1212 (B212 PDC)

220 (C220 CWW) with the 500,000th passenger aboard

505 (A355 JJU)

Amberline, Liverpool A342 UFE presenting a sorry picture for passengers in Wigan's bus station

Amberline, Liverpool A342 UFE presenting a sorry picture for passengers in Wigan's bus station

Amberline, Liverpool C174 KHG, one of a handful of Neoplans to be bodied with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodies, pictured in Wigan bus station

Amberline, Liverpool C174 KHG, one of a handful of Neoplans to be bodied with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodies. It looked in a sorry state when this photograph was taken.

Amberline, Liverpool C174 KHG. Its apperance did nothing to inspire the customers. It was a Neoplan N722/3 with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodywork.

Bebb, Llantwit Fardre F21 YBO was a Setra S215 HDI. It is seen on the 830 service, leaving Digbeth for Poole.

Bebb, Llantwit Fardre G 50 HDW was a Setra S250 HR, pictured in the same location and on the same day, heading in the opposite direction on the 549 Edinburgh Rapide service.

Charterplan, Manchester 23 (TXY 978) was originally registered FWH 23Y. It is seen in Chorlton Street coach station in its home city. It sported a Duple Goldliner IV body on a leyland Tiger TRCTL11.3R chassis.

Cheltenham & Gloucester 2410 (C424 WFH)

Crosville CDC 2 (E612 AEY) was a Hestair-Duple 425, here pictured in Newcastle (Gallowgates) coach station

Crosville CDC 3 (E613 AEY) was one of the very few Hestair-Duple 425 integrals to appear on National Express work. Only Crosville provided Rapide versions.

Cumberland 108 (B108 HAO) in Glasgow on the 841 stopping service to London.

Cumberland 108 (B108 HAO) was a Leyland Tiger TRCTL11.3RH with Duple Laser II C44FT bodywork, here pictured in a damp Glasgow Buchanan Street.

Jones International D767 NKY was briefly operated. It was a former Carnell, Sheffield Setra S215HD on duplication. Here it is seen resting in the Battersea coach park

Midland Red Coaches 556 (A656 VDA) in Arvona, Ireland

Midland Red Coaches A356 JJU

Midland Red Coaches A566 TYD, a former Southern National Bova Europa Rapide

Midland Red West 1014 (A656 VDA) pulls onto the Telford stance

Midland Red West 1014 (A656 VDA) was formerly with Midland Red Coaches (556). It takes its place in Telford bus station

Midland Red West Rapide coach and hostess at Victoria coach station

National Express 003 (NXI 9003), one of the first first Expressliners, in Manchester Airport on the 825 Airlinks Rapide service from London's airports, Luton and Birmingham

National Express 006 (NXI 9006) and 007 (NXI 9007) fitted out as Air Rapides for the 825 service to Heathrow and Gatwick, nestle together in Digbeth

National Express 007 (NXI 9007)

National Travel West 106 (ANA 106Y) [Alan O. Watkins Colln]

National Travel West 108 (ANA 108Y) [Alan O. Watkins Colln]

National Travel West 109 (ANA 109Y) [NBC/Alan O. Watkins Colln]

National Travel West 283 (SND 283X) - Washroom facilities being removed at Carlyle Works at the end of its lease. It was a Duple Dominant IV-bodied Leyland Tiger

National Travel West 82 (SND 282X), a Leyland Leopard/Duple Dominant Rapide coach

National Travel West 99 (ANA 99Y)

National Travel West 99 (ANA 99Y) was wrecked an hour after this photograph was taken on the M6 motorway

National Travel West 99 (ANA 99Y) with the writer and former General Manager of greenslades, Roy (R.C.) Anderson. The picture was taken in Carlyle Works.

National Welsh UC 905 (AAL 549A) looking pretty sorry for itself. It was a well-used Rapide coach, but here is in Cardiff preparing to operate on the 625 Heathrow and Gatwick service. It began life as SDW 921Y.

National Welsh XC 1251 (SDW 910Y)

National Welsh XC 1252 (20 AAX) was originally registered SDW 911Y

National Welsh XC1254 and South Wales 110 in Cardiff Wood Street bus station

North Devon 1414 (B337 WFJ) later became Northumbria 159 (see below)

Northern 7016 (A716 ABB)

Northern 7021 (CU 7661) in Liverpool Lime Street bus and coach station

Northern 7023 (B 23 DVK) with Durham rail viaduct in the background. It was a a Leyland Tiger (type TRCTL11.3RH) with standardised Plaxton Paramount 3500 C48FT bodywork to Rapide specification, pictured en route on the 580 to Liverpool

Northern General 7023 (B 23 DVK) in Durham bus station. It was a Leyland TRCTL11.3RH with Plaxton Paramount 3500 C48FT bodywork.

Northern General 7092 (K2 VOY) is the Volvo B12B/Plaxton that adopted this cherished registration

Northumbria 159 (B337 WFJ) was previously North Devon 1414 (above). It later became WSV 572, and is seen in its adopted home at Gallowgates coach station in newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Northumbria 255 (G255 UVK), Yorkshire Rider 1611 (GSU 340) and Crosville CDC 3 (E613 AEY)

Rapide catering delivery van, E918 CTA, at Plymouth Bretonside

Ribble

Rotherham Travel Services A338 YDT

Shamrock & Rambler 3111 (A102 HNC) was ex National Travel West.

South Wales 120 (MKH 831A) was a Rapide-equipped Leyland Tiger coach with Duple Caribbean II bodywork that began life as RCY 120Y. Here it is seen in Heathrow bus station.

South Wales 121 (RCY 121Y)

South Wales 123 (A123 XEP) and [beyond] United 150 (A111 KBA)

South Wales 125 (A125 XEP) at the 507 terminus in St David's

South Wales 125 (A125 XEP) at the St David's terminus of the London Rapide 507 service.

South Wales 129 (MKH 87A) rests alongside Clyside Scottish 474 (TCS 174, ex A174 UGB)

South Wales 134 (F134 DEP) was one of the rare Duple 425 Rapide coaches. Here it is seen after leaving Digbeth coach station heading towards the Bull Ring in Birmingham.

SUT A305 XHE - a Jonckheere-bodied Volvo B10M-61 - at Manchester Airport

SUT A338 YDT

SWT MKH 59A in Bridgend bus station

Tayside Travel Services 9492 SC was still wearing its Stagecoach colours for whom it originally ran as C408 LHE. It was a Neoplan N122/3 Skyliner type N122/3

Tayside Travel Services' first Expressliners, G554 SSP and G553 SSP, on delivery to the Perth depot. They are sporting the blue stripes adopted for the former Stagecoach operation.

Trathen H204 AOD, a 1990 Neoplan N122/3 Skyliner later operated for Poynter, Wye.

TSV 676 was a Volvo B58-61 that began life with the registration FRY 277V with NAT, London W8. It sports a Plaxton Supreme IV body finished in Rapide colours for duplication work.

United 1108 (B108 NPY) on the M1, operating the 545 service to Liverpool

United 150 (A111 KBA)

United 150 (A111 KBA) at ZSeaburn

United 150 (A111 KBA) before the start of the first Metroliner operation from Newcastle to London. These coaches would average 750 miles a day, being servied every other day. 150 was wrecked on the A1(M) when asheep wandered onto the road and into its path near Durham on August 3, 1985.

United 150 (A111 KBA) on a sunny day in Gallowgates coach station.

United 150 (A111 KBA) on its preview press run called into Peckham depot. Alongside is London Transport LS 113

United 151 (A112 KBA) - A hostess checks tickets before it is sent home to Newcastle. These vehicles would do one-and-a-half round trips a day - virtually 750 miles a day.

United 170 (B170 REF), a Neoplan N722 with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodywork

United 202 (AEF 202Y)

United Counties 85 (C85 PRP) heads a Skyeways service coach southbound for Glasgow through Glencoe. It was on the summer extension through the Highlands, but was returning to its home town of Kettering.

United Counties 85 (C85 PRP) on the Rapide 537 route to Glasgow, takes a short halt in Carlisle

Wallace Arnold Bova Europa VWX 369X

Wallace Arnold VWX 369X on the National Express/Wallace Arnbold Rapide service from Leeds and Harrogate to London

West Riding 46 (E46 TYG) was a Royal Tiger with Roe bodywork.

West Wales 506/7 Rapide launch - among the characters: Black & White driver "Nobby" Clark (2nd left); Peter Palmer, Marketing Officer, National Travel South West (3rd left), the Mudlark (in the doorway), Myrddyn Jones (5th from the left, founder of Jones International, Llandeilo) [Alan O. Watkins Colln]

West Yorkshire Road Car Dennis Falcon/Duple Goldliner 2203 (TWE 82Y) leaves by the back exit from Victoria Coach Station

Western National 1400 (E213 BOD) [WN] and 2203 (A749 VAF) [WN]

Western National 2237 (C792 MVH) was a DAF MR200 with Plaxton Paramount 3500 C53FT bodywork - a bit tight for the Penzance - Aberdeen run! It was new to Fishwick, Leyland as its C7 in 1986

Western National 2350 (AOD 643Y) sports Greenslades fleetname, alongside Trathens, following the merger of the Rapide and competing Trathens luxury coach services

Western National 2350 (AOD 643Y), its first Dennis Falvon V/Duple Super Goldliner delivered four months after the firstdesign drawings were done. Whatever anyone might say, the 10 Falcon Vs established National Express for quality, even if the vehicles were virtually all destroyed in fires

Western National C99 CGL and Red Bus 2223 (920 GTA) new as B335 WFJ. It was a Leyland Tiger TRCTL11.3R with Plaxton Paramount 3500/2 bodywork.

Whittle, Highley C439 JCK, a DAF MB230 with Duple Caribbean bodywork in the Battersea coach park having worked the short-lived Kidderminster Rapide service

Yelloway Trathen UYB 649 was a Neoplan N116 originally TWG 561Y, pictured in the deeper fastnesses of Chorlton Street coach station, Manchester, was a Neoplan N116C

Yorkshire Rider 1416 (D783 SGB) prepares to leave Inverness on the Leeds 374 service

Yorkshire Traction 52 (2408 HE) runs into Sheffield Pond Street interchange near the end of the 560 journey from London to Barnsley

Yorkshire Traction 74 (374 YTC)

Yorkshire Traction 74 (374 YTC) was a Leyland Royal Tiger with a Plaxton Paramount 3500 body, here seen in Sheffield on Rapide work. It began life as A74 YDT.

Yorkshire Voyager C752 CWX in Chester on the 361 route. It was a Neoplan N722/3 with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodywork.

Yorkshire Voyager C753 CWX was an attractive Neoplan N722/3 with Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodywork. It is seen in Birmingham on the 320 service to Cardiff.