Pennine Blue
Encyclopedia
Pennine Blue, later known as First Pennine, was a bus company serving the Tameside
area of Greater Manchester
, England. It was an independent bus company running services to/from Ashton-under-Lyne
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its depot was initially based at Britannia Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne, before moving to the Globe Industrial Estate in Dukinfield, and finally to the current location on Broadway in Dukinfield
.
The first route to be operated was the 348 service from Mossley, Micklehurst, via Ashton under Lyne to Denton and Haughton Green. This followed the route of the GMBuses 348 service from Haughton Green to Ashton, and the 350 service to Micklehurst. At a later date this service was further extended to Hey Farm. Further developments saw the introduction of a 351 service from Ashton to Carrbrook in Stalybridge, a 346 service from Hyde to Droylsden via the GMB 346 route to Ashton, and then the GMB 382 route to Droylsden. Journeys were also introduced on the 347 service from Ashton to Haughton Green, the 409 to Oldham and on the 42 along the Oxford Road corridor out of Manchester. In the later days of the service, Pennine Blue also operated some journeys on the famous Trans-Lancs Express 400 service, between Stockport and Ashton.
Stockport was also served by the 328 service from Mossley via Denton, the 330 from Ashton and Hyde, and also a 381 service from Ashton and Denton.
The company operated a large and varied fleet of Bristol RE single deck buses, a number of which were bought from Belfast. A couple of Leyland Nationals were also bought. Double dekers included a number of ECW bodied Bristol VRTs, at least one former GMT Standard, and a Nottingham 'Jumbo' Atlantean. A number of minibuses were also operated; under the name 'Baby Blue', they were given the names of cartoon characters. The first new bus for Pennine Blue was an Optare Metrorider named 'Dennis the Menace
' which arrived around the time of the takeover by PMT. A second one was named 'Beryl the Peril
'.
Following the take over by PMT, a large number of PMT Bristol VRTs were drafted into the fleet, some of which were painted into the Pennine Blue livery, although this did not last long.
The company was taken over by PMT in the mid-1990s and would adopt the PMT livery to its services, which resulted in the change of the name from Pennine Blue to Pennine, as the livery changed from blue to yellow and red.
The first vehicles to appear in the red and yellow livery, with the addition of a Badgerline group Badger were two ex Bristol dual door Bristol VRTs.
The company would change to First Pennine in the late 1990s when FirstGroup bought PMT and its subsidiary Pennine.
In the early 21st century, First Pennine would become part of First Manchester
. Although, officially the services in Tameside are First Manchester services, First have registered the services as First Pennine.
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
area of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It was an independent bus company running services to/from Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its depot was initially based at Britannia Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne, before moving to the Globe Industrial Estate in Dukinfield, and finally to the current location on Broadway in Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
.
The first route to be operated was the 348 service from Mossley, Micklehurst, via Ashton under Lyne to Denton and Haughton Green. This followed the route of the GMBuses 348 service from Haughton Green to Ashton, and the 350 service to Micklehurst. At a later date this service was further extended to Hey Farm. Further developments saw the introduction of a 351 service from Ashton to Carrbrook in Stalybridge, a 346 service from Hyde to Droylsden via the GMB 346 route to Ashton, and then the GMB 382 route to Droylsden. Journeys were also introduced on the 347 service from Ashton to Haughton Green, the 409 to Oldham and on the 42 along the Oxford Road corridor out of Manchester. In the later days of the service, Pennine Blue also operated some journeys on the famous Trans-Lancs Express 400 service, between Stockport and Ashton.
Stockport was also served by the 328 service from Mossley via Denton, the 330 from Ashton and Hyde, and also a 381 service from Ashton and Denton.
The company operated a large and varied fleet of Bristol RE single deck buses, a number of which were bought from Belfast. A couple of Leyland Nationals were also bought. Double dekers included a number of ECW bodied Bristol VRTs, at least one former GMT Standard, and a Nottingham 'Jumbo' Atlantean. A number of minibuses were also operated; under the name 'Baby Blue', they were given the names of cartoon characters. The first new bus for Pennine Blue was an Optare Metrorider named 'Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (UK)
Dennis the Menace, later called Dennis the Menace and Gnasher and now Dennis and Gnasher, is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano, published by D. C...
' which arrived around the time of the takeover by PMT. A second one was named 'Beryl the Peril
Beryl the Peril
Beryl the Peril is a fictional character created by David Law, the creator of Dennis the Menace, for Issue 1 of The Topper comic published by DC Thomson & Co. Limited. Like Dennis, she had black and red apparel, and devilishly tormented her parents and other members of her community...
'.
Following the take over by PMT, a large number of PMT Bristol VRTs were drafted into the fleet, some of which were painted into the Pennine Blue livery, although this did not last long.
The company was taken over by PMT in the mid-1990s and would adopt the PMT livery to its services, which resulted in the change of the name from Pennine Blue to Pennine, as the livery changed from blue to yellow and red.
The first vehicles to appear in the red and yellow livery, with the addition of a Badgerline group Badger were two ex Bristol dual door Bristol VRTs.
The company would change to First Pennine in the late 1990s when FirstGroup bought PMT and its subsidiary Pennine.
In the early 21st century, First Pennine would become part of First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
. Although, officially the services in Tameside are First Manchester services, First have registered the services as First Pennine.
Services
Services that are registered as First Pennine services are:- 38 Ashton-under-Lyne - Hazelhurst
- 39 Ashton-under-Lyne - Hazelhurst
- 41 Ashton-under-Lyne - Dukinfield
- 331 Ashton-under-Lyne - Hurst Cross
- 332 Ashton-under-Lyne - Smallshaw
- 333 Ashton-under-Lyne - Smallshaw
- 337/338 Ashton-under-Lyne - Crowhill
- 343 OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
- Lees - Mossley - StalybridgeStalybridgeStalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
- Hyde - 345 Ashton-under-Lyne - DentonDenton, Greater ManchesterDenton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is five miles to the east of Manchester city centre, and has a population of 26,866....
- 346 Ashton-under-Lyne - Dukinfield - Hyde
- 348 Ashton-under-Lyne - StalybridgeStalybridgeStalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
- Carrbrook - 350 Oldham - Delph - UppermillUppermillUppermill is a village in Saddleworth—a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies on the River Tame in a valley amongst the South Pennines, east of Oldham, and east-northeast of Manchester...
- Greenfield - Hey Farm - Mossley - Ashton-under-Lyne - 353/354 Uppermill - Mossley - Stalybridge - Ashton-under-Lyne
- 388 Ashton-under-Lyne - Ridge Hill - Stalybridge - Hyde - Gee Cross - Marple
- 389 Ashton-under-Lyne - Ridge Hill - Stalybridge - Hyde - Gee Cross
- 393 Ashton-under-Lyne - Hartshead