Talk:First Northampton

Better History
http://web.archive.org/web/20010124185500/http://www.firstnorthampton.co.uk/history/history.htm

1880	The Northampton Street Tramways Company was formed on the 9th January and commenced its operations using 5 double deck horse drawn open top tramcars.

1894	Horse drawn single deck, one person operated buses were introduced to Far Cotton. 1901	After some expansion on 21st October the "Northampton Corporation" took over the Company and commenced its own operations with Twenty One horse drawn trams and three horse drawn buses. Routes operated ran from the Drapery to Kingsthorpe Library, and All Saints to Franklins Gardens, Wellingborough Road (Manfield Factory) and Kettering Road (Kingsley Park Road) and one horse bus route from All Saints to Far Cotton (Abbey Road)

1904	The tram sheds, which stood in Abington Street now the site of the Central Library, were replaced by new car sheds at St James End in time for electric operation of routes. Twenty electric tramcars of an open top double deck single truck design first operated on the 21st July on the St James, Wellingborough Road and Kettering Road routes and the remaining horse trams on Kinsthorpe were finally replaced on the 19th August

1907	The original buses were replaced by double deckers and the stables in the ridings were handed over to the war department

1914	On the 22nd October the last horse drawn bus operated

1921	The electric tram fleet expanded and the last new tram was bought in this year, the Corporation operated a fleet of 33 double deck and 4 single deck vehicles

1923	The Corporation tried out its first motorbuses, these were 28 seater Thorneycrofts with Brush single deck bodies Thorneycrofts and Guys figured prominently in the early motorbus orders with a large proportion of bodywork coming from the local firm of Grose

1926	The first double deck motorbuses were purchased they were 2 Guy six wheelers with Grose bodywork & were the forerunners of a fleet of 18 such vehicles, these were used to replace the trams and so started a gradual conversion to motorbus operation

1934	On 16th December the last tramcar operated from Far Cotton to St James depot. More double deckers were purchased but this time of Crossley manufacture.

1936	Eventually Crossley were to supply 28 chassis & the Corporation decided to purchase vehicles of other makes in order to determine future vehicle policy. Daimler became the standard marque & altogether 193 were purchased until Leyland manufacturing policy prevented further purchases

1973	Only 13 vehicles of non Daimler origin were purchased, 1 Leyland and 10 Crossley at a time when vehicles of any make were hard to come by. Also 2 A.E.C single decks which were used to inaugurate a new service jointly operated with U.C.O.C. 1973 also saw the introduction into service of 20 single deck Daimler fleetlines

1974	Twelve Leyland national vehicles were introduced into service

1977	Northampton Transport operated its first rear engined double deckers, when the first of 36 Bristol VRT's entered service. This then became the standard Northampton vehicle

1979	Additions to the fleet included 2 Bristol LHS with 30 seat single deck bodies by ECW. These were acquired to inaugurate a new service in an area which could not accommodate the conventional vehicle operated by Northampton Transport

1981	The 4th June was the 100th anniversary of public transport in Northampton on an organised scale

1984	Six double deckers were delivered

1985	As a result of the Transport Act 1985 Northampton Transport Ltd was formed as a commercial organisation

1986	The first 2 Volvos with double deck coach bodies were delivered. These were designed with long distance travel in mind & had comfortable seating with some tables, radio cassette, extra luggage accommodation and were capable of 50 mph

1988	Further double decker Volvos were delivered

1989	Volvo saloons were delivered

1993	Northampton Transport was taken over by GRT

1995	The first delivery of Low Floor buses arrived

1996	A new batch of school contracts were successfully tendered

1997	Gas buses arrived and were launched on 7th May at Sixfields Stadium. December saw FirstGroup replace the former FirstBus name and "Northampton Transport" became First Northampton

1998	April saw the First Northampton depot flooded when the River Nene burst its banks. More than Thirty buses suffered flooded engines which put them completely out of action for Good Friday and Easter Saturday. The water also caused substantial damage to office buildings

1999	New initiatives launched including passenger charter, branded routes and ticketing initiatives along with new contracts have shown an increase in patronage given a positive attitude to public transport in Northampton.

2000	Keep your eyes peeled for new Group and Local Initiatives / Schemes which will be introduced in the future months. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.121.248.235 (talk) 18:45, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

services
I'm trying to improve the services section and the article in general as it needs some tlc to it.

I have confirmation that service 4 IS being withdrawn and the 2 and 4a will lose their sunday services on 10th August. Fatty2k10 (talk) 23:11, 23 June 2013 (UTC)