TV&GWOT is
planning a major event to celebrate the commencement of bus services
in the Thames Valley by British Automobile Traction, the forerunner
of the Thames Valley Traction Co, a BAT subsidiary.
Pre-order your programme for this event by sending a cheque for £8
(inc P&P) to TVaGWOT, Ledger Farm Forest Green Road, Fifield,
Maidenhead, SL6 2NR. The lavishly illustrated programme will contain
several previously unpublished photographs and:
• Details
of all vehicles expected to take part.
• Route details and the history and description of the first
route from Maidenhead – Reading – Streatley.
• Route map.
• A history of the British Automobile Traction and Thames
Valley Traction Companies and successors.
• Timetables of free bus services including feeders.
• Duties showing allocation of vehicles to services.
The
event will start with a cavalcade of preserved Thames Valley buses
which will leave Bridge Avenue, Maidenhead at 9.10am, the time of
the first departure from Maidenhead 100 years ago and will be led by
Mike Sutcliffe’s 1913 Leyland S.30 which was transferred by BAT from
Barnsley to Reading to start the service. The cavalcade will travel
along the Bath Road (A4) and through Twyford to Reading (eta
10.15-10.30am) where the older vehicles will be on display in the
pedestrianised forecourt on the south side of the new Reading
Station.
Free vintage bus services will operate from 10.30am to approximately
4.30pm from the South West Interchange at Reading Station which is
on the site of the terminus used by Thames Valley buses and adjacent
to the site of the former Reading Bus Station which has recently
been demolished and is currently being redeveloped for commercial
use. See
http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/files/maps/7%20July%2014/town%20centre%20stops%20map.pdf
The first service (No. 1) ran Maidenhead – Reading – Streatley and
commenced on 31 July 1915. The service was inaugurated using five
1913 Brush bodied Leyland S3.30.T type single decks transferred from
BAT subsidiary Barnsley & District and operating under the ‘British’
fleetname.
Leyland
S3.30.Ts HE11 and HE12 outside the BAT offices in Caversham
Road, Reading in 1915 for the Maidenhead and Streatly
service.
The LT
Museum’s 1914 AEC B type ‘Battlebus’ B2737 as it went to the
Continent as a troop transport in WW1.
Remarkably one of
these vehicles which started this service 100 years ago, registered
HE12, still exists and has been restored to original Barnsley &
District livery by ace restorer and Leyland expert, Mike Sutcliffe.
The BAT original office buildings and the depot building in
Caversham Road, Reading also still exist and appear largely
unchanged since 1915. In the photograph HE12 and sister vehicle HE11
are seen outside the BAT offices. Mike Sutcliffe will be bringing
HE12 to our Thames Valley centenary event.
Thames
Valley 1927 Tilling Stevens No. 154 at the TV&GWOT workshops
now being prepared for the TV100 event.
TV100 will be held
on Sunday 2 August and will feature:
l
A cavalcade of
former Thames Valley Traction and associated companies
vehicles from Maidenhead to Reading
l
A display of
the older vehicles on the forecourt of the new Reading
Station by permission of First Great Western, Network Rail
and Reading Borough Council.
t
1913 ‘British’
Leyland S3.30.T HE12 which started the service in 1915.
1914 London AEC ‘B’ Type ‘Battlebus’ LH8186 by courtesy of
the London Transport Museum
t
Thames Valley
1927 Tilling Stevens MO9324 which is on loan from the
Southdown Omnibus Trust to TV&GWOT and is currently being
refurbished in our workshops
t
TV&GWOT’s 1927
GWR Guy FBB which was originally delivered to the GWR Road
Motors main works at Slough
l
Free bus
services on Route 1 (Maidenhead – Reading – Streatley)
Vehicles
expected in service include:
t
Thames Valley
Bristol K, KSW, FLF double decks and Bristol L, LL, LWL and
LH single decks
t
Alder Valley
Leyland Nationals
t
Bee Line Volvo
t
Royal Blue
coaches which operated on hire to Alder Valley on Route 1 in
1973-5
t
Vehicles from
neighbouring operators who interfaced with or worked into
the TVT area
l
Photographic
opportunities at the former BAT premises
(c) Shaunbd1010
(C) Copyright The Thames
Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust
Company Registered in
England No. 5035702. Registered Charity No.
1125980
