Sheffield's cream and blue buses

[Mo 10]

I remember those buses well. Didn't they look smart? Not like the filthy, polluting old bangers on the roads today.

 

Buses used to be renewed fairly regularly in the 'olden' days. We seem to have gone backwards rather than progressing.

[little malc 10]

Hey! Mojo, what was your dad's name when he was an inspector? I'll bet I knew him. Malc

[slimsid2000 10]

Originally posted by little malc

I remember when I first started working as a bus driver in the 70s, the Sheffield Corporation buses were painted a very smart blue and cream livery, with the Sheffield coat of arms prominent in the middle, since privatisation, the colour schemes seem to have gone from bad to worse, either very dowdy, or just very gharish, or am I just being nostalgic?

 

The cream and blue buses were replaced by the coffee and cream colour of SYT in the 1970s I think.

 

Both Sheffield and District and Sheffield Omnibus have used Blue and Cream/white livery since deregulation.

[sweetdexter 10]

Ah yes,

Fares please ,upstairs only,Hold tight

[oldtimer 11]

I drove for SCTD in 1963, and I believe they at one time had plans to paint all the buses dark green! They did manage to paint a couple, but the public soon put a stop to that!

[elaine 10]

my husband started work on s.t.d. in 1965,as an apprentice diesel mechanic.He tells me that not only were the cream panels hand painted but all the stripes,be they red,black or blue,top and bottom decks,were also painted by hand in the bodyshop at Queens road depot.The repainting and interior body renovation,with mega mechanical overhauls,were all part of a process known as "recertification" by the ministry of transport.Not quite sure wether the coat of arms were hand painted or not.

[sweetdexter 10]

I also heard the lines where painted by hand,

The brush they would use was a "Lining Fitch"

I think the coat of arms was a transfer

[elaine 10]

I began work as an apprentice diesel fitter at Queens Road bus depot in 1965.We had our own body shop,where all newly "certified" buses were re-painted and all the upholstery was refurbished.All the painting was done by hand and brush,including the top and bottom deck blue,red and black stripes.I'm not too sure about the Sheffield Crest,that was a guarded secret.The painted lines,around the bus,8ft wide and 30 + ft long ammounted to a lot of patience and skill which I doubt could be matched today as you couldn't see the join!76ft of red,black and blue took some doing.

[Banksia 10]

Originally posted by sweetdexter

I also heard the lines where painted by hand,

The brush they would use was a "Lining Fitch"

I think the coat of arms was a transfer

 

Yes, I can tell you that the lines were all hand painted. My ex husband served his apprenticeship as a coach painter at Queens Road depot starting in 1959. This was in the days when there was pride in having a nice looking and roadworthy fleet. I was appalled when I saw the state of the buses running around Sheffield when I came home for a visit in 1988. Sad to say things haven't improved much in more recent years either

I'm also not sure about the transfers although I know my ex has a photo of himself taken whilst working on one. I will ask next time I see him.

[elaine 10]

If anyone is really interested in the colour scheme of the ex. S.T.D. buses,and trams, there are some excellent examples of both in the Crich bus and tram museum in Derbyshire.Well worth a visit.

[jmrweb 10]

The Sheffield Bus Museum website is as follows:-

 

http://www.sheffieldbusmuseum.com

 

hope that helps as there is directions on the site to get there.

 

I agree bring back the blue and cream buses.

 

take care john in Parson Cross

[superCol 10]

Originally posted by jmrweb

 

I agree bring back the blue and cream buses.

 

Wouldn't make any difference to the timekeeping and reliability. I reckon that congestion charging is the answer, like London. Then the council could use the money to buy back the service and repaint the lot in the old corporation colours. Oh, and pay the drivers a decent wage.

 

It should never have been sold off. What were they thinking!!

 

Old fashioned Socialism is not yet dead. We can make it work.