Public Transport

Wass Bros., one of the early local bus operators
Private collection

The Routes prior to the construction of the inner Ring Road and the Four Seasons Shoping Centre, the Main Bus Stops in and around the Town Centre were – the Market Place, Regent Street, Queen Street, Bath Lane, Nottingham Road, Stockwell Gate, Chesterfield Road, Albert Street and The Midland Station.

The Services operating in Mansfield District (mostly 10min Services) were:-

101 Mansfield Wood House to Huthwaite.

102 Mansfield to Pleasley (after the Ladybrook Est was Built it was extended to The Cemetery.

103 Originally Crown Farm to Nottingham Road (This Service was altered to LadyBrook Lane) on the hour it, terminated at the bottom of the Forest Town Avenues (Newlands Road).

104 Mansfield to Hall Street.

!05 0r 107 From Albert Street to Berry Hill via Littleworth to the Water Tower (not absolutely sure of the Service No).

106 Mansfield Woodhouse to Leaminton Drive (Sutton).

112 Mansfield to Bull Farm via Rosemary Street & Westfield Lane.

From the Midland Station Buses ran under license of the Railway.

To Rainworth, Blidworth, Bilsthorpe, Newark, Southwell areas the service numbers I cannot remember apart from the 211 being Newark via Southwell, 214 Newark via Oxton, 215 Southwell Via Lowdham, No 2 New Ollerton, No 4 Welbeck, 215 Southwell to Nottingham.

Routes which may be as a result of the take over of smaller companies, of this I am not sure No2 New Ollerton via Warsop, Edwinstowe, the 206 Church Warsop.

The Company took over the Ebor and Bevan, and Barker and some services may have been inherited along with their original Service Numbers???????

 

Comments about this page

  • Can anyone remember the army taking over the Midland General Garage on Sutton Road? The REME repaired trucks and bren gun carrier tanks in WW2. Midland General came in with us, MDTC garage. I went as apprentice there when I left Moor Lane School. Ebour buses were always dark red.

    By Fred Harper (18/01/2022)
  • I Have many memories of the old Mansfield District Traction days I started as a conductor in May 1966 then in early eightys swopped the back end for the front.I recently retired I September 2016 after 50 years continuous service.Yes I have seen many changes to bus services but my fondest memories are for the many people I have been privileged to have met along my amazing journey

    By Roy Davies (21/03/2017)
  • I have a Wass Bros Badge that my dad owns as he worked for them before he joined Mansfield District Traction.

    By Colin (29/07/2016)
  • Looking for names of bus drivers or conducters who lived in mansfield woodhouse but drove through Shirebrook bus route in late 1960s 

    By danni (24/06/2016)
  • Looking for photos of Brian”Budgie” Cuthbert who used to drive the bus for Rainworth Royals. If anyone can help me in my quest,I would be eternally grateful – Pete

    By Pete Sawyer (19/08/2015)
  • Hi

    I was looking at the old Mansfield District bus routes on your site and this took me back to my childhood at Bilsthorpe in the early to mid 60’s. I recollect the following service numbers;

    207- Mansfield (Midland Station)- to Bilsthorpe (via Mickledale Lane) (Hutchinsons Garage turn around, old village, sometimes up to Bilsthorpe bungalows). Usually Bristol Lodekka rear entrance, latterly Front entrance. (Often used open platform AEC double decker on duplicate rush hour services especially near Christmas on Saturdays. they used these on the 207 Colliery service)

     212 – Mansfield (Midland Station) to Southwell via Bilsthorpe Mickledale Lane, Old Village). Usually Bristol Lodekka rear entrance.

    213- Mansfield to Newark (via White Post, Bilsthorpe Mickledale Lane, Eakring, Staythorpe, Kelham) Always AEC single decker front entrance.

    Hope this is of interest to other people.

     

    By Nige Davy (29/07/2015)
  • I lived in Westfield Lane and went to Broomhill School as did Avril Wass, daughter of one of the Wass Brothers whose bus garage was just up the road in Somersall Street. That was about 1949-1953

    By Trevor Randall (18/06/2015)
  • Since posting my Wass Bros query on 25/02 I’ve been told that the livery was bright red upper / maroon lower.            

    By John Priestley (02/03/2015)
  • Re carterlane 06/10/14:  I have that model too.  It is by Corgi (Original Omnibus Co) representing a postwar AEC Regent II new 1947 and in service until mid-1960s.  It was one of thereir normal issues, but certainly in smaller numbers than some of their earlier releases.   Two versions were available – 101 Woodhouse and 101 Pleasley Colliery. AFIK the latter is incorrect and rather strange as Corgi’s pre-launch publicity showed 102 Pleasley Colliery which would have been correct.

    By John P (25/02/2015)
  • Does anyone remember what colours Wass Bros used?  I remember them being red, but I have a photo of an ex-LT Cravens RT which clearly has upper and lower decks in different shades and I’ve also seen a pic of the same scheme, but with EAST MIDLAND fleetname after the takeover.  The Clipstone route used to do good busines at weekends and holiday times with trippers to Edwinstowe for Sherwood Forest.

    By John P (24/02/2015)
  • Wass Bros bus garage was on Westfield Lane, close to Somersall Street where the Wass family also lived.   Behind the garage was a workshop called “Cranbore” which  I am fairly certain was also owned by the Wass family.   I knew them well and went to school with their son Gordon.   He and I spent many happy days in “Cranbore” ‘helping’ the mechanics and lathe workers.  

    By Tony Lyons (16/11/2014)
  • The MDT/ MGO AEC half cab at Butterly are the same vehicles. The 107 terminated at various locations on the Crown Farm route along with the 103. 

    By John Allcock (08/10/2014)
  • Hello carterlane, I think the only bus to run through Littleworth was the 113 to Berry Hill that terminated at the old water tower, this service  had to have a single decker because of the very low railway bridge just before Windsor Road, the bridge was removed when the Mansfield to Rollerston Junction line closed. Incidentally there is a MDTC  AEC half cab double decker and a Midland General AEC half cab single decker at the the Midland Railway Centre at Swanwick Junction in the road transport building.

    By Peter Bowler (06/10/2014)
  • I used to live on the top of Rock Hill, Southwell Road West, the 107 MDTC came by to Rainworth, I dont remember it running to Littleworth.

    One route rout used to go to Bilsthorpe and Eakring but cannot remember the number.

    I have recently bought a special edition of a MDTC model bus on route 101 with a destination of Pleasley Colliery. Its a limited edition from Original Omnibus retailing at about 27.50 or maybe less on ebay. The bus is an AEC regent so circa middle 1950’s.

    By carterlane (05/10/2014)
  • I remember Wass Bros, used to catch them back from fishing at Clipstone, always seemed a better bus than East Midlands.

    Also remember as a child being taken to the Market Place sunday evenings where the single deckers were lined up for “MysteryTours”.

    I used to live at the top of Rock Hill so we had the B8 to Nottingham and the 108 to Blidworth from Midland General come past, all the rest were MDTC, to Rainworth, Eakring, Bilsthorpe, Southwell and Newark.

    Two rail routes to Nottingham, the B8 but the quickest was the Trent number 60 from top of Stockwell Gate perhaps, its over 50 year ago now.

    By David Turner (10/07/2014)
  • Remember the Hall family on Clipstone road West they all worked on the buses. My mum worked on Wass Bros buses (no relation) my grandpa also worked on Ebor and Trumans. The rest of my mum’s sisters worked on the Trent.

    By Marilyn Wass (27/01/2014)
  • There were some services that were either run direct from the town and or called in the Town. I remember four namely Trent Motors, ran a service to the East Midlands Airport. Bartons ran a service to the North East providing transport for the Miners. These miners had relocated to the area to work in the local collieries, it’s pick up point being opposite the Grand Cinema. East Midland ran a service at weekends from Chesterfield to Skegness and Ingoldmells. Black and White a service from Hull and Grimsby to their main depot at Leamington Spa. This seemed to be a Daily Service I seem to think it may have gone via Nottingham/Leicester to Leamington. Leamington being a hub for all coaches certainly to the South Coast in particular and ???? London for all Northern Coaches

    By Malcolm Raynor (04/06/2013)
  • Only a few Years ago I obtained the books you refer to from Venture Publications 128 Pikes Lane Glossop SK 13 8 EH and The Robin Hood Publishing Company in Attenborough I never did see them on sale in Linneys or W h Smiths Robin Hood 3 Volumes — Trent Venture Publishing —– Trent 2 Volumes Barton 2 Volumes Lincolnshire Road Car Midland General includes Mansfield District and East Midland Books may still be in stock at the Publishers worth a try

    By Malcolm Raynor (31/05/2013)
  • Reference the railways I seem to remember the bus routes to east of Mansfield run by Mansfield District and Midland General were run under license from them. I also believe that the major bus companies were part of the Tilling Group of Companies and only Wass Brothers, Bakers Trumans, Red Bus Company and the Ebor Co were independents. Taggs, Tigers and Wains thrived on private hire though Taggs did attempt to operate a service to Alfreton in the early Thirties. The Taggs did at one previously having been Drivers for The Trent Company Only Naylors from South Normanton were able to compete with Trent who had a large amout of loyalty from the local population in that area being also the local Coal Merchants In the Early Thirties Bus Companies were required to produce a basic Time table of Departures and Arrival times at their Destination It allowed the Bus Companies to publish Only Departure times a arrival and required a 15 minute interterval They would leave On time but would sit on Portland Square wait for The Trent Bus and set off infront deniied the opposition the chance to overtake and gained virtually all the passengers on the said route Taggs also tried to operate on the route but failed miserably They had Leyland Tigers which were the Fastest on the Road but failed when the crashed into into a Shop at Fullwood on route when attempting to overtake a Trent Bus Inthe early Thirties there appears to have been virtually a war between operaters This is the Story my Father told me from the time he worked for Trent Motors

    By Malcolm Raynor (24/05/2013)
  • Alan Oxley has written a book about Midland General and David Bean has written a three volume history of Trent, they are quite difficult to get hold of, but make a very good read. Midland General/Mansfield District were once owned by Balfour Beaty who then sold them on to the Tilling Group, Trent and East Midland were part of the BET empire until nationalisation.

    By John Allcock (24/05/2013)
  • I remember the old livery of the East Midland Bus Co. but it changed in the 1950s to maroon. I too recall the long seats with the aisle at one side, the 22 service to Doncaster was one my friends and myself sometimes used to go train spotting in steam days. I believe East Midland was a joint venture between L.M.S and L.N.E.R railway companies, they obviously saw which way public transport was heading.

    By Peter Bowler (20/12/2012)
  • I can clearly remember Wass Bros Motor Services their depot was on Westfield Lane a large corugated iron clad building where the Redgate Pub now stands, I think the buses were maroon or dark red colour. When I was at Broomhill Junior School I would have been 7 or 8 at the time (1955 or 1956) the class I was in were going on a trip for the day, where to I don’t recall but a Wass Bros bus was booked to take us. A few days later we were told the trip would have to be called off because there was a bus drivers strike although Wass Bros wern’t on strike the school must have thought it wise to cancel the trip. I can’t remember if we ever did get to go at a later date, perhaps one of my old classmates could let enlighten me.

    By Peter Bowler (20/12/2012)
  • Tom, Stagecoach must have guessed the livery, if you compare the Dart to an original you will see the difference

    By John Allcock (21/11/2012)
  • Hi Malcom, re East Midland Bus Services, I was driving down Clumber Street in Mansfield and a single decker with the old livery, mustardy yellow and a brown roof pulled up beside me. How about that! it wasn’t a vintage bus. Next time you are in Mansfield have a look in the Sutton Road Garage.

    By Tom Shead (20/06/2012)
  • Alan, the service you mentioned to Nottingham, the 108 I remember as the B6 and was a Midland General route. I used it quite a lot in the 60s to see operas at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham, and a girlfriend living in Blidworth would meet me on the bus.The saying was ‘You could meet a girl at the Mansfield Stop and by the time the bus arrived in Nottingham you could be married!’ East Midland had a Garage at Warsop, was this previously Bakers? What was the Livery colour of East Midland coaches? I remember in the 40s and 50s, the main colour was a mustardy yellow with a brown roof. We travelled on some of the local buses which had wooden seats and the aisle instead of being down the middle of the bus was down the right hand side of the bus, effectively providing 7 seats. If you search Redgates soft drinks you will find a site for the Mansfield to Langwith bus route, there is a photo of an ex Ebor, Mansfield Traction bus at the bus stop opposite the Technical College on Chesterfield Road dated 1960. There is a comment from someone who states he drove that bus whilst working for MDT. The photo also shows Clumber St before St Peters Way was built, and the terraced houses at the Chesterfield Road end which were demolished for the new road. There is an account of a MDT luxury coach which finished up in Dorset only to be scrapped by the MOT engineer because he didn’t like coaches in service over a certain age, even if they were still reliable.

    By Tom Shead (04/06/2012)
  • That would be the Midland General (Blue & Cream Buses) service B8 Alan, the Mansfield District Traction (Green & Cream Buses) 108 went the same way, but just to Blidworth. I don’t recall the shelter you mention but I was told about it many years ago, if my information was correct the shelter is now Bond Insurance Services?

    By Berisford Jones (04/06/2012)
  • Malcolm, no one seems to remember the old indoor bus-stop across from St Peter’s Church on St. Peter’s Way. I guess that is where the name of the inner ring road originated. With you coming from the Carter Lane area, you should know. It was across the road from the church, it was like an open front shop with wooden seats all round the sides.You could catch a blue double decker bus, 108 to Nottingham via Rainworth, Blidworth etc., etc. Alan

    By alan curtis (03/06/2012)

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