52-512: British Coachways was a consortium of independent coach operating companies in the United Kingdom. Formed immediately after the deregulation of coach services in October 1980, it competed with the state-owned National Express and Scottish Bus Group on a range of long-distance routes. Initially composed of six members, it varied in size and composition over its two years of operation to include
104-570: A Daimler chassis dating from 1911.) Barton had already had experience of operating a motorised bus, in Mablethorpe , some nine years earlier. During World War I , the fleet was used to transport workers to and from the National Shell Filling Factory, Chilwell . Also during the War, Barton pioneered the use of town gas as fuel, converting the whole fleet to run on it. The gas was stored in
156-419: A body to be added. A few coaches are built with monocoque bodies without a chassis frame. Integrated manufacturers (most of whom also supply chassis) include Autosan , Scania , Fuso , and Alexander Dennis . Major coachwork providers (some of whom can build their own chassis) include Van Hool , Neoplan , Marcopolo , Irizar , MCI , Prevost , Volvo and Designline . In some European countries following
208-460: A combined fleet of over 700 coaches. The consortium chose the name British Coachways to present a nationwide image, and a small number of coaches received a new livery of white, red and blue to advertise the venture. British Coachways began operation on the day that coach services were deregulated, 6 October 1980, on a network based around five service corridors linking London with major population centres. To make its services attractive to passengers,
260-610: A detailed picture of Robin Hood was placed alongside following the acquisition by Barton of Robin Hood (Coaches) Limited of Nottingham in late 1961. Barton operated from many depots and outstations over the years. The largest depot was at the company's headquarters in Chilwell . Others included: Barton's former depot on Huntingdon Street in Nottingham was Grade II listed in August 2019. The building
312-538: A first by operating the first diesel-engined passenger-carrying road vehicle, a Lancia , in 1930. Barton had earlier been an engineer at Hornsbys where he had worked on the early development of "oil engines" (he always refused to use the term "diesel"). Leylands were purchased from the mid-1930s and made up a large part of the fleet by the beginning of World War II . Starting in 1939, a fleet of Leyland Titan TD5, TD7 and rebodied TD1 double-deckers with stylish, front-entrance, lowbridge bodywork by Duple and Willowbrook
364-471: A large "bag" on the roof of the bus, and the company also manufactured these bags for sale to other operators. The 1920s saw fierce competition in the British bus industry. Barton imported Lancia chassis from Italy, which were lengthened and fitted with a patented tag- axle by Barton. The vehicles were known as "Bartons Gliders" and their speed and smooth riding provided a competitive advantage. Barton scored
416-424: A range of ten different companies. The consortium attempted to draw passengers away from the established services by charging significantly lower fares than the existing operators. National Express and Scottish Bus Group responded by reducing fares to similar levels, reducing the appeal of British Coachways' services. In contrast to National Express, operators were given the choice of which vehicle type to operate, so
468-550: A specific category/type of RVs . Deriving the name from horse-drawn carriages and stagecoaches that carried passengers, luggage, and mail, modern motor coaches are almost always high-floor buses, with separate luggage hold mounted below the passenger compartment. In contrast to transit buses, motor coaches typically feature forward-facing seating, with no provision for standing. Other accommodations may include onboard restrooms, televisions, and overhead luggage space. Horse-drawn chariots and carriages ("coaches") were used by
520-512: A strong marketing campaign would be required to counter the established network offered by the incumbent operators. Wallace Arnold, the largest of the six founding members, and Grey-Green, the only constituent company based in London, designed the marketing used to promote British Coachways in its first year. A striking new livery of white, red and blue incorporating the Union Flag similar to that used by
572-512: A variety of types were used. The consortium was not granted access to large facilities in major cities, such as Victoria Coach Station in London, and was forced to use less developed alternative sites. In October 1982 British Coachways was broken up and the brand name abandoned. All but one of its services ceased to operate. The sole survivor was the service between London and Bournemouth , which continued to be operated by former British Coachways member Excelsior Coaches until 1998. Prior to 1980,
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#1732851844794624-465: A wider range of routes, and in its use of nationwide advertising and yield management to set fares, with early bookers to a particular coach paying only £1 for a journey. British Coachways' brand and livery disappeared rapidly after 1982. Vehicles were quickly painted back into their owners' liveries, and the brand was abandoned. However, in September 2010, a preserved Volvo B58 coach, new to Morris Bros,
676-409: Is known as Barton Holdings, mainly involved in property ownership. The Chilwell depot site was the subject of an unsuccessful planning application in 2007, which would have seen the sprawling site redeveloped into housing and retail. Barton's fleet livery was red, cream and maroon. The fleetname (rendered as B N ) was placed within a flag motif on the vehicle sides, and, from the 1960s onwards,
728-888: Is now occupied by the British Library . In 1982 this was changed to the London Ryan Hotel in King's Cross . Similar issues were encountered in other cities: in Glasgow, a small stop on Holland Street was initially used, while in Manchester services picked up at an unmarked stop in Aytoun Street. From August 1981, a new Glasgow terminal in Sauchiehall Street was opened by Park's for use by British Coachways and other independent coach operators. Journey times offered by British Coachways between
780-566: The 1958 type certification treaty, coach (that is vehicle of type M2 or M3) type certification is regulated by regulation number 107 from the UNECE. In the U.S., commercial drivers of motorcoaches are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). A representative selection of vehicles currently (or recently) in use in different parts of the world. A selection of vehicles in use in different parts of
832-422: The bare essentials such as storage and restrooms. Coaches typically have only a single, narrow door, but some can have two doors, as an increased loading time is acceptable due to infrequent stops. Some characteristics include: Coaches, like buses, may be fully built by integrated manufacturers, or a separate chassis consisting of only an engine, wheels and basic frame may be delivered to a coachwork factory for
884-411: The chassis of a Leyland Tiger and six Titans; and between 1969 and 1971, eleven AEC Reliance chassis were rebuilt as Barton BTS2 and fitted with new Plaxton Panorama Elite bodywork. Many new and secondhand buses also joined the fleet, and Barton kept up its modern double-deck image with Northern Counties bodied AEC Regents, which had wrap-around windscreens on both decks. Also built to the same style
936-707: The coach service market was deregulated by the Transport Act 1980 . To compete effectively with the large and well-recognised network operated by the state-owned companies, a group of established independent coach operators decided to form a consortium to run over a range of routes. The group initially comprised Wallace Arnold , based in Leeds ; Grey-Green , operating from London; Shearings of Altrincham ; Morris Bros of Swansea ; Ellerman Bee Line, of Middlesbrough ; and Park's Motor Group , based in Hamilton . The six companies owned
988-561: The company's first modern 12m coaches, although not its first 12m vehicles, since Barton had experimented with lengthening a Daimler bus to 40' before World War I. From 1984 until the sale of the fleet in 1989, Barton standardised on the DAF MB with Plaxton Paramount bodywork, a further 26 being purchased. In 1989, the business was sold to the Wellglade Group and merged with its Trent Buses business to form Trent Barton . On 1 October 2008,
1040-451: The consortium began to pull out in April 1981. By the summer of 1981 both Wallace Arnold and Grey-Green left the group; by the end of the year, both were operating joint services with National Express. However, Barton Transport and Excelsior Coaches joined in their place. The total number of services was not reduced, although some destinations were no longer served, while others were introduced to
1092-558: The consortium charged extremely low fares, including some that were less than half of the cheapest fare offered by the rival NEX or SBG service. This meant that profit margins were very low. In addition, the venture suffered from not being able to use recognised departure points in some major cities, most notably Victoria Coach Station in London and Digbeth Coach Station in Birmingham . The lower fares were intended to draw passengers away from
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#17328518447941144-546: The consortium found itself without a terminus in London when the site it had been using became unavailable. Services ceased operation from this date onwards. British Coachways initially operated six services linking London to a range of large provincial towns and cities. Services were operated from London to Newcastle and Middlesbrough ; to Sheffield , Leeds and Bradford ; to Swansea via Cardiff ; to Plymouth and Torbay via Bristol ; to Glasgow via Birmingham and Manchester ; and to Liverpool via Birmingham. In each case,
1196-553: The early years of the 20th century. The first "motor coaches" were purchased by operators of those horse-drawn vehicles in the early 20th century by operators such as Royal Blue Coach Services , who purchased their first charabanc in 1913 and were running 72 coaches by 1926. As they hold passengers for significant periods of time on long journeys, coaches are designed for comfort. They can vary considerably in quality: some higher-specification coaches feature luxury seats, air conditioning , and refreshments, while others may only have
1248-404: The established services. However, within weeks of British Coachways commencing operation National Express cut their fares to match those offered by the consortium, reducing the appeal of the new routes. In Scotland the change was equally dramatic. Prior to deregulation, the cheapest fare offered by SBG between London and Glasgow was £23. British Coachways undercut this with a £15 return fare, which
1300-550: The first horse-drawn mail coaches in Europe since Roman times in 1650, and as they started in the town of Kocs, the use of these mail coaches gave rise to the term "coach". Stagecoaches (drawn by horses) were used for transport between cities from about 1500 in Great Britain until displaced by the arrival of the railways. One of the earliest motorized vehicles was the charabanc , which was used for short journeys and excursions until
1352-424: The first year of the venture, but low compared to those achieved by the established services. In May 1981, it was reported that British Coachways' London-Glasgow service was carrying around 1,500 passengers per week, while the competing SBG service managed around 4,000 passengers per week over the same period. Loadings on British Coachways services were around half the capacity provided in its first year, although there
1404-548: The group in 1981 meant that the services to Yorkshire and Devon no longer came under the British Coachways network. Excelsior Coaches brought with it a service from London to Bournemouth and Poole . Operations ceased on 17 October 1982 when the London Ryan Hotel ceased to be available as a terminus. Many of the operators involved continued to operate some of their routes as joint services with National Express. The companies that formed British Coachways in 1980 believed that
1456-540: The individual operators behind the group. Advantages claimed over rival services included significantly lower fares than competing coach and rail services, the age and quality of coaches used, ease of booking and the expertise and history of the operators involved. Mike Kay was appointed marketing director for the consortium, and received interviews in local newspapers to complement the advertising campaign. When both Wallace Arnold and Grey-Green left British Coachways in 1981, marketing responsibilities passed to Shearings; after
1508-580: The journey of the first Barton bus, from Long Eaton to Nottingham 's Market Square, was recreated to mark the centenary of the company. Buses and coaches from each decade of service travelled along the route, becoming more modern in turn. Barton also had a road freight haulage operation for a number of years. From 1929 until 1991, Barton had a 50% shareholding in South Notts Bus Company , based in nearby Gotham . The Barton company still exists today, having dropped "transport" from its title, it
1560-406: The latter company itself left the group in August 1982, national marketing campaigns ceased, although the remaining operators continued to market services within their local regions. Despite its efforts, British Coachways was unable to challenge National Express in terms of creating a nationally known brand. The individual members were well-known only in their home areas, and the advertising campaign
1612-410: The major cities were often quicker than those on the corresponding NEX or SBG services, as intermediate locations were omitted. NEX responded to this by following a similar policy: for example, the journey time between London and Manchester reduced from over five hours prior to deregulation to around four hours after British Coachways began competing on the corridor. The withdrawal of Wallace Arnold from
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1664-537: The majority of long-distance coach services in the United Kingdom were operated by National Express Coaches (NEX), a subsidiary of the state-owned National Bus Company (NBC), which sourced its vehicles from other NBC subsidiaries. Coach services in Scotland, including routes between Scotland and England, were operated by the subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group (SBG), which was also state-owned. On 6 October 1980,
1716-448: The network for the first time. The exit from the group of Wallace Arnold and Grey-Green had seen more responsibility transferred to Shearings, now the largest of the six surviving members of British Coachways. When it pulled out in August 1982, sustaining the operations of the consortium became difficult. Morris Bros also left British Coachways in the summer of 1982, leaving the group with just four constituent companies. On 18 October 1982,
1768-450: The operators themselves, so a wide range of types were used. The Leyland Leopard proved popular with some members of British Coachways, including Ellerman Bee Line, Barton Transport, Wallace Arnold and Grey-Green, although the latter specified Duple bodywork instead of Plaxton. Other operators contributed different types. Morris Bros of Swansea used Volvo B58 coaches on its routes from South Wales to London. The most varied fleet, however,
1820-615: The quality and cost of services offered by competing operators. After the demise of British Coachways, National Express faced little competition for two decades. By 2001, significant competition by independents had reduced to only two routes, including the London-Glasgow corridor previously served by British Coachways. This situation continued until 2003, when the Stagecoach Group introduced its Megabus network. This differed from British Coachways by providing more frequent services over
1872-435: The state-owned airline British Airways was introduced for publicity material and vehicles, and the patriotic slogan "Ride the flag" used. A small number of coaches owned by the six members were painted into the consortium's livery, although the majority remained in the liveries of their owners. Promotional leaflets were issued to publicise the venture. These included timetables and fare information, together with content about
1924-510: The terminal point was located close to a depot owned by one of the consortium's members, and the majority of workings were operated by the company whose region the service ran to. Grey-Green, who were based in London, operated journeys on all six routes. The routes from Devon and Wales also served London Heathrow Airport . Glasgow and Liverpool were served twice per day; the other routes ran once daily with additional journeys on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The sole exception to this pattern
1976-482: The then maximum overall length of 27 ft 6in. The 40 postwar double deckers on PD1 or PD1A had an updated version of the forward entrance lowbridge body with more brightwork and power-operation for the entry door. Barton was a prolific rebuilder of buses — between 1950 and 1955, fifty-eight BTS1 "Viewmaster" single-deck coaches were rebuilt from Leyland Titan, Tiger, and Lion chassis; between 1959 and 1961, seven BTD2 full-fronted double-deckers were created from
2028-473: The wealthy and powerful where the roads were of a high enough standard from possibly 3000 BC. In Hungary , during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus in the 15th century, the wheelwrights of Kocs began to build a horse-drawn vehicle with steel-spring suspension. This "cart of Kocs" as the Hungarians called it ( Hungarian : kocsi szekér ) soon became popular all over Europe. The imperial post service employed
2080-531: The world in the past. Barton Transport Barton Transport was a bus company that operated in Nottinghamshire from 1908 until 1989. In October 1908, Thomas Henry Barton used a Durham Churchill charabanc to start the company's first service, between Long Eaton and the Nottingham Goose Fair . (Many years later, in 1953, Barton built a replica of its original Durham Churchill vehicle, using
2132-520: Was Excelsior's London-Poole service, which operated in competition with National Express until February 1998, when it was taken over by the larger operator. The competition created by the 1980 Transport Act caused NEX's market share to reduce temporarily, although its passenger numbers increased in real terms. The lower fares, improved vehicle quality and better timetabling introduced after deregulation meant that its market share had recovered within three years. These improvements have since been attributed to
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2184-589: Was a unique vehicle, no. 861, which had lowbridge bodywork on a lowheight Dennis Loline chassis, and was the lowest ever roofed British double-decker. It was specially designed to pass under an ultra low railway bridge at Sawley Junction, now Long Eaton , station. During the 1950s, Barton had over 280 vehicles and 1,000 employees. Numerous smaller companies were purchased, especially in the 1960s, including Hall Brothers of South Shields on Tyneside (1967), and Robin Hood Coaches of Nottingham (1963), whose emblem
2236-474: Was also hoped to attract more passengers away from British Rail 's services between the two cities. By May 1981, the consortium had increased its fare to £17, while SBG was charging only £15 for the same journey. Additional competition on the corridor was provided by Cotters Tours, which introduced a more expensive high-quality service between London and Glasgow in December 1980. Passenger numbers were reasonable in
2288-452: Was considerable variation between routes and journeys. The venture broke even but made no profit at the end of the 1980/81 financial year. At the end of the first year of operation, the consortium had carried 750,000 passengers in total. Over the same period, NEX carried 12.5 million people over its network. Despite the introduction of British Coachways' competing routes, NEX's net profit increased by over 50% between 1980 and 1981. Members of
2340-524: Was constrained by a lack of flexibility and capital. NEX was known nationally and possessed significant levels of customer awareness and goodwill. One significant difference between National Express and British Coachways was the type of coaches used on services. NEX required that vehicles used on its services were built to its specifications. In the early 1980s, all NBC subsidiaries with NEX work used Leyland Leopards with Plaxton bodywork. British Coachways had no such requirement. Vehicle types were decided by
2392-574: Was eradicated within a few years. By this time Barton was Britain's largest independent bus operator, and it was very unusual for such a large operator to use coaches on all of its local services, as well as on tours and express work. In 1981 the company joined the British Coachways consortium which competed with National Express on long-distance routes. The consortium was wound up in 1982. In 1983, Barton bought five Leyland Tigers and five DAF MB200s with Plaxton Paramount bodywork, these being
2444-500: Was opened in 1939, and was constructed in the Moderne architecture style typical of the period. At the time of listing the building was still owned by the Barton family company, who had submitted planning approval for it to be "dismantled with care" and eventually re-erected at their corporate headquarters in Chilwell , to allow redevelopment of the city centre site. List of bus operators of
2496-524: Was painted into British Coachways livery for the thirtieth anniversary of the consortium's formation. Coach (vehicle) A coach (also known as a coach bus , motorcoach or parlor coach ) is a type of bus built for longer-distance service, in contrast to transit buses that are typically used within a single metropolitan region. Often used for touring , intercity , and international bus service, coaches are also used for private charter for various purposes. Coaches are also related and fall under
2548-413: Was purchased, which appeared very modern by the standards of the day. Although Barton gained a reputation for having a varied fleet of vehicles during the 1950s and 1960s, from 1946-9 the vast majority of new chassis were from Leyland, and virtually all coachwork was from Duple. The Duple A type coach was chosen for PS1 Single deckers, some featuring a more compact front-design allowing up to 39 seats in
2600-437: Was retained and applied to the whole fleet. From the early 1970s, Barton began to standardise on new coaches for all of its purchases. Most were either Leyland Leopards or Bedford Y series , and the large majority had Plaxton Elite Express or Supreme Express bodywork, built with a wide doorway and other minor modifications making them eligible for a Government grant towards their purchase. The wide variety of older vehicles
2652-402: Was that of Park's, which contained Leyland Leopards, DAF SB2005 integrals and a small number of rare MAN SR280s imported from Germany. The dissolution of British Coachways in October 1982 led to the withdrawal of all but one of its former routes by the four surviving constituent companies. Many of the companies went on to operate as contractors for National Express. The only route to continue
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#17328518447942704-514: Was the Torbay service, operated by the Devon subsidiary of Wallace Arnold, which ran twice daily four days a week and did not operate on the other three days. With Victoria Coach Station unavailable as a London terminus, the operation instead used the then-new Kings Cross Coach Station, on the site of a former railway goods yard near St Pancras station , which had few passenger or employee facilities. The site
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