grebeman
Old Codgers Group
- Name
- Barrie
Once again the time for this rally has come. I can't believe that it is the 11th and I have attended them all, but then for most of that time I've lived along one of the routes used. I have to admit that many of the subjects are the same as 2017 so, if I'm around for the 2019 rally perhaps I'll have to choose some different viewpoints or once again take to riding some of the buses to ring the changes in the images taken.
This entry was not in the official program but I was pleased to see a Western National Bristol K6B turn up. I would have traveled on one of these with my Mother to go shopping in Plymouth so it brings back memories of standing at the front upstairs holding onto the grab rail. This particular bus was based in Cornwall, hence the destination blind suggesting that it's traveling to Helston on the Lizard peninsula.
This diminutive short wheelbase Bristol SUS was of a type especially built to access remoter villages in Devon. Here it is seen crossing the bridge at Frogmore en route to Southpool. I guess Southpool is not on its destination blind, hence it shows Kingsbridge which is actually where it has come from.
Here it is returning with the blind now reading correctly as it heads towards Kingsbridge
Here a Bristol FLF6G Lodekka is seen on Frogmore Bridge whence it can take a left turn to reverse direction and head back towards Kingsbridge although this driver needed a little direction from me. I would have traveled on these as a teenager free from Mother to go into Plymouth. Happy days.
Like me this Bristol L5G from 1939 has attended all 11 rallies, the only bus to have done so. I'm somewhat younger than it is, but probably not as well preserved! Here it's en route for Southpool which won't have seen buses in this number since the last rally.
South Devon was always Western National territory but here you'd be forgiven for thinking it was Devon General territory with a Leyland Titan pulling away towards Kingsbridge whilst the 1946 AEC Regal en route for Sherford and then Southpool pulls in at the bus stop on the opposite side of the road. I used to see the occasional Devon General bus in Plymouth on the Plymouth to Exeter route which they shared with Western National. Their AEC double deckers had a sliding door to the drivers cab which I thought very exotic, particularly as in the summer the driver would often have to door open for ventilation as he drove along.
The 1939 Bristol L5G emerges from the side road leading to the village of Sherford.
Last but not least the 1933 Bristol H with the correct destination blind for its run to Frogmore and Southpool. This bus would have actually worked this route when it was in service and based for a time at the Kingsbridge depot of Western National.
There were many more photographs taken, but hopefully these give a flavour of what has become a very popular rally with some people traveling great distances to attend, as indeed do some of the buses.
All images taken on what for me is a relatively new purchase, albeit secondhand, a Fuji X-Pro 2 with the 18-55mm zoom.
Barrie
PS, for the first time all processing has been carried out on a Linux machine running Gimp 2.10 with RawTherapee as a plug-in, and I can testify that it was a seamless and enjoyable process.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This entry was not in the official program but I was pleased to see a Western National Bristol K6B turn up. I would have traveled on one of these with my Mother to go shopping in Plymouth so it brings back memories of standing at the front upstairs holding onto the grab rail. This particular bus was based in Cornwall, hence the destination blind suggesting that it's traveling to Helston on the Lizard peninsula.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This diminutive short wheelbase Bristol SUS was of a type especially built to access remoter villages in Devon. Here it is seen crossing the bridge at Frogmore en route to Southpool. I guess Southpool is not on its destination blind, hence it shows Kingsbridge which is actually where it has come from.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Here it is returning with the blind now reading correctly as it heads towards Kingsbridge
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Here a Bristol FLF6G Lodekka is seen on Frogmore Bridge whence it can take a left turn to reverse direction and head back towards Kingsbridge although this driver needed a little direction from me. I would have traveled on these as a teenager free from Mother to go into Plymouth. Happy days.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Like me this Bristol L5G from 1939 has attended all 11 rallies, the only bus to have done so. I'm somewhat younger than it is, but probably not as well preserved! Here it's en route for Southpool which won't have seen buses in this number since the last rally.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
South Devon was always Western National territory but here you'd be forgiven for thinking it was Devon General territory with a Leyland Titan pulling away towards Kingsbridge whilst the 1946 AEC Regal en route for Sherford and then Southpool pulls in at the bus stop on the opposite side of the road. I used to see the occasional Devon General bus in Plymouth on the Plymouth to Exeter route which they shared with Western National. Their AEC double deckers had a sliding door to the drivers cab which I thought very exotic, particularly as in the summer the driver would often have to door open for ventilation as he drove along.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The 1939 Bristol L5G emerges from the side road leading to the village of Sherford.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Last but not least the 1933 Bristol H with the correct destination blind for its run to Frogmore and Southpool. This bus would have actually worked this route when it was in service and based for a time at the Kingsbridge depot of Western National.
There were many more photographs taken, but hopefully these give a flavour of what has become a very popular rally with some people traveling great distances to attend, as indeed do some of the buses.
All images taken on what for me is a relatively new purchase, albeit secondhand, a Fuji X-Pro 2 with the 18-55mm zoom.
Barrie
PS, for the first time all processing has been carried out on a Linux machine running Gimp 2.10 with RawTherapee as a plug-in, and I can testify that it was a seamless and enjoyable process.
