Quantock Motor Services

Quantock Motor Services

Heritage Bristol LDL6G & Volvo B10M service bus at Bishops Lydeard depot in August 2012
Parent Stephen Morris
Founded 2001
Headquarters Bishops Lydeard
Service area Somerset
Service type Bus & coach services
Hubs Minehead
Fleet 15 (October 2013)
Chief executive Stephen Morris
Website www.quantockheritage.com

Quantock Motor Services[1] is a privately owned bus operator in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England. The company operates a substantial heritage fleet for private hire and on route 400.

History

Coach fleet at Bishops Lydeard depot in September 2012
Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 in Minehead in October 2010

Rexquote, a transport engineering business in Bishops Lydeard, operated a fleet of old buses under the name of Rexquote Heritage. As well as private hire, some regular circular tourist routes were advertised. One such was between Weston-super-Mare, Sand Bay and nearby tourist attractions in the summer of 2000.[2] In 2002 the Exmoor Explorer circular service was started from Minehead.[3][4]

In 2001 Rexquote established a new Quantock Motor Services operation. It was initially based in Ilfracombe, with three vehicles to operate schools contracts and a service from Combe Martin to Barnstaple.[5]

On 6 September 2014, Quantock Motor Services ceased operating its four route services as well as school services. The vintage hire business continues to trade.[6]

Routes

Public services ceased in September 2014, at which time four services were being operated:[6][7]

Service 300

The now-defunct 'Exmoor Coastal Link' appeared in April 2008 in the Daily Telegraph list of the 20 best bus routes in England for over 60s to use free their bus passes.[8] In 2010 it featured on a local BBC programme that featured "great South West journeys".[9]

The regular vehicle for many years was a East Lancashire bodied Scania N94UD open top bus. After the 2012 season this was sold and replaced with a single-deck open top Alexander PS bodied Volvo B10M.[10] The service ceased operating in September 2014.[11]

Service 400

Until 2011 the service 400 'Exmoor Explorer' operated a circular tour from Minehead to Dunster, Timberscombe, Wheddon Cross, Exford and Porlock. Operated by heritage open top buses, it only ran on selected days during the summer but was withdrawn after Somerset County Council funding was withdrawn. It had been a recommended route in Scenic Britain by Bus.[12]

Depots

During 2010 the depot was relocated from Norton Fitzwarren, to a facility next door to Bishops Lydeard railway station on the heritage West Somerset Railway.[13] Heritage vehicles undergoing restoration are at an outstation in Langley Marsh, Wiveliscombe.[14]

Fleet

As at October 2013 Quantock Motor Services operate 15 modern vehicles painted in a red livery.[15] A new Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 was purchased in 2010 for new contracts.[16]

Heritage vehicles

A number of older vehicles are operated by Quantock Motor Services, although not all are licenced for paid operations.

Registration Type Chassis Body Built Comments
701 AEH[17] Open top Leyland PD3 Northern Counties Undergoing restoration.
851 FNN[18] Double deck AEC Regent V Northern Counties 1960 Barton 851, an unusual full-fronted lowbridge design. Not in service.
ABV 43D[19] Double deck Leyland PD2 East Lancashire 1964 Blackburn Corporation 43. In service.
ACH 441[19] Single deck AEC Regal Windover 1949 Originally Trent 611, but currently in the livery of Burton's of Alfreton. In service.
CCX 777[18] Double deck Daimler Duple 1945 Built to wartime austerity specification for Huddersfield Joint Omnibus services. Currently in London Transport colours. Not in service.
DPV 65D[20] Double deck AEC Regent V East Lancashire 1966 Ipswich Corporation 65. Advertised for sale.
EVD 406[20] Double deck Crossley Charles H. Roe 1949 Originally with an Airdrie operator but later with Woods of Mirfeld, whose livery it now carries. Advertised for sale.
GNH 258F[19][20] Double deck Daimler CV Charles H. Roe 1967 Northampton Corporation. In service but advertised for sale.
HJA 965E[19] Double deck Leyland PD2 Neepsend 1962 Stockport Corporation 65. Available for hire.
JFM 575[18] Single deck AEC Regal Strachan 1948 Crosville Motor Services TA5. Not in service.
JLJ 401[19] Single deck Leyland Tiger PS2 Burlingham 1949 Bournemouth Transport coach. In service.
LJH 665[20] Single deck Dennis Lancet III Duple 1949 Formley with Lee of Barnet. Not in service; advertised for sale.
VDV 752[19] Open top Bristol LDL6G ECW 1957 Formerly Western National 1935, converted to open top in 1972 and named Admiral Boscawen. In service.
VDV 753[19] Open top Bristol LDL6G ECW 1957 Formerly Western National 1936, converted to open top in 1972 and named Sir Humphry Davy. In service.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4997048 Quantock Motor Services Limited
  2. ↑ Lidstone, John G (July 2000). "Fleet News". Buses (Ian Allan) 52 (544): 54. ISSN 0007-6392.
  3. ↑ Lidstone, John G (October 2002). "Fleet News". Buses (Ian Allan) 54 (571): 48. ISSN 0007-6392.
  4. ↑ Lamb, Philip (October 2002). "Lodekkas on Exmoor". Bus & Coach Preservation (Ian Allan) 5 (5): 28–29. ISSN 1462-1886.
  5. ↑ Lidstone, John G (February 2002). "Fleet News". Buses (Ian Allan) 54 (563): 48. ISSN 0007-6392.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Quantock Heritage bus operations cease trading" Buses issue 716 November 2014 page 8
  7. ↑ "Scheduled services". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  8. ↑ Free bus pass: 20 great bus routes Daily Telegraph 5 April 2008
  9. ↑ "Open-top bus journey to Lynmouth". BBC. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  10. ↑ Lidstone, John G (June 2013). "Fleet News". Buses (Key Publishing): 74. ISSN 0007-6392.
  11. ↑ Tourists left stranded after Lynmouth to Minehead bus service comes to an end North Devon Journal
  12. ↑ "Scenic Britain by Bus" (PDF). Transport Marketing. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  13. ↑ "QMS moves to new location". Quantock Motor Services. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  14. ↑ "QMS Bus Rallies". Quantock Motor Services. 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  15. ↑ "Our modern fleet". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  16. ↑ "New Enviro200 for Quantock Motor Services". Alexander Dennis. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  17. ↑ "Somerset". The Open Top Bus Site. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Taunton Vintage Bus Display and Running Day. Taunton Historic Bus Group. 2013.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 "Our heritage fleet". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 "Heritage vehicles for sale". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 2013-05-27.

External links

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