South Notts Bus Company

South Notts Bus Company^[1] was a bus company operating in Nottinghamshire from 1926 until 1991 when sold to Nottingham City Transport who continue to use the brand name today.

History

Preserved East Lancs bodied Leyland Atlantean

Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian in Loughborough

Nottingham City Transport Scania OmniDekka in Gotham in September 2011

In March 1926, Christopher Dabell commenced operating a service between Gotham and Nottingham with a 20-seat Guy BB. Barton Transport already provided a bus service on this route but Dabell gained enough local customers to make his service successful. In 1929, an agreement was made with Barton Transport which involved Barton acquiring a 50% share of South Notts whilst withdrawing from the South Notts route. The South Notts service was extended to Loughborough, and this continued to be the company's main route until its takeover.^[2][3]

Single-deck buses, mainly Guys, joined the fleet until 1932, when Leylands started to arrive, followed by Gilfords, Bedfords and Dennises. The first double-decker did not arrive until 1951, when an ex Hants & Dorset Leyland Titan was acquired. This proved useful on services to the new Clifton Estate, which were provided jointly with Nottingham City Transport and West Bridgford UDC. More followed, with the fleet size increasing rapidly to meet the new demand, and it was not long before the fleet became predominantly double-deck. However, a small coach fleet was also maintained, for which Bedfords were the preferred vehicles until the mid-1980s when the Bedfords were supplanted by secondhand Leyland Leopards.^[2]

The double-deck fleet was of lowbridge or lowheight types, due to the height of the bridge where the Great Central Railway crossed Wilford Lane. By the early 1960s these were sunken gangway Leyland PD3s, with either Metro Cammell or Northern Counties bodies, later Albion Lowlanders again with Northern Counties bodies, which negated the sunken gangway requirement. after the Lowlander ceased production, Leyland Atlantean PDR1/3s with Northern Counties bodies were purchased. However, when this bridge was removed, South Notts continued to buy lowheight Leyland Atlantean PDR1/3s and Daimler Fleetlines with either Northern Counties or Eastern Coach Works bodies.^[2]

On 13 March 1991, the business was sold to Nottingham City Transport. East Lancs bodied Leyland Olympian and Volvo Olympians with were added to the fleet to oust the remaining Atlanteans and Fleetlines. Newer Olympians did operate the main service, now numbered 1. Since 21 September 2009 the route has been branded as South Notts The One.^[4] Scania OmniDekkas cascaded from Clifton service 48, were re-liveried, replacing the last Volvo Olympians, making the fleet fully low floor. Nottingham City Transport have also transferred the operation of other routes, not traditionally associated with South Notts, to Gotham garage. A number of Scania single-deckers, articulated buses, and double-deckers are allocated to the depot to operate these services.^[2][3]

On 1 April 2015, seven new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs were introduced.^[5][6][7]

Liveries

The original livery was dark blue and cream; maroon was later added. For much of the company's existence, the livery for double-deckers was dark blue with a cream relief band and a maroon roof, whilst coaches had a slightly different livery of two-tone blue and cream. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the company in 1986, Leyland Fleetline 117 was repainted with a cream roof, as the original livery, as well as receiving special branding, and later the rest of the fleet also saw the maroon replaced with cream.^[2]

Following takeover, the blue and cream livery was retained, with the area of cream expanded, and variants were created for minibuses and single-deckers, the latter involving two shades of blue.

The livery was changed to NCT's two-tone green livery, with navy blue around the upper deck windscreen and front and rear sections of the roof.^[2] The South Notts fleetname was dropped in 2014. Coinciding with the introduction of new vehicles, on 1 April 2015, a new livery of navy front and rear with silver in between was introduced and the South Notts name reinstated.^[5]

Depot

South Notts' depot has been at Leake Road, Gotham since its inception.

References

External links

• Media related to South Notts Bus Company at Wikimedia Commons
• Flickr gallery
• South Notts Remembered - website dedicated to South Notts buses

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom
National	Associated Motorways Blazefield Holdings British Bus British Coachways British Electric Traction Fraser Eagle GRT Group National Bus Company Thomas Tilling
England	Former bus companies operating in England North West England Birkenhead Transport Blackburn Transport Blue Bus and Coach Services Bluebird Bus and Coach Bu-Val Buses ChesterBus Citibus Tours Crosville Motor Services Finglands Coachways First Chester & The Wirral Glenvale Transport GM Buses John Fishwick & Sons JPT Lancashire United Transport Maynes Bus Maytree Travel MTL North Western Road Car Company (1923) North Western Road Car Company (1986) Pennine Blue Red & White Services Ribble Motor Services Speedwellbus Transdev Northern Blue UK North Yelloway Motor Services North East England Black Prince Buses Busways Travel Services Durham Travel Services Geldards Coaches Jolly Bus Leon Motors Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company Northern General Transport Company OK Motor Services Samuel Ledgard South Yorkshire Transport Tates Travel United Automobile Services Venture Transport West Riding Automobile Company West Yorkshire Road Car Yorkshire Rider Yorkshire Terrier Yorkshire Traction Midlands A2Z Travel Barton Transport Birmingham City Transport Birmingham Motor Traction Chase Coaches First Northampton Glossopdale Bus Company Go West Midlands Ludlows North Birmingham Busways People's Express Premiere Travel Probus Management South Notts Bus Company Stevensons of Uttoxeter Travel Merry Hill Travel Your Bus Wesley Coaches Zak's Buses Eastern England Eastern National Omnibus Company MK Metro TWH Bus & Coach South West England Badgerline Bristol Omnibus Company Devon General Greyhound Motors Great Western Railway Hants & Dorset Motor Services Shamrock Buses Southern National Sureline Trathens Travel Services Truronian WebberBus Western Greyhound Western National South East England Alder Valley Aldershot & District Traction Badger Vectis Boro'line Maidstone Brijan Tours Bygone Buses Cavendish Motor Services Centra City Clipper Countryliner East Kent Road Car Company Invictaway Kent Top Travel Maidstone & District Maidstone Corporation Transport Marchwood Motorways Moss Motor Tours Portsmouth Corporation Transport Shamrock Buses Southampton Citybus Southdown Motor Services Thames Transit Thames Valley Traction Tillingbourne Bus Company Velvet Yellow Bus Services Greater London Bexleybus Birch Brothers Boro'line London Capital Citybus Capital Logistics Connex East Thames Buses First London Grey-Green Harris Bus Imperial Buses London Buslines London Country Bus Services London Country North East London Country North West London Country South East London Country South West London Easylink London Electrobus Company London Forest London Pride Sightseeing London Traveller MTL NSL Buses Thorpes Travel London Travel Surrey Westlink
Scotland	Former bus companies operating in Scotland Scottish Bus Group Central Scottish Clydeside Scottish Eastern Scottish Highland Scottish Kelvin Central Buses Kelvin Scottish Lowland Scottish Midland Scottish Northern Scottish Western Scottish Other operators Arriva Scotland West A1 Service Dart Buses First Stop Travel Gibson's of Moffat McKindless Munro's of Jedburgh Oban and District Scottish Motor Traction Strathclyde Buses Western SMT
Wales	Former bus companies operating in Wales Companies Crosville Motor Services Islwyn Borough Transport National Welsh Omnibus Services Padarn Bus Red & White Services Rhondda Transport Company South Wales Transport Western Welsh