On the buses and trams
THE first picture we feature this week was taken almost 50 years to the day, when a strange looking bus first appeared on the roads around Birkenshaw.
The double-decker bus, turning into Cleckheaton bus station from Parkside, was snapped on April 4 1960.
The vehicle's unusual appearance with its blue chasis and domed roofs would have been familiar to those who had travelled to Beverley, in East Yorkshire, but quite alien to the folk of the Spen Valley.
It became a regular feature on Route G, now serviced by the 268 bus, as transport chiefs used it to evaluate whether the smaller engine was powerful enough to navigate some of the Valley's steeper inclines.
By all accounts, it did manage to cope with the hilly journey between Heckmondwike and Dewsbury, despite often carrying a full load of passengers for much of the journey.
Nowadays, the rather unique vehicles are displayed at rallies across the country by private collectors.
The second picture, of the number 19 Tram parked at the Birkenshaw terminus, was originally an open topped vehicle but a top cover was added to give passengers at bit of shelter.
The picture is believed to have been used during World War I, when trams were a common site within the Valley.
The final picture of the week shows a tram beating the elements as it moves along the Flush, in Heckmondwike. The photograph was taken by a passenger on another tram as the two passed each other.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
