Marking the Occasion

Plymothian Transit wonders why First Devon & Cornwall in Plymouth is unlikely to mark the end of Bristol VRT operation in the city, when it comes, as he says it must very soon. In the VR’s own way, he rightly likens the significance of its departure to that of the Routemaster in London.

Maybe the answer’s simple: First Devon & Cornwall is a little preoccupied with its poor financial performance to give the VRs’ departure any thought. But recognition it ought to have, for a number of reasons.

The first is the number of VRs stationed at Plymouth and their importance over the years to the city. Predecessor Western National first stationed VRs at Plymouth’s Laira depot as long ago as the early 1970s. The oldest were series 1, flat-fronted examples but they were joined by younger VRT3s, enabling the systematic conversion of routes to one-person-operation.

Among others, the VRs were common on the Saltash suite of services (72 Hannafore, 73 Forder, 76 Callington), the Tavistocks (83) and Western National’s share of the Plymouth Joint Services (Elburton–City Centre–Torpoint Ferry and Mountbatten–City Centre–Saltash Passage).

The last of these, the 7s, were crew operated alongside half-cab Bristol FLFs until 1980. And that is a second reason why First’s management should mark the VR’s departure. The design goes back to 1953 as engineers can easily trace the ECW body style to the Bristol LD, via the FLF.

And that leaves a third reason for marking the VRs’ passing: two years after Tilling took over WNOC in 1931, WNOC began to operate buses of Bristol chassis manufacture. Not that WNOC was totally reliant on Bristols, but WNOC became all-Bristol for a time after the World War II and it is the Bristol single- and double-deck chassis that became synonymous with operation in the city and the region, up to the arrival of the Leyland National.

WNOC had the honour of operating National Bus Company’s last Bristol LS saloon, no. 1701.

And so, after 73 years of Bristol operation in the region, the chassis will soon be no more in Plymouth. It’s actually amazing just how long they have lasted. Their withdrawal will reduce the average fleet age currently at 10.7 years, though replacements really aren’t that much younger.