Route History

[Walton 46]

RE: Route History
Around 1989, Merseybus launched a series of minibus services under the Merseymini brand. Any ideas of numbers and routes?

[B10B6514]

RE: Route History
In Southport they were as follows:-
32 Lord Street to Banks (New Lane Pace) although originally to Crossens (Harrogate Way)
33 Lord Street to Crossens (Harrogate Way)
34 Lord Street to Crossens (Harrogate Way)
35 Kew to Ainsdale (Westminster Drive) via Westcliffe Road
36 Kew to Ainsdale (Westminster Drive) via Aughton Road
105 Golf House to Clive Road.

The 34 is the only one still running albeit in a modified form operated by Cumfybus as the 40.

Routes 35 and 36 were marketed as Merseymidi (possibly the only to be so) as they were allocated Dennid Lancet/ Duple Dominants 7028 to 7030 (EKA228 to 230Y) although Dodge S56s were often used as well.

Southport's peak allocation of Dodges in summer 1987 was:-
7690-7693 D690-693SEM
7699-7701 D699-701THF
7703/7705 E703/705UEM
7711 D711TWM.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
The Merseymini started in 88, as my February 88 Liverpool bus map has them listed was in the 5xx series[with Merseytravel numbers mostly 4xx] Liverpool area the hub was mostly centered on Belle Vale, my March 1990 map has them withdrawn.

Wirral
501/502 Woodside-Wallasey Circular via Seacombe-Liscard
515 Liscard-Dalmorton Road

Liverpool Feb 88
563 Belle Vale-Halewood
564/565 Belle Vale-Court Hey
566 Belle Vale-Garston

Liverpool, March 1990
561 Garston-Old Swan
562 Halewood-Huyton

[Walton 46]

RE: Route History

(30/09/2019 20:47)MTL0201 Wrote:  The Merseymini started in 88, as my February 88 Liverpool bus map has them listed was in the 5xx series[with Merseytravel numbers mostly 4xx] Liverpool area the hub was mostly centered on Belle Vale, my March 1990 map has them withdrawn.

Wirral
501/502 Woodside-Wallasey Circular via Seacombe-Liscard
515 Liscard-Dalmorton Road

Liverpool Feb 88
563 Belle Vale-Halewood
564/565 Belle Vale-Court Hey
566 Belle Vale-Garston

Liverpool, March 1990
561 Garston-Old Swan
562 Halewood-Huyton

Just received in the post this morning a timetable for 510/511, circa Spring 1989. Operated as a circular route serving Old Swan, Huyton, Stockbridge Village, West Derby, Norris Green and Tuebrook. Tickets were 30p for adults and 15p for children

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History

(02/10/2019 11:50)Walton 46 Wrote:  Just received in the post this morning a timetable for 510/511, circa Spring 1989. Operated as a circular route serving Old Swan, Huyton, Stockbridge Village, West Derby, Norris Green and Tuebrook. Tickets were 30p for adults and 15p for children

Did that cover part of the 10 & 11, take that didn't last long.

[Walton 46]

RE: Route History

(04/10/2019 14:03)MTL0201 Wrote:  Did that cover part of the 10 & 11, take that didn't last long.

Not quite

Route as follows:

510:

Prescot Road, Liverpool Road, Kingsway, Rupert Road, Huyton Station, Longview Lane, Hillside Road/Avenue, Stockbridge Lane, Haswell Drive, Denes Way, Mab Lane, Princess Drive, Croxteth Hall Lane, Springfield Way, Berkley Avenue, Exford Road, Allerford Road,, Deysbrook Way/Lane, Town Row, Almonds Green, Muirhead Avenue, Stalisfield Avenue, Carr Lane, Utting Avenue East, Lorenzo Drive, Broad Lane, Utting Avenue, Richard Kelly Drive, Maiden Lane, Lisburn Lane, West Derby Road, Green Lane, Prescot Road

511: reverse of 510

Timetable shows service every 15 min between 9am and 4pm Monday to Saturday

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Route History
Yes those Merseymini routes were interesting although Merseybus/MTL never really seemed to make a success of mini operation as apart from the 561, Wirral routes and Merseytravel contracts a lot of these routes seemed short lived. Even MTL's Merseyrider division didn't really seem to stick with mini's for long either.

Also does anyone remember the M2 which was used to compete with Amberline’s A2 from Speke to the City Centre? I mostly used the 82’s and Liverline’s 32’s around that time but do remember these being quite prominent on the Dingle/Aigburth/Garston corridor from 1989 to I think the summer of 1990. I'm not 100% but didn't both the A2/M2 start/finish from Woodend Avenue rather than going into Speke itself, could be wrong about that but rings a bell?

I can’t remember when it exactly got withdrawn but IIRC I think Amberline’s A2 disappeared in 1990 and the corridor reverted back to Liverline/Merseybus and full size vehicles again.

Also were most or all of the Merseymini operation based at Edge Lane or did the other garages run mini’s as well. I think Edge Lane did the South Liverpool mini’s but didn’t Walton/Gillmoss do the Merseytravel contacts in North Liverpool etc? Also thinking of the 510/511 did Green Lane run these in 1989 I’m sure they were GL crewed although when I knocked around the depot back then don’t really remember seeing any mini’s parked up there? Yep I know it’s a long time ago LOL!

As always like seeing and posting about these old de-reg routes from the early period, thanks for the contributions too.

[Walton 46]

RE: Route History

(15/10/2019 07:47)Gillmoss 0324 Wrote:  Also does anyone remember the M2 which was used to compete with Amberline’s A2 from Speke to the City Centre? I mostly used the 82’s and Liverline’s 32’s around that time but do remember these being quite prominent on the Dingle/Aigburth/Garston corridor from 1989 to I think the summer of 1990. I'm not 100% but didn't both the A2/M2 start/finish from Woodend Avenue rather than going into Speke itself, could be wrong about that but rings a bell?

Just consulted my A2 timetable from January 1990 and it operated through to the Eastern Avenue terminus in Speke. Any idea what route the A1 took?

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Route History
Might be totally wrong here but I think and again not 100% the original A1 ran to Hunts Cross or Halewood from the city centre via Smithdown Lane, Penny Lane/Allerton Road, Menlove Avenue (don’t think it ran via either Mather Avenue or Woolton Road?) and Hillfoot Road. Again not sure but I think this one used full size rather than the Carlyle/Freight Rover mini’s Amberline got when they went more into bus operations after the Crosville Cymru/National Express takeover, fairly certain the ex-MPTE BKC-K Atlantean’s got used on this in the White and Green livery around that time.

The A1 was a bit of a survivor lasting until around 1996 and the British Bus/North Western takeover’s being extended to Warrington for a few years in the mid 90’s too. It’s route during North Western days was like the 35’s to Hunts Cross/Halewood then it ran on to Warrington via Fidlers Ferry and Penketh, maybe via Woodend Avenue and Speke Boulevard/Expressway again I might be wrong and it might have done Halewood instead. Also a few of the hired West Midlands Travel Metrobuses went on the A1’s too as I think North Western’s Warrington depot ran it before it got withdrawn.

Amberline’s bus operations were interesting if perhaps not the full on assaults that newcomers like CMT, Fareway, Liverbus and Liverline made around that time.

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
Looking at a pick on flickr site of Atlantean 1359, departing Woodside for Moreton Shore on the 77, thinking through the changes since with that now 413/414

Original routes were
3 Seacombe-Town Meadow Lane via Poulton Road-Wallasey Village-Leasowe-Moreton Cross, originally operated by Wallasey Corporation
77 Woodside-Moreton Shore via Borough Road-Woodchurch Road-Upton-Moreton Cross originally operated by Birkenhead Corporation

3 & 77 merged in 1979 to become 3 Seacombe-Woodside via Town Meadow, works journeys to/from or via Cadburys factory were numbered 3C

1985 the Monday to Saturday daytime, 3 was extended via the Four Bridges to Woodside & became a circular route numbered 33/34 but no longer served Town Meadow Lane loop, evening & Sunday was 33A/34A served Town Meadow Lane but Seacombe-Woodside only

At the same time Monday to Saturday daytime 35 Woodside-New Brighton was introduced via Town Meadow Lane & most of the 33/34

At D-reg, 33A/34/34A were withdrawn, 33 became Seacombe-Woodside, with a new evening & Sunday 36 Seacombe-Woodside, the 35 stayed unchanged apart from retimings, but new Merseytravel tenders numbers were 133/135/136

The 36 was part replacement for the 44/45[renumbered from 4 & 5 in th 85 changes] as current 423 but to Woodside

1989, the 33 became the 3, the 36 became 3A, the 35 was withdrawn but replaced by new 7/8 on different routes, later the same year 3B was introduced, replaced the 4 & 5 Lioscard-Seacombe.

The bus wars with GM Buses saw additional short 3 journeys Seacombe/Liscard-Arrowe Park/Woodside

Late 90s Merseybus[Wirral Peninsula] extended the 3B as 33B/34B from Seacombe to Woodside,

After Arriva brought MTL, they revised the Wirral network, the 33B/34B was cut to Seacombe-Woodside, but 3/3A/33B/34B were renumbered to 403/413/423

After a couple of years the 423 was extended to Liverpool

Evening & Sunday 36/3A always interworked with the 37, main reason the 423 was extended to Liverpool as that still interworked with the 437 at the time, now 437 interworks the 432/433