SCT'61
Blackburn to Blackburn by bus
The recent discussion on the photograph of Rotherham Crossley 210 related to the co-incidence of name of its destination (Blackburn) and led to the concept of a very long and hilly Crossley ride.

Of course, that didn't happen, but through photographs in the gallery I have made the journey by a slightly roundabout and interesting route. I felt ten buses was enough to satisfy anyone's desire for bus travel.
The photograph that started it all. We will assume that we joined this bus at its Blackburn destination and returned to Rotherham on it.
Rotherham was also the hub of the Mexborough and Swinton system. With the trolleybuses abandoned we board one of the Atlanteans that replaced them for the journey to Rawmarsh, which was where the Mexborough and Swinton depot was to be found.
From Rawmarsh Tom Burrows ploughed this unlikely and long route to Leeds, on which we travel as far as Wakefield.
County Motors was another small BET operator like Mexborough and Swinton and provides our onward transport to Huddersfield.
The joint route from Huddersfield to Halifax was worked by the Joint Omnibus Committees of those two towns. We take a Huddersfield Regent V on this service to Halifax.
Our objective is not necessarily to do this journey in the simplest manner, and therefore we take a Halifax bus to Hebden Bridge.....
...where we join the Hebble service to Burnley through Heptonstall and across the moors. We could, of course, have boarded this bus in Halifax.
Todmorden worked a Burnley to Bacup service across wild moorland once home to several small collieries, but gave it up in 1966. We take this PD2 on this rather odd Todmorden Joint Ominus Committee service which goes nowhere near its home town.
From Bacup we take the colourful service 4 to Accrington, the colours being the maroon of Rawtenstall, the blue of Haslingden and Accrington's distinctive dark blue, red and black livery. All these operators worked this service.
The final leg of the journey involves taking a Blackburn bus from Accrington to its home town. The 46 was the local service, the 9 being the express bus. If it's a Sunday we can always call off at Church, as that place is halfway between the two towns! Once in Blackburn we can catch a 24X to Hole-i'-th'-wall where we can draw out some money to pay for much longer trip on the 21 to Moorgate....
 

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Page last changed Tuesday 2 February 2016