Lytham St Annes and Fylde
Lytham St. Annes was linked to Blackpool by a privately funded tramway in 1896, initially using gas traction, but later electrified. In 1920 the company was purchased by St. Annes Council which was merged with Lytham in 1922 to form Lytham St. Annes Corporation. Buses began operation between the two towns in 1923 and further local routes were added. In 1935 a ‘back road’ link between Blackpool and Lytham was introduced jointly operated by both Corporations. 1936/7 saw the staged closure of the tramway and its replacement by jointly operated bus routes. Blackpool and Lytham had not always been on friendly terms and the former attempted to take over the latter on several occasions.It was business as usual when Blackpool Transport replaced Blackpool Corporation in 1974 under the recently appointed manager Derek Hyde.
By contrast to Blackpool, Lytham’s bus fleet was small – typically around 35 to 40 vehicles. With much summer duplication, buses were not unduly taxed and achieved long lives, if not necessarily high mileages. Leyland double deckers predominated after the war, just like Blackpool. One Person Operation commenced in 1969 and the town routes were all converted by 1972 with the Blackpool routes following during the 1970s. Local Government reorganisation saw a larger Fylde Borough Council absorb Lytham St. Annes and its bus operations.
Lytham 34
34 was one of the 1936 batch of Leyland Lions, featuring Leyland bodywork rather than the Burlingham examples of previous years. 34 entering service in October 1936 to assist with tram replacement and is unique in having a "gearless" system - the forerunner of today's authomatic gearbox.
Lytham 19
Lytham St. Annes Corporation commenced running buses in 1923 shortly after it was formed in 1922 by merging Lytham and St. Annes councils. The latter had bought the privately owned tramway to Blackpool in 1920. Initially small single deckers were used on services around the two towns but in the 1930s longer routes to Blackpool were commenced, including a replacement for the trams.
Lytham 70
New in May 1964, it formed part of a trio of Leyland Titan PD2 buses with Massey front entrance bodies. Painted in the smart blue and white livery associated with the Lytham St.Annes areas, No. 70 was put to work on the trunk Blackpool to Lytham services 11/11A.
Fylde Borough 77
OPO double deck operation started in March 1975 (two years before Blackpool Transport) when six more Atlanteans arrived and 75-77 were equipped with ticket machines and cash trays. Lytham St.Annes Corporation had become Fylde Borough in 1974 and 75-77 gained the new blue, white and yellow livery in 1977 on their first overhaul.
Fylde Borough 47
The onslaught of One Man Operation to cut costs resulted in a batch of Seddon RU buses with Pennine bodywork joining the fleet.
47 is one of only two survivors of the chassis type delivered to operators throughout the country in the early 1970s. It is restored in the early-1980s Fylde Borough Transport livery with white "V" shape.
Blue Buses 7
Fylde Borough Transport was privatised in 1986 and under the branding of “Blue Buses” the operation expanded with both contract work around the Fylde coast and direct competition with Blackpool Transport.
As a means of modernising the fleet, several Leyland Atlantean chassis were rebodied by Northern Counties including a batch of four ex-Hull buses rebuilt as single deckers.
