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| 1919 - 1930s |
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James and Elizabeth
Gibson started their firm in 1919, with a Ford
20 HP (registration SM3303) starting the Moffat-Dumfries
service in 1922. This seated about 20 people,
- countryfolk and their wares, ranging from eggs
to lambs. The success of this service let them
progress a range of vehicles including a Chevrolet
(pictured), a Reo and a Morris. |
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| By 1928 the firm
was running a Stewart-bodied 25-seat Albion PKA26.
Sizes headed towards modern capacities with a
double-decked Cowieson bodied 52-seat AEC Regent
in 1933. Loads continued to be unusual; a coffin
was transported to London in a solid-trIed vehicle.
Most vehicles in the 1930s were Morrises and Albions. |
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| 1930 - 1960s |
| The war saw heavy loading on buses
on the Dumfries services, mainly because of soldiers
at nearby Army camps; Moffat served as a training area
for many nationalities throughout the Second World War.
By 1946 the firm had six vehicles, with five conductresses
and four drivers, continually renewing and replacing
vehicles - four Albion PK115s and a PHl14 with an Irvine-bodied
Leyland LTSA in service by 1948. By 1949 die film had
a Leyland 1D4c and a Leyland-bodied Leyland PD2 demonstrator,
which was actually paid for with a Suitcase full of
£ 750 in notes. Two Scottish Aviation-bodied Albion's
joined the fleet in 1950, followed in 1950 by a Guy
Arab 1-decker in 1954 and a Guy Arab Win 1963. |
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From the 1960s,
Jimmie Gibson and his sisters found themselves
taking an increasing part of the business, Mary
marrying out and Margaret joining in from 1965,
to become a full partner in 1991. The Gibson's
moved increasingly from bus routes towards touring,
Jimmie being started by his father in 1963 with
a 33-seat Duple Bedford SB coach on private hire.
Excursion trips to Blackpool, Morecambe and Scarbrough
served local women's and Church Guilds, a half-crown
(2 shillings and 6 pence = 12 1/2 pence) paying
for a seat on a 'Mystery Tour'. This was a time
when prices might be lower than today, but wages
were also low.
The last year of the 1960s saw Jimmie driving
the first coach load of Dumfries Celtic supporters
to Milan for the match with Feyenoord. The coach
used was a 1965 Duple Commander-bodied ABC Reliance;
Celtic lost, but the supporters and the Queen
of the South Football Club have stayed with Gibson's
of Moffat ever since. |
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| 1970s - 1990s |
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| Following the death of
their father in 1975, Jimmie and Margaret continued
to build up the business, offering a range of weekend
breaks and extended tours pioneered by their mother.
These short tours in Spring and Autumn went to Leamington
Spa and to Aberdeen, with some pre-Christmas runs to
London have continued ever since. Ten-day European Tours
began in the 1980s, to places like the Dutch bulb fields
and the German vineyards. |
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| The bus and coach fleet
continued to change as Gibsons maintained their reputation
for up to date vehicles. Fords were bought in the 1970s
- one a Willowbrook 002 model, Plaxton and Duple bodies
also being chosen. The Ford Turbo R-series were an excellent
motor, Jimmie finding them a very good buy. He also
bought in a Bedford and his first two Leopards at this
time. Whilst most of the fleet were single-deckers,
Gibsons had an Edinburgh PD2/20 in the 1970s, their
tenth and last double decker being a Northern Counties-bodied
Leyland PS1/1 bought in 1975 and retired in August 1978.
Changes in bus demand and car ownership made the single-deckers
the best choice on local bus routes. |
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Jimmie changed from Leylands
to Van Hool Volvos from 1982, when Leyland could only
offer 218 bhp engines but Volvo had a 245 bhp engine
and were prepared to vary the chassis and bodywork to
Gibsons specifications. A Berkhof Esprit, a Duple Caribbean,
a Duple-bodied Bedford PJK and 9 Leopards with Alexander
coachwork, were also bought in the 1990s. The rare Volvo
C10M bought in 1994 was in service up to 1997. By 1999,
the firm also had 5 49-seat Van Hool Volvos with fitted
toilets, 2 MAN-powered Van Hool integrals . |
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| An Ikarus-bodied Volvo 810M
saw 'war service' in 1993 when Jimmie drove it
on a mercy mission to Croatia as part of one of
Sir Norman Arthur's relief convoys. The pictures
show the coach in Croatia. with Jimmie assisting
in the issue of its supplies to the local people. |
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