We held our Spring Running Day event on the Bank Holiday Sunday 5th May 2024. With Bank Holiday rains forecast, visitor numbers were still up on last year.
CTPG presented a theme marking 100 years since Merthyr Tydfil council started running their own buses in 1924 which lasted until 1989. On the day a commemorative enthusiast’s booklet was made available taking the 100 years up to the Stagecoach era. Visitors came from many parts of South Wales including Merthyr Tydfil, and enjoyed a range of 5 different routes, departures were every 20 minutes with an added Open Top bus route.
The star attraction for many was the first opportunity to take a free ride in a 51 year old Merthyr Tydfil 190 Bristol RE type bus. In addition, some other buses which have operated in Merthyr Tydfil on regional services included an older Bristol RE type Red & White bus from 1967 and a 26 year old Volvo B10M from 1998 representing Stagecoach Red & White. The were supplemented by others ranging from a 1952 Leyland from Caerphilly and open top buses from Cardiff 434 and Newport 41.
People came earlier than in the past, one asking at 08:15 for a timetable and at that time stalls were being set up. Apart from many families and those with young children, there was a group of six young teenage girls who came specifically to travel on the first open top bus 434, which duly ran on the Barry Circular Open Top route. The decision to put Newport 41 on one of the service turns was inspired, as that went out full! By 10:30 there were crowds in the depot keeping the stall holders busy and the morning settled down with just one hic-up as Cardiff 512 decided not to play ball. This was not an issue as out of our heritage fleet, ten vehicles were used during the day. Some vehicles did extra trips especially as the National Welsh Olympian offered a boost to seating capacity over the single deckers. It has been estimated we carried 1,500 passengers and turnover in the depot was good.
