The earliest motor buses were run by private operators, the first being Ezra Laycock's 16 seater Milnes-Daimler in May 1905. The first routes were between Cowling and Kildwick and Cowling and Laneshawbridge to meet the Colne trams, but later the company expanded into Colne.
In March 1906 the Colne and Earby Motor Omnibus Company introduced their 30 h.p. Crossley-Leyland 'Pioneer' to run between the Swan Hotel, Market St. Colne and Earby. The vehicle does not seem to have proved outstandingly reliable and suffered an early demise. In August 1920, in response to Earby's request for a tram or bus service, Colne Corporation applied for powers to operate buses in Colne and Trawden and to Earby via Foulridge and Kelbrook. Four second-hand Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric buses were bought but, as Colne had no powers to operate them, they could only be used in emergencies. It was not until 1923 before they operated to Earby.
(Extracted from The History of Colne - published by the Pendle Heritage Centre Ltd.)
(In March, 1906 the Colne & Earby omnibus Co. inaugurated
a service from Colne to Earby.
Seen here in about 1911 is the Leyland "Pioneer".)
Colne Corporation didn't use route numbers (or letters) at all until the B, C & N Joint Transport was formed and even then numbers were not used until 1955.
Jan. 1923 Colne (Skipton Road) - Earby
Oct. 1926 Colne Railway Station - Laneshawbridge
April 1927 Colne (Cumberland St.) - Keighley (extension of Laneshawbridge route)
(joint Keighley Corp.
& later co-ordinated with Ezra Laycock of Cowling, later of Barnoldswick).
June 1928 Colne (Skipton Road ) - Trawden (replacing
trams)
Colne Corporation 16, a 1928 Leyland Lioness with B26F Strachan/Brown body. Colne purchased 6 of this type in 1928 in addition to 2 purchased in 1926 and 2 with Leyland bodies bought in 1927.