I used to get this very bus to and from college in the early 90s, as it was the regular vehicle for the 60 Galashiels - Duns - Berwick service which became a Rail Link service in July 1991. This saw the service diverted at the Berwick end to serve the railway station on journeys to and from from Berwick, a function it still does today although of course the service is now operated by Perrymans using Optare Versas. DSD958V, the bus pictured, was an ex-Western SMT Seddon Pennine 7/Alexander T-type and one of two Lowland vehicles painted in the then-current BR livery for promote the Borders Rail Link services, the other one being Leyland Tiger/Alexander TE D329DKS based at Hawick for the 95 between Edinburgh. Gala, Hawick and Carlisle. DSD958V is seen here on a Gala local service, which it often did in between turns on the 60. My recollections are of it being a very fast bus. However its performance on steep hills in the snow left a lot to be desired - I speak from experience here as it got stuck climbing the hill at Gordon during a sudden whiteout in February 1994, ironically just as the bus was nearing the top! I was on my way back from Borders College that evening and noticed the snow falling as the bus approached Gordon, and on leaving there remarked that wed be lucky if the bus got to the top. Famous last words: just as we were getting to the top of the hill at Gordon the rear wheels lost traction! We never made it to Duns that night as all our attempts to get the bus going again proved futile and we headed back to Gala to be put up overnight thanks to the Colleges emergency procedure. (The next departure from Gala to Berwick that night got turned back at Gordon.) The next day we made our way home to several very relieved families, the snow having melted as quickly as it had fallen! One other memory I recall is of a Gala-based driver with white hair who did not take fools gladly and who didnt like Langlee schoolkids using the 1632 departure to Berwick when there was an adequate service to the Langlee area which back then was every 10 minutes, alternating between the upper and lower estates. Quite rightly, he reasoned that the kids took up too much room on the bus for the five-minute journey between Gala bus station and Melrose Road and would often refuse to take the kids with the call Langlee people use Langlee buses - this bus is full! Happy days. :)
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 22:21:56 +0000
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