Quantock Motor Services

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Quantock Motor Services
Heritage Bristol LDL6G & Volvo B10M service bus at Bishops Lydeard depot in August 2012
ParentStephen Morris
Founded2001
HeadquartersBishops Lydeard
Service areaSomerset
Service typeBus & coach services
HubsMinehead
Fleet15 (October 2013)
Chief executiveStephen Morris
Websitewww.quantockheritage.com

Quantock Motor Services[1] is a privately owned bus operator in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England. The company operates a substantial heritage fleet for private hire and on route 300.

History

Coach fleet at Bishops Lydeard depot in September 2012
Alexander Dennis Enviro200 in Minehead in October 2010

Rexquote, a transport engineering business in Bishops Lydeard, operated a fleet of old buses under the name of Rexquote Heritage. As well as private hire, some regular circular tourist routes were advertised. One such was between Weston-super-Mare, Sand Bay and nearby tourist attractions in the summer of 2000.[2] In 2002 the Exmoor Explorer circular service was started from Minehead.[3][4]

In 2001 Rexquote established a new Quantock Motor Services operation. It was initially based in Ilfracombe, with three vehicles to operate schools contracts and a service from Combe Martin to Barnstaple.[5] On 6 September 2014, Quantock Motor Services ceased operating its four route services as well as school services. The vintage hire business continues to trade.[6]

Routes

Public services ceased in September 2014, at which time four services were being operated:[6][7]

Service 300

Route 300, between

Daily Telegraph list of the 20 best bus routes in England for over 60s to use free their bus passes.[8] In 2010 it featured on a local BBC programme that featured "great South West journeys".[9]

The regular vehicle for many years was an

Scania N94UD open top bus. After the 2012 season this was sold and replaced with a single-deck open top Alexander PS bodied Volvo B10M.[10] The service ceased operating in September 2014,[11] but returned the following summer using heritage (not necessarily open top) buses.[12][13]

Today, the 300 is now run by The Buses of Somerset as the open top 'Exmoor Coaster' service. [14]

  • Minehead sea front
    Minehead sea front
  • Woodcombe
    Woodcombe
  • Near the top of Porlock Hill
    Near the top of Porlock Hill
  • Countisbury Hill, Lynmouth
    Countisbury Hill, Lynmouth

Service 400

Until 2011 the service 400 'Exmoor Explorer' operated a circular tour from Minehead to

Somerset County Council funding was withdrawn. It had been a recommended route in Scenic Britain by Bus.[15]

Depots

During 2010 the depot was relocated from Norton Fitzwarren, to a facility next door to Bishops Lydeard railway station on the heritage West Somerset Railway.[16] Heritage vehicles undergoing restoration are at an outstation in Langley Marsh, Wiveliscombe.[17]

  • Taunton
    Taunton
  • Bishops Lydeard
    Bishops Lydeard
  • Langley Marsh
    Langley Marsh

Fleet

As at October 2013 Quantock Motor Services operate 15 modern vehicles painted in a red livery.[18] A new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 was purchased in 2010 for new contracts.[19]

Heritage vehicles

A number of older vehicles are operated by Quantock Motor Services, although not all are licensed for paid operations.

  • Northern Counties bodied AEC Regent V
    Northern Counties bodied AEC Regent V
  • East Lancashire bodied Leyland PD2
    Leyland PD2
  • Duple bodied Daimler
    Duple bodied Daimler
  • East Lancashire bodied AEC Regent V
    East Lancashire bodied AEC Regent V
  • Charles H Roe bodied Daimler CV
    Charles H Roe bodied Daimler
    CV
  • Strachan bodied AEC Regal
    Strachan bodied AEC Regal
  • ECW bodied Bristol LDL6G
    ECW bodied Bristol LDL6G

References

  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 4997048 Quantock Motor Services Limited
  2. ISSN 0007-6392
    .
  3. ISSN 0007-6392
    .
  4. ISSN 1462-1886
    .
  5. ISSN 0007-6392
    .
  6. ^ a b "Quantock Heritage bus operations cease trading" Buses issue 716 November 2014 p. 8
  7. ^ "Scheduled services". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  8. Daily Telegraph
    5 April 2008
  9. ^ "Open-top bus journey to Lynmouth". BBC. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  10. ISSN 0007-6392
    .
  11. ^ Tourists left stranded after Lynmouth to Minehead bus service comes to an end North Devon Journal
  12. ISBN 978-1-101-87911-5
    .
  13. ^ "Time Tables". www.quantockheritage.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014.
  14. ^ https://www.firstbus.co.uk/sites/default/files/public/adventures-by-bus/exmoor%20coaster%20leaflet%20feb23%20web.pdf
  15. ^ "Scenic Britain by Bus" (PDF). Transport Marketing. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  16. ^ "QMS moves to new location". Quantock Motor Services. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  17. ^ "QMS Bus Rallies". Quantock Motor Services. 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  18. ^ "Our modern fleet". Quantock Motor Services. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  19. ^ "New Enviro200 for Quantock Motor Services". Alexander Dennis. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

External links

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