| This roots of this service between Oldham and Huddersfield lie in North Western’s Oldham to Pinfold service which commenced operation on the 8th April 1925. This went from Oldham through Lees to Uppermill, over Standedge and then through Marsden to Pinfold, which was near Milnsbridge and most importantly was the Huddersfield boundary.
Huddersfield Corporation would not grant North Western licences to operate buses within the Borough, however Marsden and Linthwaite Councils were happy to do so for their part of the route. Huddersfield’s reasons were largely with the aim of protecting their tram revenue, but as the trams ran as far as out as Marsden this objective wasn’t really achieved. However, the frequency of the bus service at this stage would have meant the impact was minimal. The initial service only ran the full length of the route on Saturdays and Sundays and it took a bus one and three-quarter hours to get from one end to the other! When you consider the hill-climbing abilities (and braking) of the contemporary Tilling-Stevens petrol-electrics the journey time is perhaps not too surprising. On other days of the week the service ran from Saddleworth Station to Marsden, whence passengers could catch a tram to Huddersfield. The rather unusual starting point of Saddleworth Station was the result of complex inter-working, whereby the one bus worked parts of three separate services. I believe even these weekday workings ceased by the end of 1928, but things improved a little from 23rd March 1929 when the service was extended into Huddersfield. The one remaining change was for the service to be routed through Scouthead and Delph instead of Lees and Uppermill, but I do not currently have any details of when this change took place. The revised route mainly followed the A62, but coming from Oldham would leave it at Delph Cross Roads, head through Delph High Street and then use Delph Lane to regain the A62 to continue to Huddersfield. Demand for the service was clearly very variable as small Dennis Aces are believed to have been used during the 1930s, yet in this same era the weekday service which was every two hours was replaced with an hourly one on Saturdays. However, the service was completely suspended during World War II. The postwar service settled to a two-hourly frequency although as time progressed some journeys were changed to only run on certain days. Continuing decline in demand saw North Western withdraw the service completely after operation on 30th December 1970. |
725 heads down Oldham Clegg Street to the bus station at the end of its journey from Huddersfield. It would appear to be a recent arrival at Oldham depot that has yet to be fitted with the correct destination blind. In the left distance is the area that was later to become Town Square bus station. Photo courtesy Colin Routh. 799x533 160002_North_Western.jpg |
North Western 302 has just entered Saddleworth and is halfway up the climb from Waterhead to Scouthead, about to pass the landmark known as Austerlands chimney, a mill chimney that has clearly not been used for a long time, judging by the tree that currently grows out of it! Photo courtesy Photobus. 800x533 160010_13499.jpg |
302 is seen at Scouthead heading towards Oldham's short-lived and little-used Clegg Street bus station. The bus has a healthy load for a service which hasn't long left to run. Photo courtesy Photobus. 800x533 160020_13498.jpg |
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AEC Reliance 724 is in Upperhead Row bus station in Huddersfield waiting to return to Oldham. These buses were delivered in a the "black top" livery which suited them very well indeed. They appeared at Oldham in significant numbers as replacements for the Albion Aberdonians, which only just preceeded them numerically. Photo courtesy Geoff Lumb. 800x533 160030_North_Western_724_Huddersfield_G_Lumb.jpg |
This style of Alexander body was referred to as the Highlander and several of these versatile vehicles ended up in Oldham at the end of North Western's days. 839 is about to work the last journey from Huddersfield back to Oldham. Photo courtesy Geoff Lumb. 800x533 160040_North_Western_839_Huddersfield_G_Lumb.jpg |
