On Sunday 3rd
September 2023 the Devon General Society organised yet another excellent
Classic Bus Running Day, this time centred on the Devon town of Newton
Abbot. A total of eleven routes were
operated around the local area including an Open-Top Special service running to
Teignmouth Sea-Front. The independent
transport videos cameras were on hand to record the day for you to
remember and enjoy. A total of nine
former Devon General buses were available to operate the services and they are
all seen in this programme.
Our filming
begins in the morning as the buses line up in Highweek Way, Newton Abbot to
collect their passengers for their rides around the area. For your enjoyment our cameras take rides on
two vehicles. Our first ride is on board
DR817 (VDV 817), a 1957 AEC Regent V with Metro-Cammell H59R bodywork on
service 12 to Lawes Bridge. We have put
a camera in the cab for the driver’s experience and in the lower saloon for the
passenger’s experience. We return on
this bus to Highweek Way in Newton Abbot.
Our second ride is on board 925 (MSJ 499 – 925 GTA), a Leyland
Atlantean PDR1/1 with a convertible open-top Metro-Cammell body seating
seventy-five passengers dating from 1961.
On this ride our cameras are situated in the lower saloon to obtain the
sights and sounds on this nicely preserved bus.
With a brief look at the sea at Courtenay Place in Teignmouth we rejoin
the bus for a ride back to Newton Abbot.
Our filming continues here as the buses return from their journeys and
some start their final rides of the day or prepare to leave after a most
enjoyable day.
Our thanks to the Devon
General Society for organising this superb event and we hope that you enjoy
reliving the day with this DVD programme.
Look out for the DVD of the 2024 event when we visit Tiverton!