Durham District Services bus which we believe is travelling through the High Street, Stockton c1956.
Reg No. EHN 525. Bristol L5G. ECW body. New in 1939 to Durham District Services.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Durham District Services bus which we believe is travelling through the High Street, Stockton c1956.
Reg No. EHN 525. Bristol L5G. ECW body. New in 1939 to Durham District Services.
The bus is actually facing south. This was the stop for the D4 and the United 67A and 67B which would then turn through 180 degrees to go north up Stockton High Street. As a student at Stockton Grammar, this stop was the favourite as it was the only services that started here to go to Wolviston. The D1 and D2 came from Middlesbrough and stopped at the other side of the High Steet, half way up, going north. The D4 also made a call here, but was usually full by then. Only 6 allowed standing!
United’s 24 from Darlington to West Hartlepool, 40 from Middlesbrough to Sunderland via Hartlepool (some trip!), 67A from Stockton to (old) Hartlepool, and 67B from Stockton to either Wolviston or Clee Terrace in Billingham were the other buses on this route.
Great days!
Ivor Kelly, age 72 now!
The bus was not new to Durham District, but to United. DDS was not formed until 1 August 1950, when the British Transport Commission took over the operations of Darlington Triumph, Durham Express and ABC of Ferryhill, and placed under the control of United’s management. A mixed bag of vehicles was taken over, many of which were unsuitable for long term retention and over time, United transferred many Bristols to DDS to replace them. Therefore,this bus was ex United, coming into the DDS fleet at some time from 1950 onwards.
Top left behind the bus looks like the Vane Arms.
Wasn’t this the Triumph Bus Co that run from Sunderland to Middlesbrough with their own depot on Bridge Road Stockton near to the Empire Picture House.
Durham District Services (DDS) did not exist until August 1950 when three independent companies sold out directly to the British Transport Commission (BTC). The three companies were Darlington Triumph Services, ABC Motor Services and The Express Omnibus Company (Durham) Ltd which the BTC incorporated into Durham District Services which was then placed under the management of United Automobile Services Ltd itself a BTC company. Direct ownership of DDS did not pass to United until 1967. The bus shown was originally in the United fleet and was one of many United buses transferred to Durham District at various times. As stated the bus was built by Eastern Coachworks (ECW), located in Lowestoft, Suffolk and it is interesting to note that ECW was originally started in 1920 by United following its concurrent operation of bus services in Lowestoft and Bishop Auckland in 1912. Until 1934 United provided bus services throughout the Eastern counties stretching from Suffolk to the Scottish borders.
Thank you for the clarification, John. From toddler years, in lattter 40s, I rode buses from the top of Roseberry Road in Billingham, to the village or to Stockton, either on a DDS (like the one in the picture) or United (usually double-decker) bus. However, my mother used to refer to the bus coming towards us along Wolviston Road as either “the United” or “the Triumph,” and I never knew why. Now, all is revealed.