The 60 bus to Crimicar Lane remembered

Upon my arrival in Sheffield as a student in the autumn of 1981, I was lucky enough to live, like so many students, in the beautiful Ranmoor area of the City.  Apart from the delights of the Ranmoor Tavern and the Rising Sun, the area was also well served by the No 60 bus.

The No 60 was unusual at the time as it was a one man operated service at a time when most Sheffield buses still had conductors.  This, of course, slowed the service down somewhat especially as the many students who lived in the area were unfamiliar with the fare structure and the destinations.  Nevertheless, the service was very reliable and was particularly useful as it served the railway station, the polytechnic and the bus station as well as going through the centre of town.

In 1981, Sheffield had a low fares policy and the journey from Nether Green to town cost only eight pence.  I was once told that it cost more to collect the fares than the amount that was made from the sale of tickets.  I cannot confirm this but it would not surprise me.  Unfortunately, the cheap fares policy came to an end a few years later when London Transport tried the same idea and incurred the displeasure of the government.

The No 60 bus normally terminated at Crimicar Lane but some journeys ended at Broomhill, Ranmoor and Nether Green.  Many users will recall having to check the bus's destination board before getting on.  The picture above shows a Crimicar Lane bound service pulling up Fulwood Road from the Rising Sun in the autumn of 1981.

Some of the buses were fitted with a sound system on the top deck.  Passengers were entertained by a broadcast entitled "Sounds in Motion".  Unfortunately, there did not seem to be many tapes in the Sounds In Motion repertoire.  I lost count of the number of times I heard "It sure brings out the love in your eyes" by David Soul and "Emotion" by Samantha Sang.

The No 60 bus eventually passed into history and was replaced by the number 40 and then by the current No 120.  The route has changed a little and the current service does not pass the railway station or terminate at the bus station.