The first Motor Buses
Until 1914 the only forms of public transport in South Shields had been horse drawn buses and trams and then from 1906 the electric trams. Early motor buses had begun to operate in other towns and cities but the first ones came to South Shields three weeks before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
They were unusual in that they were electric battery powered buses, over a century before battery buses became a common sight on bus routes today. They were built by Edison with 22 seat bodies by Hora and with solid tyres and on mainly granite set roads, the ride quality must have been rather poor. They ran on a service between Stanhope Road tram terminus and Simonside and could run for 40 miles on one charge. A charging point was provided at Stanhope Road. They continued in electric mode until after the war but in 1919 their bodies were removed and fitted to Daimler petrol engined bus chassis.
After the war bus services could be provided, to Boldon Colliery and Cleadon village in 1926 and Cleadon Park Estate in 1928. The Boldon Colliery route was not profitable and closed in 1928 to be taken over by Northern General.
The very early buses had the inscription ‘South Shields Corporation’ on the side panels but then this was shortened to ‘S.S.C.T.’. By the late twenties the legend ‘South Shields’ was used, underlined between the ‘Ss’. Sometimes the borough coat of arms was added and in the post-war era occasionally the coat of arms was used on its own.
New buses became available in the twenties and various types were purchased, all single deck. The first diesel engine buses were four 32 seat Daimlers with Weymann bodies and Gardner engines in 1934. They took the bus fleet to ten vehicles.
In the twenties and thirties, the town was well served by the tram network and then by trolleybuses. But as the town expanded, buses were needed to serve the new housing estates. A few routes were always run by buses like the 30 to Cleadon village. In 1936 a new bus service began from the Market to New Crown via Mowbray Road. A brave attempt to extend the tramway to new estates was made with the King George route on segregated sleeper tracks to the Ridgeway in 1922. It provided a good public transport service to the new Cleadon Park Estate, an excellent example of integrated transport and land use planning.
Bus services expand
While SSCT obtained powers for further extensions to the tramway, none were built so it was left to buses to serve housing estates in Simonside, Brockley Whins and Biddick Hall. Most used double deckers although in the late twenties and early thirties they were all single deck. The first double decker did not arrive until 1937.
The first conversion of a bus route to trolleybuses occurred in 1936 when they ran from Market to Prince Edward Road via Mortimer Road, extended to Marsden in 1937. A new bus service opened in 1938 between Market and Fountain Inn via Bents Park Road, extended to Marsden Road the following year.
Buses also served parts of South Shields that electric traction did not reach such as Watson Avenue, Bede Trading Estate and Lizard Lane and for works services to various premises around the town.
The bus operations were seriously affected by wartime restrictions as they were powered by imported fuel, unlike the trams and trolleybuses which were electrically powered. Only two buses had been purchased by the outbreak of the First World War and they were electrically powered by batteries. Many bus crews were called up to serve in the armed forces and women were allowed to become conductors but not drivers.
During the second world war, new buses were in short supply or unobtainable and strict controls were imposed by government on specifications, notably utility bodywork. Operators had to obtain buses from wherever they could find them and South Shields borrowed buses from Leeds City Transport, Newcastle upon Tyne Transport, London Passenger Transport Board, Manchester Corporation Transport and Sunderland Corporation.
South Shields did manage to purchase a few new buses during wartime, a mixed bag of one Guy Arab I and a Leyland TD7 in 1942, another Guy Arab I and three Guy Arab IIs, a Daimler and a Bedford OWB single decker in 1943 and one more Guy Arab II in 1944.
Bus services in South Shields
Trams and later trolleybuses provided the main public transport routes throughout the town until the early sixties. Bus services were confined to the areas which were not reached by electric traction. After abandonment of trolleybuses in 1964, motor buses provided all the services.
Longer distance ‘out of town’ bus services were operated by the Northern General Transport Co. Ltd. the ‘Northern’, based in Gateshead, and their subsidiary company Sunderland District Omnibus Co. Ltd., the ‘SDO’, based in Philadelphia. Northern ran to Boldon Colliery, Chester-le-Street, Jarrow, Gateshead and Newcastle while the SDO ran jointly with Northern to Sunderland and South Hetton. Sometimes Northern ran jointly with South Shields as on the 50 service to Whiteleas, another new housing area.
One private operator trading under the name ‘Economic’ was owned by G.R. Anderson and E.W. Wilson from a base in Whitburn. They ran two services between South Shields and Sunderland, one via the coast road and the other via an inland route. In 1974 the Economic was bought out by the PTE but amazingly their services still exist under the numbers E1 and E2 and a third service E6 has been added. In 1953 a joint service was introduced by Economic and Northern to Whitburn Colliery to replace the Marsden Rattler train service that was withdrawn. Joint services between Northern and South Shields to Brockley Whins and South Leam Estates were also started.
Northern buses were painted red and cream, easily distinguishable from South Shields’ smart blue and cream livery. Sunderland District were in navy blue and white, also clearly distinctive while the Economic buses were in maroon and cream.
Since the beginning of bus operations, Bell Punch tickets had been used by South Shields but they were changed to Ultimate tickets which continued until after the PTE takeover. Route numbers were introduced on buses and trolleybuses in 1950. By 1958 there were 103 buses in the fleet of which 42 were diesel buses. Together they carried 42 million passengers on 3 million vehicle miles over 48 route miles. Over 440 men were employed. In May 1967 one man operation was introduced on some services.
The heyday of the bus was the nineteen fifties as by the nineteen sixties car ownership was growing and public transport was losing patronage and revenue. Also television was growing and cinemas losing viewers which meant that people were not using buses to get there in the evenings, more lost revenue.
An indication of the bus services operated is shown in this summary list of services in 1955.
| Service number | From | To | First bus | Last bus | Frequency |
| 30 | Market | Cleadon | 07.15 | 22.45 | 15 mins 10 mins Sat pm |
| 31 | Market | Lizard Lane | 07.08 | 17.40 | Irregular Not Sat pm or Sunday |
| 33 | Watson Avenue | St. Cuthbert’s Avenue via Market | 05.44 | 22.40 | 20 mins |
| 32 &42 | Market | Simonside | 07.00 | 22.55 | 15 mins 10 mins Sat pm |
| 34 | Bede Trading Estate | Lizard Lane | 06.05 | 23.05 | Hourly |
| 39 | Market | New Crown Hotel | 07.10 | 18.09 | Irregular |
| 40 | Watson Avenue | Wright & Weaires | 07.10 | 17.15 | No other journeys |
| 41 | The Lawe | Tyne Dock via Market | 07.10 | 17.15 | No other journeys |
| 44 & 45 | Market | Biddick Hall Estate | 06.38 | 10.35 | 15 mins 7½ mins Sat |
| 48 & 49 | Market | Brockley Whins | 06.38 | 10.48 | 30 mins |
| 35, 37 & 38 | Workpeople’s services | various | 07.10 | 17.15 | Limited journeys |
Expansion and takeover
The first trolleybus route to be converted to motorbus was the coastal section from Mowbray Road to Marsden in February 1958. It had low patronage and was exposed to severe corrosion of the overhead line due to proximity to sea air. Conversion of route 5, Lawe Top to Ridgeway, followed in 1961 and the gradual conversion of the remaining trolleybus routes until the last one in April 1964. The motor bus fleet therefore increased from less than half the total to the entire total of a little under one hundred vehicles.
South Shields continued to develop its bus fleet through the nineteen sixties until the creation of the PTE when the whole fleet was taken over and merged with the Newcastle upon Tyne Corporation buses. By then the South Shields fleet had reduced to 86 of which 15 were Guys, 60 were Daimlers and 11 Bristol single deckers.
The motorbus fleet enjoyed a brief period of expansion as they took over all the remaining trolleybus routes but this was short lived as only seven years later, on 1st January 1970, all the buses and bus services were taken over by the new Tyneside Passenger Transport Authority and Executive (PTE), as authorised under the 1968 Transport Act. In 1974 The PTE expanded to take in Sunderland Corporation and become Tyne and Wear PTE.
South Shields Corporation buses therefore had a relatively short life of only 56 years. During that time, they had developed from very early battery powered vehicles through petrol driven buses to the universal adoption of diesel engines. They had served the town well and filled the gaps that could not be served by trams or trolleybuses. Their fine blue and cream livery disappeared under the yellow livery of Newcastle which had been adopted as the PTE livery.
PHOTOS
1 – The first motor bus in South Shields, Number 1 CU319, a battery powered Edison delivered in 1914.
2 – A side view showing the three step entry to the battery powered Edison bus.
3 – A welcoming party in July 1914 for the two battery buses consisted entirely of men, and a dog.
4 – Bus number 1, CU 700, was the original body from battery powered bus number 1 mounted on a new Daimler CJ chassis in 1919. It ran in service until 1926.
5 – Bus Number 13 was a Morris 1 ton with Davidson 14 seat body. It was delivered in August 1925 and was equipped for one man operation. It only lasted for six years being withdrawn in 1931.
6 – This Guy BB with Guy 30 seat body was new in 1927 and sold for scrap in 1936.It operated on the route to Cleadon village.
7 – A Guy single decker waits on the Market Place in the shadow of St. Hilda’s parish church. It’s driver and conductor are ready to take it to Cleadon.
8 – Single deck Daimler 115 has a locally built 32 seat body by Northern Coachbuilders Limited (NCB) of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was new in 1937 and withdrawn in 1958. It is seen in the depot yard, probably awaiting disposal in 1961.
9 – A revolutionary bus design ran from South Shields to Newcastle from the late thirties until the early fifties. Developed by Northern General, it had the engine under the floor and the door in front of the front wheels. At that time single deck buses all had the engine at the front and the entrance door behind the front wheel or at the rear. It set the scene for all modern single deck buses. One example, number 604 of 1934 is being restored at Beamish Museum.
9 – Bus number 118 was a Daimler COG5 with Weymann 55 seat front entrance body. This layout was unusual but popular with SSCT. Many years later it became popular on front engined buses everywhere. This one ran from 1938 until 1957.
10 – Sister bus Number 119 illustrates the unusual front entrance with sliding door. It was South Shields’ first new double decker and set the pattern for the next few deliveries.
11 – Second hand vehicles were acquired from time to time including this A.E.C. with Dodson 32 seat front entrance body in 1937. It started out life with Eastern Express Motors of West Hartlepool in 1928, passing to Northern General Transport in Gateshead in 1930. It is seen at the depot with driver and conductor wearing summer white hats and was withdrawn in 1938.
12 – Single Deck Daimler COG5 with Weymann 30 seat body was fitted with a cage to hold a gas balloon for wartime operation. It was originally Number 7 when delivered in 1934 but was renumbered 107 in 1935.
13 – Number 107 is seen with gas container in Market Place during the war.
14 – In wartime new buses were scarce so buses were hired from a number of operators including London Transport. This AEC Regent with Tilling body was London ST998, new in 1931. It had an open staircase and ran in South Shields for two years from 1941.
15 – Buses borrowed or hired during the war included Sunderland Corporation Guy Wolf GR 1774, a front entrance 20 seater bodied by Blagg, new in 1935. It ran in South Shields from 1943 to 1944.
16 – Daimler COG5 121 with Weymann body, new in 1938, is seen in its latter years before being scrapped in 1952. Behind is a relatively new Crossley DD42/3T delivered in 1947. The ‘T’ signifies turbo ‘gearless’ transmission but they were not successful and were replaced with conventional clutch and synchromesh gearbox in 1951.
17 – Daimler COG5 with Roe 56 seat front entrance body 122 when new in 1939. It survived the war years and operated for twenty years until 1959, considerably longer than most buses of its time.
18 – Rear view of number 122 shows the lower deck emergency exit in addition to the normal upper deck emergency exit.
19 – The only private company to operate bus services in South Shields was the Economic, actually two companies owned by G.R. Anderson and E.W. Wilson from Whitburn. They ran from South Shields via two routes to Sunderland. Albion was their favourite type for many years.
20 – The last front entrance double decker Number 123 was new in 1939 and was another Daimler COG5 with Weymann 55 seat body. It was destroyed in an air raid in 1941 and fitted with a new Weymann body, it ran in service until 1959.
21 – A dramatic change came in 1942 with the delivery of the first rear entrance double decker. Number 124 had a Massey 56 seat body on a Leyland TD7 chassis which was exchanged with a Middlesbrough Corporation Guy Arab I chassis in 1943. It was delivered in overall wartime grey livery and is seen laying over on Quarry Lane at the Watson Avenue terminus of route 33 in more familiar blue and cream colours.
22 – Another wartime delivery was Number 125, a Guy Arab I with Massey 56 seat utility body.
23 – Another wartime delivery was Number 128, a Daimler CWG5 with Massey 56 seat body. It was built to original utility specification but had upholstered seats. It was extensively rebuilt and continued in service until 1959.
24 – Number 129 was a Guy Arab I with 5LW engine and Strachan’s lowbridge utility body. It is not clear why it had a lowbridge body as there was no operational need and the only other lowbridge bus was a Crossley borrowed from Manchester Corporation. ‘Hovis and Butter for tea’ must have been a real tease, not much butter in wartime.
25 – The first buses built to relaxed post-war standards were nine Crossley bodied Crossleys delivered in 1947 and 1948. The first six had Turbo transmission but soon had conventional clutch and synchromesh gearboxes fitted instead. Number 134 shows the streamlined livery worn when new, copied from Manchester’s Crossleys. It is parked alongside the Woodhave Lifeboat Memorial.
26 – After the Crossley bodied Crossleys, two more arrived in 1948 with Roe 56 seat bodies. Number 144 is about to set out for Cleadon from the bomb damaged Market Place, still in its Manchester style streamlined livery.
27 – In the early post-war years, numbers of bus chassis and bodies were tightly controlled by the government which may explain the choice of rare Barnards body for Number 147 on a Guy Arab II chassis in 1950. These were the only Shields buses to have fluid flywheels and pre-selector gearboxes. It is passing 145, another Barnards body but on a Daimler CVD6 delivered the previous year.
28 – Out of town services were mainly operated by Northern General. This Guy Arab with Park Royal body, a popular combination, is seen at the railway station on route 6 to Newcastle. It was new in 1956. For many years route 6 could only have single deckers because of low bridges. Behind is a Leyland Atlantean of associate company Sunderland District on the joint route to Sunderland and South Hetton.
29 – Guy Arab III number 150 with Roe 56 seat body was one of a batch of three in 1950 which set the pattern for the fifties. It is seen at the Leeds Crossgates factory of Charles Roe before delivery.
30 – The mainstay of postwar purchases were Guy Arab IV chassis with 63 seat bodies by Charles Roe of Leeds. In this busy Market Place scene, number 126 new in 1959 is heading to Tyne Dock on route 3.
31 – Guy Arab 161 with Roe 61 seat body is posed outside the factory where it was made in 1957. It was the first of eight similar vehicles.
32 –The whole batch of Roe bodied Guy Arabs, delivered in 1957, were lined up in the depot forecourt, under the trolleybus wires that they would go on to replace. They were all taken over by Tyneside PTE in January 1970.
33 – Guy Arab IV number 124 of 1960 is another Roe bodied example but with the later fibreglass design front, rather ugly! It is on route 10 from Marsden to the town centre along the coast road which was the first trolleybus route to be converted to motorbus in 1958.
34 – 1964 saw delivery of Daimler CCG6 number 140 with Roe 63 seat body. It was followed by another 20 buses to the same specification.
35 – Continuing the Daimler Roe combination, number 182 was one of the batch of twenty buses delivered in 1964 to complete the trolleybus conversion programme. They were the last buses to have open rear platforms.
36 – Daimler CRG6LX number 191 was in the first batch of rear engine double deckers delivered in 1965. They had Roe 76 seat front entrance bodies.
37 – Another batch of rear engine Daimler CRG6LX with Roe front entrance 76 seat bodies were delivered in 1965. They were inspected by a group of transport dignitaries in the depot before entering service.
38 –Rear engined Daimlers numbers 190 and 193 show of the clean lines of these smart Roe bodies. Another four similar vehicles arrived in 1966 bringing the fleet total to eleven. They were to be the last double deckers purchased by South Shields Corporation.
39 – A major change came in 1967 with the purchase of five single deck buses, the first for over twenty years. They also formed a break with the traditional Daimler/Roe combination as they were Bristol RESL6L with Eastern Coachworks (ECW) 45 seat dual door bodies, the first two door buses in the fleet. Another six were purchased in 1968. They were the last buses ever bought by South Shields Corporation. The first of eleven, number 1 is seen at the junction of Westoe Road and Imeary Street on trolleybus replacement service 5. A double deck Daimler/Roe follows it under the railway bridge with a Northern Atlantean heading for Sunderland entering Imeary Street.
Sources:
Written by Tony Young based on extracts from ‘PA17 Fleet History of South Shields Corporation Transport and Sunderland Corporation Transport. The PSV Circle. March 1987’ and ‘South Shields Transport’ by John Carlson and Neil Mortson. Tempus Publishing. Stroud. 2007.
Photos:
Sunderland Antiquarian Society
Tony Young