This former West Yorkshire Bristol VR is also seen (and more fully described) at the other end of the route. It is seen here in bright and sunny weather in Manchester Piccadilly. Photo courtesy Peter Horrex.

Vale's ECW-bodied Leopard CAH 880Y turns out of Manchester Oldham Street into Piccadilly. This vehicle was new to Eastern Counties. Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

Another Leopard used by Vale's on this service was RCH 15R which was new to East Midland. It is in the same location as the previous shot and is again in the latter days of the service when it was numbered 82. Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

Central Coaches 58 rests in the small bus station adjacent to Lever Street in Manchester. The building behind was the GPO sorting office which was slowly constructed in the late 60s - something I witnessed daily whilst waiting for the a 10 or 14 home as they terminated in Lever Street at the time, long before this bus station was built. Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

The quality of the Willowbrook Spacecar body and Central's operations seem to me well-matched! KIB 7256 climbs West Street in Oldham but is it headed for Denshaw or Manchester? Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

Vale of Manchester were operating this Leyland Leopard that had been new to Trimdon Motor Services. It is seen on West Street in Oldham and is showing the service number 82 which was used latterly as described in the history. Photo courtesy Ian Roberts.

XLJ 724K was a Bristol RE new to Hants and Dorset as their 1649 in 1972. It is leading a colourful selection of buses along Cheapside in Oldham. Note the C & A store behind - a marque now disappeared from Britain but still to be found in mainland Europe. Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

Soon after they started operating the 407, Swan's introduced this Mini Pointer Dart, which is dedicated to the service by means of the printed destination displays stuck on the glass. Looking at the photographs of it remind me of poorly-edited publicity shots where a destination display has been crudely pasted in and is not aligned properly, even though this one is neat and straight. It is laying over at Oldham Bus Station. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

Twenty years to the day from the introduction of the bus regulation that spawned the original 407, Swan's MPD Dart, their regular vehicle on the service, pulls into Oldham Cheapside bus station. Photo courtesy Ian Roberts.

Swan's MX06 XFT was not the usual vehicle on this service (as seen in the other photos) but looks identical. It is passing the Oldham Pool on Lord Street. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

Swan's usual Mini Pointer Dart was involved in an accident when very new. Whilst it was being repaired this Mercedes was hired from Ashall's to work the service and is seen descending Lord Street in the centre of Oldham.

Vale of Manchester used a similar colour scheme to Central Coaches. In Town Square bus station is seen VKE 568S, a Leyland National new to Maidstone and District. Photo courtesy Jon Brierley.

The Ashall's Mercedes arrives in Oldham along Union Street on a fine evening. The building behind is the old Post Office which now houses the Local Studies Library, a very useful source of information for this gallery.

R454 PRH was new to East Yorkshire and was newly acquired by Swan's at the time of this photo, taken on Ripponden Road with Hill Stores just off-camera in the left distance.

The regular MPD climbs Ripponden Road towards Denshaw, with Oldham Civic Centre prominent on the skyline.

Swan's started operation of the 407 using this hired Enviro, seen here at Besom Hill passing the site of the old brickworks.

Central Coaches 58 is also at Besom Hill, this time facing the other way and revealing the quarry in the background that was the source of the raw material for the brickworks.

This East Lancs-bodied Leopard of Hyndburn was almost certainly on hire to Central Coaches at the time of this photo taken at Grains Bar. Hyndburn did good business at the time running a spot-hire fleet. Photo courtesy Eric Ogden.

Central 58 is seen again, about to leave Saddleworth as it enters Grains Bar from Denshaw with typical Pennine scenery behind.

Central Coaches UMS 93J, approaching Grains Bar, still bears evidence of its last owner Strathtay Scottish, in which fleet it was SD3. The livery is unmistakeably the attractive yellow and cream of Alexander Northern in which fleet it had been NRF11 before the reorganisation of the Scottish Bus Group prior to privatisation. It would originally have been blue as it was new to Alexander Midland as MRF93.

The usual MPD has left Old Tame and is continuing the climb up to Grains Bar on a lovely spring day.

Central’s UMS 93J was a Daimler Fleetline with ECW bodywork and is passing throught Old Tame.

Central Coaches had used this former Crosville Leyland National in the early days of their operation and it is just pulling out of Denshaw to pass the Printer’s Arms. Prominent in the background is Christ Church.

West Yorkshire adopted the pleasing earlier Tilling red and cream livery after privatisation and this VR is still in their livery when seen at the Junction Inn in Denshaw. It still carries the West Yorkshire fleet number 1959, although as it was originally in the York-West Yorkshire fleet it used to be numbered 3959.

Swan's Enviro is seen again in Denshaw starting a return trip to Oldham, passing the Junction Inn. This part of Denshaw was once shown on maps as Junction.

A Lancaster bus in Yorkshire! This Leyland Leopard originated in that city's fleet but is seen here at the Dumfries Avenue terminus in Denshaw. Photo courtesy Eric Ogden.

The MPD is seen at the end of the service at Denshaw terminus. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.