75 Years of Cheltenham District Traction

The launch of the quality partnership for Service 94 was an ideal opportunity to celebrate the first bus route operated by Cheltenham District. This was No. 1 between Cheltenham and Southam. During the afternoon of 8 May 2004 - six months before the actual anniversary - a number of (non-PSVed) historic vehicles associated with Cheltenham over the years worked the old service, free of charge, with Stagecoach kindly supplying the fuel.

Three Cheltenham District liveried vehicle pose at the Racecourse. On the left is RELL6L 1003, a dual door vehicle and one of the first four such vehicles in the town. In the centre is a modern Dennis Dart painted in "one man" CDT livery to celebrate Cheltenham 75 (used on 8 May on service "A" after the Racecourse and cavalcade). The other vehicle, an FSF no. 6037, sports the traditional CDT livery.

Former Bristol Omnibus MW6G 2428 operated originally as a coach but spent its latter days as a country dual purpose vehicle.

Buses terminated at Southam on the afternoon. However, a couple of impromptu trips were operated by ex-BOC Bristol RELH6L dual purpose vehicle 2062 to the terminus further up the Cotswold scarp at Cleeve Hill, where this photo was taken. Buses terminated at Cleeve Hill for many years, manoeuvering in two specially constructed yet crude lay-bys opposite each other.

Bristol RESL6G 516 with its attractive curved front, sports the livery used between 1968 and 1972 which marked Bristol Omnibuses out as one man operated.

Again seen on the 1 from Cheltenham to Southam, ex Bristol Omnibus 2514 spent its entire working life in nearby Gloucester. In spite of this, the MW5G was more than at home on the rural section of route between Prestbury on the edge of Cheltenham and Southam, as Southam was served both by Cheltenham District's 587 to Cleeve Hill and by green MWs on Bristol country service 527 to Winchcombe, Broadway and Honeybourne via Southam Southam.

Tiny Bristol SUs did operate in Cheltenham, albeit from Stroud Depot on the indirect service between that town and Cheltenham (563). This example is the longer, 36 seat type SUL4A, ex-Southern National.

An amazing site! A line up of three Bristol L single decks, all of which saw service on the 1 on 8 May.