This is the second
time that the independent transport videos cameras have visited
this exceptional bus and coach museum situated in the former Glasgow
Corporation bus garage at Bridgeton in Glasgow, Scotland. The former garage houses
a tremendous collection of buses and coaches, mostly from Scotland and offers
the perfect surroundings to enjoy this wonderful selection of vehicles. The
Open Weekend in October is the main event of the year that sees the museum open
to the public with many buses from the collection and visiting buses operating
in service, serving the city centre, Killermont Street, Kelvingrove and the
Riverside Museum forming three services. Further ‘tours’ were also available on
both days. Our cameras have recorded the
action for you to enjoy over the weekend of the 14th / 15th
October 2023.
We begin early on Saturday
morning with a look at some of the collection of vehicles situated in the main
shed and in the outside parking areas.
We then take the ‘Central Tour’ that was operated using three former
Central SMT buses to Cambuslang, Glasgow.
Our cameras travel on board L484 (GM 6384), a 1954 all-Leyland Titan. As
we are travelling we film the following Bristol Lodekka, BL346 (HGM 346E), a
1967 Bristol FLF to Hamilton Road in Cambuslang. Our cameras return to Bridgeton Garage on
board a 1958 Bristol Lodekka LD6G, B87 (TVS 367 – GM 9287) and film L484
from the rear of the Lodekka. Back at Bridgeton Bus Garage we see the action as
the buses come and go moving the crowds of people just like they did back in
the day. Another ride is taken on B87 to Killermont Street to capture some
action there. We travel back to
Bridgeton Garage on board 2584 (BXI 2584), a former Ulsterbus Bristol RELL6G
with an Alexander (Belfast) body. At
Bridgeton we change to RB161 (DWG 917), an Alexander-bodied Leyland Titan PD2
built in 1953 from the former Alexander Midland fleet for a ride to
Kelvingrove. Our first day concludes
with more film at Bridgeton Garage. On Sunday morning our cameras are in action
bright and early as we see the buses begin their day. We take a ride to the city centre and return
on board former Glasgow Corporation L163 (SGD 65), a 1958 Leyland Titan PD2
with an Alexander body. A further ride
to the city centre is on board former Greater Glasgow PTE LA697 (HGD 903L), a
1973 Leyland Atlantean AN68 with bodywork by Alexander to Cochrane Street where
we film the preserved buses in action as they run along George Street, Montrose
Street and George Square. We return to
Bridgeton on board former Highland Omnibus J364S (B892 UAS), a Leyland Olympian
ONLXB also with an Alexander body dating from 1985.
The final section of this programme is the
celebration of 50 Years of Greater Glasgow PTE.
Our cameras travel on LA907 (JGA 189N), a 1975 Leyland Atlantean AN68
bodied by Alexander to Battlefield Road, Glasgow accompanied by L448 (SGD 448),
a Leyland Titan PD2 in Corporation livery but with ‘GG’ logos as it would have
had at the time of the take over in 1974 and LA697 (HGD 903L) a Leyland
Atlantean AN68. The buses were
positioned around the Battlefield bus stops, as they would have been recreating
a scene from the past. We return to
Bridgeton Garage and film some of the final departures ending an absolutely
superb weekend. Thank you to all the
organisers – we will be back!