Route History

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
St. Helens Corporation routes (continued, 1952 to 1959)

Changes through the 1950s were mostly slight and gradual. Workpeoples services slowly declined as collieries and factories started to close, whilst a few new routes were introduced to serve new housing developments.

December 1952.
22. St. Helens - Hewitt Avenue. New, extended in June 1953 to become
22. Eccleston (Dodd Avenue) - St. Helens - Sutton (Lancots Lane/Sutton Rd.)

From July 1954.
27A Moss Bank - St. Helens - Sutton (Peckers Hill Rd.) New.

From 25 June 1955.
90. St. Helens - Kirkby via Whiston, Prescot & Knowsley.

From November 1955.
4. St. Helens - Parr. Most trolleybuses replaced by motor buses, route linked to 5C and 6C to become.
15. Parr - St. Helens - Knowsley Road - Eccleston - Dentons Green - St. Helens - Parr
16. Parr - St. Helens - Dentons Green - Eccleston - Knowsley Road - St. Helens - Parr
A few peak hour trolleybus workings continued to Boardmans Lane or Parr until Nov. 1956.

From November 1956,
1 St. Helens - Atherton
3 St. Helens - Haydock.
Both converted from trolleybuses to motor buses; SLT share transferred to LUT.
3. Hard Lane - Dentons Green - Kirkland St. - St. Helens - Haydock.
3A. Hard Lane - Blackbrook (Ship Inn)
Former trolleybus routes extended to the newish Hard Lane Estate

From June 1957.
The last trolleybus route (7/8) was converted to motor buses, using a batch of 16 MCW-bodied AEC Regents 5s.

From 3 November 1957.

96. Moss Bank - At. Helens - Portico - Prescot (Shaw Lane).
New, replaced most 20B journeys between Moss Bank & St. Helens; replaced journeys on 8 between St. Helens & Prescot, with conseuential changes to the 7/8 circular route).
9. St. Helens - Rainhill - Prescot - short workings in each direction, not completing the circle back to St. Helens.
97. Moss Bank Brow - St. Helens - Prescot.
Prescot terminus moved from Cross Lane to Thomas Drive.

From January 1959.
Start of a decline, with frequency reductions on several services. 27A split into two halves:
21. St. Helens - Moss Bank (Victoria Avenue),
27A. Sutton - St. Helens.
(Later extended to Eccleston, Gillars Green Drive from June 1963)

(To be continued - 1960 to 1974)