A very recent Sunday Lost Scenes today...
Thompson's 024 - WFX257S - Ringwood (Meeting House Lane) - 6th April 2010
For a few years, Thompson's Coaches operated a Tuesday and Saturday only route 238 between Salisbury and Bournemouth, via Christchurch, Ringwood and Fordingbridge. They used heritage buses such as Leyland Nationals and Leyland Olympians, and aimed to capitalise on extra traffic caused by Salisbury's market, or those wishing to travel in heritage style rather than on Wilts & Dorset's brand new Scania Omnicitys.
Former People's Provincial WFX257S was one of the Leyland Nationals used. Acquired out of preservation, the Thompson's logo was simply added and she was pressed into service, earning her keep for even more years. Sadly, the service was not financially successful, and was dropped shortly in 2010. Good news is that WFX257S has now passed back into preservation, and is being lovingly looked after by one of the FHD forum members. It is great to know this bus is still around, reminding us of her past.
Is this route information correct? I don't live in the area but thought that Gard Buses had operated Ringwood to Salisbury service on those days (not to Bournemouth) and Thompson operated the Ringwood local services until Gard recently took them over?.
ReplyDeleteGardbus were a successor company to Dorset Transit, who previously operated the X5/X55 Bournemouth to Southampton via Ringwood. They also began an X4 route between Ringwood and Salisbury at a later date which was operated Mon-Sat I believe.
ReplyDeleteThompsons are a completely separate company, who did operate the Ringwood town services. Gardbus have also taken over these recently.