Sunday, 30 August 2009

Old Depot

It was in 1926 that WW and CC Stinson of Whitwick (nr Coalville in Leicestershire) established Skegness Motor Services. They operated from premises in Grosvenor Road. Daily services were operated to Mablethorpe, Spilsby, Sutton-on-Sea, and Alford. A town service commenced in 1933 between the depot and the Clock Tower.

The adjoining house was constructed in the 1930's as premises for he Depot Superintendent, a common feature of bus companies in the era. A Lincolnshire Road Car
office was opened on the lower floor, and dealt with parcels, as well as bookings for excursions and National Express services, this being closed in Autumn 1977. The house remained in Lincolnshire Road Car ownership up to 1983 when it was leased to a Printing Firm. It was eventually sold to Ellis Brothers builders (who have premises at the rear of the depot) and is now a private residence.

In 1934 Skegness Motor Services were taken over by the Lincolnshire Road Car Company, the route between the depot and the Clock Tower was then numbered 95 and was suspended following the outbreak of War and was not reinstated. In more recent times, the depot did retain a solitary service to convey school pupils, the last ever will be the school contract run EE03.

The depot was to remain under the ownership Lincolnshire Road Car. It underwent a number of modifications over the years, one of the most significant being in the mid-1980's when the covered section at the eastern end which housed single deckers, was demolished to leave an open compound.

After 83 years, the depot will close it's doors for the last time on September 6th.

Skegness depot in 1980
A comparison shot taken this afternoon
Another view from today from the opposite direction. Note the For Sale board already up!
Lincolnshire Road Car's 2516 outside the depot in 1980Over the years, the depot has had a number of unusual visitors - in this instance in 1977 is Scottish Omnibuses SFS 373H, well off it's route from London to Edinburgh!
Such was the popularity of Skegness north of the Border, that a number of express coach services operated during the summers from the mid 80's, often resulting in all manner of duplicates being run using Scottish Bus Group vehicles - even double deckers, as illustrated by Eastern Scottish C176 VSF in 1989.
HTML clipboardA pair of Plaxton bodied Leyland PSU3's, the leading vehicle being TRN 746, which was new to Ribble in November 1963. Thet are illustrated in summer 1977 outside the Lincolnshire Road Car depot in Skegness, presumably for refuelling, before returning with the National Express service 340 to the North-East. TRN 746 appears to be working a duplicate as far as Durham, whilst presumably the following vehicle will work through to Newcastle.
(Our thanks to P.N. Hill, former Managing Director of Lincolnshire Road Car for additional information)

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