Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust

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ROYAL BLUE - 19 June - 21 June 2015

Vehicles at Exeter Coach Station on the 2015 Royal Blue Run

In 2015 we started near Windsor, to take an alternative route to that taken in 2010 between Slough and Salisbury and then on to Exeter via the A30 through Shaftesbury, Yeovil and Chard. Day 2 took us to the far West via the North Cornwall Coast using the reverse of the route we used ten years ago in 2005 to Penzance. On the final day we returned to Exeter along the spine of Cornwall and then to Plymouth using the pre Tamar Bridge route through Launceston and Tavistock. The run will ended in Exeter after which coaches dispersed to many parts of the country with round trips between 615 and over 870 miles.

Enjoy a virtual trip on our 2015 Royal Blue Run, using photos and film from throughout the journey.

An overview of the run route and approximate timings is given here. The actual timings achieved were quite close to the schedule on Day 1. On Day 2 we were on time as far as St Ives but then dallied over photos at the Malakoff! On Day 3 we had an added attraction at Summercourt when Bill Hawke brought out his Royal Blue LL6B 1266 to pose with 1250 and the rest of the fleet. Thanks to First for allowing us the use of St Ives and Penzance Bus Stations, to Stagecoach for the use of Exeter Coach Station on the Friday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon and to Plymouth City Council for use of Bretonside Bus Station on Sunday on the way to Exeter.

Exeter More detailed discussion of the route is currently taking place on our Facebook page

Vehicles Booked

Fleet no	Reg No	Type	Year new	Company
279	EMW284	Bristol L6B/Be C32R	1947	Wilts & Dorset
2467	NAE3	Bristol L6B/ECW C31F	1950	Bristol Greyhound
1250	LTA729	Bristol LL6B/Duple C37F	1951	Royal Blue
1299	OTT98	Bristol LS6G/ECW C39F	1953	Royal Blue
2246	625DDV	Bristol MW6G/ECW C39F	1960	Royal Blue
2267	56GUO	Bristol MW6G/ECW C39F	1961	Royal Blue
2270	253KTA	Bristol MW6G/ECW C39F	1962	Royal Blue
420	270KTA	Bristol SUL4A/ECW C33F	1962	Western National
425	275KTA	Bristol SUL4A/ECW C33F	1962	Western National
2351	837SUO	Bristol RELH6G/ECW C45F	1964	Royal Blue
1420	EDV502D	Bristol MW6G/ECW C39F	1966	Western National
1423	EDV505D	Bristol MW6G/ECW C39F	1966	Western National
RC.968	OAX9F	Bristol RELH6G/ECW C45F	1968	Red & White
CRG103	AFM103G	Bristol RELH6G/ECW C47F	1969	Crosville
1460	OTA632G	Bristol RELH6G/ECW C45F	1969	Southern National
2380	OTA640G	Bristol RELH6G/ECW C45F	1969	Royal Blue
1318	BDV318L	Bristol LH6L/Marshall C39F	1973	Royal Blue

All vehicles subject to availability

Previous Royal Blue Runs

We have been organising vintage coach runs for Royal Blue and Associated Motorways ‘on-hire’ vehicles over traditional routes since 2002 and so far have covered:

2002	Taunton – Ilfracombe – Tiverton

2003	Bournemouth – Weymouth – Exmouth

2005	125th Anniversary Run - London (Victoria) - Bournemouth - Exeter

2005	125th Anniversary Run - Exeter - Penzance - Exeter

2006	Cheltenham – Weston-super-Mare – Exeter

2007	Cheltenham – Bath – Trowbridge – Blandford Forum – Weymouth

2008	Cheltenham – Radstock – Taunton – Westward Ho! – Bude – Polzeath – Tintagel – Exeter

2009	Cheltenham – Bath – Yeovil – Weymouth – Swanage – Bournemouth – Portsmouth

2009	National Centenary Run - Penzance – Plymouth – Taunton – Bristol – Cheltenham – Cannock – Newcastle-under-Lyme – Manchester – Glasgow – Dundee – Aberdeen

2010	Stevenage – Hitchin – Luton – Slough – Reading – Newbury – Andover – Salisbury – Yeovil – Taunton – Minehead – Bude – Newquay – Porthleven – Penzance – St Ives – Princetown – Exeter

2011	Oxford – Weston-super-Mare – Taunton – Exeter – Bude – Padstow – Newquay - Hannafore – Looe – Tavistock – Lewdown – Exeter

2012	High Wycombe - Reading - Hungerford - Salisbury - Wincanton - Exeter - Torbay - Salcombe - Plymouth - Bodmin - Exeter - Taunton - Wells - Bath

2013	London - Sidcup - Maidstone - Canterbury - Margate - Ramsgate - Dover - Folkestone - Rye - Hastings - Eastbourne - Brighton - Worthing - Arundel - Chichester - Portsmouth - Southampton - Salisbury - Marlborough - Swindon - Cirencester - Cheltenham

2014	London (Victoria) - Esher - Guildford - Farnham - Alresford - Winchester - Romsey - Bournemouth - Wimborne Minster - Blandford Forum - Yeovil - Montacute - Langport - Bridgwater - Taunton - Exeter - Minehead - Wheddon Cross - Dunkery Beacon - Porlock Weir - Minehead - Watchet - Bridgwater

2015	Windsor – Bracknell – Wokingham – Hartley Wintney – Basingstoke – Andover – Salisbury – Yeovil – Exeter – Launceston – Davidstow – Wadebridge – Newquay – Portreath – Hayle – St Ives – Penzance – Camborne – Redruth – Bodmin – Launceston – Tavistock – Plymouth – Exeter

You can take a virtual trip on our 2014 and 2015 runs on our Workshop Blog

Royal Blue coaches at Exeter Coach Station


The line up for the 2011 Royal Blue Run departure from Polperro – many of the same vehicles will take part in 2012.	Stopping for a comfort break and photo opportunity in Callington later on 19th June 2011	The ascent and subsequent descent through Cheddar Gorge was spectacular for passengers and photographers alike, despite the rain.
	2012 Royal Blue Run

Day 1, the coaches assemble prior to departure from Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, courtesy of the National Trust.	Coaches two rows deep park up in Teignmouth early in Day 2	Towards the end of Day 2, coaches draw in to the bus station at Kingsbridge

Day 3 began in Plymouth bus & coach station with another extensive line-up	Day 3, en route	The end of the Royal Blue Run 2012 in Bath coach station, although many had a hundred miles or more to travel home

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