BUSWORLD PHOTOGRAPHY

I AM CHRISTOPHER LEACH THE ARTIST. I started this blog so that I can share with everyone my vast collection of transport photographs showing a personal and nostalgic view of the industry with images that span some 45 years taking in the U.K and some of Europe. I have no darkroom and so rather than being the perfectionist after tidying them up I upload the images warts and all, and even those that won't scan squarely or are scratched. In a way it adds age and character. You are all free to download these for your personal use but please remember I still own them and you are not just free to use them without prior permission for any knd of publishing. Click on images to enlarge them and if you want to see more leave your comments or visit my website for the mother-site with galleries including those Buses & Girls: PICTUREWORLD

Friday 22 May 2009

Bee Line Buzz

Fortunately the minibus heyday is long passed but they were quite interesting times are new liveries appeared as often the big companies set up special small-bus units to counter the moves by rivals and newcomers alike. Bee Line was set up by North Western to operate to the south of Manchester. The Mercedes might not have been much loved but the rather basic big Dodge like No.42 was much despised by everyone

3 comments:

Andy R said...

I agree.
Neither the Dodge nor the Mercedes were especially striking examples of taste or design when new, and they didn't age well either. The enthusiast side in me dislikes mininuses but I do see there are niches for them and my weary feet have often been grateful when one turned up (plus I know you drive one so I won't tread on your feet), but I do wonder why so little effort is put into making them more attractive? Mercedes cars are obviously well designed so Mercedes understands the value of design. If there weren't so many of them, I might consider the Citaro to be a pleasing design too, as indeed the O405 was before it. So why couldn't Mercedes let the same designers have a go at the minibus?

I suppose it's because this vehicle is derived from a truck and trucks have to be ugly?

At least the girls brighten up the picture, as indeed does the fine architecture in the background.

Andrew

christopher said...

Of course Optare has created proper minibus buses but not everyone likes them.

Andrew Bowden said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.