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Brighton Corporation |
A tramway network was instigated by Brighton Corporation in November 1901. It extended from the Aquarium to Lewes Road, Dyke Road, Race Hill and Five Ways. All but the Dyke Road routes were replaced by trolleybuses, but these in turn gave way before the diesel bus in 1959 and 1961.
In 1937 Brighton Corporation combined with Brighton, Hove & District to pool their mileage in the fixed ratio of 27.5 :72.5. This combination did battle with Southdown during the period 1945-1961, when great new housing estates sprawled over the Downs behind Brighton, Hove and Portslade. This fierce rivalry ceased on New Year's Day 1961, when the three operators formed a new pooling arrangement as follows: Brighton Corporation 201%; Brighton, Hove &District 50.5%; Southdown 29%. Many routes had both red and green buses on them, whilst others were worked by both the Brighton operators.
Throughout most of this period Corporation and BH&D wore the same Red and Cream livery, but with the onset of the National Bus Company in the late sixties, BH&D became part of Southdown and the Corporation wanted to distinguish its vehicles from its neighbour, and so changed to a light blue and cream livery. Ironically the NBC painted all Southdown and BH&D vehicles leaf green so it need not have bothered. On deregulation the corporation buses became "Brighton Blue Bus" until its recent takeover by the privatised Brighton and Hove company now part of the Go Ahead Group.
One of the elegant Weymann bodied AEC Regent I's introduced in 1939, No 60 (FUF 60) seen here in May 1964
A 1996 East Lancs bodied Scania (N763 OAP) of Brighton and Hove in one of the branded liveries seen here on the University UniBus service.
A 1968 Leyland PD3/4 with 69 seat Metro Cammell body (WCD 134F) These were Brighton's last Half cabs and were fitted out for one man operation.
A Brighton and Hove Leyland National 2 151 (C451 OAP), seen here with a Blue Bus Dennis Dart in hot pursuit. This picture was taken shortly before the takeover.
A 1997 Scania East Lancs Cityzen with coach seating 761 (P861 VFG) used for longer distance journeys, seen here en-route for Eastbourne.