BURNLEY, COLNE AND NELSON JOINT TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
History of Burnley,
Colne & Nelson J.T.C.
On 1st April 1933 the three independent bus and tram systems of
Burnley, Colne and Nelson Corporations amalgamated to create a more efficient
transport network. The headquarters of the newly formed Joint Transport
Committee was at Queensgate, Burnley. The Committee consisted of picked
representatives from each of the town councils, usually four from Burnley, and two each
from Colne and Nelson to form a supervisory committee who oversaw the actions of
the General Manager.
The first General Manager was Charles H.Stafford who was formerly
manager of Burnley Corporation Tramways and Omnibuses.
The combined fleet consisted of approximately 88 trams, 70 single
deck and 16 double deck buses.
The business of Ezra Laycock of Cowling was purchased in 1933
bringing a fleet of 7 Maudslay single deck buses into stock. These were all
withdrawn in 1936.
In January 1934 buses replaced trams on the Nelson Centre to Colne Heifer lane route and also on the Nelson to Barrowford route. The routes were extended from Heifer Lane to Trawden and Laneshawbridge and from Barrowford Fold to Dicky Nook, Higherford (junction with Barnoldswick Road). In October 1934 further tram replacement occurred on the Manchester Road to Towneley and Brunshaw routes and after negotiations with Ribble Motor Services for co-ordination between Burnley and Worsthorne and Holme were effected, a through service to Worsthorne from Manchester Road Summit was instituted. The bus service from the Hollins to Padiham was cut back to operate between Burnley Centre and Padiham via Lowerhouse.
In February 1935 joint operation with Ribble on the Colne to Barnoldswick and Colne to Skipton routes commenced. (Portions of these routes had been purchased from Laycocks).
The last tram ran on 7th May 1935 and in fact the last route operated was also the first to open back in 1881 (that from Padiham to Burnley and Nelson). Between 1933 and 1935 a total of 74 Leyland double deck buses were purchased to replace the trams. These comprised 12 TD3 with English Electric (2) & Park Royal (10) bodies in 1933/4, 18 TD3 and 12 TD3c with English Electric bodies in 1934. The latter were the first gearless buses and these were followed by 32 TD4c with Leyland bodies in 1935.
Leyland TD3 HG 2718 no. 87
(For more details see photo
albums)
In August 1935 the service to Manchester Road Summit was extended to serve
the new housing estates at Rosehill and Bleak House. Accordingly buses ran to
either Glen View or Cog Lane.
In 1933 an ex AEC Regent demonstrator with Park Royal lowbridge
bodywork was hired and later purchased in 1937.Two further Regents were
purchased in 1936 and given the Brush centre entrance bodies from two 1932 Crossley
Condors from the Burnley Corp. fleet whose chassis were sold to Rochdale
Corporation. These Regents were in turn rebodied by East Lancs in 1945.
In 1936 a total of 18 single deck buses were purchased to replace
some of the ageing buses transferred from the Corporation fleets and those
from Ezra Laycock. These were 16 Leyland LT7c with English Electric bodies
and 2 AEC Regal Mk 4 with Park Royal bodies.
No.142, Leyland LT7c HG 4475
In 1937 3 Leyland TD5c arrived, two with Massey bodywork and one with an ECW body. In 1938 a further TD5c was purchased with Leyland bodywork. This last bus no 154, HG 6496, was bodied free of charge by way of compensation for numerous problems with the Leyland bodies on the TD4c's. It was withdrawn in 1955.
No.
154,
Leyland TD5 HG
6496
The war years saw the arrival of 16 utility buses, 12 Guy and 4
Daimler, in 1943-5. These buses were all rebodied by East Lancs. and Northern
Counties in 1950.
No. 66, Guy Arab HG 8070, Northern
Counties body.
In 1945 three Bedford vehicles were taken over in the partial
acquisition of the Barley Omnibus Co. and Jones of Newchurch. A deal was struck with
Ribble Motor Services to jointly operate some of these rural routes. In 1947/8
two of these buses were replaced by new Bedford OB's.
No 3, FTC 922, a 1943 Bedford OWB ex.
Barley Omnibus.
Between 1946 and 1950 a total of 74 new Leyland buses were
acquired. These were 20 PS1, 18 PD1 and 36 PD2. A variety of bodybuilders were used in order to
facilitate early delivery to replace the worn out AEC Regents and LeylandTD3's.
No. 160, HG
8884, 1947 Leyland PD1
No. 173, HG
9414, 1947 all Leyland PD2/3
No. 17, HG
9662, 1948 Leyland PS1
In 1951 a change of supplier saw the
arrival of 16 Guy Arab 8 ft wide double deckers. These were always known thereafter as
"the big Guys".
200, AHG 347 1950 Guy Arab rear view
210, AHG 649
1951 Guy Arab IV
1953 saw the arrival of the first of a total of 14 Leyland PS2/14
single deck and 19 Leyland PD2/12 double deck buses to be purchased over the
next 3 years.
No. 48, DHG
48, 1955 PS2/14
No. 219, DHG
219, 1955 PD2/12
Between 1955 and 1960 all the existing single deckers were
converted from rear entrance to front entrance for one man operation. 1959 saw the
closure of the Nelson depot but the office in Manchester Road remained and
served as a base for the road staff of the Nelson unit until November 1969 when the
new bus station was built and purpose built facilities were available. The first purpose built front entrance buses for o.m.o. were 6
Leyland Tiger Cubs bought in 1959. At the same time the first front entrance
double deckers came in the form
of 2 Leyland PD3/6 followed by a further 4 in
1961.
No. 22, HHG
22, 1959 Tiger Cub PSUC1/1
No.
232, HHG 32,
1959 PD3/6
(Corgi produced a model of this bus during 2008)
The wartime Guys and Daimlers and some post-war PD1's were replaced in 1964/5
by a total of 20 Leyland PD2A/27 front entrance double deck buses and a further
6 in 1967. These would be the last front engine buses purchased.
No. 240, NHG 540, a 1962 Leyland PD2A/27 with
Northern Counties H37/27F body.
All the PS1
single deckers would be replaced by 24 Tiger Cubs between 1963 and 1967.
Falling passenger numbers and a change in committee policy saw
the move from double deck to high capacity o.m.o. single deck vehicles. In
1968/9 ten 36 ft. long Leyland Panther semi-automatic rear engine buses were
bought. The Northern Counties 50 seat bodies were the highest capacity single
deckers ever purchased and reflected the move away from double deck buses. They were
not popular with drivers being difficult to handle and no.83 was involved in a
fatal accident in 1971 and scrapped. The remainder of the batch were withdrawn in 1980. The next
purchases were Bristol RE's. Twenty were acquired during 1969/71.
No.
80, HHG
80F, 1968 Leyland Panther
PSUR1/1R
No.
89, LHG
389H,
1969 Bristol RESL6L
A change of
supplier saw the arrival of twenty Seddon RU buses in 1972. These buses had a
short life with B&P, some being withdrawn after only seven years.
No.
128, SHG 128K, 1972 Seddon RU6LX (in dual purpose livery)
The last buses to be purchased by BCN were five Leyland Nationals
in 1973. Also in 1973, having experimented with private hire work earlier, two
Leyland Leopard coaches were bought. These were the last purchase prior to the
1974 local government re-organization of boundaries.
No. 134, VCW 134L, a 1973 Leyland National 1051/1R with B44F body.
A book, Burnley, Colne & Nelson
Joint Transport by Alan Catlow was published in 1985 and
gives a more detailed history of the company and its fleet. Sadly no
further new copies are on sale at present except occasionally second hand ones
surface at rallies, etc .Copies are available for loan in Lancashire County Libraries.
History of Burnley & Pendle Joint Transport
Back to Contents Page
