Wesley Coaches

Wesley Coaches of Stoke Goldington was a bus operator in Northamptonshire between 1925 and 1979. It was taken over by York Brothers.^[1]

History

In 1925, Thomas Wesley began operations in a Ford Model T bus, built and modified by Wesley's of Newport Pagnell, an uncle of the family. Other members of the Wesley family would serve as conductors, drivers and engineers. The Wesley's 'Bluebell' Model T vehicles featured a sliding door on the side, an innovation of the period. These buses served a route between Newport Pagnell and Northampton, as well as places such as Olney railway station and Emberton. Other services included excursions to places as far away as Skegness. Around this time, Wesley's owned a fleet of vehicles including a 14-seat 1910 Daimler, and a 20-seater Crossley bus.

In the 1930s, Wesley's took delivery of a De Dion-Bouton 24-seater, one of the best and most advanced touring coaches of the period. The Wesley's De Dion was believed to be the first in the area to feature such fittings as a long bonnet, radio and heater. Further additions to the ever increasing fleet included a B.A.T. 20-seater and a series of Guildfords, some featuring a separate cockpit on the front for the driver.

From then on, a sort of standardisation became apparent, and Wesley's began using Crossley coaches with a variety of bodies. One of these was a thirty by eight feet example built by Yeates of Loughborough, which achieved a transport milestone by being the first coach with no partition between the driver and his passengers, which nowadays is normal practice.

Wesley's services at this time extended far and wide across England, to places such as Devon and Cornwall, as well as tours starting up across the continent.^[1]

Between 1955 and 1963, Wesley's purchased Commer vehicles such as the TS3, which formed the mainstay of the fleet for many years. These coaches performed well in all types of duty, including touring in Scotland, the West Country, Spain, the French Riviera, Venice, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

Expansion and improvement was achieved wherever possible, including the transfer of the firm's Northampton office to St. Giles' Street, which is more central for the town. The head office has also been moved from Stoke Goldington, where the vehicles are stabled, to Newport Pagnell.

During the prime years of the 1960s and 1970s the fleet strength averaged between 25 and 30 vehicles. In 1965 small operator R. Coller of North Crawley was taken over.^[1] On occasions vehicles had to be hired from other operators (but never from local rivals) for standby duty, in case a Wesley vehicle broke down or was involved in an accident.

In the late seventies, Wesley's Coach Services engaged in negotiations with York Brothers (Northampton) Ltd of Short Lane, Cogenhoe, Northampton. The negotiations were finalised in May 1979, and York's took over Wesley's interests.^[1]

References

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom
National	Associated Motorways Blazefield Holdings British Bus British Coachways British Electric Traction Fraser Eagle GRT Group National Bus Company Thomas Tilling
England	Former bus companies operating in England North West England Birkenhead Transport Blackburn Transport Blue Bus and Coach Services Bluebird Bus and Coach Bu-Val Buses ChesterBus Citibus Tours Crosville Motor Services Finglands Coachways First Chester & The Wirral Glenvale Transport GM Buses John Fishwick & Sons JPT Lancashire United Transport Maynes Bus Maytree Travel MTL North Western Road Car Company (1923) North Western Road Car Company (1986) Pennine Blue Red & White Services Ribble Motor Services Speedwellbus Transdev Northern Blue UK North Yelloway Motor Services North East England Black Prince Buses Busways Travel Services Durham Travel Services Geldards Coaches Jolly Bus Leon Motors Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company Northern General Transport Company OK Motor Services Samuel Ledgard South Yorkshire Transport Tates Travel United Automobile Services Venture Transport West Riding Automobile Company West Yorkshire Road Car Yorkshire Rider Yorkshire Terrier Yorkshire Traction Midlands A2Z Travel Barton Transport Birmingham City Transport Birmingham Motor Traction Chase Coaches First Northampton Glossopdale Bus Company Go West Midlands Ludlows North Birmingham Busways People's Express Premiere Travel Probus Management South Notts Bus Company Stevensons of Uttoxeter Travel Merry Hill Travel Your Bus Wesley Coaches Zak's Buses Eastern England Eastern National Omnibus Company MK Metro TWH Bus & Coach South West England Badgerline Bristol Omnibus Company Devon General Greyhound Motors Great Western Railway Hants & Dorset Motor Services Shamrock Buses Southern National Sureline Trathens Travel Services Truronian WebberBus Western Greyhound Western National South East England Alder Valley Aldershot & District Traction Badger Vectis Boro'line Maidstone Brijan Tours Bygone Buses Cavendish Motor Services Centra City Clipper Countryliner East Kent Road Car Company Invictaway Kent Top Travel Maidstone & District Maidstone Corporation Transport Marchwood Motorways Moss Motor Tours Portsmouth Corporation Transport Shamrock Buses Southampton Citybus Southdown Motor Services Thames Transit Thames Valley Traction Tillingbourne Bus Company Velvet Yellow Bus Services Greater London Bexleybus Birch Brothers Boro'line London Capital Citybus Capital Logistics Connex East Thames Buses First London Grey-Green Harris Bus Imperial Buses London Buslines London Country Bus Services London Country North East London Country North West London Country South East London Country South West London Easylink London Electrobus Company London Forest London Pride Sightseeing London Traveller MTL NSL Buses Thorpes Travel London Travel Surrey Westlink
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Wales	Former bus companies operating in Wales Companies Crosville Motor Services Islwyn Borough Transport National Welsh Omnibus Services Padarn Bus Red & White Services Rhondda Transport Company South Wales Transport Western Welsh