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2018 Gallery
Some of the best shots of GCT 113 taken either by myself or by others (& credited) throughout the year
CLICK ON THE EVENTS BELOW TO BE TAKEN THERE DIRECTLY:
Fenland BusFest
Peterborough Bus Rally & Commercial Vehicle Show
Nottingham Area Bus Society's Ruddingham Rally
GCT 113's Return Home Tour (Grimsby & Cleethorpes)
Showbus
Transport Festival, Lincoln
The above two photos were the first taken of GCT 113 in 2018 and show her wearing the Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport prototype orange and white livery. I was headed to a commercial paint shop in Horncastle to have the orange paint changed for the correct shade on 9 April. As detailed in the Blog, it is believed GCT Fleetline 122 (OJV 122S) was painted into this livery before initially being signed off though soon after a decision was made to ask for a shade of orange that matched the printed orange used in the stylised fleet name, which can be seen in the photo on the left.
Problems with the painter's compressor meant a delay collecting GCT 113. The delay was further extended while I went on a family holiday abroad. However, upon my return it was soon to be GCT 113's return to a former GCT livery - the orange and white colours first adopted from 1987. It was commissioned to give the municipal operator a fresh, new look in the brave new world of privatisation and deregulation. GCT was no different to other council-owned undertakings and attempted new rural services in competition with the incumbent. In GCT's case this saw services operate to Barton-upon-Humber (Services 21/22) and Louth where buses could be seen in the 'Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport Orange 1990'.
Fenland BusFest - 20 May 2018
BusFest 2018
Two nice 'at work' photos. Above left photo credit: Derek Elston, above right: John Tomlinson.
Above left photo credit: David Longbottom, above right: Tim Pogson.
Above left photo credit: Mark Bowerbank, above right: Gareth Hughes.
Above left shows GCT 113 parked alongside Lincolnshire Road Car Leyland Olympian/ECW, 603 (B503 FFW). Photo credit: Jeff Hodgson, above right: parkandride2007.
Two nice shots of GCT 113 in Whittlsey Market Place, both taken by David Slater. The left image shows the bus making the first turn from the Market Place bus stop on the final journey of the day to Ramsey. The image on the right shows loading about the commence.
Peterborough Bus Rally & Commercial Vehicle Show
7 July 2018
Sacrewell 2018
Basking in the summer heat outside the Nene Valley Railway's Wansford station, GCT 113 can be seen waiting time in between the out and return journey to the Sacrewell Farm rally site. The Service 302 route card can be seen stuck to the window.
Cor! It was a scorcher at Sacrewell Farm, located just off the A1 at Wansford. GCT 113 is seen (left) parked next to GCT 57, which is displaying her original TJV 100 registration, which was lost during a spell of ownership outside the company, where she was assigned a much less traditional mark. There had been a 7-week hiatus of rainfall in the Peterborough area, which is evident (right) by the desert-like condition of the grass!
Two very nice shots of GCT 113 arriving at Sacrewell Farm can be seen here. Taken by Paul Haughey (left) and Simon Beeston (right), the effect of the sun on the paintwork can be seen. In the photo on the left the bus looks newly painted; yet in the photo on the right, the bus looked like it's done 4 years on the streets of Grimsby and Cleethorpes and has started to fade from over 1,000 times through the bus wash!
Nottingham Area Bus Society Ruddington Rally
15 July 2018
Ruddington 2018
Yet more heat was to bestow GCT 113 while attending the Nottingham Area Bus Society's summer running day at the Great Central Railway - Nottingham's base at Ruddington. A trio of GCT buses posed for photos during the afternoon (left), the first time the buses had been posed together since 1981, when GCT 133 was withdrawn and sold from the company. It's quite astonishing that these buses can again be reunited 37 years later. With Ruddington's proximity to Nottingham, it was only right and proper that 666 (ARC 666T), a Nottingham-standard Leyland Atlantean, was present (right), and nice that it was able to pose alongside GCT 113 in the mid-day sun,
Very briefly, the sun went in (left) which makes for a very different photo of these former Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport stalwarts. Plans are afoot for them to be reunited in Grimsby. Details will be available on this website before anywhere else.
Return Home Tour 2018
GCT 113's Return Home Tour
16 September 2018
A selection of photo opportunities were arranged as part of the Tour Timetable and they feature below. At the bottom are a number of comparison shots, where photos taken on the day try to recreate those taken many years ago.
Barnoldby-le-Beck
Bradley Crossroads
Waltham, Bradley Road
Willows, Cromwell Road Loop
Grimsby, Bethlehem, Street
Cleethorpes, Belvoir Road
Waltham, Cheapside
GCT (Stagecoach) Bus Depot
Fitties Camp, The Oval
Fiveways, Carr Lane
Fryston Corner
Cleethorpes, High Street
Cleethorpes, High Street
Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Immingham, County Hotel
Freeman Street/Hainton Square
Hainton Top 'The Alley'
Humberston, Humberston Road
Immingham, Civic Centre
Louth, Bus Station
Market Hotel, Cromwell Road
Cleethorpes, Market Place
ABOVE: North Sea Lane Terminus
RIGHT: Old Clee, Clee Crescent
Pasture Street
Riby Square
NSL Orange
Pleasure Island/North Sea Lane Terminus
Riverhead Exchange
Riverhead Exchange
St. Michael's Road
Cleethorpes, Sea Road (alighting)
Wybers Wood, Wybers Way Top
Springfield, Old Hospital
Cleethorpes, Sea Road (Pier)
Weelsby Road
Nunsthorpe, Sutcliffe Avenue
Comparison Photos
STALLINGBOROUGH ROUNDABOUT. This is the most recent comparison shot as the 'old' image on the left was taken as recently as 12 December 2017, when I drove GCT 113 to Immingham for her first, fateful, repaint into GCT orange and white. Then, the temperature was below zero and frost can still be see on the ground. Nine months later the weather was far more conducive to travelling in the top deck of an open-topper.
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CLEETHORPES PIER (ALIGHTING). During 2014, GCT 113 returned home to Grimsby depot on loan from Stagecoach Yorkshire. The image on the left, taken by 'Memory Snatcher' depicts the bus at Cleethorpes Sea Road parked behind the then sole open-topper based at Grimsby for service along Cleethorpes Seafront. Four years later and GCT 113 is back in Cleethorpes again, parked behind one of the two open-top Volvo B7TLs used aon the seafront service. I would like to think that GCT 113 will outlive Splash and Lolly as she has done sister Daimler Fleetline 103 (BJV 103L) and Leyland Olympian 14667 (H667 BNL/PIW 4457).
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CLEETHORPES PIER. Thirty years and 5 months separate these photos taken of GCT 113 at Sea Road, the starting point for Service 17. In April 1988, 'The Bus Gallery's' image depicts GCT 113 in the caramel and cream livery, which she wore between 1984 and 1989. Of course, with a roof, GCT 113 operated many more routes than just Service 17, as can be seen in the photo on the left where she is ready to depart on Service 4X to Laceby Acres.
RIBY SQUARE. Nigel Rhodes, custodian of preserved GCT single-deck Daimler Fleetline 35 (GEE 418D), took the photo on the left of GCT 113 working Service 9X at Riby Square during 1990. Frustratingly, had the Stagecoach ADL Dart not been occupying the furthest stop, I'd have been able to park GCT 113 in exactly the same spot as 28 years earlier!
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GCT DEPOT. The earliest photo I have of GCT 113 depicts her loading passengers outside the GCT depot while working Service 3A to Cleethorpes Bathing Pool. Taken before September 1980, a whopping 38 years separates these shots. Sadly, the bus stop outside the Stagecoach depot on Victoria Street South is now no more, yet the chance to recreate this very early, very significant image proved too good a chance to miss. The depot had significant work done to it since 1980, with a large section demolished to make way for the 'Patio' area. The photo on the left was taken a little further down the road, where the entrance to the 'Patio' now is, which made the precise recreation on 16 September 2018 tricky to achieve.
Showbus, Donington Park
30 September 2018
Showbus 2018
There's always a warm welcome at Showbus. Arriving at the world's larges bus and coach rally sees plenty of photographers capturing your entry. This photo was captured by Lewis Pridden as I drove GCT 113 along the gradual incline to the main parking area at Donington Park.
However, the more hardy photographers are stood in wait outside the location, keen to capture all vehicles attending in more natural surroundings. Jamie Armstrong took this photograph of GCT 113 arriving, after our unintended detour to Ashby-de-la-Zouch and back.
Grimsby has no hills. For all of GCT 113's operational life in her home town she was never forced to deal with inclines. This changed when she was 'retired' to Chesterfield. It's always nice to see her climbing an incline though. This great shot was taken by 'Classic Chatter'.
GCT 113 was parked with all other Leyland buses and coaches attending Showbus this year. For 2018 would see the world's largest bus and coach rally celebrate the 50th Anniversary of British Leyland. Some fine examples of Leyland's different chassis were on display and it was fitting that GCT 113's first visit to Showbus in her GCT colours would be marked in such an auspicious way. Chosen as it's a portrait shot when so many others taken of the bus in her line-up is Simon Beeston's view.
Greg Collins took this first shot of GCT 113 leaving Showbus. A traditional destination and number combination were displayed and the sun was in the right position for photographers to capture all attendees in excellent light. She really does look resplendent in this shot, about to embark on the journey home to Lincolnshire.
Exiting Showbus can take nearly as long as the arrival, with peak-time 'pinch points' all over the shop. It does afford photographers the opportunity to get some decent shots of slow-moving vehicles, though! This image was captured by Mark Youdon.
Transport Festival, Road Transport Museum, Lincoln
4 November 2018
LVVS 2018
'Mizzle', as my nana would say, was how the weather started the day at the Road Transport Museum in Lincoln. Upon arrival, GCT 113 was parked in the overflow area for vehicles undertaking tours in service. The number and destination were chosen to celebrate 25 years since Stagecoach bought GCT. The anniversary was particularly close, just two weeks away! This photo was taken by 'Bedford97'.
The first open-top tour took in the illustrious surroundings of Birchwood, though this was a necessary route due to drop-off restrictions affecting all vehicles returning from the city centre. I did vary the tour slightly on a route-by-route basis. This great 'at work' shot was taken by 'D33206HG' and shows GCT 113 operating a historic service bound for Cleethorpes Pier. A number of top-deck passengers can be seen taking advantage of there being no windows to capture photos passing vintage vehicles.
The second open-top tour took place before a meal break so with no pressing need to be back within the 24-minute route trip, I recreated the route I took on most occasions at last year's event - up the hill to Waddington. Tony Wilson took this photo of GCT 113 laying over immediately before the second trip.
Service 5X to Grimsby Docks was a relative newcomer to GCT. A variant of Service 5, the route didn't begin operating until 14 March 1982, replacing withdrawn Service 3 between Bradley Park and Riby Square. Peaktime extensionsto/from Grimsby Docks were initially undertaken by Service 15X, though once this service was withdrawn completely, the 5X was introduced from 1987. A number/destination fitting with the livery. Photo by Josh Hawkins.
Another great shot by Tony Wilson, of GCT 113 turning right after dropping off her first load of passengers of the day. Service 3A is displayed in the rear number box. To aid with loadings, drop-off and boarding points are completely separate at this event.
Similar to last year, GCT 113's final trip of the day was a relief to the city centre. Seen loading at Pyke Road, opposite the Road Transport Museum, she is displaying a traditional service number and destination. Very few ventured upstairs due to persistent light rain for the past hour. This photo was taken by Richard Haughey.
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