buses

The Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway operated an electric tramway service between Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea from 1907 and extended to Colwyn Bay in 1908. The service closed in 1956. The original 18 cars of 1907 and 1909 were replaced progressively between 1933 and 1936 by five second hand vehicles from Accrington Corporation Tramways, taking fleet numbers 1 – 5 and ten ex Bournemouth Corporation Tramways open-top double decker trams which were numbered 6 - 15 at Llandudno. The original cars were not withdrawn in numerical order and three were retained being re-numbered as 16, 17 & 18. The picture depicts L&CB number 8, one of the ex-Bournemouth cars and was taken less than nine months before final closure. The Crosville Motor Services bus on the left is fleet-number M76 (CFM378) a 1938 Leland Titan TD5 with Eastern Coachworks 52 seat bodywork.

Probably Belleville Transit #27, often found on Parkwood Heights in it's later years. The bus was retired in 1991. Involved in a crossover accident on the westbound 401 during a charter to Union Station. Repaired and returned to service.

Patrick Kavanagh's tribute to his native county! O stony grey soil of Monaghan The laugh from my love you thieved; You took the gay child of my passion And gave me your clod-conceived. You clogged the feet of my boyhood And I believed that my stumble Had the poise and stride of Apollo And his voice my thick tongued mumble. You told me the plough was immortal! O green-life conquering plough! The mandril stained, your coulter blunted In the smooth lea-field of my brow.

The bus at left is ZI 3512, in the Dublin sequence ZI 1 to ZI 9999 (Mar 1927 – May 1933) We also have BI 1804, less useful: Monaghan BI 1 to BI 9999 (Dec 1903 – Mar 1961) IB 4406 is an Armagh reg, I think.

According to Classic Buses site ZI 3512 was an AEC Reliance new in June 1929; withdrawn in 1937 and scrapped 10/1937 www.classicbuses.co.uk/+GNR.html Would suggest the date range 1929 to 1937

An advert appeared in the Belfast News-Letter on Thursday 08 November 1917 announcing that the high-class Drapery known as the Alma House, Monaghan, was to be sold. The first adverts of Thomas McCabe of Alma House appeared in 1919 (requiring a competent man for Woollens and Drapery Sales), and continued until 1942.

IB 4406 was a Vulcan Duke which belonged to Northern Ireland operator Nugent, Darkley and which operated between Keady and Dundalk via Monaghan. It was new in 1929 so the image cannot be before that date. It passed to GNR (175) in 1931 and was withdrawn in 1934 following an accident - therefore the image dates from between 1929 and 1934. ZI 3512 was a 1929 AEC Reliance with Potter body which was GNR (29) - it lasted until 1937. BI 1504 belonged to McGirr's Bus Service, Monaghan who ran between Monaghan and Longford.