A Manx National Heritage exhibition marking 50 years of bus nationalisation on the Isle of Man begins on Saturday.
ABOVE: Display featuring, amongst other things, a Wayfarer HS350 Ticket machine, a model Leyland National in Smith era orange and cream, and Isle of Man Transport "Uniform Tie”, Isle of Man National Passenger Transport Board "uniform cap”, a bus conductor's kit including Setright ‘Speed' ticket machine, a Selection of bus timetables, a bus Report Card,Road Tax Disks and Public Service Vehicle Disks.
The exhibition (originally billed as ”On the Buses“ (no, not that one), now 'OUR BUS SERVICE - KEEPING THE ISLAND MOVING: 50 YEARS OF NATIONALISED BUS SERVICES") is being staged in collaboration with Isle of Man Transport at the House of Manannan in Peel.
It will feature photographs and memorabilia, and interpretative boards outlining events since the red buses of the Road Services and yellow buses of the Douglas Corporation were joined together.
Entry will be free, and the show runs from September 26 to November 22, 2026, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.
The very last bus delivered to the Isle of Man Road Services shortly before amlamation in 1976 was Leyland National 27 (MAN 27H), seen at Douglas bus station wearing the original version of the NATIONAL TRANSPORT logo. [PHOTO: Clive Brown
ABOVE: Douglas Corporation Transport No. 64 pauses at the stop on Snaefell Road, Willaston. The Corporation's fleet of Regent IIIs did not enter service with the combined operation, though No. 64 was preserved and, after a spell in the UK, is today part of the nationalised operator’s 'heritage' fleet, though bodywork issues said to be caused in part by outside storage, mean it is unavailable for traffic.