Chesterfield - It's Electric!

 The Story So Far

Chesterfield has a "Coach" Station which mainly serves buses, and just Stagecoach buses at that. Outside the front of the building is one shelter ...

... for National Express and Flix Bus services. There is no useful information about when and where such services might happen!

The coach station does have toilets, a bus drivers' rest room and an enquiry office accompanied by a rack of Stagecoach route leaflets - from which fbb gleaned a small selection,

We will look at a sample leaflet in a moment. 

Chesterfield Corporation did have a bus station (but not for all town services) ...

... which was a large draughty shed with very necessary extra shelters.

It is now part of a shopping centre.

The predecessor of the "Coach" Station was slightly worse!

Fittingly fbb and Mrs arrived in the "Coach" station on an X17 from Sheffield which continues as the green decker above to Matlock and its recent expansion to Wirksworth.

The Story Continues 

And most buses on the X17 were electric!

But there were double deck electrics as well as per the "launch" with a few of the Great and  Good.

A few weeks back, fbb reported on the massive charging installation at the Chesterfield depot.

So fbb was prepared to be impressed with the substantial electric fleet.

Mrs fbb was continuing to Swanwick on Trent's "Comet", running every hour to Derby and carrying a dedicated Comet livery as displayed - NOT - on the previous departure.

Good innt?

Mrs fbb's Comet was in the correct livery ...

... but tired and dirty with a few bits missing.

fbb was reminded that the Comer used to run every 30 mins and is now reduced to hourly!

After waving a fond farewell to his dearest, fbb crossed New Beetwell Street, now the de facto Chesterfield bus station ...

... to await his departure on route 50A.

He waited right opposite his Mrs' stand but was so busy watching for his bus that he tailed to wave!

There was a goof number of  both double and single deck electric vehicles to observe until fbb;s single deck 50A approached beside a decker, thus recreating the launch picture above.

The 50 and 50A : Hooray!

This was to be fbb's first ride on a fully electric bus and it did not disappoint. It was not exciting either - it was a bus, with driver, stops and passengers but without a diesel engine sound!

fbb would have preferred a double deck ...

... but decided to travel rather than wait around. This did mean that pictures of the route were not practicable - top deck front offers much better views.

In fact, your aged blogger cannot recollect ever travelling on the predecessors of the 50 and 50A in his well-spent youth. What better "spend" is there than exploring your environment by bus - far better than pubs and discos!

The detail of the complex routes will be examined tomorrow but, by way of eager anticipation, here is the map from the Stagecoach leaflet.

It is an adequate map if you already know the way, and are merely seeking comfort or a quiet reminder, but it is not good enough for a complete newcomer seeking to actually find their way to somewhere new.

But fbb will make it all c;ear tomorrow.

 Next "Chesterfield Electric" blog :  Friday 27th June