Old Postcards - Transport & Weather

[Merddin Emrys]

Just found these pics that I took, probably on a Kodak Instamatic, around 1970 ish

[snowcap]

the last photo, is that were they swap over to the other tram now?

[SDQ]

The last photo is the halfway point of the top section where the trams pass each other. If you follow the track into the distance you can see it leads into the shed at the halfway station where the passengers change trams.

[snowcap]

yes iv,e got it now thanks SDQ

[Ludo]

Who remembers the Happy Dragon?

Hello Trojan (and everyone else!),

I have some interesting stuff regarding the Dragon services - including the original sketches and final drawing for the dragon itself!. How? I hear you ask, well, because I designed it!. I worked for Crosville in Crane Wharf, Chester up to the moment when Maggie's axe fell on the bus industry. I'll dig up some interesting stuff - old photos, sketches, advertising materials badges and other nerdily fascinating schwag and post it here when I get a chance. The image below was a magazine 'teaser advert' prior to the launch of the service. The 3Ts forum gets more and more interesting by the week - I was in Llandudno four weeks ago after a break of nearly ten years. It was great to be back!.

Back soon,

LD.

[Ludo]

Ok - so I have found some of the stuff I mentioned earlier. I will look for some of the original drawings when I have some time - I have some rather nice bus photos and Crosville posters somewhere too. Anyway, continuing with the L1 Coastliner - the new Dragon service was put into service on New Year's day 1985 (I think). I secretly loved the idea that the name could be read in two ways - anyone who ever used the service all the way between Caernarfon and Chester I am sure would agree that it would DRAG-ON and on and on... I remember the day I first presented the ideas to the Traffic Manager (the head honcho), he said he liked it, but the dragon's neck reminded him of his mother in law's neck! - very un-PC eh?. 

We had a hell of a job getting all the timetables delivered to the depots on time as I recall, and the Union nearly refused to implement the service. But all was well in the end and the following images are of said timetable and two shots of the beast in Shotton on a rather miserable New Year's Day:



Passing through Shotton on her maiden voyage:

On her way back to Delamere Street bus station, Chester:

[Ludo]

A few years later, Corgi issued a die-cast model of the Dragon bus, but AAARRRGH!!! they beheaded my Dragon!. Someone saw the model in the National Transport Museum in London and bought it for me. I have kept it all these years and still have the original box:

[Ludo]

The other stuff I found is more general. I am surprised that I still have so much Crosville stuff actually - it's nearly 30 years ago now. I also designed a fleet of Open Toppers for seaside duty named after the Castles of North Wales. They incorporated the name of the Castle and a graphic on the front into the National Express livery which had just been launched nationwide to great fanfare. This is the only record I have of them now - the photo is of a very much younger me preparing the publicity materials for the Caernarfon Castle variant:

[Cambrian]

Some interesting stuff here Ludo.  I seem to recall the original L1 was introduced in 1966 as a sort of rail replacement when Beeching closed all of the intermediate stations between Chester and Prestatyn (except Flint) together with Conway (as it was!).

Crane Wharf seems to have all but disappeared now - lots of new housing on the site.

[Ludo]

I also found assorted old/antique letterpress printing blocks. Some of assorted bus types and logos and some typographical in nature.


There were also tunic buttons, ties, badges and all kinds of stuff - god knows where it all came from!

[Bri Roberts]

It is interesting to note the Corgi model was solely supplied by Chester Toy Wholesalers, 449 Abergele Road, Old Colwyn, Clwyd LL29 9PR.

Of course, that business is still trading today in Old Colwyn.

[DaveR]

Excellent stuff, Ludo, please keep it coming. 

I also recall that Crosville had a fleet of small Mercedes buses with a Dragon livery in the late 80s/early 90s?

The Cymru Coastliner name was recently revived for Arriva's new fleet of double decker buses for the Rhyl-Chester service. Leather seats and free wi-fi - how times have changed!

[Ludo]

Crane Wharf seems to have all but disappeared now - lots of new housing on the site.

Yes indeed. I witnessed it being knocked down actually - a really strange feeling really having worked there for a few years and had so many memories of it. Even back then, there was no such thing as a safe job!.

[Ludo]

Another of my projects was a series of route maps for the entire Crosville operating area. They were colour coded for each location and were really well received iirc. I always tried to fight to get the publicity and signage produced bilingually for the Welsh operations areas and even had a commendation from Cymdeithas i'r iaith for some work - something I was always very proud of!.



I also illustrated the company Christmas card for a few years, this one was from 1986 I think:

[Ludo]

And finally.... for now at least!. I have a paper cut-out-and-make model of a Crosville liveried Lodekka. I made it years ago and found to my delight today that there is still a ten quid note 'on board' which I put in it after winning a pub quiz one night ages ago. A safer investment than the banks these days I think - certainly earned about the same interest 

If anyone would like a copy of the model, let me know and I'll see if I can find it - it's really easy to make and great fun to customise.. maybe we could have an online competition for the best bus! anyway this is what it looks like (a bit the worse for wear these days after 22 years):