
that it was one of the first of LRT's fleet to be painted as an 'All Over
Advert' bus. I think it was advertising an
Office Temp agency and was painted yellow!"
|
Bus 801
"I also recall driving bus 801***,
an early single door Atlantean. It
spent most of its service life with a 'GB' plate on the rear. It had
apparently, travelled to Belgium resplendent in its Lothian colours to be
put on display at a trade show."
Another Photo
***
Bus 801 has also been preserved.
It is second from the right in this photo below,
taken at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, Lathalmond, in August
2009.
©
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 4,
2010
|
|
Brian Alexander, Prestonfield,
Edinburgh: August 1+4, 2010 |
Recollections
5.
Brian Melrose
Greenbank, Edinburgh |
Thank you
to Brian Melrose for responding to a couple of points in Brian Alexander's
recollections (4 above).
Brian
Melrose wrote: |
Late 1970s / Early-1980s
|
Bus 900
Passenger Counter
"The counter was operated by pressure pads
fitted to the bottom step (for going up +) and the top step (for going
down -).
That way it recognised the difference between up and down.
**
The system only came into operation when there
was less than 10 seats vacant upstairs. So
a lot of people at the time thought that it was not working (including
most conductors)."
Comment
**
All passengers would be likely to stand on
all steps, whether they were going up or down, so I assume that:
- if the bottom pad was pressed before the
top, it assumed that the passenger was going up
- if the top pad was pressed before the
bottom, it assumed that the passenger was going down
I don't know whether it would have been clever
enough to cope with the situation where one passenger stated to go up
as another was coming down, or vice versa, then perhaps turned round
to give way (as sometimes happens).
As the counter was trying to keep a 'running
total', I'm not surprised to hear that it may have sometimes become
confused by the end of the day!
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 7,
2010
|
|
Bus 802
GB Plate
"The bus that
carried the GB plate was Bus 802 (not Bus 801).
This bus, along
with Bedford twin-steer 213 SC, travelled
to a trade fair to Florence, Italy,
in October 1966. Florence was twinned
with Edinburgh.
Bus
802 carried its GB plate for many
years after."
Thank you to Brian for also sending me a photo of
Bus 802 in Edinburgh, on Route 16, carrying its GB Plate. |
Brian Melrose, Prestonfield,
Edinburgh: August 7, 2010 |
Recollections
6.
Eve Anderson
|
Thank you
to Eve Anderson who wrote:
|
George Smith
Edinburgh Corporation
Transport Worker
1961
"I'm trying to contact
a man who worked for Edinburgh Corporation Transport, either as a driver
or as a mechanic in 1961. I believe his name may have been George
Smith.. (I'm not sure about that.) I don't know whether or not he is
still alive.
He went dancing in
Edinburgh with a girl who was Faroese and worked at a hospital. His
parents may have been in charge of a plantation in Africa, but lived in
Edinburgh.
I know this is very little
information, but if you remember such a person or have any idea where he
might be now, please contact me.
Thank you.
Eva Anderson: December 29-30, 2015
|
Reply to Eva
If you'd like to send a reply to Eva,
please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on her email address to
you. |
Brian Melrose, Prestonfield,
Edinburgh: August 7, 2010 |
|